The most common question, or misconception we hear about electric bikes is that you no longer have to pedal. There are versions of bikes that are fully powered, but not the ones we carry at United. We have pedal assist bikes, which means it’s a combination of battery powered drive with pedaling.
That means the exercise and thrill of cycling is still here in our ebikes.
How Electric Bikes Work
As we mentioned, there is a battery onboard ebikes that power your ride. Pedal assist ebikes, the power from the battery only kicks in while you’re pedalling, meaning you control the amount of power from the drive system. Think of the electric motor as something that amplifies your pedal strokes, giving a more natural feeling to your ride. We describe it more like feeling supercharged on your bike, giving you extra that really comes in handy on long trips and hills!
No-Throttles
It can seem strange to have a motor without a throttle, but that’s the design of pedal assist bikes. There is no mechanism on these ebikes to manually engage the power outside of pedalling. This is also a safe way to enable electric motors, as there is no way to inadvertently add speed.
Range of Ride
The next question that often comes up in discussing pedal assist ebikes is their ride range for a battery. This can vary between 20-100 miles because of many factors such as battery size, motor efficiency, the weight you’re carrying and even the level of motor assist. Yes, some bikes let you configure the amount of assistance you want activated!
Time to Charge
Different models and battery sizes will charge differently, but generally it’s about 3-5 hours to fully charge a battery, which plugs in at any conventional outlet. Some bikes also allow you to remove and swap batteries easily, meaning you can have spare batteries for long days of riding.
Next Steps in Learning More
An eBike is a big purchase, so if you have more questions, we encourage you to visit our team at United. If you’ve done your research and you’re ready to shop, we have a large variety of eBikes, including mountain and cruiser versions. We look forward to seeing you on the road soon!
