How Do Electric Bikes Work Exactly? A Quick Guide

Around 104 million Americans ride a bike at least once a year. Not only are bicycles an excellent way to get exercise, but they’re also a convenient way to commute too.

Riding a regular bike can have you tired out though, especially if weather conditions aren’t great. This is why many of us are switching to electric bikes instead!

So how do electric bikes work? Read on to find out!

How Do Electric Bikes Work?

First, let’s go over the main parts of an electric bike. In addition to the parts that a regular bicycle has (such as a seat, handlebar, pedals, and wheels), electric bikes also have batteries and motors.

Before we explain how those work, you should note that electric bikes have slightly different frames.

Most are made from aluminum, as this is a lightweight material. This allows you to get more mileage out of each battery charge.

Also, the spokes are made of a stronger material because there’s more torque coming from the motor.

Battery

To power your electric bike, you’ll need a battery. The most popular type is the lithium-ion battery since it’s lightweight.

Before you go for a ride, make sure to charge up your battery fully. You’ll usually get around 40 miles out of each charge, although some others (like Charge Bikes electric bikes) can get 50 miles. To get more mileage, you should manually pedal more.

Motor

Usually, you’ll find the motor located in either the back or front wheel’s hub. Some motors are mounted in the center of your bike.

Whichever type of motor you have, it’ll have a torque sensor. The information received will allow the motor to adjust its output, depending on what setting you have it on.

To change the setting, you’ll use the controller, which is usually on the handlebar (it’ll show you how much battery you have left). You can ride switch between modes to ride completely manually or fully on the motor. On some models, you’ll also have additional features, such as navigation.

Brakes

For some, you’ll enjoy electric bike technology called regenerative braking. This means that whenever you’re pedaling, the motor will spin its wheels in reverse, which will charge up the battery. This can help extend the duration of each charge.

Riding an Electric Bike

You’ll be pleased to know that even though an electric bike has some additional parts, riding one is easy!

You pretty much ride it the same as you would a regular bike. However, you’ll want to first switch on the motor and adjust the setting on the controller. Then, set off!

Get Yourself the Best Electric Bike

Now you know the answer to the question, “how do electric bikes work?” It can be a good idea to swap out your old bike for an electric one, as you’ll have to put in less effort to get places. And because you can switch between modes, you’ll be able to pedal without assistance, which means you can still get some workouts in!

If you enjoyed learning about how electric bikes work, then check out the rest of our blog now!