5 Tips on Choosing Electric Bike

Recently, more and more people around us prefer to use the electric bike as an economical and environmentally friendly means of transportation.

It’s quite possible that one of your friends has been riding to the store for a long time without touching any pedals, and another friend is just starting to look closely at the wide range of e-bike models available on the market.

But, unfortunately, deciding which model to buy is not such an easy task. Therefore, in order to help our readers make the correct choice, we have compiled 5 battle-tested tips that will help you make the right decision, and maybe even save a couple of bucks on the purchase of spare parts.

Don't be cheap on battery

Having bought a battery that lasts 1-2 years, you will be strongly disappointed when you’ll have to change it.

To date, the best type is LiFePO4 batteries. They are explosion-proof, compact enough and slowly degrade over time.

With a caring attitude, they will work for 10 years or more. The topic of battery choice is very extensively covered in our article How to Choose the Battery for Electric Bike.

Pay attention to the quality of the product

Quite often cheap Chinese e-bikes and scooters have a lot of plastic parts that wear down pretty quickly. The practice has shown that after some time these parts break, get lost and your bike looks a bunch of scraps glued together in one piece.

Choose the drive (motor + controller) based on operating conditions

If you’re choosing a bike for an elderly person, that is, for a measured, not fast ride, you can prefer any type of motor. But it’s better to choose one that’s lighter. Geared motor wheels are a perfect choice here.

If you like to ride fast on the roads, the best choice for you will be a direct drive motor. Geared motors tend to break more often under heavy loads.

For the off-road drive, choose a mid-mounted drive. It gives a higher torque to the wheel, which is important in the off-road conditions.

Take a test-drive before you buy

If you buy an electric bike, be sure to ride it. Listen to the noise that it makes while riding. Make sure that you don’t hear any extraneous sounds. Additionally, check:

• That all devices and lights work.
• Press the gas and brake simultaneously. The bike should not move.
• If the bike is equipped with a PAS system (pedal assist system), try pedaling without touching the throttle. The motor should turn on and assist you.

Purchase from the local sellers

If possible, buy an electric bike from a seller that is located close to your place of residence. Let it be a little more expensive. But if you’ll have any problems or questions, you’ll be able to relatively easily solve them. It is often much easier and faster for a repair technician to find a problem when the bike is nearby than trying to fix the problem over the phone.

Ask your seller for warranty, service, and repair conditions. Be sure to check information regarding the battery replacement in case of failure. As you probably know, there is no such device that does not break.