In comparing electric bikes vs. regular bikes, what’s the real difference? Here, we look at the two and point out the differences to help you decide what’s best for you. Learn about e-bikes versus regular bikes so you can make an educated decision. A Background on Electric Bikes Electric bikes have a few varieties, and each has some key differences. Premade e-bikes come all set up with the motor already attached. For those who want to set up their e-bikes and have more control over their choices, there are a few types of kits to make an e-bike. An electric bicycle mid-drive conversion kit connects to the middle of your bike. It supplies power to both wheels through the chain of your bike, providing the best feel for e-bikers and centrally distributing the weight of the motor and battery. Front-hub kits attach a motor and battery to your front wheel and can take some time to get used to, as the bike pulls you forward instead of pushing. Rear-hub motor kits attach to your rear wheel and feel more natural, but they can be challenging to install. Now that you understand a bit more about all your options as an e-biker, it’s time to know, in comparing electric bikes to regular bikes, what’s the real difference? The Feeling of Your Ride One of the key differences between riding an e-bike and a regular bike is the feeling of your ride. You can expect the feeling of a usual bike ride on a standard bicycle, but you may have to exert yourself going up hills. With regular bikes, you must prepare to pedal a lot to get yourself where you need to go. On an e-bike, pedaling is a different feeling. You may not have to push so hard to get yourself over the hills you encounter on an e-bike. You’ll undoubtedly have to pedal to get where you’re going, but you’ll notice a decrease in the energy you need to exert to get from point A to point B. The feeling of your ride is one of the key differences between electric bikes and regular bikes. The Speeds You Can Reach Another big difference between an e-bike and a traditional bike is the speed you can travel. You can only travel at the top speed you can achieve with your own power on a regular bike. This speed is different for every rider, but most amateur cyclists can only expect to reach 18 mph. With e-bikes, your speed depends on the motor you choose, but you’ll quickly reach 25 mph, with some cyclists getting up to 40 mph on faster models. If you have a good reason to want to go faster, an e-bike may be the right call for you. The Construction of the Bike The construction of an e-bike versus a regular bike is the main difference between the two. While most understand the basic structure of a normal bike, the e-bike adds a motor and battery to the equation. Motors and batteries add complex moving parts to your bike, but the coverage of a warranty protects most e-bike motors, so you can get them repaired should anything go wrong. Motors and batteries will add some weight to your bike’s frame, but the power of the motors makes up for moving a bit of extra weight around. Bike Assembly Most traditional bikes come prebuilt, so you won’t have to worry about assembling any complex parts for your standard bike. In contrast, e-bike kits require you to set up your e-bike, and some can find e-bike setup challenging. The good news is that most e-bike kits have been thoroughly tested and tried on YouTube, and the average layperson can find a simple tutorial to set up their e-bike kit of choice. If you need extra help, bike mechanics can often set up e-bike kits for a low fee. While the assembly of an e-bike may take some extra effort, it can be worth it for the speed and ease of pedaling you’ll achieve. Maintaining Your Ride With all bikes, you’re going to want to do some maintenance. Regular bikes and e-bikes should see a bike mechanic for a tune-up once a year. Since e-bikes and traditional bikes share the same essential components, care for both e-bikes and regular bikes is very similar. The one key difference is the maintenance of an e-bike motor. Besides charging your batteries, there’s not much maintenance an e-bike motor needs to keep running. If something goes wrong with your e-bike motor, you should have a warranty that covers it to get any problems repaired. For the most part, maintaining e-bikes and traditional bikes is virtually the same. E-Biking Laws One difference between e-bikes and regular bikes that’s crucial to know about is e-biking laws. Most states and locations have specific rules and regulations around e-biking that can restrict you from getting higher-speed e-bikes. Learn about your local laws and regulations regarding e-bikes to ensure you are safe to e-bike in your area. The Cost of Your Bike As always, higher technology can come at a steeper price. This is true with e-biking, as you’ll have to invest in an additional kit or a more expensive bike to get you going. While e-biking is more costly to start, it can save you time on your rides and commutes and get you going where you need to be faster. E-biking can cost more, but you’ll be saving time and energy. The Exercise You Get Biking is a great way to exercise, but what about e-biking? E-biking is still a good exercise, as your feet move on the pedals like any bike. You’ll still be getting great workouts, but you’ll notice that your exercise is low stress compared to traditional biking. Biking on an e-bike and biking on a regular bike are both great ways to get exercise, but e-biking makes your workout easier. Safety While most of us know the basics of bike safety, you should be even more cautious on an e-bike. Always wear a helmet and use caution when riding around vehicles to stay safe. Drivers may estimate an e-biker’s speed at the speed of a regular biker and not realize you are traveling faster, so you must use extreme caution when biking. Whether you choose an e-bike or a regular bike, you should always think about your safety on the road. If you’re looking to start moving at faster speeds with less effort, choose Ebike Essentials for your e-biking setup kit. Ebike Essentials has high-quality mid-drive and hub-motor kits to get you started on this exciting sport. Start e-biking today with Ebike Essentials!
