ebikes are basically the same as conventional cycles but with the addition of a battery powered motor that provides motorised assistance to drive one of the wheels of the bike. 

 

The battery is carried on the bike as part of the frame and can - depending on the model of bike - be removed for charging, or can be charged while attached to the bike.

 

When you ride an ebike you do have to use the gears as you would on a normal bike and you do have to pedal. 

 

The motor engages once the bike is moving, and you must continue to pedal for the motor to work. 

 

The effect of the motorised assistance is that it feels a bit like someone is pushing you along, for as long as you remain pedalling. 

 

To be road legal, ebikes also have a speed limiter which means that while you can pedal harder to go faster, and you can go faster when freewheeling downhill, the motor will not power the bike if it is travelling at over 15.5 miles per hour. 

 

Depending on the battery and motor, ebikes can have a range of as much as 80 miles and can be ridden in different modes which provide increasing levels of power. The power level can be adjusted as you go along depending on the terrain. The more power you use the less distance you will get out of the bike. We find that our bottoms complain much sooner than the battery runs out, so the distance you ride is much more likely to be determined by how long you want to be on the bike than by the battery. 

 

There are a few techniques to learn, one of which is to make sure you change down to a lower gear when you intend to stop, such as at a road junction or when preparing to park. That’s because you do need to pedal to get the motor to kick in and the lower the gear, the easier it is.

 

As with normal bikes, the gears should not be changed unless the wheels are in motion, and you always want to be in low gear to set off, as you would be in a car. 

 

An ebike is a faster and physically much less demanding way to travel on two wheels and this is what makes them so much more practical for commuting and for fun. An ebike can really transform a cycle ride from being demanding physical exercise to being an enjoyable and exhilarating way to get from a to b with ease while positively impacting on both climate change and on your own well-being.