Electric bicycles: how does an e-bike work?
Would you like to move quickly from A to B and not arrive at your destination sweaty? With an electric bicycle, moving is just that little bit easier, thanks to the pedal assistance of up to 25 kilometers per hour.
Today there are many different types of electric bicycles on the market. Every e-bike is not like the other: there are many differences between the electric bicycles.
In this article you can read exactly how the electric bicycle works and we give you our favorite e-bikes.
Contents
Motor of the e-bike
There are electric bicycles with different brands and different types of motors. For example, you have a front-wheel motor, rear-wheel motor and mid-engine. Exactly how the engine works is related to much more than just the location of the engine. A front-wheel motor is not always better than, for example, a mid-mounted motor. It can be said that a front-wheel motor has less power than a mid-mounted motor. But here too the following applies: this depends on the electric bicycle.
How much power an engine has is expressed in the term NewtonMeter. The more power an engine has, the more powerful the engine of the e-bike. If you plan to go up a lot of hills, it is wise to choose an engine of 40 Nm or 60 Nm.
Sensors on an e-bike
There are three types of sensors on an electric bicycle: the rotation sensor, force sensor and gear sensor. Read more about these sensors below:
Rotation sensor
There is no electric bike without the rotation sensor. This sensor ensures that the pedal assistance switches on as soon as you start cycling. Does your e-bike only have the rotation sensor? Then you will feel that the support will feel less natural.
Force sensor
Does your e-bike also have a force sensor in addition to the rotation sensor? When you want to drive away from a traffic light, the motor sees thanks to the power sensor that more pedal assistance is needed. The motor receives through the sensor that there is a greater need for pedal assistance. Thanks to this force sensor, the support you receive also feels natural.
Gear sensor
You hear this sensor less often, but it is still a very important sensor. When you start using a gear, the gear sensor ensures that your pedal assistance stops for a while. Why this is? Your gear hub will last longer if you have a gear sensor. You will not notice this yourself while cycling.
Battery for an e-bike
If you have decided to purchase an electric bicycle, you often have several options for how big you want your battery to be. This has to do with the concept: range. The range means the amount of kilometers you can cover with one fully charged battery.
Do you know that you make shorter bike rides? Then you can opt for a smaller battery. Do you know that you will mainly travel longer distances with the electric bicycle? Then it is wise to choose a battery with a higher range.
Do you want to know more about the lifespan of a battery? You can read it in this article.
Exactly how much your range is depends on various components. Think, for example, of your own weight, the outside temperature, your driving behavior and whether you go up a lot of hills or not. Before purchasing an electric bicycle, think about this carefully to avoid disappointment.
Are you planning to buy an electric bicycle, but are you still unsure about which e-bike this will be? Read more in the article ‘which e-bike to buy?’
