Where to buy an electric bike?
Electric bicycles have become an increasingly popular form of transportation in recent years. With their appearance, everyone started cycling - the elderly, young people, children, businessmen, vacationers... The electric bike is ideal for everyone who wants to travel comfortably and ecologically, without endangering their health or the environment. The offer has expanded considerably in recent years, so we have summarized some important features in the blog that will help you choose the right e-bike more easily.
Which type of electric bike to choose?
What you need the bike for depends on what you choose. If you are looking for an e-bike for around town or for work that you can easily carry up the stairs, on the bus or to the office, a small or even folding electric bike will be perfect. However, if you are looking for an e-bike with which you will go cycling or make longer cycling tours, you need an electric bike suitable for the terrain . Depending on where you will ride, you can choose between city, mountain and trekking electric bikes. Individual bicycle models differ in terms of battery capacity, motor and other components.
Eovolt is a French brand of folding electric bikes. Practicality is their key guiding principle when making bikes, so their bike folding system is thought out to the last detail. Folding bikes are especially popular among those who use an electric bike to commute to work or combine it with public transport, for those who do not have much space to store their bike and for owners of motorhomes who use the Eovolt bike as a means of transport on vacation. See the offer >>>
The motor is the heart of the e-bike
Where the motor is positioned on an electric bike may be more important than you think. The motors can be installed in three places: centrally on the pedals , in the hub of the front wheel or in the hub of the rear wheel .
True mountain bikes, which are intended for fast descents over roots, rocks and jumps and challenging climbs, have a mid-engine, which gives them a low center of gravity and a more balanced feeling when riding. Such a motor helps drive the pedals and transmits energy to the wheels via a chain. Definitely the best choice for all demanding mountain bikers. But of course this comes at a price. Expect to change the chain once a year.
In city and trekking bikes, the motor is most often on the rear hub, which is a much more economical option. The chain and other parts are not loaded and therefore the maintenance cost of such a bike is much lower. In short, don't fall for the claims that the mid-engine is the only one good enough. It's definitely the best, but you don't need it for driving on the roads. Even with much cheaper motors in the rear hub, you can reach every hill.
Econic One is an electric bicycle brand present in more than 22 countries. Its founder, Galin, was primarily looking for a way to make driving to work faster, more useful and more environmentally friendly. In the range of Econic One bikes, you can find mainly city bikes, as well as cross country bikes for riding on more rugged terrain. See the offer >>>
All about battery and performance
An important thing to consider when choosing an electric bike is power transmission . The driving sensation depends mainly on the type of sensor used to deliver the power. There are two options: a torque-based sensor or a speed-based sensor .
Power transmission
A torque-based sensor adds power based on how hard you push the pedals. It's a more natural riding feel and requires the rider to actually push. Of course, you have to invest really little of your energy for the biggest assist. For anyone who wants recreation and has an electric motor more to help, this is an ideal choice.
The speed-based sensor, on the other hand, simply checks if the pedals are moving and then adds power based on the level of assistance selected. You can move the pedals quite slowly, but still drive up to 25 km/h. Ideal for transport to work or school, as you can get there without breaking a sweat. Of course, even on such a bike you can drive yourself. You just reduce the level of assistance and increase the gears and you are already recreating. In any case, you use more battery on average.
Almost all mid-motor electric bikes also have a torque sensor, just watch out for the cheapest ones. In bikes with a motor on the rear wheel, there are much fewer torque sensors. The vast majority of them only have a speed sensor. Of course, no one advertises this out loud.
Battery power
The most common batteries on electric bikes are lithium-ion batteries , which are lighter, can be charged quickly and last longer. A full charge usually takes 4 to 6 hours, depending on the manufacturer and size of the battery. Batteries have different capacities, expressed in watt-hours (Wh) or ampere-hours (Ah). It's much more important to consider Wh when choosing, as they take voltage and amp hours together and determine how far you can go on a full charge.
Size and positioning
In addition, the size and positioning of the battery is also important. Bigger is not always better, at most it is harder. The batteries can be built-in or removable and positioned in different places - on the trunk, on the frame, in the seat post , etc. Depending on your needs, it makes sense to consider whether you need a bike with a removable battery that can be charged practically anywhere, or choose a bike with a built-in battery.
How powerful battery to choose?
Batteries are expensive and you need to think realistically about how big a battery you need. If you are a real mountain biker and do a lot of climbing and descending, then you will buy an electric bike with a large battery (above 600 Wh). By driving on roads and undemanding off-road, you will never drain such a battery. Riding a bike for 100 km is not easy, even if you ride with a battery. If you are not a serious cyclist, routes up to 50 km are much more common, and for the journey to work or school, much less is usually enough. A 350 Wh battery is enough for city electric bikes . For a trekking electric bike, a battery with approximately 450 Wh is more than enough for 90% of users, even if there are 500 meters of altitude in between. If you're heavier, maybe get a 50-100 Wh bigger battery anyway.
Don't take the information about how many kilometers you can travel with a certain battery too seriously. 100 km in ideal conditions is a very broad concept. If you have 50 kg and drive with the assist on 1, you will really do 100 km. But if you're 100 kg and you're going up a long, steep hill, and you switch the assist to the highest level, you won't do half as much.
| type of cycling | battery power |
| Mountain biking | over 600 Wh |
| city cycling | 350 Wh |
| trekking cycling | 450 Wh |
Other equipment of the electric bike also counts
As with classic bicycles, equipment such as gears, brakes, suspension, tires, etc. is important for electric bicycles. On mountain bikes, good front suspension, gear ratios, a strong frame and wide tires are key to a comfortable ride. As with classic bikes, electric bikes are dominated by Shimano gears and hydraulic brakes, which are considered to be among the best.
Ecobike is one of the oldest electric bicycle brands in Europe. They can boast of more than 15 years of experience in the field of electric bikes, and in their offer you can find both mountain bikes, city bikes and Ecobike folding bikes. See the offer >>>
Additional functionalities for more comfortable and safe driving
Electric bikes are developing at the speed of light and offer many functionalities. One of these is definitely the electronic screen , on which you can monitor your speed, power produced and consumed, and other statistics. The way to charge the battery is also an important functionality, as we have already mentioned, removable batteries are much more practical for charging, as you do not need to lean the entire bike against the socket. Since you won't shell out a little money for an electric bike, safety features like GPS tracking, smart locking, and an anti-theft alarm are sensible features that can save you a lot of worry. For those who put practicality first, it is also important that the bike is light and easy to fold , so that you can store it in the corner of the office or in the camper van on vacation.
So, which electric bike to choose?
The choice is huge and since an electric bike is not a small expense, it is wise to think carefully about your next purchase. When choosing, ask yourself what you need an electric bike for and what capabilities you need for your activities. If you are not sure, in our salon we offer you the possibility to rent and test city, trekking and folding electric bicycles Ecobike, Eovolt and Econic One. The test in the vicinity of the salon is free. Alternatively, you can rent a bike for a weekend and test it in your home environment. In the case of a purchase, the rental cost will be deducted from the purchase.