Everything you want to know about every e-bike, all in one place.
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Demystifying Ebike Classes
US eBike classes may sound like a complicated topic, but they’re actually pretty straightforward. Let’s break it down: Class 1: These are the bikes that kick in some motor assistance when you start pedaling and cut it off once you hit 20mph. Class 2: These have a handy throttle-activated motor, but like Class 1, they…
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“Weird tricks for keeping your ebike battery young!”
Or, “Unmasking the Scandalous Truth About E-Bike Battery Life!” Or, more realistically, A Primer on Ebike Battery Life, and the Things that Impact It. But that’s boring, who would click on that? Anyway, this is my attempt at explaining what you can expect for maximizing your range over time. Range is the thing people tend…
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“What is the range of this ebike?” is the wrong question.
OK, admittedly that’s a bit harsh, considering it’s a question that I have googled myself. But as I’ve learned more and more about batteries, I’ve come to realize this question really can’t be answered. You can’t think of the capacity of a battery like a tank of gas in a car: while they’re conceptually similar,…
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So, what’s the difference between a hub and a mid drive motor?
(…and how do I choose between them?) If you’re on the verge of buying your first ebike and you’re wondering why there are such huge price differences, you’ve probably discovered there are two major mechanisms that power most ebikes: hub and mid drive motors. Choosing one of these is one of the pivotal decisions for…
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Resources
Below is a list of awesome resources I’ve come across as I’ve been learning about ebikes. I’ll keep updating it as I find more! Batteries are confusing. This is a great article that helps clarify some of the technical language, and what to look for.
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Ebike Libraries
One of the coolest things I’ve discovered as I’ve been researching ebikes (and figuring out where and how to test ride them) is ebike libraries. These aren’t rentals: they’re free. They’re super cool programs that let you borrow electric bikes, just like checking out a book from the library. But instead of words, you get…
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We’re live!
I’ve added some basic info about who I am, and published the first version of my ebike database. I’m so excited to keep updating this and adding to it as I have more time. Where I’m at now: around 50 models are in the database, and I have comparative information for most of them on…
Am I missing something?