Riding an E-Bike is an awesome experience… but if you haven’t done it before, there are a few things you should know before you jump on and head off to conquer the world!
1. Safety First!
Putting your seatbelt on has become second nature when you get in your car. Putting your helmet on before you head off on your E-Bike should also become habit forming… E-Bikes travel at speeds of up to 28 mph so you need to make sure you protect yourself. Check out our helmet options here.
2. Get Your Balance
First and foremost, an electric bike is quite different from a regular bike. It’s got a pretty powerful motor to propel you up hills and along trails so it’s heavier than a regular bike. We recommend spending some time getting on and off your bike – and starting and stopping so you’re comfortable with the additional weight.
3. Pedal Assist & Throttle
It’s important that you get familiar with how pedal assist works – and that you know how to use it in the right situations. First, try pedaling your bike on a flat surface without using pedal assist to get comfortable with the feel of your E-Bike. Then start with level one pedal assist and slowly move up so you can see just how easy it is to increase your speed. For more information on pedal assist, check out this blog post.
All EBC E-Bikes come with thumb throttles – a lever on your handlebars that works just like an accelerator on your car – when press it, it propels you forward. Take some time to try out the throttle – when you’re already in motion, and to help you get started. For more information on how the throttle works on our E-Bikes, read this post.
4. Time Your Turns
Your E-Bike will probably have a lower center of gravity than a conventional bike. To get used to how your E-Bike turns, we recommend stopping pedaling, and taking your thumb off the throttle before entering the turn. Then, simply steer your bike as you normally would and let it follow the bend of the turn. Once you’ve straightened up again, you can start pedaling and using the throttle to get back up to speed.
5. Get Comfortable with Hills
It can be challenging to get on your E-Bike and start pedaling when you’re heading up a hill. We recommend turning your bike around 45 degrees to the hill and using the throttle to help get you started. Once you’re moving, you can start pedaling and ease off the throttle.
6. Better Battery Care
To look after your battery and prolong its life, we recommend plugging it in after every ride and every 2-3 months when not in use. Here’s Blake from EBC to talk about battery best practices. And again showing charging methods for our different models.
7. Protect Your Investment
If you’re thinking of buying an E-Bike, you already know that it’s going to be an investment. You should consider adding anti-theft accessories to deter thieves. The EBC anti-theft alarm is an option that can be added when you’re using our custom E-Bike building tool on our website.
Our EBC bike alarm works just like a car alarm – simply arm the alarm by pushing the button on the remote. If someone tries to move your E-Bike while it’s armed, the alarm will go off drawing attention to the thief. Push the button again to disarm. Here’s our founder, Sean Lupton-Smith showing how the alarm system and internal battery charger work.
We also offer a range of bike locks on our website.
Oh, and if you’re looking for some inspiration, join our EBC Bike Owners group on Facebook. This great community shares lots of E-Biking tips including how to get the most out of your E-Bike, trails to visit, and much more!
