If you’re researching electric bikes for the first time, you probably know that E-Bikes have a motor that makes them easier to pedal – but you might not know much about how this actually works. In this article, we’re going to break down the basics of pedal assist – how it works on EBC bikes and the benefits that pedal assist provides to E-Bike riders over traditional cycling.
What is Pedal Assist?
Exactly as it sounds, pedal assist provides assistance when you start pedaling by powering up your E-Bike’s motor automatically to make pedaling easier. A common misconception is that pedal assist actually drives the pedals for you. Instead, the rider provides the motion to the pedals and the motor makes pedaling easier by assisting with a boost that might feel like a push. Pedal assist provides both speed and power – the higher the pedal assist level, the faster you will go. Pedal assist is one of the main features of electric bikes and shouldn’t be confused with “throttle” which does not require pedaling at all. Instead, the throttle uses the motor without requiring the rider to pedal to move the bike forward.
The Benefits of Pedal Assist
The benefits of pedal assist are the benefits of an electric bike overall… As our founder Sean Lupton-Smith puts it, “pedal assist allows you to go farther and faster with less effort and more enjoyment.” You don’t have to worry about your own physical limitations because you’ve got the power of a motor behind you. Pedal assist puts you, the rider, in the driver’s seat because you get to choose exactly how much exercise you want.
On weekends, you might want to get out and work up a sweat so you might only use pedal assist a little; but if you use your E-Bike to commute to work, you might use it a lot so you don’t show up a hot sweaty mess! Pedal assist is the great equalizer – it allows you to cover more ground and ride for longer than you could without it. It also provides you with the confidence you need to get out and enjoy yourself, day after day, year after year.
How EBC Pedal Assist Works
EBC bikes are equipped with levels six levels of pedal assist – from nothing at all to level five. As you would expect, level zero provides no assistance – and is just like riding a regular bike with no motor. Level one provides the lowest level of pedal assistance and level five provides the highest. As a rule, you can assume that the higher the level of pedal assist, the faster your battery will drain.
To extend your battery range while still benefiting from a small amount of assistance, we recommend using levels one or two wherever possible. This smaller amount of assistance will generally allow you to reach speeds of up to 15 mph depending on the terrain. If you’re trying to power up a hill or speed along on flat terrain, levels three to five will provide more assistance. These higher levels will help you reach speeds of up to 20 mph on your EBC bike – but will also reduce the distance between charge cycles.
Still have questions? Join our EBC Facebook owners’ group and ask our community members. They’re great at providing answers. Ready to order? Jump on our website and start customizing your EBC bike today!
