Alan Dempsey of Ebo, explains why pedals matter.
Probably the three most frequent questions asked of me about E-bikes are as follows...
1) How far can it go? 2) How long will it last? 3) Do I need to pedal it? Interestingly, questions 1 and 2, are defined by the answer to #3, which is..
“Well, yes and no”.
I know this is a little weird, but how far an E-bike will go is dependent on the amount of drain per km the rider puts on the battery. By pedal-assisting the bike, you’re putting in Weetbix power that your battery doesn’t need to.
So let’s say you’ve set your bike at 100 Watts and you're applying 100 Watts of leg-power; then the bike is being propelled by 200 W of power, going from ~ 15 km/hr to ~24 km/hr ( give or take) - therefore your leg-power PEDAL ASSISTANCE is close to doubling the range per hour of the bike.
So, the answer as to how far can it go? is answered by knowing how much pedal assistance you’re happy to apply to assist the motor.
A perfect example follows: An Ebo SuperTourer carrying an 80 kg person on throttle alone has a viable flat terrain distance potential of around 55-65 kms, but with moderate pedal application that goes to over 100 km;
I did a ride of 108 kms on the prototype of the Ebo SuperTourer, with a 690 Watt-hour battery. The new SuperTourer battery is 735 Whr so in theory should be good for another 10-ish kms. T
he conditions and roads were pretty much perfect (Bavaria, old monastry breweries tour - fun!), so there’s the proof. If I was running throttle only, I’d expect about 65 kms.
As for how long will it last? If you pedal assist it, the motor is unlikely to fail inside 5-10 years.
Even a small pedal assistance takes an enormous amount of torque load out of the internal reduction (3 or 4:1) gears in the motor.
Pedal assist the bike to take that torque load off the motor and Wattage drain off the battery or you will certainly shorten the life of the motor somewhat, although by how much cannot be guessed; we’ve only had one motor burnout in 2000 bikes - a lovely customer riding up Queenstown Commons (20% !) daily on throttle alone. No motor can handle that and how it lasted 12 months is anyone’s guess.
So, if you want your E-bike to last and last, definitely pedal it too.
Do I need to pedal it? The answer is no, you don’t NEED to, but you’d be strongly advised to.
And how does the longevity/rider bit apply from the title of this wee ditty? There’s no better exercise known than cycling for fitness and therefore longevity. Riding an E-bike isn’t blowing the foo-foo valve, but it surely is mild yet effective cardiovascular exercise.
Even on hills the bike’s doing the work. You’re just along for the fun, the ride and the ensuing endorphins and grins.
Cheers folks. See you out there.
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