Why you should get an E-bike now

Ebikes or electric bikes - an increasing trend for urban commuting

A basic ebike gives a rider about the same experience as a normal bike, just with a bit less effort. You can still ride on bike paths, you’ll still need to pedal, you’ll still get exercise and burn calories (though perhaps a few less).

As an interesting note, just as we were completing this article we learned that some London health workers have been given free ebike loaners to avoid public transport. We think this really could become a 'thing'.

考虑到目前全球新冠病毒爆发和保持社交距离的现实，今年夏天，电动自行车作为一种不用冒病毒在公共交通工具上传播的风险的通勤方式大受欢迎。

Is an ebike or regular bike better?

Why ebikes and not regular bikes? We would anticipate seeing a rise in popularity of bothfor commuting purposes, but for some, the full effort required to pedal to work and arrive sweaty may have them grabbing their car keys instead. So we give 2 big thumbs up to pedal assist electric bikes as urban transportation. You can always check outall the options for green commuting in this article.

是ebikes合法吗?

Now let's dig in and help you choose an ebike style in a class that is legal for your intended purpose. We wouldn't want you to end up on cable news networks as the star of an ebike chase scene with the police, but, if such an event happens, we hope it's on the sweet looking ride below which is currently the Ecohome office favorite -

The 3 classes of ebike

The best starting place to choosing an ebike is to choose a class rather than getting excited by a particular model. ebikes have 3 classes, each governed by different laws.

Class 1 ebike

The class 1 pedal assist / pedelec is the most common ebikebecause it is mostly treated as a regular bike and the least likely to have legal limitations. The motor is only activated when the rider pedals the bike, at which point it provides additional drive power to the rear wheel.

That small boost of power makes climbing steep hills relatively effortless and can propel a rider at higher speeds than they would normally achieve, with significantly less effort. Most countries don’t consider them any different than standard road bikes, so no special license is required and you have access to the same roads and trails as a normal bike.

Class 1 ebikes are the most common

在美国，1级电动自行车通常被限制在20英里/小时(32公里/小时)，最大电机功率为750W。这使它们成为通勤的绝佳选择，因为你现在可以不用面红耳赤、汗流浃背地去上班了。在加拿大，所有的省份都颁布了联邦法规，现在的电动自行车限制在32公里/小时，电机的额定功率为500W，并配有踏板，这在加拿大是道路合法的-但要小心，在BC省，最近的最高法院裁决反对一个没有违反法律条文的骑手，使事情陷入混乱状态!To follow the latest legislation and pilot schemes in BC seehere. We recommend checking state and provincial laws before you purchase one to make sure you can use it as you hope to.

Class 2 ebike - Throttle assisted

2级电动自行车可以像普通自行车一样踩踏板，通过踩踏板可以激活马达，但它也有一个油门或按钮来激活它。节流阀提供可变动力，而且不用踩踏板。不费力气就能骑行的能力对很多人来说很有吸引力，但这一功能导致了2类电动自行车在欧洲的分类不同。在你购买之前查看一下州和省的法律，确保你可以按照自己的意愿使用它。

Class 3 ebike: Speed Pedelec

The design of the class 3 'speed pedelec' is very much like the Class 1 ebike but it has a higher top speed. It is a pedal-assist motor, but it can propel a rider up to 28 mph or 45 Km/ph. It is also more likely to be classed as a motor vehicle, which can significantly reduce the amount of trails and roads on which you can ride it, you may also be required to get a license.

How much do ebikes cost?

The entry level ebikes are quite affordable and can begin under $1,000 USD.These are basic road commuter ebikes with Hub-driven technology. You won’t win any races, and you won’t do great climbing a mountain on it but you will get around town with way less effort than a pedal-power only bike.
‘center drive’ systems can run you between $2000-6000 USD, and the high end mountain bikes with full suspension can easily run $10,000 USD and more. But take a look at the options below - they seem to be a decent combination of specification and economical pricing.

Ebike batteries and range

Most ebikes have lithium ion batteries How long an ebike battery lasts depends on the size of the battery, and how much effort you put in alongside it.Most will offer a range of at least 25 miles (40km), if you cruise along letting it do the work, but you can easily stretch that to 50 miles (80km) if you put a little effort into pedalling along with it.

The overall life of the battery will also depend on your use. Expect on average about 1000 charges and discharges before you need to replace the battery, so again that depends on how often you use it and how much effort you put into pedalling.

Types of ebikes

Once you have decided on which class of ebike you want, then search within that class for the style you that best serves your needs. There are many different Ebike styles and designs to suit any need. There are basic affordable commuter road ebikes, Cargo ebikes, folding ebikes, and climbing ebikes.

We are not bike reviewers, so please be sure to check out specifications and reviews in detail. Best is to do some online comparison shopping of ebikes just as we did. Here we are just giving you a little teaser of the the kind of rides available to you specifically in terms of urban communiting rather than recreational mountain biking and such.

作为一款750W的2级电子货运自行车，这款自行车与价格是其2 ~ 3倍的竞争对手相比，得到了好评。Seeherefor full details.

Folding Ebikes can add a bit of convenience both for home and storageif you use it for commuting to work. You'll also have a way better time getting them into the trunk of your car. The Aostirmotor Folding Electric Bike 20 inch Fat Tire Electric Bicycle with 500W Motor and 36V 13AH Removable Lithium Battery for Adults looks well specified at a budget price - take a lookhere:

Now granted, both of those are slightly funky looking bikes, so if you really are looking to stay within 'the box' and just get a more traditional street cruiser of an ebike there are no shortage of those - one we like can be viewed andpriced online here. Remember that the added ease of an ebike compared to a pedal-powered bicycle can make running errands for groceries quite appealing, so if your intention is to be cruising around town on it, take a second look at those racks, they may well come in handy!

Now you know more abouteco-friendly commuting options不需要在Covid-19后和其他人坐在一个密闭的空间里，听起来很悲伤…… Find more pages aboutlow-emission commuting and green lifestyle choicesin these pages : Green commuting - what are the options? Low-emission commuting choices Guides for green lifestyle and environment choices How to reduce climate impact with green food choices Find more about green home constructionin the EcohomeGreen Building Guide pages- also, learn more aboutthe benefits of a free Ecohome Network Membership here.