Embarking on the journey of purchasing an electric bike can be as thrilling as it is daunting. With the rise in popularity of e-bikes for both urban commuting and outdoor adventure, the market is bustling with options. In our comprehensive buyer&#;s guides, we provide essential advice on buying an e-bike, ensuring you make an informed decision that caters to your lifestyle, budget, and riding ambitions. Before you commit to this electrifying investment, there are pivotal questions you should consider.

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From understanding the type of terrain you&#;ll conquer to deciphering the jargon around motors and batteries, we delve into the specifics that will influence your purchase. We will explore if spending more equates to better quality or if there are hidden gems at a lower price point. It&#;s also crucial to consider the after-sales support for your e-bike, which can be as vital as the bike&#;s features themselves.

Accessories can significantly enhance your e-riding experience, but which ones are essential? We&#;ll also discuss practical concerns such as the bike&#;s weight, which could impact its portability, and the importance of a test ride to ensure your comfort and control. With these ten foundational questions, our guide is poised to steer you through the maze of options towards the e-bike that best suits your cycling dreams.

What sort of riding will I do if I buy an electric bike?

Maybe it&#;s a sudden burst of sun that&#;s got you daydreaming about days out in the saddle, or perhaps you&#;ve just watched the world&#;s best mountain bike riders do their thing at Red Bull Rampage. You suddenly feel ready to shred &#; either way, the first thing you need to do when browsing for a bike is be honest with yourself about the riding you&#;ll be doing.

It&#;s fair to say most of us won&#;t be taking on extreme downhill courses. Still, if heading off-road appeals, you can check out your local topography or bike park and make a reasonable assessment of how much suspension travel your bike realistically needs, for example. If you go overboard, you may find your bike more sluggish than you want it to be on the tarmac, but if you don&#;t have enough cushioning, you and your bike may suffer when you hit obstacles on the trails. If you would like advice on buying an e-bike or an e-MTB, we have a buyer&#;s guide for the best electric mountain bikes to buy.

As for pursuits on more level ground, there can appear to be a baffling array of categories, but many e-bikes are versatile enough to do a bit of everything. You could, for example, carry some cargo on your average commuter bike &#; at least enough for the daily ride to work. If you&#;re hauling anything above 25kg, however, you&#;re essentially carting the average e-bike&#;s weight all over again. At that point, you may want to look into cargo bikes, which will sometimes carry as much as 250kg, rider included and we have a buyer&#;s guide for the best electric cargo bikes to buy.

If your idea of off-road riding is exploring gravel towpaths and forest fire roads rather than the more challenging trails, it&#;s worth looking at a gravel bike. It&#;s flexible enough to ride well on tarmac and carry an array of luggage items, making it the ideal tool for bike-packing &#; essentially camping, but with a bike.

How much should I spend on the bike and accessories?

There was a time when bikes sold in the UK didn&#;t come with anywhere near as much standard equipment as you&#;ll find today. The change has come from European influences (where 80 per cent of the e-bikes sold are also made) because it has a tradition of using bikes for various means.

Historically, on the Continent, bikes have been used for transport and recreation, while the UK tilts toward the latter. But the shift towards greater practicality means there has never been so much added value to a bicycle spec sheet, and it&#;s not uncommon to find mudguards, lighting, racking, a kickstand and even numerous additional software perks straight out of the box. 

Specialist bike shops know their stuff and can help you avoid making a costly mistake.

It&#;s worth checklisting the things you&#;re going to need when you&#;re browsing. Consider your overall budget and weigh up standard features versus add-ons that will cost you extra. The big question is: will you spend more in the long run if you buy cheap now?

Are there bargains to be had? And where do I go for advice?

Pricing and quality can be highly variable at the lower end of the budget spectrum. Manufacturers have to perform a balancing act to hit specific price points, and they have to factor in everything from selecting the right OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and the right tier of components to logistical and distribution details such as how many bikes they can fit in a haulage container. Many brands in November run Black Friday deals, and these can be great times to pick up a bargain. Wiggle has a big Black Friday sale, and Ribble has 20% off their e-bikes during Black Friday. You can check out all the latest deals on our Black Friday cycling deals page.

These choices are weighed carefully, and minor adjustments can tip the price or quality balance very quickly. Decisions from what grade of metal is used on frames to who writes and translates the often-unread handbooks affect the overall price per unit. Throw in further variables such as currency movements, global economic instability and the Suez Canal blockage forcing distributors to detour around Africa, and you can begin to see how prices have shot up in recent years.

The result is that, too often, when you buy cheap, a compromise has been made somewhere in that chain. Perhaps it won&#;t affect you, like a brand choosing a direct sale versus one via a knowledgeable local distributor, but it could be lower-grade electrics or components that are more likely to fail.

If a price tag looks too good to be true, it probably is, but Specialized has just dropped the price on many entry-level e-bikes, as reported by Cycling Electric. Whatever your budget, it&#;s worth seeking advice from a bike shop, where staff know their stuff and can help you avoid pitfalls.

Who will I call for backup?

The next question after considering what type of bike you need and how much you want to pay concerns after-sales service. An e-bike isn&#;t just a bicycle but a consumer electronics product, so you require support with two strands of knowledge if and when things go wrong.

Unfortunately, very few people, bar staff at specialist bike shops that have invested in training and tools, can cover both bases and repairing electrics is no job for the home mechanic.

With that in mind, consider where the brand you&#;re buying from is based and find out how they handle workshop repairs or warranty issues. The last thing you want is to be without your bike if it has to be sent overseas for repairs.

What should I look for in a motor and battery?

While you may not be familiar with every brand name on the market, it doesn&#;t hurt to do your homework and watch for the companies that can be trusted to deliver a quality product. Samsung, for example, manufactures parts for most of the phones in our pockets, and a brand of that scale is more likely to have invested more in research, development and testing than an unknown entity. Cycling Electric has explained which bike motor is best for your needs in an all-inclusive article.

When it comes to deciphering the jargon around motors and batteries, Cycling Electric can help. But for a quick reference, the higher the Wh (watt-hour) figure on the battery, the better range you should get.

Meanwhile, the torque rating of a motor, put very simply, describes the strength of the pressure the motor will produce to provide you with lift-off. Therefore, a higher torque rating (expressed in Newton Metres, or Nm for short) will provide greater acceleration to help you climb steep gradients.

Going with household names is not an exact science, and there is more significant investment into e-bikes now than ever before. If you don&#;t recognise the names on the spec sheet, then be prepared to ask more questions about the product&#;s back-up and serviceability.

It may help to know that the motor brands most commonly featured on this site include Bosch, Shimano, Bafang, Mahle, Fazua, Promovec, Hyena, Yamaha and Brose. Occasionally, brands produce their proprietary motors, with Haibike and Specialized being two examples, so again, ask for more details when making your enquiries if you are unsure who&#;s responsible for the equipment on a bike you may be considering.

Will they have the right size for me?

There can be no faster turn-off than riding a bike that doesn&#;t fit. Some stores will have a bike-fit consultant to help you find the right size, but there are a few things you can check yourself to ensure a comfortable ride.

Think of it like this: your leg might be 80cm long, but the distance fully extended in a pedal stroke from saddle to pedal is only 70cm. That&#;s 10cm worth of disparity putting pressure on your knees, forcing them outwards and ultimately making you cycle in discomfort. Over time, that can lead to injury.

Apply this same logic across the bike and take time to find a position in which you will be comfortable. For many, an upright position with a straight back is a good starting point, but for bikes with drop bars, you will inevitably have a more aggressive posture. Nonetheless, ensure you&#;re not reaching too far to the bars or have a hunched back because the frame is too short. Sizing is critical for comfort and, therefore, enjoyment.

7. What accessories could further enhance my ride?

Cycling is not just about the bike, but why and how you use it. Therefore, with your question of intended usage answered, you need to consider which additional products will help you achieve that vision in safety and comfort. For example, in winter a good set of wind and waterproof gloves can be the difference between staying out for hours and immediately turning back.

To do a weekly shop, you&#;ll need a pannier rack and bags; to successfully ride at night, you&#;ll need a front light powerful enough to light the road ahead; to cover great distances with a heavy load, you may need to consider heavier-duty brakes and chains. Sometimes, the smallest or cheapest additions can differentiate between sustained ride enjoyment and a frustrating experience.

What are my options to buy?

The cost of living crisis shows little sign of abating just yet. Spreading the cost of an e-bike with finance tools, leasing or a cycle-to-work scheme are all worthwhile considerations, especially if you&#;re struggling with transport costs and can see the theoretical savings of cycling to work or replacing the car but cannot afford the upfront cost.

It always pays to try before you buy, as there are so many bikes to choose from these days.

Cycle-to-work schemes can save between 32 and 42 per cent of an e-bike&#;s retail price, depending on your income. Unfortunately, because the scheme requires a regular salary to make the payments, it is not available to the self-employed. In an even crueller twist, it excludes some of the lowest-paid and unemployed.

If, however, your employer is signed up and you&#;re interested, head to a participating retailer and ask to buy this way.

How much does this bike weigh, and can I try to move it?

Batteries, motors, overbuilt frames and generally more heavy-duty parts mean electric bikes weigh more than regular bikes. Sometimes, a lot more.

For that reason, it can be worth getting hands-on with a potential purchase to see if you can manoeuvre it easily both on and off the bike. Note the turning circle, and if you plan to put the bike on a rack in your car, can you lift it as high as the wheel trays? On the subject of bike racks, it&#;s worth checking the permissible weight limit to make sure it can carry the additional weight of an e-bike safely. For buying advice on the lightest e-road bikes, Cycling Electric has a buyer&#;s guide for the lightest e-bikes around.

Can I take it for a test ride?

It&#;s time to see how the bike makes you feel. A test ride is something that any reputable bike shop will be more than happy to assist you with (if they&#;re not too busy). If it&#;s at all possible, try to have a staff member available at some point during your test so that you can ask for on-the-fly adjustments to the fit of the bike or ask questions about how things work.

Most stores will ask for some form of deposit while you test the bike, so don&#;t be offended &#; they&#;re just protecting themselves from losing an expensive product to someone less trustworthy than you.

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First things first, What is an ebike?

An electric bicycle, often referred to as an e-bike or EAPC, is a bicycle outfitted with an electric motor designed to provide assistance while pedalling. This motor draws its energy from a rechargeable battery which is usually neatly integrated into the bike.

For an electric bicycle to qualify as an e-bike, the motor&#;s role is to aid your pedalling effort as opposed to propelling the bike independently. In other words, pedalling is a necessary component to receive electric assistance. The motor&#;s output is controlled according to the force of your pedalling and the chosen level of support elected from the E bikes on board control functions.

 

Does the battery need extra care?

Similar to the battery in your , the capacity of an e-bike battery may decline as it ages and can also be influenced by extreme temperatures. Consequently, it&#;s essential to give your battery some extra attention.

Charge and store your battery indoors where possible

As previously mentioned, batteries can be sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Storing your e-bike battery in a cold shed or garage can adversely impact its charging and overall performance. After your ride, it&#;s a good practice to remove the battery (if possible) and keep it indoors, away from moisture

Minimise the number of charging cycles

The process of fully discharging a battery and then recharging it to its maximum capacity is termed a &#;cycle.&#; The more cycles your battery undergoes, the less effective it becomes over time. To maximise the lifespan of your battery, consider charging it less frequently.

One effective strategy is to recharge it only when it holds less charge than you need for your entire ride, rather than topping it up after each use. Bosch recommend that you leave the battery at 30-60% charge if storing for long periods of time

You can also extend the battery&#;s longevity by optimising motor usage. Excessing use of turbo mode will put extra load strain on the battery&#;

Can I fly with my e bike?

Sadly, the answer is no as the airlines will not permit large e bike battery&#;s within their hold storage. This isn&#;t to say you can&#;t fly but with the battery removed. A solution is therefore to hire a battery once you get to your destination. Our partners at Atlas Ride Co, offer this service but make sure that the battery you hire is compatible with your bike before setting off!

Do E bikes require more maintenance?

In short, yes they do! First off, they have more moving parts but more importantly all of those moving parts are under more stress, more of the time. For city and commuting E bikes, the differences in wear won&#;t be too noticeable however for an electric mountain bike you need to factor in the cost of service and consumable parts.

Increased chain and cassette wear due to additional motor output

Tyres are going to wear quicker due to the additional power and weight

Brakes will take more abuse because of the extra weight

For more High-Quality Electric Bicyclesinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Higher risk of buckling rims due to the weight.

Above all, with an e bike you can ride much further and faster than you would have on your old naturally aspirated bike. More use=more wear. Simples!

Can E bikes be ridden at trail centres?

Yes, although most trail centres will charge you more to enter the trails. You&#;re effectively getting a free uplift with an e bike and spending more time shredding the trails. The forestry commission place no restrictions for legal E bikes being ridden within their woods and forests.

Can the ebike go on roof rack?

Generally speaking, no. Most E bikes weight exceed the weight limit stipulated by the roof rack manufacturers. Additionally, lifting a wet and slippery E bike above your head is difficult and not advisable. Your best bet is to buy a tow hitch mounted bike rack, like the Thule EasyFold below.

Can Yellow Jersey insure my E bike?

Yes we can-we absolutely love E bikes! So much so that we actually charge less to insure them then a normal bike non pedal assisted E bike. Just remember, we can only insure E bikes which meet the UK EAPC regulations (250w output, 15.5mph motor cut off, pedal assist only)

Can I modify my e bike to make it faster?

No. if you have bought are planning on derestricting your E bike, we cannot and will not insure it. Derestricted E bikes do not fall under the EAPC classification and therefore require an entirely differ approach to insurance. Police forces across the UK are cracking down on derestricted/ illegal E bikes which are being ridden within the public domain. Yellow Jersey also cannot insure bikes fitted with a throttle orbikes which have been retro fitted with a motor.

Are e bike a fire risk?

It is apparent that &#;cheap&#; E bikes, (many of which are imported from China) which haven&#;t been subject to the same level of electrical compliance testing, are the ones that are more at risk of catching fire and therefore should be avoided. Incidentally, many of these types of E bike do not meet the UK EAPC requirements so do not qualify as a Pedal cycle and therefore are not covered by our insurance in the first instance.

Buying a mainstream brand of E bike from a reputable dealer is your best bet to avoid a serious catastrophe.

 

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 Are E bikes better than non pedal assist bikes?

 This is entirely subjective, however the general consensus is that e bikes offer riders of all levels the ability to climb hills that would have previously been out of bounds, complete more runs, have a more sociable ride when ascending, have increased stability on the downhills and generally have a more enjoyable experience because they&#;re not completely out of breath.

For reference, I am a fit road rider who loves nothing more than pedalling hard. Having an e bike increased my mountain biking experience exponentially. For mountain biking, I would no longer consider buying a non-electric assist bike (please don&#;t hate me!)

E bike Jargon buster

EAPC

An acronym for &#;electrically assisted pedal cycle. For further information of the EAPC definition, check out the Gov.uk website

Volts

The voltage of an E-bike is a critical factor influencing its power and performance. Common voltage ratings include 36v, 48v, and 52v, with 48v being the most common option. Higher voltage provides better performance and extended range, albeit at the expense of higher charging costs.

Watts

This is the standard measurement used to define your e bikes power output. You&#;ll notice that in the United Kingdom, electric motors are permitted for sale with power outputs of up to 250 watts. Any motor exceeding this limit does not fall under the category of an e-bike and is therefore subject to licensing and insurance regulations similar to those governing mopeds.

Watt hours (W/H)

Watt-hours serves as a method to gauge a battery pack&#;s energy storage capacity, providing valuable insights into the expected performance and range of your new E-bike. To determine the watt-hours (WH) of a battery pack, simply multiply its voltage by the ampere-hours (Ah) rating. For instance, a 36-volt 10-Ah battery pack yields 360 watt-hours (36 X 10 = 360).

A/h

E-bike a/h typically stands for E-bike ampere-hours or amp-hour rating. It&#;s a measure of the capacity of an electric bike&#;s battery. The ampere-hour (Ah) rating tells you how much current the battery can deliver over one hour.

If an e-bike has a 15Ah battery, it can provide a current of 15 amperes for one hour. In practical terms, a higher amp-hour rating often indicates a larger battery capacity, which can result in a longer riding range or more power assistance for the electric bike. However, other factors, such as voltage and the bike&#;s efficiency, also play a role in determining the overall performance and range

Newton-metres (Nm)

Torque is defined as force X length and is measured in Newton-metres (Nm). This implies the force exerted when pushing down on the pedals multiplied by the length of the crank arm. It&#;s a rotational force, akin to turning a jam jar.

E-bikes typically offer varying maximum torque, typically falling within the range of 40Nm (for instance, the Bosch Active Line) to 85Nm (as seen in the Bosch Performance Line CX). Having a higher torque motor on an e-bike will make a notable difference in performance when setting off from a standstill or climbing steep hills.

Walk Assist

Walk assist is available on some electric bikes and is designed to assist you in moving the bike as you walk. E-bikes are generally quite weighty due to their battery and motor so this handy feature, makes them more manageable if you have to get off and walk.

Has this article changed your view on E bikes? Will your next bike be an E bike or have we all just gone soft? Let us know in the comments! Don&#;t forget, Yellow Jersey sell electric bike insurance which is designed to cover crash damage, accidental damage, theft, liability cover, personal accident cover and much much more. If you need a bit of help, why not give our customer support team a call on 003 . They&#;re super easy to get through to and will be happy to help !

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