It’s a good balance for people who don’t want to spend a fortune but also don’t want the bike to fall apart after a year or two.”
“Manufacturers are making good-quality bikes but aren’t using top-shelf components. “There are more players than ever in the industry, and the options have really expanded on both the low and high ends of the market,” Toll says. You may find cheaper alternatives from no-name manufacturers that pop up on Amazon and other online sales venues, but quality e-bikes tend to start in the $1,000 to $2,000 range. He says that although there are so many options for every price range as the number and type of e-bike models continue to proliferate, $1,500 is generally a sweet spot in terms of price. He also says first-time buyers might not want to get the most expensive models, to give themselves time to figure out whether or not they like riding one. He advises consumers to avoid the extreme low end of the electric bike range, where cheaper components can affect the overall quality.
Micah Toll, who digs into the particulars of electric bikes and other battery-powered personal transportation for Electrek, a website focused on everything electric, says budget is an important consideration for e-bike shoppers. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll focus on the three classes that most resemble a conventional bicycle. These electric bikes can look like bicycles but functionally are more like motorcycles. There are also more powerful electric bikes that are supposed to be ridden only in designated off-road areas. (Powered bicycles could be prohibited.) It’s also strongly recommended that electric bike riders wear helmets even if the locale doesn’t require it.
Where you can ride an e-bike varies based on location, so it’s best to check local regulations before using one on a bike-only trail. (It’s possible to get even conventional bicycles moving faster than that on a steep enough hill.)Ĭlass 2 bikes also have an electric motor that works up to 20 mph, either while the rider is pedaling (pedal assist) or with electric propulsion alone via a throttle control.Ĭlass 3 limits an electric bike’s pedal assist to 28 mph and requires a speedometer. There’s no throttle to get the bike going the electric part works only when the rider is pedaling, and the e-assist cuts off at speeds above 20 mph. More than half of the states recognize e-bikes as a type of bicycle, depending on how fast they go and how power is applied (for example, through the pedals or a hand control).Ĭurrently, there are three general electric bike classifications (PDF), and some gray areas.Ĭlass 1 covers pedal-assist bikes, which power the electric motor as your foot applies pressure to the pedal.
#RAD ELECTRIC BIKE USED LICENSE#
A few states treat electric bikes like other motorized vehicles and require riders to have an operator’s license to use one on public roads.
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