Which aspects of e-bikes do you think are the most important? Why?

[bikewarrior]

I would consider battery life and reliability. A decent speed works for me.

[TomC]

I'm still waiting to see any ebike give an honest range figure for throttle operation. Everyone wants to give a "range" based on the absolutely lowest assist level where you are doing all the pedaling with the battery and motor just along for the ride.

50-60 years ago I was a pretty avid cyclist riding in the US, Germany, and Korea -- now I'm old, fat, lazy, and I've got a fused ankle and bad hip, I still enjoy getting out on a bike but I'm not good for any decent distance pedaling. With any decent ebike costing as much as a used car, I'd like some honest numbers to compare.

[Sue E Eades]

Reliability and ease of use with absolutely minimal maintenance. I'm a casual rider who might just ride down to the convenience store on a nice day it that looks easier than backing my truck out of the driveway. I can remember to plug in a charger but I'm probably not going to be tinkering around with adjusting anything until it makes a funny noise or doesn't seem to work right. Clearly I'm not the user that most ebikes are meant for.

[Kimmy]

OK, I love speed, but because of that it's braking that is really important. According to the review, that's one area where the Thunder T1 might be a bit weak.

[Andrew F]

I have to mostly agree with @CantStopTheMad about the security issues. Bikes get stolen all the time and even if you lock up the bike, and the wheels, well enough for it to still be there when you come back out of a store, you'd better be carrying the battery around with you.

I'm not disabled and so far as I know our city bus system doesn't know the difference between a bike and an ebike for the few busses that have bike racks, but we've only got one bus route in my area and most of the busses don't have bike racks anyway, so you're definitely on your own for getting the bike anywhere.

[Xaun Loc]

Very near the top of the list has to be a battery gauge that really works, preferably with a range estimate that is at least close to reality.

[Ashley]

Ease of use. It's supposed to be a bicycle. I expect to hop on and go, I don't want to have to read a book and spend an hour trying to figure out settings and options.

[KF40272]

Value! Not just price but some clear balance between price and function. Most ebikes are close to $2K or even more. At that kind of price they need to be able to explain why I should pay that much. Especially when so much of all the different bikes really come from just a couple of factories in China.

[Pandasweetss]

I’m new to e-bikes, so at this point the cost.

[Emily Giddings]

Unsure but hope to learn!

[michaelgionta]

Battery life is very important

[Andrew Walters]

I love speed, but I'm getting older, so battery range tops my list of most important E-Bike specs. A good top speed will always be good, though

[Knitknot]

Which aspects of e-bikes do you think are the most important? Why?
The most important aspects of e-bikes is weight of e-bike, the number of pounds it can carry and power of pedal assist.

[MrGok]

I think battery life and quality are most important - what do have if your battery goes? I'd also add brakes and handling - I've seen a lot of people not be able to handle a bike going faster than they are used to ... or be able to stop it safely if need be. I'd use one mainly for errands around town as I prefer to ride under my own power for any other purpose.

[Stacy M]

For me, weight.

[Brittany Gilley]

life of battery and durability are the biggest factors to me

[JR Namida]

Very good question Jesper,

(08-24-2021, 02:12 AM)Jesper Wrote:  After nearly 80 entries regarding this topic, I have listed the ebike aspects that others have provided. They are not necessarily in a priority order just listed by the most common to the least common mentioned. Also, since there can be a fair amount of interpretation between layman's terminology and terminology from an engineering/design aspect; I am not trying to analyze or differentiate what one term might mean in relation to another (e.g. power vs. torque; battery life vs. range; etc.). Some answers were very specific (e.g. battery lifetime/longevity), and others were general (e.g. battery life). I may have interpreted a couple if the description was too vague in order to better categorize an aspect. I also have not tried to group together categories that may be interrelated (e.g. quality, durability, reliability, etc.); just listing them pretty much as stated by the respondents. There was a wide range of items brought to light that I had not taken into account, and a couple not mentioned at all that I will list just to provide a more comprehensive list which might be of importance to those who replied and/or those just perusing this thread. Many of the aspects listed are dependent on a rider's individual weight, load carried (other than the rider), road conditions/terrain (assuming a flat surface), weather (primarily wind; again riding on a flat surface), etc.; if everything else was equal (same bike, size, motor, battery, etc.). Pedal assist, and non-assist ebikes were not mentioned too often so you may take some of the aspects as a general aspect for for either type (I think I checked for specific mentions of pedal assist and listed them below as as such). I am sure I have made plenty of mistakes and incorrect conclusions, but I think you will get an idea of what folks are looking for in an ebike whether they have one, plan on getting one, or are just giving some general input.

1) BATTERY LIFE (I assumed the majority meant how long a battery will last on one charge under average use; not the battery lifetime until needing replacement. It was generally not specified in the posts.)

2) RANGE

3) POWER

4) DURABILITY
4) MAX SPEED/SPEED
4) CONVENIENCE (Specifically mentioned were: saving one's body from exhaustion during commuting, long rides, hill climbing, and wind)

5) CLIMBING POWER
5) COMFORT

6) RELIABILITY (Assuming overall. Nothing specific about mechanical or electrical)
6) CONSTRUCTION/DESIGN

7) TORQUE
7) SAFETY
7) PEDAL ASSISTED
7) ENVIRONMENTALLY/ECOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL

8) BATTERY LONGEVITY/LIFETIME (Total usage before replacement required)
8) WEIGHT
8) TIRES
8) FEATURES (Unspecified as to built-in design features, or accessories to added onto the bike)

9) BRAKES/BRAKING
9) QUALITY
9) FRAME GEOMETRY
9) MAINTAINABILITY
9) THROTTLE RESPONSE
9) PEDAL ASSIST RATIO
9) HANDLING
9) EFFICIENCY
9) BIKE ANTI-THEFT SECURITY
9) BATTERY ANTI-THEFT SECURITY
9) BATTERY EASE OF REMOVAL
9) BATTERY SIZE (Unspecified as to physical size, or electrical capacity)
9) CHARGING SAFETY
9) MOTOR STRENGTH
9) EASY TO INSTALL (? No reference as to what is being installed; possibly battery installation)

Not mentioned at all, but certainly important:

10) CHARGING TIME
10) CHARGING LOCATIONS/ACCESSIBILITY
10) SOLAR PANEL CHARGING (Built into the bike itself; not a solar charging station)

I apologize for any misinterpretations or omissions. This is just a general non-technical assessment of what folks seem to want in an ebike.

Please note: I have not really ridden an ebike (with or without assist), except to test ride a solar charged (could also be plugged-in for charging) prototype which although poorly designed from a cyclist's point of view (frame, components, handling, braking, weight distribution, etc.) was fairly well designed from an electrical engineer's point of view (charging, electronics, battery, etc.) of which I have experience in both areas.

I found it interesting to read that eBike speed was so important to many people that responded to your question. I can ride my 17 pound carbon fiber road bike to and from work averaging 12 to 14 mph (19.3121 to 22.5308 KM) and the single speed belt drive about the same average if I leave a about the same time. It is the traffic and stops in my commute that contribute to the slow average speeds. I can easily do Jack rabbit starts and try to race the cars but that eats my battery/range rapidly, only makes the wait at the next stoplight seem like it takes forever, and I get sweaty racing the cars on either bicycle...

Reliability: all bicycles have reliability issues, do you clean the chain often enough to keep the chainrings and cogs from wearing quickly. Are your wheels built with stainless steel spokes so the wheels stay true and rust free in the rain. Are your brakes adequate for you and the bicycle weight and do they last. Are the brake levers and shifting levers quality adequate for your cycling needs.

Range: that is a weight issue, in my opinion. Large batteries are very heavy and many times an easy mark for theft if not integrated into down tube or front or rear racks. I you do not need to carry your eBike up and down stairs you must have a secure garage and weight can still a problem. Most of the the main bicycle manufactures have pedal assist eBikes in the 24 to 28 pound range, then there are major eBike companies that have gone to 750/1,000 watt motors weighing 50 to 100 pounds with large heavy batteries. Both style eBikes have good range 40-80 mile ranges, and are great if you have a lot of disposable cash, and do not need to carry your eBike to a condo, walkup, or apartment without a freight elevator.

Then there's the weekender that want speed and range to play on the mountain trails and normally bring a second or third battery in the truck or van for their weekend fun...

Then I just read that BMW has a electric Motorcycle with 180 mile range but has pedals if you forget to charge your batteries or underestimate your charge level/range: https://electrek.co/2021/09/06/bmw-unveils-high-speed-electric-bicycle-with-300-km-of-range-plus-an-electric-motorcycle/

[CharlieJoe]

Battery life! Both in terms of per trip duration and overall longevity!

[ckollerer]

Battery life is more important that speed. If you want to get somewhere of any distance, what good is speed? Do you want to quickly get nowhere?

[FrankThePO]

(08-02-2021, 05:55 PM)Nicholas Wrote:  Hello, bike riders!
Have you ever considered buying an e-bike or do you already own one? Let's share our opinions about e-bikes and their most important aspects.

• What's the most important aspect of electric bikes and why? Is it the battery life? Is it the max speed?
• What would you consider the most when choosing an e-bike?
• What's your e-bike ride destination - a short trip to the grocery store or a multiple day bike tour? Who would be your ride buddy?
  

I have two Genze eBikes. I like them a lot but if I could have changed anything, it would be that the batter lasted longer. One is an earlier model than the other one, and it's battery is worse. Most important to me is battery length.