How do eBikes Work?

eBikes are bicycles that have a motor powered by a rechargeable battery which helps you bike with less effort. Most eBikes have several "levels of assistance". For example, you could ride the bike at assistance level zero, and the motor does nothing at all—you provide all of the power yourself by pedaling. If you set the controller to "level 1" the motor would offer just a little bit of assistance. Higher levels will offer more assistance from the motor.

Different eBikes will come with different levels of assistance. Generally speaking you will get 3 to 4 different levels of assistance (plus no assistance/off). Some eBikes will simply number the levels, Level 1, Level 2, and so on, and others will give a descriptive name for each level, such as High, Medium, Low.

As an example, in addition to "Off", Bosch systems have four assist levels: Eco, Tour, Sport, and Turbo. Level 1/Eco will add 40% additional power, Level 2/Tour will add 100%, Level 3/Sport will add 150%, and Level 4/Turbo will add 225% additional power. What this means, is that for any given amount of power that you are providing by pedaling, the motor will add an additional percentage of power. So given the Bosch example, if you set the bike's motor to Level 2/Tour, it will add 100% to your pedaling, in other words, doubling your effort.

Some eBikes also have a throttle, allowing you to add additional power and speed on top of the pedal assist level you select. Some of the eBikes with throttles can also run in "throttle only" mode, allowing the bike to propel itself without you pedaling at all, like a moped. See the Classifications section below for additional information.

eBikes typically include sensors to help the motor deliver a more natural response to your biking. Generally speaking, there are three types of sensors: cadence, torque, and speed. Speed sensors are self explanatory, they measure the speed that your bike is going. Cadence sensors measure how fast you are pedaling, and torque sensors measure how hard you are pedaling. By measuring how fast and/or hard you are pedaling along with the bike's speed, an eBike's computer can attempt to decipher how you want the motor to respond. The more measurements that the bike's computer system take, and the better the computer and motor are at interpreting and adjusting to those measurements will determine how smooth, natural and responsive the bike feels. In other words, will the motor feel smooth and natural, or jerky and unpredictable as you pedal.

Cadence sensors are commonly found on hub drive motors and torque sensors are commonly found on mid drive motors (see the Motors section below). Some eBikes have both cadence and torques sensors, and those bikes are typically more expensive and offer a better riding experience.