There are three classes of ebikes. Each relates to a certain speed at which the bike’s electric motor will take you and whether the bike has a hand throttle that lets you accelerate without pedaling.
Generally, Class 1 e-bikes only provide electric assistance up to 20 miles per hour. That’s pretty good compared to a non-electric analog cyclist’s average of 12-15 MPH. Class 1 might be the slowest class, but it’s not slow.
Class 2 ebikes’ motors also cut off after 20 MPH, but they have a hand throttle. Class 3 e-bikes can reach up to 28 MPH, but you have to pedal to reach the full top speed. The hand throttle cuts out at 20 MPH.
We have an explanation here that goes into more detail.
1. choose your type
You can buy an electric mountain bike (eMTB) if you plan to ride the off-road trails, or if you prefer a road-focused bike that can handle some light, unpaved trails, consider what’s called a gravel bike.
Cargo bikes are exactly what they sound like. Some, like the Urban Arrow lineup, are heavily focused on transporting children. Others, from Lectric to Tern, focus on providing plenty of racks for load-carrying bags and helping you get groceries and parcels home from the post office.
Folding bikes, yes, fold. They are best if you have nowhere to store your bike except in your home or tucked under your desk at work. However, their folding mechanisms tend to make them heavy, and most of them have smaller than normal wheels that can make them feel squishy or stiff while riding.
Most e-bikes fall under the commuter category. Also called city bikes, these are your general bikes. They won’t carry a ton of cargo, run long terrain or break any race track records, but they will do most jobs for most people most of the time.
2. buy a safe battery
Who can ignore the wave of news stories about dodgy batteries causing fires in homes and apartments? To know you have a safe battery, make sure it says somewhere on the battery itself that it is UL2271 rated. It’s a safety standard that means your battery isn’t just a mystery waiting to catch fire.
Also look for the UL2849 mark somewhere on the e-bike. It’s another safety standard that should be on your bike frame or in the owner’s manual, and it also means it’s a tested and certified product that won’t burst into flames or hurt anyone due to poor engineering.
