How to choose an electric bike

When choosing an e-bike, as with a conventional bicycle, focus first on choosing the right category. This depends on where you intend to ride your e-bike most often. In the city, on paved roads, or off-road? That's how you'll know if a city bike, trekking bike, mountain bike or road bike is best for you.

If you still don't know after reading this article, remember that we're not just an e-shop. We'll be happy to welcome you directly in our brick-and-mortar store, where our cycling specialists will help you choose the right e-bike model.

Important attributes of e-bikes:

• electric bike category
• engine location
• battery quality
• quality of frame and components

Electric bike category

Electric bikes come in many different variants and models. They can be said to replicate the categories of conventional bicycles. There are city, trekking, mountain and all-suspension electric bikes, and road bikes are no exception.
As with our entire range, we sell goods we trust and would use ourselves. So we also focus across the electric bike categories, more on quality models without compromises that are on the upper price limit.

Urban e-bikes

This category includes e-bikes designed for getting around in urban environments, for shorter commutes to work, for shopping and so on. It also includes practical electrically powered jigsaws.

Urban e-bikes most often have an aluminium frame, a comfortable, upright seat with a wide, soft saddle, and are often equipped with a carrier or basket for carrying smaller loads; integrated lights and mudguards are no exception.

The engine is usually located in the front or rear hub of the cheaper models in this category (see below for the different engine locations and their advantages), while the better models have a central engine. Children's electric bikes are less expensive, ranging in price from approximately CZK 15,000 to CZK 120,000, with prices varying mainly depending on the quality of workmanship and the drive used.

Trekking and cross-country electric bikes

Trekking and cross-country electric bikes already allow faster and sportier riding over longer distances and are designed for asphalt and paved roads or light terrain. They are most often built on aluminium frames with a slightly sportier geometry and a less upright seating position than urban e-bikes.

These e-bikes range in price from 25,000 to 120,000 CZK, again depending on the drive used.

Electric bikes for off-road use

Off-road e-bikes are the counterpart of classic mountain bikes, with both fixed and suspension rear construction. They are durable, easy to handle, and there are also models for sporty downhill or enduro riding, where the rider wants to enjoy the wild ride downhill as much as possible, and the electric motor helps to minimize the time required for climbing.

Mountain e-bikes are built on both aluminium and carbon frames, the motor is usually in the rear hub on cheap models, or in the centre of the pedal on more expensive models, where it is definitely recommended for off-road handling. The price range is considerable, approximately 25,000 - 250,000 CZK, depending on the frame material used, the quality of the suspension and, of course, again on the drive.

Electric road bikes

The latest category is road e-bikes, which, thanks to the development of assistance systems, allow even untrained cyclists to keep up with trained cyclists on climbs. At the same time, the bike retains its natural speed even on flat terrain and good handling characteristics as a regular road bike. Geometrically, they are usually based on more comfortable road bike lines, such as endurance or gravel bikes, and are equipped with wider tires.

Motor storage

As already mentioned, motor placement varies from one e-bike to the next. There are three most common placements - front hub, rear hub and centre of pedal. Front hub placement is typical for urban and some cross-country e-bikes, is the easiest to mount and the advantage of bikes with this motor placement is the lower price.

Similarly, the rear hub motor mount can be found mainly on city and cross bikes. Compared to the front hub mount, the bike's handling is slightly better. Rear hub motors are also used in road e-bikes where manufacturers want to keep the design purity of the frame.

In terms of weight distribution and power efficiency, the most advantageous location of the moto is in the centre of the pedalling. The disadvantage of this engine placement is the higher price, but given the handling and overall riding enjoyment, this option has gradually been adopted by all brands that are serious about e-bikes. Especially for mountain bikes, this is the best solution.

Engine performance

According to current legislation, the maximum permissible engine power for e-bikes designed for use on cycle paths and roads is 250 W. This is also the power that most of today's e-bikes have. Legislation also limits the maximum speed of the bike when using an electric engine to 25 kilometres per hour.

However, the engines used in electric bikes vary in voltage. Urban bike models usually have 24 V engines. These provide a steady and balanced running.
The most commonly used 36 V version of the electric engine can handle city traffic, riding on asphalt, and the rigours of off-road terrain.
Mountain e-bikes for the most demanding terrain are equipped with 48 V engines. They also have higher torque than engines for cross-country or city bikes.

When choosing an e-bike, it's also worth choosing a engine from a proven manufacturer, including Yamaha, Bosch, Shimano or Brose.

Batteries

The quality of the battery is a very important attribute to consider. Lithium batteries are almost exclusively used in e-bikes; the higher their capacity and voltage, the more power they give off and the longer the bike can run on the battery. For urban and trekking e-bikes, a capacity of 300 - 400 Wh is usually sufficient. For mountain bikes, it is good to have a battery with a capacity of 500 Wh or more. Especially if you like to ride in rough terrain or go on longer rides often.

However, the battery life (range of the e-bike) depends on a number of factors, such as the weight of the rider, the difficulty of the terrain, the overall elevation of the trail or the drive mode used. Therefore, the range of an e-bike can only be roughly estimated.

Charging the battery then takes time depending on its capacity. A full charge usually takes 3-5 hours. But usually in 1.5 hours you can recharge the battery to about 70% of its capacity.

Quality of frame and components

As with traditional bicycles, when choosing an electric bike, it is of course necessary to take into account the material and quality of the frame and individual components. Aluminium frames are the most common, but the better models of e-bikes are made of carbon, which has a lower weight and higher rigidity.

The material of the front fork, seatpost or handlebars is also important. In these compoment carbon, in addition to lower weight, can absorb vibrations coming from the terrain thanks to better elasticity and provide the rider with greater comfort.

The quality of the suspension is also key. A spring-loaded front fork is basic, while the better models have an air front fork with adjustable suspension and rebound. The best bikes then have intelligent suspension systems that react to the size of bumps, or the intensity of impacts coming from the terrain, and can adjust the amount of suspension. This of course applies to both the forks and the rear suspension.

The quality of the brakes is also important, especially on off-road and downhill models. We therefore recommend hydraulic disc brakes to ensure sufficient braking power in all conditions.

For more on frame and component quality, see our article How to choose a bike.