E-Bikes vs. Regular Bikes: What You Need to Know

Bicycles have been a popular form of transportation and exercise since the early 1900s. More recently, however, riders have made the switch from standard bikes to electric models. As the name suggests, electric bikes—or e-bikes—are bicycles that are partially powered by an electric motor. This post will cover the difference between e-bikes and standard bikes, and teach you a little more about e-bike sales in Naples, FL.

About e-bikes

E-bikes have been around for about 20 years and don’t look all that much different from standard bicycles. The only difference in the structure is that e-bikes have a battery-powered motor, a drivetrain and a throttle to control the power. Though they’ve been around for a while, early models weren’t all that popular because they were heavy and the battery didn’t last very long. Thanks to small and mighty lithium batteries, that’s all changed! Today’s e-bikes are lighter and the batteries last for 40 miles or more.

Major differences

Besides the obvious difference of an e-bike having an electrical drive system, regular bikes differ from their electric counterparts in a few key ways. These are the biggest variances you’ll notice between the two:

• Speed: When riding a standard bike, your speed is fully dependent on how fast you’re able to pedal. On an e-bike, however, the electric motor gives you a little extra boost that makes the bike both faster and easier to ride. You’ll use about half the energy but travel much faster. A lot of our e-bike sales in Naples, FL come from riders who want to commute to work but don’t want to show up looking sweaty and tired.
• Exercise factor: A lot of people out there don’t use a bike for commuting as much as they do for exercise—after all, cycling is a great workout! Since you’re given an extra boost from the electric motor, e-bikes aren’t as great for exercise as traditional bicycles. However, e-bikes can still give you a good workout. Since they’re easier to ride, they’re a great option for those who are getting up there in years or who have bad knees.
• Weight: Because of the motor, battery and drivetrain, e-bikes are bound to be heavier than their standard counterparts. Even though today’s batteries are much smaller, an average electric bike could be 15 pounds heavier than a standard one. So, if you’ll need to carry your bike up a few flights of stairs, you might not want to go with an electric bike.
• Price: Bikes have a wide price range, going from a few hundred dollars all the way up to a few thousand. If you’re looking for a high-end road bike, you could pay $10,000 or more! Though not all e-bikes are anywhere near that costly, they run at least $1,000. With that price, you get a motor that will help you get up any steep hill and get you to your destination much faster than a standard bike.

Visit Big Momma’s Bicycles

Whether you’re looking to buy a regular bike or upgrade to an e-bike, be sure to come to Big Momma’s Bicycles. We’re the premier shop in town when it comes to both regular bikes and e-bike sales in Naples, FL.

Categorised in: E-Bikes