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Sam Gross

Calculating Range on Electric Bikes: How To Find The Long-hauler For You

Long Range E-Bikes: Intro

The electric bike world has plenty of sprinters, heavy lifters and high jumpers, but what about marathon runners?

There’s lots of options for long range electric bikes on the market today, from dual-battery eMTBs to sleek super commuters and everything in between. But, with batteries being the most expensive part of an e-bike, the question quickly changes from how far you’d like to go to how much money you’re willing to spend.

Herein lies the trick of long-range e-bikes: You’ve got to balance your distance needs with practicality and budget.

That balancing act is tougher than you might think, but armed with some basic information about a bike’s electrical specs, a little knowledge of your own pedaling abilities and (as always) a realistic grasp of what you’d like to do with the bike, you can confidently choose a long-distance e-bike that won’t cost an arm and a leg.

Is 250W enough power for an electric bike?

Aside from speed, power is probably the hottest topic — and selling point — in the electric bike world.

Conventional wisdom would say that when it comes to power, more wattage is better. But if that’s the case, why do so many high-end e-bikes come with what seem like smaller motors — and is 250W enough power for an electric bike?

There’s a few factors that dictate how much wattage an e-bike needs, ranging from the type of motor being used to how the e-bike was designed. It’s also helpful to understand what manufacturers are describing when they talk about motor wattage, and how U.S. law dictates how powerful an e-bike can be. This post will dive into those details and more.

The small but mighty front hub motor on a GoCycle G4i+, arguably one of the peppiest, torquiest and most compact 500W hub motors we’ve tested.

But here’s a short answer that I’m sure will ruffle some feathers: Yes, we’ve found that 250W is often plenty powerful for many e-bikes. There’s some caveats to that statement, but by and large a 250W motor is enough to give a rider’s pedaling a nice assist. Remember, an e-bike is still a bicycle — by definition at least a little physical effort is required.

500W vs. 750W E-Bike: Does wattage matter on hills?

Does size matter? It’s a query as old as time that, depending on who you ask and in what situation, is going to yield a broad and potentially colorful range of answers.

In the less colorful context of electric bikes, motor size (to most people) very much does seem to matter. The general consensus is that bigger is better. More watts equals more power; equals more speed; equals an easier time climbing hills. But is bigger always better, or can a carefully tuned smaller motor compete with sheer wattage?

We set out to explore this question with a simple test: A head-to-head uphill race between a powerful 750W rear hub motor e-bike and a 500W rear hub motor e-bike that the brand claimed had been specifically tuned for hill climbing.

The result of that test was about as we expected, with the more powerful bike winning our race, but the relationship between motor size and climbing ability is far more complicated than power alone.
[Read more…] about 500W vs. 750W E-Bike: Does wattage matter on hills?

Simon Cowell suffers head injury, broken arm after e-bike crash

World renowned music mogul, television host and apparent electric bike aficionado Simon Cowell is recovering after a e-bike crash outside his West London home.

Cowell reportedly suffered a broken arm and a harrowingly bloody head injury from this most recent incident, which took place last Thursday. Several news outlets have reported the 62-year-old “America’s Got Talent” judge was not wearing a helmet.

A source told British tabloid The Sun that Cowell was “lucky to be alive” after this most recent crash. That source also told the publication the incident happened after Cowell hit a wet patch going about 20 mph and the bike’s wheels came out from under him, propelling him over the handlebars. Passerbys stopped to help Cowell, who reportedly had blood pouring from his head.

It’s the second time in two years that Cowell has hit the deck on an electric-powered bike, but the first time he’s publicly crashed an apparently street-legal e-bike. In August 2020, he suffered a broken back after crashing an ultra-powerful Swind EB-01, which with a 15kW motor and speeds up to 60 mph, lies somewhere in the un-regulated grey area between electric motorcycle and e-bike.

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Cowell’s first crash was reported as an ‘e-bike crash,’ but it wasn’t

In August 2020, Cowell broke his back in a crash while test riding a Swind EB-01 at his home in Malibu, an uber-powerful machine that is far closer to an electric motorcycle than an e-bike. That incident resulted in Cowell undergoing a six hour surgery to insert a metal rod into his spine. It also sparked heated debate over the differences between electric bicycles and electric motorcycles, with Cowell’s team briefly weighing legal action against Swind, according to the Daily Mail.

This time, the bike Cowell crashed appears to be a bonafide e-bike. Reports say Cowell was riding a Das Spitzing Evolution S-Pedelec, a full suspension eMTB with a 500W mid-drive motor and 1050Wh battery.

With a top pedal assisted speed of 27 mph, the Das Spitzing is street legal in the UK, where this crash happened, but only if it’s taxed, insured and if the rider is licensed to ride them, In the U.S., the Das Spitzing is street legal in most states without any restrictions.

Though this time on an apparently street-legal e-bike, Cowell’s crash is a reminder of the importance of wearing a helmet and careful e-bike use. There’s little that’s exceptional about riding an e-bike at 20 mph on wet roads — it’s a legal speed achievable by most e-bikes sold in the U.S. and likely something many e-bike riders and traditional cyclists do on a regular basis — but it doesn’t take an exceptional situation for a rider to go down.

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Simon Cowell spotted in cast after second e-bike crash https://t.co/qzBimp7Bw1 pic.twitter.com/S8rYrT0kWl

— Page Six (@PageSix) February 2, 2022

While Cowell’s August 2020 crash resulted in a hospital stay and extensive recovery, this time the star was seen leaving the hospital the same day with his arm wrapped in a bright yellow cast. His spokesperson told The Sun this latest crash hasn’t scared him off e-bikes, “but he will start wearing a helmet.”

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Why are electric bikes so expensive?

Electric bikes cost money; probably more money than the average person might expect. So why are electric bikes so expensive?

Bicycles have come a long way since the heyday of Schwinn and the classic six-speed. Even without a motor and battery, a traditional bicycle is a complex piece of engineering. That engineering takes time and money — likely a lot more time and money than the average person might expect, which could explain some of the sticker shock so many first-time e-bike buyers experience.

The Stromer ST5 is in the upper echelon of luxury e-bikes and has a price tag to match.

This post will offer some explanations for modern e-bike costs and hopefully help you better understand what you’re paying for when you do pop for a new ride. It’s not comprehensive by any means, but we’ll try to take a look at this from two angels: why they are expensive in general, and why they are even more expensive lately.

E-Bikes at CES 2022: How E-bikes and e-mobility stole the show

We were supposed to go see the latest e-bikes at CES this year, but for reasons that start with “C” and end with “OVID,” we stayed home and watched the show unfold through a computer screen.

The yearly CES show in Las Vegas is one of the world’s largest stages for consumer electronics companies to show off their latest and greatest. With record growth over the past several years, electric bikes and other micro mobility solutions were set to steal the show this year, and they did not disappoint.

From e-bikes with record-setting battery range to electrified ways to travel over snow, CES 2022 brought a number of new innovations and shined a very bright light on electric mobility. We may have missed the show in person, but we logged in virtually to see what brands were bringing to the table.

Here’s the cool new e-bikes and e-bike-adjacent things we missed playing with at CES 2022:

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Delfast Top 3.0

Once you’re already the Guiness World Record holder for the longest range e-bike, what’s more left for you to do? Try to build a bike that goes further.

Delfast unveiled their new Top 3.0 model, a very dirt bike looking e-bike that promises a range of up to 200 miles on a single charge. Though it has cranks and pedals, the Top 3.0’s spec sheet quickly begins to look more like an electric motorcycle than an e-bike.

Though Delfast says the Top 3.0’s speed can be limited to Class 2 settings, marketing materials and Delfast’s website boast the bike’s claimed 50 mph (80 kph) “default” speed and 56 mph (90 kph) “max” speed. There’s also the 3,000W motor, which, combined with those eye-watering speeds, make this e-bike less of an e-bike and more of an electric motorcycle. That is, unless you change the speed settings using the app.

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The Bosch Smart System

Bosch’s Smart System may not be brand new, but now it’s award winning.

Representing the next generation of Bosch drive systems, the Smart System is Bosch’s vision for an ultra-connected e-bike future. It was formally released last August, but it earned Bosch recognition as a 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree at CES.

The Smart System is currently built around the tried and trued Performance Line CX motor and a few other new parts unveiled in August, including a larger 750Wh battery and a new wireless remote and display combo. We got to give the Smart System a try at last year’s Sea Otter Classic on a couple of BULLS e-bikes, which at the time were the only e-bikes in the U.S. equipped with the system.

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With no trunk, truck bed or passenger seat, storage space is often limited on electric bikes. That’s why a good set of bags are so important.

In this review of Two Wheel Gear’s offering of e-bike bags, we take a close look at a number of bags from the Canada-based company’s ecosystem of on-bike storage. We walk through their convertible pannier backpack, the large trunk bag and even some of their smaller bags to see how they work together and their usefulness in the real world.

TwoWheel Commuter Bag_Review DayLiner Box Bag

Good looks and functionality are hallmarks of the Two Wheel Gear bags.

Two Wheel Gear’s innovative bags have earned the company lots of accolades in recent years and, after reviewing their lineup, we think those accolades are well deserved. They’re impeccably designed, thoughtfully appointed and incredibly useful. If you’re in the market for a set of e-bike bags, these are definitely worth a look.

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Two Wheel Gear Pannier Backpack Convertible 2.0 Plus

The convertible pannier backpack from Two Wheel Gear is probably the smartest convertible bag we’ve used.

A pannier bag that quickly converts to a backpack, the Two Wheel Gear Convertible Pannier Backpack 2.0 is a smartly designed commuting bag with a padded laptop sleeve and enough room for much anything else you’d want to carry.

Two Wheel Gear sent us the larger 30L Plus version of their pannier backpack, but it’s also sold in a smaller 22L version for lighter loads. In backpack mode, the bag features two heavily padded shoulder straps with a sternum buckle.

A hidden zipper just above where the straps attach unzips to reveal the bag’s true pièce de résistance — it’s quick-attach pannier latches. Simply unbuckle the straps, tuck them inside the pouch concealing the pannier latches, fold the back of the bag into itself to reveal the latches and attach the bag to your bike. Boom — your backpack is now a pannier bag. It’s a conversion system I’ve found to work remarkably well.

TwoWheel Commuter Bag_Review Bag infront of Bike

The pannier latch is hidden underneath a zippered back flap. Fold the straps inside and boom, the backpack is now a pannier bag.

It does take some practice to get the hang of converting the bag quickly, but it’s about the best and cleanest solution I’ve used for a bag that converts from pannier to backpack and back again.

For storage, the 30L version of the bag we reviewed boasts a huge inner pocket large enough to easily stow shoes, a lunchbox and a change of clothes or, if you’ve already arrived at your destination, it’s large enough to carry a mountain bike-style helmet with a visor. That main compartment zippers almost entirely open for easy access, and there’s a small mesh organizer pocket for small items.

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Inside another large zippered compartment is a heavily padded storage sleeve large enough for a 15-inch laptop. That compartment is backed by a semi-rigid back panel that not only protects your computer, but helps the bag hold its shape even if it’s not stuffed full.

There’s a number of other small compartments on the bag, including a soft-lined glasses compartment and another containing a bright yellow rain cover for foul weather. The bag itself is also built of waterproof-backed 600D polyester, so getting caught in the rain shouldn’t be a big issue.

TwoWheel Commuter Bag_Review Pannier Bag Interior

The main compartment of the 30L bag is cavernous — large enough to fit a mountain bike helmet with a visor plus spare clothes.

This is the first time I’ve used a convertible pannier backpack where I didn’t feel like I had to make some sort of compromise between which worked better — the bag in backpack form or in pannier form. In pannier mode, the bag attaches to the bike quickly (once you get it down) and securely. And in backpack mode, it looks and feels like a normal high-end commuting bag. The inside compartment is huge and the organization thoughtful, the back panel of the bag is even padded so you can’t feel the pannier latches on your back.

I’ve also been really impressed with how well it works with the other bags in Two Wheel Gear’s lineup. We tested the bags on a 2022 Rad Power Bikes RadCity 5 Plus, and I was easily able to attach the pannier and Dayliner Box Bag onto the same rack with room to spare. Two Wheel Gear even made special attachment points so you can secure smaller bags to the outside of the backpack, bags like the Commute Seat Bag I’ll dive into further down in this review.

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Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Box Bag

The Dayliner Box Bag attaches easily to a rear or front rack, and even has a handlebar attachment.

The Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Box Bag is a 20L weatherproof bike commuting bag designed to attach to your bike’s front rack, rear rack or handlebars, depending on your setup.

Like everything we’ve reviewed from Two Wheel Gear, the Dayliner Box Bag is a thoughtful marrying of form and function. From the outside, it’s a very clean design that looks like a cross between a large lunchbox and a nice tote bag. There’s a shoulder strap for off-bike carrying and a pair of handles should you choose to cart it around like an old-school suitcase.

Inside, nearly all of its 20L capacity is courtesy to its cavernous main compartment. Semi-rigid walls help the bag keep its shape (nobody likes a floppy bag) and there’s a few organization pockets lining the sides, including a mesh pocket, a zippered pocket and a pair of open elastic pockets I used to carry the shoes I wear when not riding.

The 20L main compartment is spacious and has a handful of mesh or elastic organizer pockets.

We attached the Dayliner bag to the rear rack of the RadCity 5 Plus, which worked really well. The attachment mechanism is simply a foolproof set of sturdy velcro straps that wrap around the rack’s top deck. I was easily able to use the Dayliner bag in conjunction with the convertible pannier backpack, but note that the RadCity comes with a very wide rear pannier rack. Had it been narrower, it may have been a hair cumbersome to use the two bags on the same rack.

But there’s a solution to this — the Dayliner bag can also attach to a front rack if you have one. If you don’t, the bag actually comes with a set of handlebar straps hidden underneath a flap.

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Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Mini Handlebar Bag

TwoWheel Commuter Bag_Review HandleBarBag

Just large enough for a six-pack, the Dayliner Mini handlebar bag attaches securely to handlebars.

For smaller items, the Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Mini Handlebar Bag is an expandable roll-top 3L bag that mounts to your bike’s handlebars.

We say small because it’s one of the smaller bags we reviewed from Two Wheel Gear, but it really punches above its paygrade in the carrying capacity department. It’s designed to carry things like a phone, wallet and other accessories in an easy-to-reach location on the bike, but its roll-top design helps it carry much more.

Most notably, it’s at least large enough to fit a six pack of cans plus a few other items.

Like its larger counterparts, it’s made of TPR waterproof backed 600D polyester and uses a set of quick release straps to mount to your handlebars. Inside, there’s a pair of mesh elastic pockets and the roll top opening also features a zipper, so it can still securely close even if you jam it so full it won’t roll.

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Two Wheel Gear Commute Seat Pack 1.5L

A fairly standard looking seat bag, the Two Wheel Gear version is large, full of pockets and weatherproof.

The Two Wheel Gear Commute 1.5L Seat Pack is an oversize saddle bag not quite of bikepacking proportions, but large enough to carry tools, a tube, a pump and even a light jacket or your phone.

It’s the pretty typical seat bag design — a zippered and weatherproofed main compartment with mesh organizers and a key clip — but the Commute Seat Pack has a few additional features that make it cooler than some of its competitors. In addition to its main compartment, there’s also a zippered side pocket large enough for some cash or cards and the buckled attachment that holds the bag onto your seat rails is adjustable backwards and forwards, making it compatible with a broad range of seats.

But perhaps the coolest feature is that you don’t have to attach it to your seat at all. There’s a second set of attachment points designed specifically to piggyback onto the convertible pannier backpack.

Probably the coolest feature of the seat bag is its ability to not be a seat bag. Special attachment points on the convertible backpack turn it into a piggyback bag with extra storage space.

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Momentum Voya E+ Series

Like most of our New Year’s resolutions, cutting weight seems to be all the rage in early 2022.

We’ll see how long that lasts.

Momentum, the urban and lifestyle e-bike arm of bicycle super company the Giant Group, unveiled the all-new Voya E+ Series at CES, a family of two lightweight commuters that claim to weigh in at just 39.7 lbs.

There’s a flat bar and drop bar model to choose from, both of which have the SyncDrive Move rear hub motor and a brand new micro battery integrated into the frame. That new battery, the EnergyPak Micro, promises a full charge in 3.5 hours and weighs in at just 8.8 lbs.

We’ve seen a handful of new e-bikes at the turn of this year that emphasize lightweight designs, including the new Aventon Soltera, which was also on show at CES but we got a sneak peek at before the show.

OKAI EB20

It’s carbon, has one of the most powerful mid-drive motors on the market and a full suspension design. The newly-unveiled OKAI EB20 is the first electric bike from the Chinese company best known for its electric scooters.

The new EB20 comes with the 750W Bafang Ultra mid-drive motor, a SR Suntour suspension setup and promises a full Shimano XT drivetrain (though those have been notoriously difficult to source, lately). We don’t know much about this new e-bike aside from what we’ve read in a press release and seen in photos, but it looks like it could be a neat new offering.

Moonbikes

It’s not an e-bike, but the new Moonbikes electric snow bike unveiled at CES is just too darn cool to not mention.

With a 10 inch track and a whopping 3,000W motor, the Moonbike is a cross between a traditional snowmobile and an e-bike. Photos and the spec sheet show an amalgamation of parts we’d typically see on a bicycle — TRP disk brakes, an SR Suntour fork and a bicycle-ish looking front end — with parts more typical of a snow machine, namely the front ski and rear track.

It looks fun to say the least, just educate yourself on avalanche terrain and local regulations should you get one and want to venture into the wild. Snow can move on its own, people, and it tends to be not super friendly to humans when it does.

Post update: Catch our full in-depth Aventon Soltera review.

Aventon released its newest model on Tuesday, and it feels like a bit of a blast from the California-based company’s past.

The Aventon Soltera is a throwback to the company’s roots building simple, functional and affordable single speed and fixed gear non motorized bicycles. Like those first bikes (that’s right, Aventon got its start building traditional bikes, not e-bikes), the Soltera is an e-bike that places a premium on aesthetics and affordability.

It’s cheap — with a starting MSRP of $1,199 for the single speed variation or $1,299 if you want a 7-speed drivetrain — and the frame design echoes those of the company’s now-discontinued line of fixed gear bikes, such as the cult-loved Aventon Mataro.

It’s not identical, but the Soltera’s design has shades of Aventon’s now-discontinued line of fixed gear and single speed bicycles.

How light can e-mtbs go? Well, at around 16kg / 35lbs the newly launched BH iLynx Trail Carbon is certainly pushing the limits of what is possible. EBR isn’t aware of any full suspension, true mid-drive e-mtb with a large 540Wh battery that comes close; the Orbea Rise with a 16.5kg / 36.4lb claimed weight is the next best we know of, with an honorable mention going to Specialized’s Levo SL at 16.95kg / 37.4lbs.

To dip under the 16kg emtb mark you have to opt for a hardtail with a Fazua drive (with a lower torque rating than the BH model’s own brand mid-drive) in the form of the 15.5kg / 34.1lb Trek E-Calibre. Is 15kg the next e-mtb benchmark weight that will be regularly broken?

In addition to all the e-MTB talk, there is more news an electric balance bikes for toddlers. Is this a trend we’re likely to see keep growing

In this week’s news::

Groundbreakingly light full-sus e-mtb from Spain’s BH
Would you consider an electric balance bike to help your toddler learn to ride?
Lyft Divvy – a new and better electric share bike appears on Chicago’s streets.
Nothng minimalist IndieGoGo-funded e-bike beats crowdfunding target
Paris clamps down on e-scooter operator speed limits

Electric bike manufacturer Himiway on Wednesday finally unveiled three new e-bike models they’ve been teasing for several months now.

Himiway rolled out the Zebra all-terrain hardtail, the Big Dog electric cargo bike and Cobra full-suspension e-bike during a November 24 YouTube livestream. The three new e-bikes join the incredibly popular Himiway Cruiser and Himiway Escape models, which earned the relatively new e-bike company a cult following due to their larger-than-average batteries and powerful rear hub motors.

The brand appears to only be capitalizing on its strengths in these three new models, giving them even larger frame-integrated batteries and, at least in one high-end version of the Cobra model, adding a 1,000W mid-drive motor. All of Himiway’s new bikes are currently available for preorder and are expected to ship in February.

Few details (and even photos) are available of the new bikes as of their launch day, but Electric Bike Report managed to get a hold of a spec sheet for each model. We do have these bikes currently in route for in-depth testing, so stay tuned for real-world impressions in the near future.

Until then, let’s dive into the details we have now.

Sam Gross

Product Reviewer, Content Writer

Favorite Style of E-Bike

Favorite E-Bikes Reviewed

Current Bikes You Ride/Own

Hobbies

Calculating Range on Electric Bikes: How To Find The Long-hauler For You

Long Range E-Bikes: Intro

Is 250W enough power for an electric bike?

500W vs. 750W E-Bike: Does wattage matter on hills?

Simon Cowell suffers head injury, broken arm after e-bike crash

Cowell’s first crash was reported as an ‘e-bike crash,’ but it wasn’t

Why are electric bikes so expensive?

E-Bikes at CES 2022: How E-bikes and e-mobility stole the show

Delfast Top 3.0

The Bosch Smart System

Sam Gross

Product Reviewer, Content Writer

Get to Know Sam Gross

Certifications

Favorite Style of E-Bike

Favorite E-Bikes Reviewed

Current Bikes You Ride/Own

Hobbies

Sam Gross

Long Range E-Bikes: Intro

Cowell’s first crash was reported as an ‘e-bike crash,’ but it wasn’t

Delfast Top 3.0

The Bosch Smart System

Momentum Voya E+ Series

OKAI EB20

Moonbikes

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