On an undulating road, a faster descent will give you more momentum to get you part way up the next uphill too. Gauge it right and you might make it to the top of the next ridge without needing to drop to your small chainring, and without too much of a drop in speed. Starting a climb from a low speed will be harder and slower.
Faster tyres are surprisingly effective and cost-efficient; the best road bike tyres will ride significantly quicker than cheaper alternatives. Some brands cut costs on tyres when speccing a build, so switching to faster rubber can be an easy way to upgrade your road bike.
What’s the best way to make a bike faster… Answered.
At the marginal gains end of the performance spectrum, clothing can make a significant difference. Time trialists will wear a skinsuit to cut through the wind, while the best riders will test its effect on drag in a wind tunnel.
If you\u2019re wanting to ride further, take more exercise or avoid using public transport, but want more control over the effort involved in cycling, an electric bike could be the perfect solution.\u00a0\nAn ebike provides electric assistance as you pedal, via a small motor and battery. You can also tailor the amount of assistance you receive, depending on your desired speed, your fitness or the length of your ride and the terrain.\nThere\u2019s an increasing range of ebike models out there that will cater to everyone from the casual rider to the more serious mountain biker, road rider or tourer.\nAs with any emerging technology, buying an electric bike can be a confusing process. How can you make sure you\u2019re getting the right bike for you and what are the key things to look out for?\nWe\u2019ve answered 14 of the most important ebike questions in this electric bike guide. Use one of the links below to skip to your question or read on for the full FAQs. Otherwise, check out our buyer\u2019s guide to the best electric bikes.\n\n \nElectric bikes: everything you need to know\nHow fast can an electric bike go?\nDo I have to pedal to get assistance on my electric bike?\nDo I need a driving licence to ride an ebike on the roads?\nHow long will a charged ebike battery typically last?\nHow do I charge my ebike?\nAre electric bikes heavier than normal bikes?\nWhy are ebikes so expensive?\nWhy are some electric bikes so much cheaper than others?\nCan I travel with my ebike?\nShould ebikes be considered \u2018cheating\u2019 or motorcycles?\nCan an electric bike be ridden with a flat battery?\nWhat is the lifespan of an electric bike battery and can ebike batteries be recycled?\n\nWhat are watt hours (Wh) and what do they mean in real life?\nHow can I secure my ebike?\n\n\n \n How fast can an electric bike go?\n\n In the UK, the EU and Australia, motor assistance cuts out at 25kph (15mph). Canyon\nIn the UK, the EU and Australia, the motor on an ebike has to stop providing assistance at 25kph (15mph). Above that speed you\u2019re required to pedal by your own steam. But if you live in the US, the motor can legally keep going up to 32kph (20mph).\u00a0\nIf you\u2019re fit enough to keep up a pace beyond that speed under your own pedal power, or you\u2019re maybe going downhill, there\u2019s nothing to stop you going faster, although you\u2019ll want to make sure that you\u2019re fully in control because an ebike\u2019s extra weight can increase stopping distances compared to a regular pedal-powered bike.\u00a0\nSome ebikes are designed with this in mind. Canyon\u2019s Endurace:ON AL has longer chainstays and disc brakes with 160mm rotors in an attempt to help keep it more planted when descending.\nSome ebikes are designed to travel faster than 25kph (15mph) and have more powerful motors, while some designs have motor output controlled by a twist-grip \u2018throttle\u2019 on the bars, but these are legally considered to be mopeds.\u00a0\nIn the UK and EU, you need to have a licence and insurance to ride them, and you must wear a helmet and have paid relevant vehicle taxes.\u00a0\u00a0\nEverything you need to know about electric bike insurance\nDo I have to pedal to get assistance on my electric bike?\n\n An ebike offers pedal assistance, rather than taking over completely. Canyon\nWe\u2019re sorry to have to break it to you, but yes you do. An ebike assists your pedalling rather than taking over completely. If you don\u2019t need to pedal, it\u2019s classified as a moped \u2013 see the next question below.\nAn ebike will have a torque sensor built into its drivetrain, to measure how much effort the rider is applying to the pedals. Then the motor\u2019s output will be regulated to match this, so it doesn\u2019t take over and provides power in a measured way to reflect how you are riding.\nYou have control over how much extra push the motor is providing. On Canyon\u2019s Spectral:ON e-mountain bike you use a controller on the left side of the handlebar to select from three different levels of assistance. So you might select a higher level of support to get you to the top of a trail, then drop it back to conserve your battery and enjoy the ride down the other side.\u00a0\nThe motor means there\u2019s a substantial reduction in the effort you need to put in. Select the highest assistance level and you should be able to keep up a reasonable pace without working up a sweat, meaning that you won\u2019t arrive at the office a damp mess if you\u2019re commuting.\nOn the other hand, if you\u2019re looking for more of a workout or want to extend the range of your ride, selecting a lower assistance level will mean that you\u2019re putting in more effort. And you can always use the controller on the bars or frame to switch between levels mid-ride to match your mood, the terrain or how fit you\u2019re feeling that day.\nDo I need a driving licence to ride an ebike on the roads?\u00a0\nIf you\u2019re over 14 in England, Scotland and Wales, you can ride an electric bike on the road without tax, insurance or a licence, although it\u2019s always a good idea to have insurance against personal accident and third-party damages. You don\u2019t need to wear a helmet by law.\nAll that applies to a \u2018standard\u2019 electric bike or EAPC (electrically assisted pedal cycle), where you need to pedal, which has a motor that provides up to 250 watts of assistance and where motor assistance is speed limited to 25kph (15mph).\u00a0\nAn electric bike doesn\u2019t have a throttle. Instead, the amount of power that the motor delivers is determined by how hard you are pedalling and the assistance level chosen.\nAny ebike that doesn\u2019t meet EAPC criteria is classified as a moped or motorcycle. You need to tax it and have a licence and insurance to ride it, and you also need to wear a crash helmet.\nIf you live in Northern Ireland, ebikes were previously treated like mopeds and required a licence. You also needed to register, tax and insure them, and display the registration mark before you can ride them on public roads. \nHowever, as of 13 May 2020, those regulations have been changed to bring Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the UK \u2013 tax, insurance or a licence is no longer required.\nThere\u2019s a range of different rules in other countries too, so it\u2019s best to check local regulations.\nHow long will a charged ebike battery typically last?\n\n All bike brands will offer an estimate of how long a particular model\u2019s battery will last. Real-world battery life depends on a range of factors, however. Canyon\nThat depends on the type of bike, the battery capacity, the ambient temperature and how you use it: a fit rider on flattish roads or trails may be riding without assistance a lot of the time, whereas a less fit rider on hilly terrain is likely to be calling on the motor to help a lot more.\nWith a legal cut-off of assistance at 25kph (around 15mph) in many countries, road riders could easily exceed this without using the motor, whereas mountain bikers on technical trails will be calling on their motors more.\nIn short, it depends on your fitness, riding style and the terrain. However, as an example, Canyon claims its new Endurace:ON AL road bike and Grand Canyon:ON cross-country mountain bike will both cover up to 100km on a single charge.\u00a0\nThe Roadlite:ON hybrid commuter bike\u2019s battery will last for up to eight hours, according to Canyon, while the Pathlite:ON e-trekking bike with the optional second battery will carry you up to 150km, it says.\u00a0\nHow do I charge my ebike?\u00a0\n\n Most ebike batteries can be easily removed for charging. Canyon\nYour ebike will be sold with a power adaptor and power cable to plug into the mains. There\u2019s a socket on the battery that you attach it to. With some electric bikes you need to remove or partially remove the battery to plug it in, but on others there\u2019s a socket built into the frame too.\u00a0\nIf you don\u2019t have a power outlet where you park your ebike, many systems let you quickly and easily remove the battery and take it indoors or somewhere closer to a mains socket.\u00a0\nHow long your ebike takes to charge up will depend on the battery capacity and the charger used. Canyon says you can fully charge the battery on its new Endurace:ON AL electric road bike in 3.5 hours.\u00a0\nThe Neuron:ON alloy eMTB charges up in 7.5 hours, with an 80 per cent charge taking 4 hours. You can halve those numbers by using a fast charger, often sold separately.\nAre electric bikes heavier than normal bikes?\nAn electric bike needs to have a motor and a battery. These will always make it heavier than a standard bike. In addition, it\u2019s likely to be built more substantially, with more robust components than a standard bike, to handle the extra power from the motor.\nWhile ebike technology is developing quickly, and the bikes are becoming lighter all the time, an electric bike will typically be at least several kilos heavier than a standard bike. Canyon\u2019s new Spectral:ON full-suspension carbon mountain bike in its top spec weighs 21.4kg, compared to the flagship (non-electric) Spectral at 12.70kg. Remember, however, that you have the motor and battery, and the assistance they provide.\nThe Canyon Pathlite:ON trekking ebike weighs between 21kg and 27kg, depending on the spec, whereas the standard Pathlite without a motor weighs 11kg upwards.\u00a0\nSome ebikes are not much heavier than a standard road bike, though: top-end carbon ebikes such as the Ribble Endurance SLe and the Wilier Cento1Hy weigh around 11kg, while the \u00a32,999 alloy Canyon Endurace:ON AL weighs 15kg.\nWhy are ebikes so expensive?\n\n Most ebikes will have high-end hydraulic disc brakes to provide the necessary stopping power. Canyon\nIf you\u2019ve looked at the prices of electric cars against fossil fuel-powered models, you\u2019ll know that they\u2019re significantly more expensive. A lot of that cost can be attributed to the batteries and technology used.\u00a0\nThe same is true of ebikes which, like electric cars, are powered by rechargeable lithium ion batteries. The minerals used to make batteries, particularly lithium and cobalt, are expensive and supply is limited.\nIt\u2019s not just the batteries. You\u2019re also paying for the motor and its controller, display hardware and the greater complexity of the machine.\u00a0\nPlus, with the extra power from the motor, bike brands often use more robust, pricier components such as heavier duty drivetrains and stronger wheels. And you need to be able to stop effectively given the bike\u2019s extra weight, so most ebikes will have high-end hydraulic disc brakes.\nWhy are some electric bikes so much cheaper than others?\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n Bosch, Shimano and Fazua are the three big players when it comes to ebike systems.\n \n Canyon\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n Shimano\u2019s ebike platform is known as Steps. It\u2019s available in five versions for city, trekking and mountain bike riding.\n \n Canyon\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n Fazua\u2019s system is popular on electric road bikes.\n \n Canyon\n \n\n\n \n \n\n\n\nThe clue is in the question above. A larger battery will be pricier than one with more limited range.\u00a0\nFor example, Canyon\u2019s Pathlite:ON is available with either one or two batteries as standard. The step up from the Pathlite:ON 7.0 to 8.0 doubles your range but also increases the price from \u00a32,800 to \u00a34,100.\u00a0\nSome inexpensive models will also have much smaller batteries, limiting their range.\nThere are also likely to be differences in components between ebikes, with pricier models having higher quality parts from name-brand makes such as Shimano, Fazua and Bosch (the three big players when it comes to ebike systems).\nIt\u2019s worth buying an ebike from a reputable manufacturer too, because they\u2019ll have thoroughly tested their designs and worked with manufacturers of the electric components to iron out any problems before bringing them to market. You\u2019ll also get the support and warranty cover expected from a big-name brand.\nCan I travel with my ebike?\u00a0\nAs usual, that depends: there\u2019s a patchwork of regulations, depending on how you\u2019re planning to transport your electric bike.\nTrain operating companies will mostly treat an ebike like a standard bicycle. In some cases, you might need to book a slot for your bike; other train companies have restrictions on carrying non-folding bikes at peak times.\u00a0\nAlso bear in mind an electric bike weighing around 20kg or more will be hard to lift on and off trains, and some trains have hanging racks for bikes, which will be difficult to use.\nBuses can be tricky too. Some buses have external bike racks on the rear, but most don\u2019t and you probably won\u2019t be able to take an ebike onto a bus, unless it folds.\nAir flight is also likely to be banned because there are international regulations on the size of batteries that can be carried. The general regulation is up to 100Wh, although batteries up to 160Wh may be allowed with pre-authorisation.\u00a0\nElectric bike batteries usually have a greater capacity than this. Even if you think you might be okay, it\u2019s vital to check with your airline before flying.\nAn increasing number of cycling hotspots are offering battery rental, meaning you can fly with your ebike and leave your own battery at home, picking up a loaner on arrival.\nIf you\u2019re planning to drive somewhere with your electric bike, be careful not to leave it in a hot car because heat can degrade battery performance.\nShould ebikes be considered \u2018cheating\u2019 or motorcycles?\n\n Electric bikes are designed to make riding a bike more enjoyable, allowing riders to venture further and providing a helping hand when required. Canyon\nFor most ebike riders, the extra assistance provided by the motor isn\u2019t going to turn them into pro-level performers. Instead, it will make riding a bike more enjoyable, letting them ride further and helping out on hills when needed.\u00a0\nMany riders will want to use their electric bikes for shopping or commuting, where lowering the effort level needed to carry loads or for starts from traffic lights will make for a more comfortable (and less sweaty) experience. Others may want to ride with friends who are fitter than them, and an ebike will help them keep up better.\nWith assistance limited to 250 watts of extra power and 25kph (15mph) maximum speed, an ebike doesn\u2019t have the performance of a moped or motorcycle, so it\u2019s right that they\u2019re treated differently.\nCan an electric bike be ridden with a flat battery?\n\n Electric bikes offer a range of modes, with varying levels of assistance. Canyon\nYes, you can ride your ebike home if the battery runs out during a ride. Systems such as Fazua\u2019s have software that limits output to preserve battery life if they\u2019re running low on juice, which should help keep assistance going at a diminished level to help you get home.\nEven if your battery still has plenty of charge, the controller on the bar or frame will usually have a setting allowing you to turn the motor off as you ride. So, if you\u2019re willing to ride without help, that\u2019s another way to preserve battery level.\nBear in mind that an ebike will be substantially heavier than a normal bike, though, so it will be harder to keep going using pedal power alone, both on the flat and particularly if you hit an upward grade.\u00a0\nWith that in mind, it\u2019s always wise to make sure your electric bike has sufficient charge for the ride you\u2019ve got planned. Many systems will also provide a range estimate figure based on the bike\u2019s battery status, which can then be used to plan your journeys appropriately.\nWhat is the lifespan of an electric bike battery and can ebike batteries be recycled?\n\n Some electric bikes have USB ports to charge external devices. Canyon\nLithium ion batteries can be charged and discharged hundreds of times. Shimano says that its Steps system, as used on the Canyon Spectral:ON, can be charged and discharged more than 1,000 times with no degradation in its performance.\u00a0\nOver longer periods, an ebike battery may lose a bit of capacity, which could reduce your bike\u2019s range somewhat, but for most users that\u2019s not likely to make a significant difference.\u00a0\nThe amount of push the battery and motor can give shouldn\u2019t change though, so the battery should last longer than many mechanical components of the bike.\nSince the metals in the battery \u2013 particularly the cobalt \u2013 are valuable and there are increasing numbers of larger lithium batteries being used, especially for transport, there\u2019s an emerging recycling industry. With their larger capacity, electric bike batteries are a more attractive proposition for recyclers than batteries in, for example, mobile phones.\u00a0\nWhat are watt hours (Wh) and what do they mean in real life?\u00a0\nWatt hours (or Wh) refers to the energy capacity of your bike\u2019s battery and provides an indication as to its likely range.\u00a0\nA battery\u2019s Wh will also show how many watts it is able to continuously provide for an hour: for example, a 250Wh battery can provide 250 watts of assistance for one hour, 125 watts for two hours, and so on. Of course, real-world riding means you are very unlikely to place such a consistent demand on your ebike\u2019s battery.\nUltimately, how far an electric bike will go on a single charge depends on where you\u2019re riding, the weather, how much of your own effort you are putting in and the assistance level you\u2019ve selected.\nA fit rider who selects a low assistance level on flat roads will get a lot more range than a less fit rider on a hilly route carrying luggage and selecting the maximum motor assistance. All of this has an impact on how much load you are putting on the battery.\u00a0\nCanyon estimates that the Pathlite:ON\u2019s range with one 500Wh battery is around 75km, for a rider weighing around 75kg pedalling at 45rpm and travelling at a speed of 22kph.\u00a0\nHow can I secure my ebike?\n\n Many electric bikes feature removable batteries with a lock to secure the battery to the frame. Canyon\nYou need to take all the precautions you would to keep a standard bike safe. That includes a sturdy, ideally Sold Secure gold rated, lock through your wheels and frame and attached to an immovable object. Given the value of most ebikes, you should store your ebike somewhere secure.\nSome ebike systems come with a companion mobile phone app that often lets you track where your bike is and may detect unauthorised movement too.\nYour ebike\u2019s battery is also an attractive item for thieves. Most models with a removable battery, like those from Canyon, will include a lock and key to secure it to the frame.\u00a0\nWith their high value, unfortunately ebikes are often targeted by thieves, so it\u2019s worthwhile paying for a good lock, being careful where you lock the bike, and buying insurance.","image":"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2020\/04\/Canyon_electric_bikes2-0e89fe5-scaled.jpg?quality=45&resize=768,574","width":768,"height":574,"headline":"Electric bike FAQs: your top ebike questions answered","author":["@type":"Person","name":"Paul Norman"],"publisher":"@type":"Organization","name":"BikeRadar","url":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com","logo":"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2019\/03\/cropped-White-Orange-da60b0b-04d8ff9.png?quality=90&resize=265,53","width":182,"height":60,"speakable":"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","xpath":["\/html\/head\/title","\/html\/head\/meta[@name='description']\/@content"],"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/advice\/buyers-guides\/electric-bike-faqs\/","datePublished":"2020-04-21T12:26:18+00:00","dateModified":"2020-11-09T12:10:02+00:00"}] Advertisement feature with Canyon
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