Ebike myth busting

An ebike won’t do more for me than a normal bike Yes it will! It allows you to go further, faster and up hills that you might have had to walk up before. They are great for exploring, allowow youyou to go anywhere ere you would on n a normal bike, e, and a superb way to get to work.

It’s just like a motorbike

No it isn’t. There ere is no throttle on the handlebars rs

– instead, the ebike senses how hard you are pedalling and gives you extra power to help you along the way.

You can select how much extra power the bike gives you, using a bar-mounted control, and the motor cuts out at 15.5mph – you always retain control. It’s also really quiet, even when you use fullfull powerpower toto getge up a hill.

Itit wowon’t have enoenough range Ththat really ddepends on aa few things –– including hhow fit you arare, your ridinriding style andand wwhere you areare riding.riding On flattish roads, if you’re reasonably fit, the bike's high-capacity batteries might take you to up to 100km. If you’re riding uphill using a high power setting, you will probably get a third of that, but this still gives you two hours-plus of riding; plenty of time to get somewhere.

It will take ages to recharge

Haibike’s batteries will give several hours’ range. It is rare to use all of the battery capacity, and if you do, it takes between three and four hours to fully recharge. But an occasional top-up is quicker and will get you back on the road sooner.

Ebikes are heavy

An electric bike is a few kilos heavier than a normal bike, because it is fitted with a battery and a motor, but not so heavy that you can’t move it around and load it onto a van – in fact, it’s no more difficult to pack and store than a normal bike.

It’ll be hard to maintain

An ebike is no harder to keep than an ordinary bike – you’ll need to keep it clean and lubricate the chain and the gears, and keep the tyres pumped up. But the motor and battery require no maintenance and most bike shops will be able to service them for you.

An ebike is cheating

Who are you cheating on? You’re not in a race and if it means you get to places more easily and enjoyably, what’s the problem?