In recent years, many people join electric mobility. Each electric bicycle has a range that allows more or fewer kilometres, depending on the capacity of its battery. Therefore, we are going to give you some tips so that the battery lasts longer and works well.
5 tips to improve the autonomy of your electric bike
If you follow these easy recommendations and take care of your electric bike, you will be able to get the most out of it and increase its autonomy.
- Charge the battery
We recommend that you charge it to the maximum (100%) to start using it and that when it is over 15-20%, put it on charge again. The best thing is that the battery of an ebike never goes to zero, thus the useful life of the battery will be extended.
- Adjust the brakes properly
If the brakes of your ebike are poorly adjusted, they can produce too much friction with the wheels and this causes the battery to have to release more energy to continue. It is vital that they are adjusted correctly so that there are no safety issues if you brake too much or not enough.
- Check tire pressure
It is important that the wheels have the correct pressure indicated by the manufacturer. If the tire pressure is lower than it should be, the bike needs more energy to move because the wheels have more friction with the ground when rolling.
- bike max weight
Please note that each electric bike has a maximum load weight. This weight can be 90 kg, 100 kg, 120 kg… This weight must not be exceeded because, in addition to the bike being damaged, it will need much more energy to move and the battery will be strained. The less weight you carry, the less the engine has to work. On the other hand, if we put a lot of weight on it, the autonomy will be less than that indicated by the manufacturer and if you thought you could do up to 40 km, it may only reach 25 km. Even so, we recommend never exceeding the maximum load weight because we can have problems with the operation of the ebike.
- Pedal assist modes
If you turn up the pedal assist mode and pedal, the motor doesn’t have to do as much force to move all the weight. So the battery does not wear out so quickly and autonomy increases. Also, you don’t always have to go full throttle with the assist mode, there may be climbs where you need to set mode 5 (to the maximum) and at other times of the route, with mode 1 or 2 you have enough. Setting the pedal assist mode makes the energy used efficiently and you can do more kilometres without having to charge your electric bike every two to three. Smart driving!
Bicycle brakes: v-brake vs disc brakes
Many cyclists have doubts about whether a bike with v-brakes or disc brakes is better. You have even asked us what v-brakes are or what differences there are between them and disc brakes. Don’t worry! We explain everything below.
Frenos v-brake
V-brakes are made up of pads that apply the braking force to the wheel rims.
Advantages of v-brakes
- They are light because they use the rim to brake directly on it.
- They are cheap and require little maintenance (you just have to check that the pads are not worn and that the cables are tight so that it brakes well).
- They put less stress on the bike’s fork when braking.
Disadvantages of v-brakes
- The bicycle tires suffer wear due to the friction of the brakes. It is possible that in a few years you will have to change the tires.
- On descents where you brake a lot or for a long time, the tire can get too hot and puncture the inner tube.
- If it rains or there is mud on the rims, it will be more difficult to brake because the grip of the brake pads is not the same as in the dry.
- They are difficult to remove when, for example, a tire is punctured.
Disc brakes
Disc brakes are made up of discs on the bicycle wheel on which force is applied to the brake.
Advantages of disc brakes
- They have better braking power, and brake more safely and forcefully. They are higher-quality brakes.
- Longer brake life.
- The tire does not wear out when braking, since the brake force is not applied directly to it.
Disadvantages of disc brakes
- They are more expensive and require more expensive maintenance.
- They are more difficult to adjust, especially the hydraulic disc brakes.
- They put more strain and stress on the bike’s fork when braking, so they have to be robust bikes.
- Disc brakes weigh a bit more than v-brakes. If you choose an electric bicycle, you will not have a problem regarding the weight of the bike, since you can help yourself with the pedal assistance modes.
Now that you know the differences between these types of brakes, choosing the bike you need for each occasion will be easier for you. At Hovsco, all our electric bikes have disc brakes, because as we have mentioned, they have better braking power and are safer. Each bicycle has its advantages and disadvantages and it is important to analyze what you need before deciding to buy a bike: more or less economical price, greater braking power, less wear, brake life, etc.
Apart from this, Ebike also helps in reducing pollution.
We all know that air pollution is a big problem in cities. And it will continue to increase in places where there is a lot of traffic and industries nearby (main causes of air pollution). Surely one day you have seen a kind of fog when you go outside. This fog appears when there is a lot of smoke and other particles that pollute the air. They are called smog clouds and they affect our breathing and, obviously, pedestrians and cyclists.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set maximum limits that, if exceeded, are dangerous for people’s health. The problem is that, according to the WHO, up to 92% of people around the world breathe air that exceeds these limits.