Electric bikes are a fast, efficient and environmentally friendly way of travelling. Often quicker and more convenient than using a car in a city, their popularity has exploded recently and there are now electric versions of almost every type of bike and to suit every rider. However, the legalities, options and terminologies can be confusing, so read on for some clarification and explanation.
In the last few years, the various laws and regulations governing the various types of electric bikes and their use in the UK have become much clearer. To be still classified as a bicycle, an electric bike must only provide pedal assistance (not be throttle operated), assistance must be limited to a maximum of 15.5mph / 25kph and the motor can only have a nominal power of 250 watts. Everything else, such as S-Pedelecs or twist-and-go bikes, have a similar status to a moped and must abide by the same laws, thus requiring a license, registration, insurance etc. Only pedal assistance electric bikes can be ridden in cycle lanes and on bridleways, all other forms of electric bikes must abide by the same traffic rules as a moped or motorbike.
At Sigma Sports, we only sell fully legal pedal assistance electric bikes so they can be ridden in exactly the same way as a non-powered bicycle and don’t require a license, registration, insurance or helmet. However, there is still a wide variety of types and styles to choose from, so this guide will help you make the right choice of electric bike for your riding.
ELECTRIC HYBRID BIKES
Whether called hybrids, commuters or town bikes, it is this category of electric bikes that perhaps makes more sense than any other. As cities get more congested and cars become less environmentally acceptable, the ease of using an electric hybrid bike for local trips and errands becomes ever more compelling.
The motor takes the sting out of any hills and also makes it a lot easier to carry shopping or work necessities as well as negating any worry about getting tired and sweaty on the journey. Just as with their non-electric counterparts, a hybrid style bike offers a comfortable riding position with a good view over any traffic along with straight handlebars, a good range of gears and quite likely disc brakes too. Additional practical features such as mudguards, luggage racks (or at least mounts for easy fitment) and even kickstands are usually present, making it quicker, more convenient as well as healthier to use an electric bike for many shorter journeys.
ELECTRIC ROAD BIKES
The typical vision of a lightweight, sleek and svelte road bike doesn’t sit particularly well with the heavy and clunky image of a stereotypical electric bike, but the inexorable march of technology now means that electric road bikes can be light and aesthetically pleasing too. Whilst the motor and battery do inevitable add some weight to the bike, the extra power available more than offsets the gain when the tarmac heads upwards.
As most motors produce a nominal extra 250W, with more available for brief periods, this provides a huge amount of additional power that can really help on hilly rides. Electric road bikes are brilliant for riders struggling to keep up with faster friends and for riders who want to get out into the hills despite age or injury. Their only Achilles heel however is that like all electric bikes in the UK, assistance from the motor stops at 15.5mph / 25kph for legal reasons, thus they may not be quite so helpful on flat, fast rides.
ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKES
Mountain bikers have really embraced the advantages that adding a battery and a motor to a bike can bring because it largely because it solves the conundrum of whether to take a bike for the downhills or a bike for the climbs. The motor assistance within electric mountain bikes allows long-travel machines with burly downhill components and aggressive, grippy tyres to be ridden uphill just as easily as their lightweight cross-country counterparts and then hammered back down again at full speed. In these circumstances, the electric motor takes the place of an uplift, giving access to far more vertical metres of descending during the ride than would otherwise be possible.
ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKES
Mountain bikers have really embraced the advantages that adding a battery and a motor to a bike can bring because it largely because it solves the conundrum of whether to take a bike for the downhills or a bike for the climbs. The motor assistance within electric mountain bikes allows long-travel machines with burly downhill components and aggressive, grippy tyres to be ridden uphill just as easily as their lightweight cross-country counterparts and then hammered back down again at full speed. In these circumstances, the electric motor takes the place of an uplift, giving access to far more vertical metres of descending during the ride than would otherwise be possible.
ELECTRIC GRAVEL BIKES
Electric gravel bikes utilise similar lightweight motor and battery technology to that used in electric road and cross-country mountain bikes. The aim is to provide some assistance on hills or when tired rather than to dominate the whole ride experience and to increase the rider’s confidence so that longer, more difficult rides can be tackled. The additional power
also helps keep up with a mixed ability group.
ELECTRIC FOLDING BIKES
A small but important niche, Electric folding bikes might just be the ultimate commuting machines. The added power helps when the trip to the train station is a little further than ideal or when it’s necessary to carry a bag or briefcase, yet all the convenience of its portability and easy storage is retained. There are a few kilograms of extra weight, but as some manufacturer’s separate the battery into a shoulder bag that fastens to the bike when needed, the bike remains light enough to carry.
So whether you are looking to make cycle commuting more palatable, short errands more convenient and environmentally friendly or just fancy a bit of a boost when riding on or off-road, there is an electric bike that is perfect for you.
