Perfect Bikes For City Dwellers
Electric bikes or E-Bikes are other modes of transportation that are continuously rising in popularity since their invention in 1897 as they are extremely convenient.
They are a modification of the standard bikes and are engineered and designed for the daily, practical use of their owners. Companies that produce electric-bikes have made many variations that are created for specific types of outdoor activities that would suit the consumers’ tastes.
An e-bike almost has the same features as a traditional bike and a standard motorcycle, it offers the best of both bikes and more because of its efficiency and ability to deliver more than what’s expected from it most of the time.
Yes, they do have some disadvantages like every other vehicle in the industry but you’ll see that the pros of these electric-bikes outweigh the cons. To help you decide on what kind of e-bike to choose and what aspects of it to look for, listed down below are some of the best e-bikes for people living in a crowded city such as you and I and their prices and unique features:
5 Electric Bikes Brands FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THE CITY
Riese Riese & Muller Delite NuvinciNuvinci
- Cost: $7,000 to $8,000
- Estimated max. range: 100 miles (161 km)
- What’s unique about it: It has a dual-battery feature that would enable the biker to cover much wider range and use the vehicle for a longer period of time in maximum speed. It can be used in the city, as well as in the steep terrains.
Benno Benno e-Joy
- Cost: $3,200
- Estimated max. range: 75 miles (120 km)
- What’s unique about it: Not only is it a joy and pleasure to look at with its classy, vintage look, it’s also a reliable city e-bike because of its large rear cargo rack and pedal-assist that would make sure you don’t get too sweaty on a busy day.
Trek Super Commuter+ 8S
- Cost: $5,200
- Estimated max. range: 92 miles (148 km)
- What’s unique about it: This e-bike might is specially designed for commuters who likes it fast. This can help you rev up to 28mph while keeping you safe with its car-like features.
2017 Gazelle Arroyo C8 HMBHMB
- Cost: $3,500
- Estimated max. range: 115 miles (185 km)
- What’s unique about it: The battery of this e-bike is located under its cargo rack in the rear, creating more space on the deep step-thru in the middle and has a lighter weight on the front part of it for easier driving and vehicle-manipulation.
Gocycle Gocycle GS
- Cost: $2,800
- Estimated max. range: 50 miles (80 km)
- What’s unique about it: This is the only foldable e-bike in our list, besides that it’s conveniently compact when folded foldable, it also has some hi-tech features that tech-savvy individuals will surely love.
As a buyer, you have to be careful of what you are purchasing, especially when it cost over thousands of dollars. Get to know every little detail and identify what you want and need.
You can maximize and get back the money you spent by buying the most suitable e-bike for you and in order to do so you have to know what to look for and the things you have to consider for you to find your perfect match.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE COST OF AN ELECTRIC BIKE
There are a lot of things that will make an e-bike’s price expensive or cheap, or in between.
- Its power (how powerful),
- its brand (popular brands tend to price higher),
- its appearance (the better it looks, the more expensive),
- its convenience (how is it rider-friendly),
- its purpose (is it for mountain travels or city travels),
- its parts (very important so they’re also very expensive),
- the things inside (the other parts),
All of these have prices and depending also on the quality and your budget, you will either have a good e-bike or not-so-good e-bike.
Listed below are the most determining factors of the cost price of an electric bike:
E-Bike Motors and Drive Systems.
There are two types of motors an electric bike can have. The Crank Motor and the Hub Motor.
Crank motors are good for climbing steep hills and makes a little bit of noise while hub motors are quiet and good for the cemented roads of the city, but they’re quite the poor hill climbers. Crank motors are usually located at the pedal and hub motors are on either wheel. Sensors can be attached to them for effective pedal support.
There are also two types of a drive system in electric bikes.
- Pedelec: One is called Pedelec and is the most common system. It assists the biker by adding power to the pedals for a faster ride but less exhaustion that usually accompanies pedaling. When the pedals sense the rider doing to faster, they will assist by making it faster without too much effort on the part of the rider.
- Twist-n-Go: The other type of drive system is called Twist-n-Go which enables the rider to switch the e-bike into a full motorcycle mode with only the motor making the e-bike move. These parts are the main determinants in the cost of an electric bike as they dictate how smooth and powerful your riding will be.
Deciding about batteries.
You should consider batteries too as they are the main source of power of all electric bikes. Typically, different batteries can be charged between two to six hours long. Depending on what kind of e-bike you’re planning to buy and how much power it possesses, you can get good batteries that can keep up with what you want and can last up to 800 cycles of charging, two to three years if you’re a frequent rider.
There are also a number of factors that might affect the hours your battery will keep your e-bike moving, there are your weight and the bike’s, what motor systems you’re using, and a few more factors.
Lithium-ion batteries are such battery that can live long like that. If you’re considering a high-end e-bike, you might get a battery that is weighs less, charge faster than average, and sturdy against frequent usage. I suggest getting batteries from reliable manufacturers so your money will not go to waste immediately and for a longer usage.
Materials used for the whole electric bike.
The materials used to create an e-bike are important because they will be the one to determine how long the e-bike will live to serve your transportation needs. If the materials used to build the whole frame of an e-bike are metals of strong and lightweight quality, then you’re in it for a long time before you can’t use it anymore, but then, prepare yourself because you’re going to pay rather handsomely for its sturdy materials.
There are cheaper options if you don’t have that large of a cash, but the cheaper e-bike’s materials will almost surely cost you your money because the materials used to build the frame is usually weaker and heavier and have shorter lifespan compare to an expensive e-bike.
Components of the electric bike.
Components are also extremely significant because they are the ones that will perform under your command of the e-bike. They will command the bike to move based on how you will use each component. The motors, the sensors, the battery, they can be really expensive when they are of quality.
Your e-bike can be upgraded to however and whichever you want, you want more power? You can spruce it up by buying motors that will suit your wants.
You want more hours of riding? You can buy back-up batteries so when the first one is drained you still have the back up for longer miles of riding.
Electric Bikes MAINTENANCE AND ITS COST
Of course, like all other things created by men, electric-bikes also have needs. The spending does not end right after you bought it, there’s the electricity the batteries of your e-bike will consume, don’t be afraid though, the increase will be so small you won’t even notice it at first.
Another thing you also have to spend for the maintenance of your e-bike if you want to keep it in its top condition and for you to prolong its life. The good thing about this is that the maintenance will only take a few dollars from your wallet whenever it’s happening because electric-bikes are simple and tiny transport vehicles that require only a small amount of TLC from the owners at the beginning of its life, but years will pass by and electric-bikes get old too, be ready for the not-so-cheap repairs you will face when that time comes.
Other Option: E-Bike Conversion Kits
If you read our article Tips for Electric Bike Beginner , you’ve probably known the so-called “conversion kits” of electric-bikes. Conversion kits are kits that consist of individual components and parts that are designed to make an e-bike become even more powerful than they already are.
These kits can also convert an ordinary bike to an electric bike because it offers parts that make electric-bikes electric. So if you have a bike already, and want to have an electric bike, you can custom build your own e-bike and save yourself a couple of thousands of dollars just by buying these conversion kits.
They usually comprise wheels, motors, batteries, and a lot more smaller parts. There are numerous retailers out there that sell these things, and for your own convenience, we’ve listed some of the best websites where you can buy your conversion kit, all you have to do is to click the links written below:
- E-Bike Kit (USA) – https://www.ebikekit.com
- Swytch (USA) – https://www.swytchbike.com
- Ebikeling (USA) – https://www.ebikeling.com
- EMPowered Cycles (USA) – https://www.empoweredcycles.com
- Green Bike Kit (China) – https://www.empoweredcycles.com
CONCLUSION ABOUT COSTS OF E-BIKES:
Whether you want that brand new e-bike you saw online or from a physical store, or your satisfied with just buying a conversion kit to power-up the standard bike you already have, no matter what you decide to choose between the two, as long as you finally have the knowledge about the basic subjects on electric bikes and you get the gist of this blog, then you’re probably right.
With the advancement of technology and the need for powerful but eco-friendly vehicles rises, these electric bikes are one of the only solutions that can save our planet from environment destitution as they are the only transport vehicles in the world that emits zero emissions and are conveniently cheaper than most automobiles in the market.
You can drive these things even without a driver’s license, but of course, there’s still a speed limit to these things required by the national law, which is good because they can be really dangerous to the rider. Over half of the population of the world knows how to ride a bike, so those individuals can surely handle electric bicycles, you including. You don’t know this, but you’re currently in a trend that will not die but instead will continue to grow.
