Is it worth buying an ebike to replace your bike?

E-bikesThey have made great strides. The use of electric bikes has increased over the past 30 years, particularly in China where there are hundreds of millions of them. The rise of ebikes in the United States has been slow. The United States saw less than 2,000 e-bikes in 2021. 500,000 e-bikes soldFor example. Millions of Americans could be looking to purchase an e-bike right now. I was one of them.

As a guy who’s used a bicycle as his primary mode of transportation for the better part of the last decade, I’ve always been interested in e-bikes — but also kind of scoffed at them. Honestly, using one seemed like “cheating” to me. Why would you need an electric engine to help you move? Use your legs; that’s what they’re there for!

This was a good stance when I lived along the flat East Coast shoreline. Recently, however, I moved to the Bay Area of California. This famously hilly region in the US seems difficult for traditional cycling. Sure, I could pedal my way to the grocery store, but by the time I got there, how much of me would be left that I hadn’t sweated out under the hot California sun?

I decided to give an electronic bike a go for the first. Is an electric bike able to replace my regular bike? Is an electric bike safe, practical and most importantly, enjoyable? I had to find out so I gave up my regular bikes and bought an e-bike. It took me two weeks.

Green Authority: The best electric bicycles

I chose to go with a Rad PowerBased on the suggestions of other cyclists I know, I designed an e-bike. The brick-and mortar shop is also located close to my home. This sealed the deal. Rad Power makes it easy for anyone to go to the shop and test ride several models. If you live near a Rad Power shopSimply walk in, sign the waiver, and you can ride on every model.

Rad Power discontinued the Rad Mission High Step, so that was my first test bike. I chose it because, of all the e-bikes at the shop, it looked the most like a “normal” bike. It was also the most affordable, which is an important consideration for those who are looking to buy an ebike.

My Rad Mission ride was wonderful. However, it didn’t operate much like a traditional bicycle since it is a lot heavier. It weighs in at 55 pounds with the battery installed. This is a stark contrast to the 30-pound fixed-gear bicycle I’m used to. As such, getting it moving from a dead stop through pedal power alone took twice as much energy — or twice as much time. Obviously, this is where the “e” in “e-bike” comes in handy. We’ll talk more about this later.

I was happy enough to give the Rad Mission the Rad City 5 PlusTake a spin. Unlike the Rad Mission, the Rad City 5 Plus looks like what most people think about when they think “e-bike.” It has a huge frame, thick tires, and a cruiser-style shape that appeals more to commuters than serious cyclists.

The Rad Mission was far more enjoyable than the Rad City 5+. It was a more stable ride with faster speeds, more comfortable thanks to its mountain bike-esque suspension, had a ton of included accessories (like the cargo rack), and was more customizable to one’s riding style.

Problem was, however, that riding the Rad 5 Plus was not a safe option. NothingIt’s like riding a regular bicycle. It’s even heavier than the Rad Mission at a whopping 72 pounds with the battery installed, making it difficult to move with just pedal power. You can go downhill, turn and even get on/off like you are operating a moped or a motorcycle.

This presented me with a dilemma. Do I go with something like the Rad Mission that operates as closely as possible to a traditional bike, or do I abandon that whole concept and go with something like the Rad City 5 Plus, which felt better even though it was further away from what I’m used to?

After trying out a few other models, I settled on the Rad city 5 Plus. I figured if I’m going to commit to an e-bike, I need to abandon my attachment to a traditional cycling experience.

If you’ve purchased a regular bicycle online before, you know that it comes with some assembly required. An ebike will not be any different. The extra gear and cabling will make it even more difficult.

Rad Power sent the Rad City 5 Plus inside a standard bicycle box. It came with a few tools, a lot of hardware bits, a charge, and a very detailed user guide. The bike itself was mostly assembled, but the front wheel wasn’t connected, and lots of things needed to be adjusted before it would be ready to ride.

Also see: I rode an electric bike to work, and here’s what I learned

Rad Power is very helpful. setup videoto help others. I didn’t even use the manual; the video alone worked for me. It took me around 90 minutes from opening the box to testing it out. Granted, I’ve done this before with a few regular bikes, so it was all pretty familiar outside of the electronics.

You can save money if you live near a Rad power showroom by purchasing an e-bike pre-assembled. You can also take your Rad Power bike in its original box to a local bike shop and have it assembled. You might find it helpful to put it together yourself. This will allow you to understand the parts and help with future repairs.

Two types of electric propulsion are common on an ebike. The first is a pedal assist system (PAS), which sometimes has different names (“pedelec” being one of them). This is basically when the battery-powered motor assists you with your normal pedaling. You can tune how much help you get to allow you to find the right balance between human-powered propulsion and using up your e-bike’s battery.

Power-on-demand is the second type of propulsion. This is the type of propulsion that you will see on motorcycles. You simply turn the throttle a certain amount, and you’re off.

A PAS is a standard feature on e-bikes purchased in the United States. However, power-on demand may be an option. It all comes down to local regulations regarding how e-bikes should be classified. It is not a question of whether an e-bike that can propel you from zero to 20mph in a matter of seconds should still be considered a bicycle. It might be classified as a motorcycle or moped, which can create a barrier to entry for consumers. In other words, you’ll need to shop around and figure out what you can ride in your area without jumping through too many hoops.

Similar reading: Everything you need to know about electric scooters

Rad City 5 Plus features both a power-on-demand and a PAS. The PAS is controlled using the leftmost pad of the handlebar. I found that, for riding on a flat road, leaving the PAS at “1” was fine enough for me, and I’d completely turn it off any time I was going downhill. If I hit any type of incline, however, I’d need to bump the PAS to “2” or even “3,” depending on how steep of a road I was facing.

The PAS goes all the way up to “5,” but I never set it that high. For me, if I wanted that much power, I’d just use the throttle. The throttle is located right next to the right handlebar grip. If you turn it as far and fast as possible, the bike will accelerate at a remarkable pace. This was crucial for me to get through the many intersections that I travelled around my hometown. It feels like the ebike is so heavy that it takes forever to get through an intersection without using the throttle. It made me feel self-conscious, like all the people in their cars waiting for me to plod through were groaning and thinking, “Damn cyclists.”

The throttle solves this problem. A pull of the throttle will get me through an intersection without grumbling motorists, even if I’m at a stop. It also gets some momentum going so I can knock down the PAS to “1” and cruise comfortably while still putting in plenty of pedal power.

Zooming with power-on demand is both fun and disorienting for traditional cyclists. Traditional bicycles don’t zoom from a stop to 20mph in just a few seconds, regardless of how skilled a rider you may be. It feels wholly different but also useful and, I’ll admit, safer. The extra control I have over my situation is enhanced by the fact that I can pull the throttle and plow through it. If a car is pulling some shenanigans (running a red light, doing a “rolling stop,” etc.A traditional cyclist can only react to a car’s actions. Rad Power Rad city 5 Plus has hydraulic disc brakes that allow me to stop quickly. OrYou can accelerate by releasing the throttle. It made me feel more confident that I would be able to get out of any snags on the road.

The Rad City 5 Plus also has a traditional gear system, the same as you’d find on any other bicycle. This — combined with the PAS and the throttle — gives you the ability to finely tune your riding experience. If you’re feeling motivated to work hard, you can change the PAS to lower and go into high gear. If you’re just trying to have a relaxing cruise, you can drop to a low gear and crank the PAS. The longer you ride, the more you’ll be able to quickly jump from one scenario to another to match your comfort level.

I was not a fan of the gear system. I made it feel like it required me to work a little but not too hard. When I needed more power, I adjusted the PAS or turned off the throttle. This made things simpler and allowed me more focus on the road.

The Rad City 5 Plus is similar to other bikes in that all aspects are the same. You can adjust the handlebars and the saddle, as well as the tire pressure and seat post. You have a lot of control over how your e-bike feels while you ride.

Battery life is the most important thing to consider when buying an electric bike. There is no easy answer. As with any other battery-operated product — be it a smartphone, laptop, camera, or whatever — how long it lasts on a charge will come down to your usage habits.

As one would expect, riders who rely on the power-on-demand throttle for most of their riding will see very poor battery life, while those who mainly leave the PAS on “1” will see terrific longevity. On top of this, the type of terrain can have a huge influence: If everything is flat, the motor won’t need to work as hard as it would if you’re riding up hills constantly.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m quite conservative with my battery usage. I tend to pedal continuously while riding, keeping the PAS low and only using the throttle to accelerate through intersections. I was able ride 58 miles with the Rad Power Rad city 5 Plus before I ran out of power. I’m sure I could extend that by a few more miles if I was even more conservative.

However, I also tested Rad City 5 Plus in the opposite direction. I charged the battery up and went for a ride using only the power-on request throttle. I was able ride 27 miles in that situation before running out.

There are two options for charging. You can charge the battery while it’s still locked to the e-bike by connecting a proprietary cable to a covered port on the side of the battery. You can also remove the battery from the e-bike and connect it to the provided cradle. This is useful if the ebike needs to be left at work but you still want it to be charged up for the ride home.

To remove the battery, you will need a key. The keyhole is located on the frame. I’m sure this lock could be picked by a professional, but I tried to figure out a way to get the battery out without a key and couldn’t do it. It’s very secure from what I’ve seen.

Also see: Common battery myths you probably believe

It takes a while to charge because the battery is large and heavy. It takes approximately eight hours to charge from 0 to full. This is important to remember if you plan on using the battery for long commutes. If you are able to get to your destination and return on one charge, you can leave it on the charger at night to recharge the battery and still have a full charge the next morning.

You can also buy an additional battery to increase your mileage. However, the Rad City5 Plus extra battery is not included. a whopping $600 and weighs nearly eight pounds, so it’s not incredibly convenient. It is still an option if you have the time and desire.

I didn’t mention it before, but I used to ride a fixed gear bicycle as my main mode of transportation. Fixies are the perfect beater bikes — they are easy to maintain, cheap to fix, and could last you forever if you take care of them.

An ebike is not a cheap bike. There are many other parts that require attention and care. The battery is one of them, as it’s just like any other battery: you need to mind its charging patterns and keep it away from very high/low temperatures. It is very important to take care of your battery. Failure to do so could lead to frequent replacements.

There are many cables on an electric bike like the Rad City5 Plus. The battery doesn’t just supply power to the motor but also to the two controllers on the handlebars and the front light. This creates a cable chain that goes all the way up and down the bike’s frame. It could be a problem to identify which cable is defective and then replace it.

It is also more difficult to repair everything at the rear. On a fixie, the rear tire pops off with ease and all you need to do is make sure you don’t lose the chain. The standard 10-gear road bike system is more complex, but it’s still very simple for most enthusiasts. An ebike system will be more complicated than this.

This all means that taking care of your e-bike — and bringing it in for a yearly tune-up religiously — is going to be much more important than a traditional bicycle. Considering you’re likely going to invest more money into an e-bike than you would a regular one, you need to be ready to treat it with some serious TLC.

Thankfully, the “normal” parts of the Rad Power bikes are the same as what you would get from any bike shop. This means that you can easily replace tires, brakes, or other parts. just as you would — and with the same hardware — as a normal bike. It will be more difficult to repair this bike.

For buyers who are nervous about all this, don’t worry: Bike shops are getting much better about supporting e-bike repairs. Obviously, in the case of Rad Power, going to a showroom would be the best idea, but most reputable local bike shops should be able to help you if you’re willing to pay for it.

There’s a certain thrill to riding a bike. Being on the open road with nothing but your feet to get you to your destination doesn’t have too many parallels. For cycling enthusiasts, the joy of choosing, tweaking and maintaining your bike can also be thrilling.

E-bike riding is a thrilling experience. However, it’s not the same as riding an e-bike. My first few rides on an electric bike were very similar to my first experiences with an EV (or a regular car). I’m specifically referencing getting used to being behind the wheel (or, in this case, handlebars), feeling out how speeding up and slowing down work, and understanding the core information you’ll need about getting from point A to point B. The ebike felt like a reduced version of a vehicle, not a modified version.

I believe buyers should consider an e-bike such as the Rad Power Radcity 5 Plus as a replacement for a car and not a replacement for a bike. For me, riding the e-bike didn’t satiate my desire to ride a regular bike. It actually made me want to ride my old fixie even more.

Pedaling the e-bike, for example, didn’t feel as good as pedaling a regular bike. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt less connected to it — like what I was doing had less effect on the e-bike than it would a normal bike. I didn’t feel as in control of the overall experience, even if I did feel more in control of my safety on the road. The e-bike looks like a bike but doesn’t ride like one.

The e-bike is an integral part of my daily life as a single-car owner. It is far easier to run some errands on the e-bike than it would be on a regular bike and it’s far more environmentally friendly — and wallet-friendly — to leave the car at home. It can be used as a great alternative to a car for commuters who live in large cities where parking a car can prove difficult financially and logistically.

In other words, if you’re big on cycling and are thinking an e-bike could replace your regular bike, that’s not likely to be the case. It is far more likely that you’ll have an e-bike as a new addition to your larger bike collection. It will live next to your beater cruiser/cruiser, your extremely expensive distance bike, and your equally expensive mountain bike.

As I mentioned at beginning of the article, the ebike industry in the United States is still in its infancy. Folks who didn’t even think about it a few years ago might want to buy an e-bike over the next few years. But should they?

In my opinion, there are very few people out there who shouldn’t at least think about buying an e-bike. If you drive a car, it’s nearly certain that at least some of those car rides could happen on an e-bike instead. You’ll get to your destination a little slower and you won’t be able to carry as much cargo, but you’ll save on gas money and vehicle wear and tear, get some exercise, and help out the environment, which are all great things.

Those who don’t already own a car have even more incentive to look at an e-bike. It’s far easier to use an e-bike to get around and probably safer, too, if the e-bike has a throttle. You will have more control over your schedule and it will likely pay for itself in a year or so if you use less public transportation.

Even avid cyclists should consider an ebike. As I said in the previous section, an e-bike isn’t likely to replace any of your current bikes, but it will be a good addition to your fleet that you’ll likely use often.

The only people who shouldn’t bother with an e-bike, in my opinion, are those who can’t ride one for health/mobility reasons or who live in an area in which riding one would be logistically difficult — such as a place that is very cold throughout the whole year. However, this would only be a small percentage of the population. In reality, most people who read this article would benefit from an electric bike.

Also, I went with Rad City5 Plus ($1,699) doesn’t mean that’s your only option. The Lectric XP 4.0 ($1,099) is a great choice for entry-level buyers and can easily be found for less than its list price during sales. Aventon Level 2 ($1,949) is a great choice if you’ve got plenty of money to spend. It’s also possible to retrofit your current bike to make it electric using something like the Ebikeling Kit ($419).

Just don’t be like me and approach an e-bike as a new kind of bicycle. It’s a new mode of transportation — and a very useful one — but if you buy one looking for a cycling experience, you won’t find it. That’s something you can only get from your feet, a traditional bike, and the wind on your face.