5 Tips to Maximize E-Bike Range

There are a lot of e-bikes out on the market today and each one will have an advertised range. This advertised range simply put is the distance that you can get on a single charge. However like most things in life things are not quite as simple as they seem.

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Advertised ranges are often found when you have optimal conditions for testing and last we checked most roads we ride don’t fall into the description of “optimal”.

In this video we explore the different ways that you can get the most out of your e-bike’s battery life. We put our e-bike to the test to see what the actual range is in the streets of Los Angeles.

[CleatSurfer]

My eBike claims a 71 mile range in the touring mode; the second level assist. Leaving from my house requires some manageable climbing. After 8.5mi and 350ft elevation gain, the battery reports having a 31mi range.

[diskgrind]

And when you got to the beach.. you said take out your charger.. how long did it take you to charge? Most take 5 to 8 hours to charge. I can't believe a portable charger can do that.

[Kyosanym]

He said not to ride to until the battery is flat. Then get does just that on the video. Huh?

[brianbassett]

*Maximizing range*... Always start off by peddling with no assist. Anytime you are descending don't use any assist. Learn to ride at the lowest assist level possible and still enjoy it. Use max tire pressure for the surface. Get a Grin Tech. Cycle Analyst V2 or a control input that shows Watt-Hour usage (power consumption). It will teach you how to ride more efficiently. Most importantly, when riding and someone passes you on a lycra cruiser or another ebike (it doesn't happen often), don't speed up and ride with them let alone pass them just because you can. This is bad when trying to maximize range.

Employing the use of a Giant Green Button PSA cut-out can help you extend your range significantly. All the same rules of getting a bicycle up to speed and then keeping the mass rolling still apply with an ebike, you are just working with more mass and greater speed. The GGB lets you spin the cranks without using any assist/battery power at the simple instant push of a button. When you can easily maintain speed yourself you can hold the GGB and you don't expend any power or have to turn the motor off or power down to 0 and then back up again when you want the assist. Most important is having a motor that allows several different levels of assist (the more the better) and has a throttle that can be used alone or with the PSA while cranking. This allows you to better fine-tune the amount of assist you need according to the riding conditions, i.e., surface, load, incline, wind, how bad you want to get something to eat, etc.

Unfortunately, there isn't a production ebike built today that can do all this... yet, and if there was they would still be charging double for small batteries, you'd be stuck with their little proprietary motor, and never be able to upgrade the bike. Look at BaFang BBSXX mid-drives, buy a bicycle frame that's perfect for you, and that can hold a large triangle battery pack... mine are 58.8V 35Ah (2058Wh), that 1337Wh only using 65% of the batteries capacity which drastically extends the number of recharge cycles possible. Ranges of well over 100-miles are easy even with a fully loaded etouring bike.

Stay safe.

25 Jul 20 - Mowich Lake

26 Jul 20 - Rain Forest trail

[Boss-ejfh]

Id like to know what motor and battery you are using

[Wilddynalife]

Hey very cool but how did you charge it at the beach

[brianclevenger]

What level of assist were you riding in?

[alexmagor]

why not carry extra batteries to get more range?

[dianepetsche]

That basket needs to go, is it optional?