So you’ve just bought yourself a brand new electric bike, and now it’s time to find out how far you can go on one of these bad boys.
That sounds really exciting, but what’s the fun in just going down the road and back again? You must take this thing off the beaten track and into uncharted territory.
Electric bikes are great for exploring new roads, going on a daily commute, or even going for a leisurely weekend ride through the countryside.
So, let’s take a look at how far you can go before your bike runs out of juice.
Charging Your Electric Bike Battery: The Easy Way Or The Hard Way?
One of the most important things to consider when riding an electric bike is how far you can go on a full charge.
This will depend on three main factors:
- Type of terrain – the type of terrain you are riding over, for example, smooth or rough, flat or steep.
- Effort that you are putting into the ride – the harder you push, the more energy is used.
- Battery size and quality – generally speaking, heavier bikes often come with larger battery sizes, providing greater range.
So now that we know how important these three factors are when determining your bike’s range, let’s take a look at each of them in turn.
1. Terrain
Your electric bike should be able to handle different types of terrain easily due to its motorized assistance.
Still, sometimes it just isn’t possible to get across certain terrain without putting some real effort into yourself.
So, if you’re riding on flat terrain, you’ll have no problem covering lots of ground before recharging.
If you are faced with an uphill struggle every day when getting to work, you can expect to get nowhere near as far before needing a charge.
2. Effort
Let’s face it: electric bikes are pretty cool, but sometimes they just feel like clunky old pushbikes with all of the effort still being put in by your poor legs.
This is where the fun starts, though, because if you want to cover more ground faster, then simply pressing down harder on the pedals will make this happen.
As soon as you stop pedaling, however, the power from your battery kicks in and helps you along, so even riding downhill can provide some charge back into your battery.
3. Battery Size and Quality
The range of an electric bike is directly linked to its battery size, which should tell you everything that you need to know about how far you can go.
Generally speaking, the more expensive electric bikes come with larger and better quality batteries that allow for a greater range before recharging.
If you’re looking for a long-distance ride, then it’s definitely worth investing in a good-quality battery.
Electric Bike Range – How Far Can You Go?
So now that we know all of the things that affect how far your electric bike can go, let’s take a look at some real-life examples.
Smooth Terrain
If you’re just riding around your neighborhood or on a smooth path, then you can expect to get up to 40 miles on a single charge.
Rough Terrain
If you’re cycling over rougher terrain, perhaps on a beach where the sand gets harder further down the coast, for example, then you can expect to get around 20 miles on a single charge.
Uphill Terrain
If you’re cycling uphill every day before work, then you should plan for an average range of about 15 miles per charge.
