The rates of bike commuters and leisure bicyclists both continue to rise as more Americans look for ways to build up their body and help the environment. Evidence of this in the growing number of “Sharrows”, as a term indicating that motorists must share the lane with bicyclists, painted on right-side traffic lanes can also be seen in larger cities across the United States. While more people realize the benefits of bike transportation, ebikes with its efficient and convenient features have become an irreversible trend, which is both environmentally friendly and complements the shortcomings of ordinary bicycles.That’s why ebikes have become so popular in recent years.
Ebikes with various appearances, colors and frames are popular in the market, so how to choose an electric bicycle that suits you? Aside from the price, one of the things that buyers worry about when shopping for an electric bike is their weight. Compared to traditional bikes, battery-powered bicycles pack a couple of extra pounds, which makes the bike harder to carry, especially climbing stairs.
Does The Weight of your Ebike Matter?
It depends on how you use your ebike. If you need to carry your ebike with you into your office or on public transportation then weight matters. If you need to commute a long distance weight may not matter so much. At this point, range and speed will be much more important. But that also means you need larger motors and batteries which add weight.
So, what is the actual weight of an electric bike? This article will list some of the factors that affect the weight of an electric bike and help you find the right electric bike for you.
Typically, the average weight of a non-ebike is likely to be between 30 and 35 pounds, while a typical front-drive, mid-drive or rear-drive version of the same model will weigh between 40 and 70 pounds. There are also ebikes weighing as little as 26 lbs and as much as 80 lbs.
Ebikes are slightly heavier than their conventional counterparts. Compared to ordinary bicycles, so where does the extra weight of electric bicycles mainly come from? It is generally believed that the rest of the ebike weight comes from the drive motor, batteries and controller.
To better understand the true weight of an ebike, let’s first look at the average weights of these parts.
● Controller
The average ebike controller weighs about 1 pound.
● Motor
The average ebike motor weighs around 10 lbs. A hub motor built into a wheel will weigh more because of the wheel, tire, and freewheel/freehub. The motor portion itself weighs around 10 lbs give or take a pound or 2.
● Battery
This is where we get into the other big chunk of weight. Ebike batteries weigh from 10 to 20 lbs. A 48volt 15 amp hour lithium battery weighs about 10 lbs. A battery’s weight is proportional to its voltage and capacity. A higher voltage, higher capacity battery will weigh more.
● Displays, wiring, etc.
Other bits of your ebike will add another couple of pounds. This includes the wiring, display on your handlebar, pedal sensor and brake switches.
Thus, the approximate weight of the electric bike can be calculated by adding the weights of the parts together. If you take 10 lbs for the motor, 10 lbs for the battery and 5 pounds for miscellaneous parts it brings us to 25 lbs for the ebike conversion parts weight. When we take our 30 lbs bike and add 25 lbs of ebike parts to it we end up with a 55 lb ebike. This brings us right in line with the average commuter/mountain ebike today.
Nevertheless, the actual weight of an ebike will depend on its specific type with its own frame, motor and battery. For example, road bikes are usually designed to be as light as possible to enable the riders to cycle as fast as they can while mountain bikes are meant to be heavier to handle the harsh off-road conditions and rugged terrain. Therefore, when it comes to the weight of an electric bike, it also depends on its specific category.
Below, we consider the average weights to expect from 6 types of electric bicycles.
● Commuting Ebike
Commuting ebikes are also referred to as hybrid electric bikes. This is due to the fact that they come with the handlebars of mountain bikes but have the wheels of road bikes. This blended design allows you to commute to work more comfortably. To allow for greater distances, the design features larger batteries, which increase their overall weight.
● Racing Ebike
Road electric bikes are designed to allow the rider to cycle as fast as possible. This means that they have pretty thin wheels to go with a lean frame, as well as handlebars that curve forwards. The design of these bikes implies they have a lighter weight than most other types.
● Mountain Ebike
These are probably the most popular ebikes because of their versatility. While they are designed for off-road use, they are just as capable on the road. The e-MTBs are made with a suspension to limit the impact of bumps and can have up to 750W motors.
● Cruising Ebike
These bikes allow the rider to maintain an upright posture while riding. They also have soft seats with wide handlebars. Generally, they enable the user to have a more relaxed experience than other bike designs and are more suitable for leisure riding.
● Fat Tire Ebike
Fat tire bikes and fat tire electric scooters are best suited for the off-road terrain and perform great on all kinds of surfaces, including snow, mud, gravel, rocks, etc. The huge tires naturally add to the overall weight of the bike, as well as strong frame design.
● Comfort Ebike
These bikes aren’t quite different from the cruiser ebikes, with the unique features being handlebars that extend backward as opposed to sideways and a step-through frame.
What are their weights? The table below will show you more clearly.
| The Average Weights of 6 Types of Ebikes (pound) | |||||
| Commuting Ebike | Racing Ebike | Mountain Ebike | Cruising Ebike | Fat Tire Ebike | Comfort Ebike |
| 50-70 | ≈40 | 40-70 | ≈70 | 50-70 | 50-70 |
Maybe you are still hesitating in so many types of electric bikes. If you don’ t know which one to choose, please think about where you need to use it the most. Whether you mainly use electric bikes for commuting , sports or is travel? This will help you make better choices.
Fortunately, due to the continuous improvement of technology, some manufacturers have developed electric bicycles suitable for various terrains, so that you can use it more effectively in many aspects of transportation. For example, Magicycle’s all-terrain fat tire electric bicycle series not only meet the needs of smooth riding on a variety of terrains, but also make riding more brisk, less burden, for it has a more powerful 52V power system than ordinary 48V.
In addition, Magicycle also recently launched a Commuter Step Over Lightweight Electric Bike, which has a design with simplicity, focusing on fashion and stylish, and it is very light in weight, allowing you to directly experience the fun of “Hop on and ride off”, quietly gliding through the city.
In fact, the weight of an electric bicycle is a selection criterion, but it is not the only criterion for judging whether it is good or bad. Choosing an ebike that suits you depends on personal preference, riding habits and place. Fortunately, compared to different bicycles, the inherent advantages of electric bicycles make us not worry too much about its weight. A good tram can adapt to a variety of environments, a powerful power system and fast charging make you feel unlimited fun. Just as Magicycle provides enough power to make our rides easier and longer lasting.
Of course, if this article is helpful to you in choosing an electric bike that is most suitable for you, it is the most anticipated to see. No matter light or heavy, choose the one you like the most, and experience a more convenient, exciting, and advanced life!
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