BICI FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Electric assist bicycles (ebikes) are meant to enhance a range of performances on regular bikes without destroying the spirit of conventional human powered and clean riding. Ebikes are for those:
-Looking to travel quicker and further on their bike
-Ride their bikes more frequently without physical stress
Our ebikes can also potentially be used as a fully powered vehicle, motorized in the absence of pedalling, for those who have certain health conditions that may make pedalling difficult. Age restrictions depend on each province.
Charging an electric bike is as simple as plugging in a laptop. Basically, there are three parts to a charger:
Charger plug-in: This piece connects to the charge case and into an outlet.
Charge case: The charge case protects and cools the electronics used to transfer power to the electric battery.
Charge adapter: The adapter plugs into the charging port on the battery, whether it's on or off the bike. Electric bike adapters are typically unique to the bike brand.
To charge your ebike, place your plug into the wall outlet and the adapter into the battery. You can see if you have a full charge by checking the bike’s display or the light indicator on the charger.
In North America, electric bike batteries can be charged with any standard 120-volt outlet. That means nearly everywhere, from the garage to the office, should have a place to charge your battery. If you’re trying to charge in a public area, consider asking the business first - it’s the polite thing to do!
While you have the ability to charge your electric bike as much as you want, that doesn’t always mean you should. It’s always nice to have a full battery, but it’s not always necessary to charge after every ride. Consider a cell phone - do you charge your phone every time you make a call? Probably not.
I know it may sound arbitrary, but you should charge your bike as often as you see fit. If you’re one that rides your bike frequently, you may need to charge the battery more often. If you’re an occasional traveler, then you may want to keep your battery at around the 80% level. If you’re storing your battery for long periods of time, you will want to maintain a charge between 40 - 80%.
This is a question we receive a lot! Unfortunately, it’s not always the easiest to answer.
First, let’s consider the basics of the battery. It could very well be the most important aspect to your electric bike. Every bike has Watts, Amp-Hours, and Voltages. Your battery’s overall range depends on these factors. Battery specifications are found on the product page or in your manual. Electric bikes designed for commuting may have larger battery capacity compared to those that are for quick trips around town.
Second, your battery’s life will depend on the following: terrain, physical factors, assistance level, and distance.
Uphill and variable riding terrains play a large role in your battery life. If you find yourself losing power quickly, consider where you’re riding. We have noticed that batteries drain much faster when having to climb up a hill than when riding flat on a sidewalk.
While you may be able to ride any bike, that doesn’t mean that every bike is designed for any rider. To be honest, we find that those who use more assistance or who may be larger need a bigger battery. While it’s not always the most fun to think about, considering your needs is important to getting a bike battery that fits you. There is nothing worse than riding with a battery that empties in 15 miles!
Bike batteries of today are comparatively better than their older counterparts. We expect about 30 - 50 miles on a single charge with today’s electric bikes.
Some brands allow you to upgrade your battery capacity. Depending on the bike, you can swap multiple batteries or attach a second battery. You will want to do some research on the model you’re buying, as not all bikes have this option.
Simply enough, the best way to prolong your electric bike’s battery life is to minimize use of the throttle or higher levels of assistance.
However, your battery capacity will change over time. According to Battery University, factors such as self life and charge cycles affect battery life. Also, being exposed to high temperatures or maintaining constant high charge voltages can decrease your battery life.
On the flip side, having a battery too low can also deplete your charge threshold. As we’ve mentioned before, keeping your bike stored between 40 - 80% is ideal to maintain battery life.
Simply enough, the best way to prolong your electric bike’s battery life is to minimize use of the throttle or higher levels of assistance.
However, your battery capacity will change over time. According to Battery University, factors such as self life and charge cycles affect battery life. Also, being exposed to high temperatures or maintaining constant high charge voltages can decrease your battery life.
On the flip side, having a battery too low can also deplete your charge threshold. As we’ve mentioned before, keeping your bike stored between 40 - 80% is ideal to maintain battery life.
You may be thinking that charging your battery will rack up the electric bill. Often, that is not the case. Most electric bikes mentioned that a battery can cost 5 to 8 cents per charge. Many chargers have a cut off sensor when the battery is full, so you’re not paying for more electricity than needed.
If you’re using your bike for commuting, consider the electricity cost against fueling up your car - I’m sure you’ll find you save quite a bit of money!
Oh, no! You’re noticing that your headlight is starting to grow dim and flicker...and it’s almost sunset.
Never fear! BICI bike batteries and displays have USB ports to allow charging of items such as headlights and smartphones. While this does affect your capacity, having the ability to charge important accessories can help increase your safety and communication.
Bike chargers are not as complicated on the whole as some may believe. Even the least tech-savvy person has the ability to plug in and charge their bike. Still, knowing how to use and utilize your charger and battery will increase your electric bike experience that much more.
We have ebikes capable of 57km/h, however the legal max speed setting to be on the street is at 32km/h. The controller will cut-off assist beyond 32km/h to comply with the law. 350W systems gives the maximum street legal performance on ebikes, however 500W gives a better performance on hills.
General electric bicycle’s regulations in North America state that e-bikes:
Are limited to 500 W output (in some areas it varies 750W and 1000W)
Cannot travel faster than 32 km/h (20 mph) on motor power alone on level ground.
Require an approved helmet.
Generally, they are considered vehicles (like motorcycles and pedal cycles), and are subject to the same rules of the road as regular bicycles as a result. Regulations may or may not require an interlock to prevent the use of power when the rider is not pedaling.
Vehicle electric bike licenses and liability insurance are not required in the US and Canada.
For your safety, we suggest wearing a helmet at all times when riding an e-bike. Wearing a helmet is the law in British Columbia and you could be fined for not wearing one. Remember to plan for poor weather or low light conditions. Your bicycle must be equipped with a front white headlight and a rear red light/reflector. Be extra visible with reflective gear on your pedals and wheels.
The system is rain proof. It’s good for rain or snow, however we advise against water jetting. Most importantly, do not park in the rain or snow.
Leaving the battery on the bike at all times is a netter of battery security. If you park the ebike in an area with risk of being stolen, take the battery with you. If you leave the battery switched on, it drains with a very little current, so it is recommended to switch it off if you don't want to use the bike for more than half an hour.
The range depends on many factors such as weight, road conditions, bicycle, weather, level of assist, and amount of muscle power being used. In general our system:
Maintain 30km average range
Minimum compatible battery capacity is over 100km range (if used on level 1 assist)
You will be guided through the right battery capacity for your particular case if you inquire.
No, it is not possible to recharge the ebike by pedalling yet. The reason is because regeneration demands heavy push to pedal, which is exhausting. Regeneration only makes sense when you use the kinetic energy of a bike in breaking or descending a downhill, which at best it can increase the range by 10%. The idea of regenerative braking doesn’t work well on bikes because unlike cars the mass/aerodynamic loss ratio is too small.
When the battery is dead you will have a regular bike only having 5 to 7 kg more cargo with you. There is no drag or friction by Bici Bike geared hub motor system.
Not at all! Unlike traditional Nickel based batteries, Li-Ion battery has no historic effect on charge and topping up the battery after each use gives a better life condition.
Usually there is no scheduled maintenance requirement for e-bikes other than simple physical protections and keeping batteries fully charged after each use. Having said that you can always contact BICI for on-site technical service and maintenace.
The saddle can be adjusted in height, in moving forward and in angle. To modify the saddle’s height, you need to loosen the collar that tightens the seat tube in the frame, and then carry out the adjustment according to your requirements. Pull up or push down the saddle, with a slight twisting motion if needed, to facilitate the passage of the seat tube in the frame. As a general indication, the height of the seat is correct if your leg is almost fully extended, when your foot rests on the pedal at the lowest point of rotation. The movement of the legs should be natural, and should not cause muscle or joint pain. The collar must be tightened so that the seat tube does not move inside the frame; in case of movement, it is needed to further tighten it and repeat the test.
Besides by-law limitations for street legal maximum 500W power, there are many engineering and safety reasons behind sizing a motor power on a bicycle– no matter if this is a factory made bicycle or a retrofit conversion project.
3000W, 1500W, 1000W, 750W motors are not street legal and are too powerful and heavy for bicycles. Typically we offer high power motor system for students or R&D projects, not electric bicycle applications. Putting a 4L engine on a Toyota Matrix is just a waste of money and resources. This engine will break the transmission shortly and the car does not provide a satisfactory drivability on small wheelbase and small tires.
250-500W is the optimum power you can expect a reasonable weight, speed, range, durability and safety on a bicycle. Knowing that an aerobic pedaling power by a regular cyclist is between 70W to 200W helps us understand 500W is like 5 people pedaling power.
You may read or see exciting reports or videos about 1000W to 6000W electric bikes, however this will not last long on those bikes. Biggest motor is not always the best.
Find the right bicycle type for your physical shape and kind of application - Urban, Foldable or E-Trek.
This should be concluded by you with the help of your health advisers. We can give you some guidelines by looking at various electric power assist systems.
If you are new to ebikes, the best way is to let us choose what’s right for you. Fill out our online form if you are looking for a complete electric bike.
Motor Torque is the characteristic which reflects the traction (thrust) and is important for climbing up hills.
The traction force equals Torque divided by wheel radius (F=T/R).
The more torque at the wheel gives you a higher grade-ability.
The smaller wheel diameter gives a higher traction force or climb-ability with same motor torque.
The torque at the wheel for mid-drive motors should be calculated like this:
Max Torque at Wheel for crank motors = Max Motor Torque x Number of rear cog teeth / Number of Chain wheel teeth
It’s the current capacity of the battery. The maximum current the battery can be discharged at continuously for 1 hour. For example; you can draw 10A continuously from a 10Ah battery for 1 hour or 5A for 2 hours.
This is a parameter that gives you a range. However, the energy density of a battery should be measured by Wh(watt-hour) if you are comparing battery systems of different voltage. Ah increase when using higher capacity Li-Ion cells or using more Li-Ion cells in parallel in a battery pack.
What do parameters like Ah Wh (Watt-Hour) mean for ebikes?
It’s the energy capacity of battery. Wh=Ah x V.
For example a 48V, 8.8Ah battery gives you 48V 8.8Ah = 422.4Wh energy which ideally means you can draw 422W power for 1 hour. The equivalent battery in 36V standard will be about 11.7Ah
Power equals Voltage by Current:
The higher the voltage, lower current is necessary to get the same amount of power (P=VI).
The voltage should be managed by compromising safety and current rating of component.
This is a parameter which is set based on electrical characteristics of the motor/controller and wiring.
Voltage has no mechanical effect on the ebike performance.
Having a higher motor or battery Voltage does not translate a higher performance or higher range by itself.
Voltage in Li-Ion battery is a matter of number of cells in series.
Battery Voltage will not be constant and varies based on SOC (state of charge) a complete charged battery voltage is about 42V when it is nominally 36V and battery voltage is about 30V when the battery is considered complete depleted.
Generally speaking torque sensor is a more sophisticated technology which is getting a good performance and feedback on electric bikes such as those integrated with Bosch, Shimano or Yamaha ebike motor systems. Torque sensor should have an integrated engineering while designing the ebike. Bicycle dynamics affects the performance of the torque sensor, that makes it a bit challenging to get a smooth and responsive torque activated PAS for conversions. It actually varies bike to bike.
There is no torque sensor after market conversion kit available that truly performs better than our Motion sensor + torque emulating software. We have tested all options yet our cadence sensor is more accurate and responsive and feels more natural.
Torque sensors are more vulnerable and require more complex controllers which makes maintenance and service more difficult. At present we don't consider it a reliable and durable setup to offer in our products.
Torque sensors contribute in boosting your pedaling force, no matter how steep the road is, which means you have to pedal hard anyways if you climb a hill. Cadence sensor eliminates a certain grade of hills based on assist level selected, no matter how hard you push the crank, which means harder pedaling just makes it faster.
At BICI we receive a lot of questions about assist levels on e-bikes. One big question that comes up in conversation is, “Do I want a bike with a throttle, pedal assist, or both?” Thankfully, your local electric bike experts are here to help break down the differences between pedal assist and throttle.
First, we like to explain the three classes of electric bikes: Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3.
Class 1 electric bikes offer pedal-assistance up to 32km/h.
Class 2 electric bikes offer pedal-assistance and throttle-assist up to 32km/h.
Class 3 electric bikes offer pedal-assist up to 32km/h.
Your electric bike class will help determine your need and where you can ride. Often, Class 3 e-bikes are for commuting and riding on the road. Most manufacturers provide the class level on the bike frame. Many bike trails allow Class 1 e-bikes. You will want to check your local ordinances before riding.
Pedal-Assist
Pedal-assist is a great option for riders who want optional assistance and the feel of a traditional bike. Simply put, turn on your assistance and pedal!
There are three to five modes of pedal assist available, depending on the model. Each mode affects your trip by providing more or less power, thanks to the included sensor. You will receive assistance up to the bike's top speed. You can adjust your assistance using the display or a separate controller.
Throttle-Assistance
Typically located on the grip or the handlebar, the throttle provides direct power to the motor up to its top speed without the need to pedal. Simply twist or push the throttle and go!
The throttle is helpful to get up to speed if you are in traffic or if you are exhausted from pedaling. Riders who utilize throttle frequently on their bikes may notice less overall battery life per charge.
So, which should you choose?
Ultimately you will want a bike that fits your needs. If you need minimal assistance, perhaps having a bike with throttle-only is a good option. If you are traveling farther distances or want more consistent, nearly-thoughtless power, then the pedal-assist may work well. Some bike brands are offering both throttle and pedal-assist to make that decision easier.
Another benefit to pedal-assist is that the system helps with battery life. Biking on the lowest assist setting can increase the battery's longevity, especially compared to throttle-assist.
Some good questions to ask yourself about your needs:
Where am I riding (hilly or flat terrain)?
How long do I planning on riding?
What do I need my bike for (errands, commuting, cruising)?
Where am I able to ride?
Choosing the proper e-bike can be confusing, so asking yourselves these questions will make your visit in-store more beneficial and tailored to your wants.
