Learning to ride an ebike: How ebiking skills are different from general cycling skills, and how they develop

[Mr. Coffee]

I need mine to start when facing uphill and some other times also... I did hav my son’s taken off before he testrode his ebike because I thought he might bump it and think ebikes were dangerous. We had his throttle put back on after he was well adjusted to his bike. I don’t think he’s ever bumped it.

one advantage of a twist throttle over a lever is that it is harder to accidentally engage... though I did do it once by accidentally grabbing it when my bike was brand new.

I like the way the throttle works on the Rad Power bikes much better -- there is a separate button you must press to enable the throttle. It is easy to do one-handed but almost impossible to activate accidentally. Maybe because I have big hands but I've had my Interceptor launch on me three or four times, luckily without serious injury to me or the bike.

Anyway, I like hyper-miling.

One thing that has occurred to me is that there are probably software changes to pedal assist modes (and possibly the addition of other sensors like a clinometer) that could make the whole pedal assist thing feel much more natural and also make it dramatically more efficient. That's something to watch for.

 

[ebikemom]

there are probably software changes to pedal assist modes (and possibly the addition of other sensors like a clinometer) that could make the whole pedal assist thing feel much more natural

That makes sense! (oops, pun unintended, but I'll let it ride!! )

 

[DouglasB]

The only thing I noticed switching from a regular bike to an e-bike was that I didn't have to peddal as hard.

 

[ebikemom]

Douglas, you hit the nail on the head!!! Truly, it is a transformational thing having an ebike!

 

[Toomanycats]

I think mid drive bikes have less of a problem in this area than hub drives, but I’ve learned to level down immediately from “sport” or “turbo” when I reach the top of a steep hill and slow down to turn or for a stop sign. Starting in sport or turbo can cause a real “whoa!” Moment- like someone was giving the bike a big shove.

 

[DouglasB]

I think mid drive bikes have less of a problem in this area than hub drives, but I’ve learned to level down immediately from “sport” or “turbo” when I reach the top of a steep hill and slow down to turn or for a stop sign. Starting in sport or turbo can cause a real “whoa!” Moment- like someone was giving the bike a big shove.

Or on the opposite end of the spectrum: Forgetting to shift down at a stop and then trying to get going again with traffic coming.

 

[David Roy]

The thing that was hard to learn for me is when stopped at a stop sign, or anywhere, I must not move the pedal accidently or the bike wants to take off. My Radmini seems to be sensitive that way. It only takes a small bit of pedal movement for the bike to try to take off. It took my small brain a while to figure out what was happening, as the bike tried to take off and I put it on its side. It still happens once in a while but I know what and why.

I have a hub drive. I’ve learned to always have a brake lever at least partially compressed when stopped so the motor is off. When I get off the bike I change the power setting to “0” or no assist. The bike taught me this behavior after trying to take off several times when I wasn’t expecting it.

 

[Cowlitz]

I like the way the throttle works on the Rad Power bikes much better -- there is a separate button you must press to enable the throttle. It is easy to do one-handed but almost impossible to activate accidentally. Maybe because I have big hands but I've had my Interceptor launch on me three or four times, luckily without serious injury to me or the bike.

I have to remember to check that the throttle is on since I use it at intersections and on hills to get going. It seems to get turned off. I guess I bump that button or it gets bumped. I like to have it on and ready to go if I need to Git Gone in a hurry. I have some limited sight distance intersections around my house.

 

[christob]

I think one of the biggest differences for the new ebike rider to remember, amidst the adrenaline thrills of having a fast bike which doesn't require athlete training (ie, to reach and hold speeds the average leisure rider usually can't produce or sustain) is that the rider remains obligated to ride responsibly and defensively for the existing conditions; that analysis changes constantly based on surrounding traffic/users/etc.

It is one thing to open it up, max out the assist and really fly for the pleasure of sheer speed enjoyment, say, on a stretch of trail or road with nobody around at all. Thrilling and fun for sure.
But quite another thing to ride that way on a shared mixed use trail, cruising at say max 28mph assist, blowing past everyone, getting huffy with slow pedestrians or riders or children -- "just because your equipment can go that fast". (The same obligations in my view, apply to the higher-powered e-scooters that can cruise at 20mph+, as well as athlete-level analog cyclists/racers who can, and in my area frequently do, manually maintain speeds unsuited to our popular mixed-use trails... )

There seems to be a good bit of common sense behavior abandoned daily, in favor of "just because I can do it, I will do it", or the me-centric "I'm the only trail user that really matters" approach.

 

[Toomanycats]

Or on the opposite end of the spectrum: Forgetting to shift down at a stop and then trying to get going again with traffic coming.

I’ve done that too, and almost tipped the bike over because I couldn’t get going quite fast enough. I’ve learned to slow way down before a light and downshift, downshift, downshift. If I’m lucky, it’ll turn green before I have to stop.

 

[christob]

I’ve done that too, and almost tipped the bike over because I couldn’t get going quite fast enough. I’ve learned to slow way down before a light and downshift, downshift, downshift. If I’m lucky, it’ll turn green before I have to stop.

Amen! - @DouglasB is spot on -- I'd not ridden any bike for 25 years before I got my ebike, and so I forgot all the "basics" like that. And it seemed to take me several days/week or two of riding, to "relearn" that behavior... I'd curse myself at the same intersection (where I have to stop after a nice long sustained ride) to cross traffic on my commute route -- daily, I'd forget to downshift as I approached that stop -- then a driver would flag me to cross, and I'd be in a very wrong gear to get going quickly again! (No throttle on my ebike.) Even to this day, I can still forget to do it, if I've been enjoying the ride up to that particular road crossing!
(Also, my first ebike had a visible gear indicator/dial built into the shifter on the handlebar... when that bike died and was replaced by the manufacturer, the new one no longer had the visible indicator, which I had just started relying upon!)

 

[indianajo]

The thing that was hard to learn for me is when stopped at a stop sign, or anywhere, I must not move the pedal accidently or the bike wants to take off. My Radmini seems to be sensitive that way. It only takes a small bit of pedal movement for the bike to try to take off. .

That effect was so bad on the PAS equipped hubmotor kit (ebikeling.com) that I abandoned that controller. I habitually wind the pedal backwards at stops because I frequently stop in high grass or on a grade, where a full half-crank is necessary to make the bike balance without stalling. Like leaving my driveway. When I forgot and left the PAS at level 1 the bike would take off while I still had my foot on the ground and whack my leg in the back of the shin with the pedal. The fact that controller accelerated in PAS1 with 500 W didn't make gentle starts possible with the electricity, either. I'm not that balanced at 0.25 mph, to go screaming off. To the garbage with you, stupid gadget.
The throttle only controller I'm using now is much more intuitive. The bike doesn't take off unless I push the throttle. If I push very gently, it accelerates very gently. Exception: today I was twisted around removing a garbage bag from the rear rack & trying to lift the lid on a garbage can by the road to dump it before anybody saw me. The poncho snagged the throttle and the front wheel dug a hole in the dirt. Memo-turn off controller before twisting while wearing poncho.
I was wondering how e-bike mom was balancing her bike when stopped with a noseless saddle. The nose on the saddle between my legs is how I balance the bike while stopped and doing things with my hands - drinking water, blowing my nose, answering a text on the cell phone.
Part of e-bikemom's problem is carrying cargo, not so much the e-bike. I carried cargo up to 60 lb on MTB & cruiser before I had even heard of electric bikes. Managing the cargo was much more difficult on the Mountain bike than it is on the stretch frame cargo bike. It was especially difficult when I was carrying high CG cargo, like an airconditioner, a lawnmower, or a truck tire. The cargo bike frame make the torque of the load shiftin around much more manageable.
You see also I've put the battery on the front - where it somewhat balances out the cargo.
Tip to shoppers - balance the cargo, as two 2-liters in one pannier, two in the other. If I'm 10 lb off it is not a drastic problem, especially with the heavy objects in the bottom of the bag & the bread on top.

 

[MadManMark]

I don't find the weight difference that noticeable, at least with regard to balancing after stopping etc, but then again I was already riding a steel frame conventional bike before I got it -- so weight maybe only doubled -- and my battery is positioned low enough to not boost the center of gravity too high (Radcity).

Also I learned to ride a motorcycle long before I ever got on an ebike, so I suppose I went through everything you talk about in a much more intense way. I can remember dropping my cycle on the ground after coming to a stop at a light at least once. If you think an ebike is ungainly you probably shouldn't try a 400-pound motorcycle!

 

[MadManMark]

The thing that was hard to learn for me is when stopped at a stop sign, or anywhere, I must not move the pedal accidentally or the bike wants to take off. My Radmini seems to be sensitive that way. It only takes a small bit of pedal movement for the bike to try to take off.

I'm guessing you have the PAS set high? Even though almost all my riding is commuting on city roads (and I am starting and stopping at intersections all the time), I tend to keep the PAS at "1" except up hills, or when it's windy or the end of the ride maybe 2-3, and I can't recall ever having this concern -- even when I do unintentionally engage the assist it doesn't move me that much.

You might want to keep at least one hand on a brake?

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I'm guessing you have the PAS set high? Even though almost all my riding is commuting on city roads (and I am starting and stopping at intersections all the time), I tend to keep the PAS at "1" except up hills, or when it's windy or the end of the ride maybe 2-3.

You might want to keep at least one hand on a brake?

Some e-bikes, especially ones with just a cadence sensor, are kick in a lot of power at low speeds.

 

[Alex M]

... and touring cyclists are still "advised to carry loads low on a bike" ...
...and "Mass over the rear wheel can be more easily controlled if it is lower than mass over the front wheel"... (in other words, no battery over the rear wheel).

A broom Stick (without the broom) is easier to balance in the hand than a pencil, but a full Broom will stand on its own, if you put it the heavy end down. If you put it the heavy end up, it will not be more stable or easier to balance.

 

[AHicks]

I'm not an engineer but I believe higher center of gravity is actually a good thing depending on the situation.
(No, I'm not talking about super tall bicycle that you see in circus performance)

I know that motorcycle manufactures are making superbike's center of gravity high for better handling.
If you look at Moto GP, they all sit pretty high.

I believe low center of gravity is good if you're standing still (Harley Davidson) but when you're riding a bike and want to turn, I think higher center of gravity has some advantages.

Early Honda Goldwings had the fuel tank located under the seat, giving them a very low CG. The Later model 'Wings, and the Honda Valkyrie, had fuel tanks in the conventional location (so they could lower the seat for shorter folks). Figure any way you like, but no matter how long I rode the Valkerie I had, I NEVER got used to having that tank up high and in front of me. The 'Old WIngs, feel like you're riding a mini bike compared to the later model stuff, that felt like you were driving a steam locomotive (long and HEAVY)..... My impression anyway, FWIW.

 

[DDBB]

What is a good ebike for carrying air conditioners and lawn mowers?

 

[sl_duck]

One thing that has occurred to me is that there are probably software changes to pedal assist modes (and possibly the addition of other sensors like a clinometer) that could make the whole pedal assist thing feel much more natural and also make it dramatically more efficient. That's something to watch for.

I'm quite surprised nobody has come out with a clinometer that automatically adjusts the assist level. Really, I just want to ride with consistent speed related to pedal effort and let the motor fill in as needed to make it so. Basically flatten all the hills without me fiddling with PAS levels.

 

[sl_duck]

<snip> that meant pulling the bike over at an angle to get aboard. <snip> -Al

Try practicing the moving-while-boarding technique. My favorite, and if you master it for dismounting while still moving you are instantly cool as you go from riding to walking beside your bike in one fluid motion. This guy demonstrates the boarding at the 1min mark:

My lessons with a new ebike:
1. when pulling it out of the rack in the garage, carefull where you grab the grip/throttle because you may just twist it and send it shooting off into the side of the car. (no damage, phew)
2. when hopping off a curb with a little wheelie like you've done a thousand times before, remember that the rear wheel motor is also pushing and the wheelie might go way further back than expected, dumping you off the back as you frantically run while holding the handlebars of a bouncing vertical bike. I managed to avoid the face-plant, but just barely. Also known as "looping" in motorcycle circles.