ebikemom
Well-Known Member
I've been riding my ebike for over a year now, and am nearly at 4,000 miles of riding. In that year, I've noticed areas of my own skill development. I was a good bike rider before getting an ebike, though somewhat lapsed (I hadn't ridden much for about 6 years). There are, though, some differences in riding an ebike that I got better at handling over time. Some of these differences can cause falls if one doesn't take care to realize that there is a learning curve and one needs to be careful. Here's my list. Maybe you have some other things to add? If so, please share!!! 
1) I must take care when the bike is loaded with cargo. The heaviness is not very evident during RIDING, because ebikes are powerful, but when stopped when the bike is loaded. I never carried heavy loads on my conventional bike. On my regular bike, when I'd stop I often "held" my bike between my legs. On an ebike, I can do this if my bike is not loaded, but with a load, the bike can fall over in this situation so I have to be more careful. Especially if the bike is loaded with weight on one side and not the other, or if I have a heavy load of three bags of groceries, there is a higher risk of the bike falling over.
2) Ebikes are great for carrying a load, but a load can create an off-balance bike that might fall more easily. This relates to (1), standing straddling one's stopped bike, but also relates to using the kickstand. When loading my bike, I have to take care that the front wheel is straight and not sharply turned, for example.
3) Ebikes may have more controls than standard bikes. My hybrid conventional bike had brakes and a 20 speed shifter. My ebike has brakes, a 7 speed shifter, a throttle, and a display where I can control the PAS. Not two things, but four things. In that sense, learning to ride an ebike smoothly is a bit like learning to drive. One needs a lot of practice with controls before everything becomes automatized. I felt I learned the controls rapidly, but nearly 4,000 miles later I can see that I've gotten better at them over time.
4) Momentum is very important on conventional bikes. The need for momentum on a conventional bike, and the physical effort needed to create it, combine to create cycling strategies that work hard to create momentum and to maximize the benefit of that momentum. This means, for example, taking good advantage of getting up lots of downhill speed in order to benefit from that speed going back up hill. It also means getting a "running start" on hills by working up as much momentum as possible before hitting the hill.
On an ebike, momentum is at one's fingertips. This means it is reasonable to go slower down hills (and, actually, safer), allowing much better visibility of cross-streets, driveways, etc., to make sure they are clear and safe to ride through. It also means that there is no need to gain momentum before going up hill. It took me many many miles before I realized this, and has changed how I ride tremendously. For example, on my way home from work there is a side street that is a handy route, but has an immediate steep hill. This was challenging for me because I would build momentum to face the hill, and that made it nearly impossible for me to safely turn onto the side street. Meanwhile, as I was trying to go fast, I'd also have to downshift to a lower gear so I'd have some pedal power once I hit the hill. One day, I realized ... I don't need to go fast when I turn onto that street. I can go slowly enough to feel quite comfortable making the turn while in a low gear, and then use the throttle or rapidly up the PAS so I can pedal up the hill in the low gear. Once I understood this, it became easy peasy to turn onto the side street and manage the hill. Another effect of having momentum at one's fingertips is that there's no longer a need to preserve momentum, which makes it much easier to put a priority on other people and safety than it is on a regular bike when one is trying to eke every ounce of energy out of the momentum one is working to gain.
Well, this is a set of ebiking skills that, for me, have been different from conventional cycling skills. Maybe you've noticed other things? Please share!
1) I must take care when the bike is loaded with cargo. The heaviness is not very evident during RIDING, because ebikes are powerful, but when stopped when the bike is loaded. I never carried heavy loads on my conventional bike. On my regular bike, when I'd stop I often "held" my bike between my legs. On an ebike, I can do this if my bike is not loaded, but with a load, the bike can fall over in this situation so I have to be more careful. Especially if the bike is loaded with weight on one side and not the other, or if I have a heavy load of three bags of groceries, there is a higher risk of the bike falling over.
2) Ebikes are great for carrying a load, but a load can create an off-balance bike that might fall more easily. This relates to (1), standing straddling one's stopped bike, but also relates to using the kickstand. When loading my bike, I have to take care that the front wheel is straight and not sharply turned, for example.
3) Ebikes may have more controls than standard bikes. My hybrid conventional bike had brakes and a 20 speed shifter. My ebike has brakes, a 7 speed shifter, a throttle, and a display where I can control the PAS. Not two things, but four things. In that sense, learning to ride an ebike smoothly is a bit like learning to drive. One needs a lot of practice with controls before everything becomes automatized. I felt I learned the controls rapidly, but nearly 4,000 miles later I can see that I've gotten better at them over time.
4) Momentum is very important on conventional bikes. The need for momentum on a conventional bike, and the physical effort needed to create it, combine to create cycling strategies that work hard to create momentum and to maximize the benefit of that momentum. This means, for example, taking good advantage of getting up lots of downhill speed in order to benefit from that speed going back up hill. It also means getting a "running start" on hills by working up as much momentum as possible before hitting the hill.
On an ebike, momentum is at one's fingertips. This means it is reasonable to go slower down hills (and, actually, safer), allowing much better visibility of cross-streets, driveways, etc., to make sure they are clear and safe to ride through. It also means that there is no need to gain momentum before going up hill. It took me many many miles before I realized this, and has changed how I ride tremendously. For example, on my way home from work there is a side street that is a handy route, but has an immediate steep hill. This was challenging for me because I would build momentum to face the hill, and that made it nearly impossible for me to safely turn onto the side street. Meanwhile, as I was trying to go fast, I'd also have to downshift to a lower gear so I'd have some pedal power once I hit the hill. One day, I realized ... I don't need to go fast when I turn onto that street. I can go slowly enough to feel quite comfortable making the turn while in a low gear, and then use the throttle or rapidly up the PAS so I can pedal up the hill in the low gear. Once I understood this, it became easy peasy to turn onto the side street and manage the hill. Another effect of having momentum at one's fingertips is that there's no longer a need to preserve momentum, which makes it much easier to put a priority on other people and safety than it is on a regular bike when one is trying to eke every ounce of energy out of the momentum one is working to gain.
Well, this is a set of ebiking skills that, for me, have been different from conventional cycling skills. Maybe you've noticed other things? Please share!
Last edited:
