Which safety considerations make or break an eBike purchase for you?

[RickyBikes]

Howdy everyone!

Whether you're a commuter and riding 40+ miles per day or you're doing some electric mountain biking on the weekends, I'm curious which safety considerations are the most important for you when considering an eBike?

Some things are more important than others. Are there any specific safety components that make or break a purchase? Is there something that's less obvious but is absolutely paramount in your decision making?

 

[rawlus]

Very interesting question.
I actually cannot think of any truly unique safety elements that aren’t already pretty universal on any bike. or which can be easily added on the aftermarket.

things like brake/motor disconnect, horns, lights, reflectors, shocks/suspension, comfort seats, etc. debated if all of these mean safety to everyone. lol.

my few obvious ones would be the motor cutout when braking. and maybe disc brakes to deal with higher speeds/torque. otherwise i think ebikes are similar in safety to standard bikes.

 

[RickyBikes]

Very interesting question.
I actually cannot think of any truly unique safety elements that aren’t already pretty universal on any bike. or which can be easily added on the aftermarket.

things like brake/motor disconnect, horns, lights, reflectors, shocks/suspension, comfort seats, etc. debated if all of these mean safety to everyone. lol.

my few obvious ones would be the motor cutout when braking. and maybe disc brakes to deal with higher speeds/torque. otherwise i think ebikes are similar in safety to standard bikes.

I agree with you, rawlus! Seems most of the eBike sphere covers all of the obvious bases.

I was chatting with someone recently who has a commuter eBike, and they told me a reflective striping on the tire as well as a headlight with at least 1,000 lumens was pretty much a necessity for their treks. It got me thinking: what's something that I may not think all that much about but others think of as deal breakers?

I think the most "unique" feature I've seen recently was a rear radar system by Garmin on the Cannondale Neo 1 EQ.

 

[Pobidz]

I agree that there are a lot of ways to improve visibility, comfort, and function of a bike with aftermarket purchases. As someone small and kinda weak, my main safety concern is always the ease of physical operation of the bike. I put a heavy emphasis on hydraulic brakes in my search, as well as step through frames in a small size. I'm short and have a bad left sacroliac joint and and a missing tendon in my left foot, plus arthritis in various joints, so I wanted to be sure I could get on/off the bike without injury, and activate the brakes no matter the condition of my hands. Something I didn't realize until testing a few bikes was how important a role the weight of the bike played as well, so I now consider keeping a bike low in weight a safety concern for anyone who may struggle with keeping their bike upright or has to regularly move it.

 

[billmeek]

Visibility is my #1 concern. Being seen by cars is critical. To that end I wear bright colors, have a white bike, and use lights on front and rear. The rear light is a Garmin RTL515 which also includes a radar unit that works with either my cell phone or the handlebar mounted Garmin Edge 1030 Plus. I've added a bar end mirror to look backward when the radar warns me. The radar saved my skin once already so the cost was well worth it.

I also consider a throttle a necessity on any bike so that should I have a medical issue (heart), can either get home or at least somewhere besides the middle of nowhere. Therefore battery amp hours is also a concern.

 

[JASmith]

None really "break" the deal since its so easy to add lighting and reflectors or reflective tape. Even for a black bike, they have black reflective tape you can use now that blends in during the day but shines white at night. However, its certainly great bonus points when they include great lighting and brake lights with some even having turn signals on the moped style which I think is awesome. The Aventon Adventure was noteworthy for how they integrated a brake light which is very sleek (although should have been put on both sides), and the Hyper Scorpion Express stands out for its bright yellow paint and full on motorycle style lighting package as two great examples I can think of.

 

[billmeek]

The Aventon Adventure was noteworthy for how they integrated a brake light which is very sleek (although should have been put on both sides)

The Sondors LX has integrated tail lights that function as brake lights too. They are a little low being at the bottom of the chainstays:

For turn signals, I've considered one of these helmets:

Lumos Ultra

Lumos Ultra is our most popular bike helmet that comes with integrated LED lighting, turn signals, and smart features to keep you safe in one sleek package.

lumoshelmet.co

I like the Apple Watch integration. Unfortunately, my huge mellon of a head won't fit in the Ultra. I wear a XXXL in a motorcyle helmet. Do bicycle helmet makers not believe that people with big heads need protection too? I don't mine paying extra for a larger size. Just give me protection that is comfortable.

 

[Dallant]

Brakes. That’s THE clearest deal-breaker if not great. Given how heavy an ebike and its total load can be, and the varying steepness and condition of terrain, properly modulated and solid brakes rule all else.
Second is tires.

Howdy everyone!

Whether you're a commuter and riding 40+ miles per day or you're doing some electric mountain biking on the weekends, I'm curious which safety considerations are the most important for you when considering an eBike?

Some things are more important than others. Are there any specific safety components that make or break a purchase? Is there something that's less obvious but is absolutely paramount in your decision making?

 

[indianajo]

The bike needs to not be designed to have the fork whip out of my hands sideways on obstructions, pitch the seat up and throw my chin to the pavement. I've done this on a Diamondback MTB (twice), a 90's Huffy Cruiser, and a Pacific Quantum MTB (twice). It would be nice if my arms & hands were stronger and I could hold on and keep the handlebars straight, but bulking up arm muscles would just cause more arthritis in my hands and elbow joints.
The fork trail was changed in the sixties to provide "fast" steering. I don't need fast steering. I need steering stable as my Mother's 1946 Firestone bike, or my 1960 Joske's bike. I checked >200 frames on a database in 2017. All had exactly the same trail although some had a slack (increased) head angle and different trail to provide the same effective fast steering. I called a custom frame builder in 2017: he refused to discuss providing a "different" fork design. A custom frame would have to be extended too, to allow a fork with more trail to clear the frame when steering. To get 1940's steering, one needs to ride a 80 lb 1940's steel frame bike with steel wheels. Single speed since those frames don't have slots suitable for derailleurs.
In December 2017 I purchased a cargo bike, that has the same trail as the others but puts 75% of my weight on the front wheel instead of the back. 3 1/2 years and 7500 miles, no such accidents. I couldn't get a bike small enough for my legs with 24 speeds down to 1:1 sprocket ratio and a front motor, so I built one out of a pedal yuba bike for small women. The 7 lb battery hung off the front & 7 lb motor in the front wheel increase centering force also.
This means that I can't ride bus or train to a scenic location, rent an e-bike, and tour the sights. Cargo bikes are not for rent, especially electric ones. Especially frames for short people. Oh, well.
Besides that, I've quit riding rim brakes in the rain, since a lady ran a 4 way stop sign in 2017 and I ran into her car after stopping at the sign in my direction. I couldn't stop from 2 mph in 4 feet. Disk brakes or coaster brake or IGH internal band brake only.

 

[Gordon71]

I would say a throttle. I wouldn't buy one without it.

 

[Art Deco]

I agree with you, rawlus! Seems most of the eBike sphere covers all of the obvious bases.

I was chatting with someone recently who has a commuter eBike, and they told me a reflective striping on the tire as well as a headlight with at least 1,000 lumens was pretty much a necessity for their treks. It got me thinking: what's something that I may not think all that much about but others think of as deal breakers?

I think the most "unique" feature I've seen recently was a rear radar system by Garmin on the Cannondale Neo 1 EQ.

For road bikes, a rear view mirror in addition to the stock equipment. Certainly easy to add, so not a big deal.

 

[stw]

I'd want it to stay a bicycle.
An e-bike is a real bicycle that happens to be motorized, and it needs the proper safety features bicycles have (e.g. good brakes), or carry along (proper lighting for night riding). A lot of things can be added that make it a scooter or mo-ped or some other form of vehicle. That's fine but if I want to ride a bicycle and ride it where bicycles go such as cycle paths, I need an e-bike or bicycle. I already have motorcycles and I could become interested in an e-scooter too, but I wouldn't expect to ride it where I ride an e-bike bicycle.

 

[RunForTheHills]

For me, the frame has to fit correctly. I can replace just about anything else on the bike and add lights, reflectors, bells, and whistles as necessary.

 

[fooferdoggie]

me really good brakes. not just hydraulic but really good quality brakes that can really do well in the rain and bad weather when a car does something dumb. I have ridden way too many miles on the road to ever take brakes for granted. they have saved me more then once. single finger levers make it so much easier to do full braking. my garmin radar and a good mirror are great too it makes it so much easier to get into the left lane. then other stuff to make you visible.

 

[m@Robertson]

The required equipment I have is never included on a bike, nor do I want it to be: Lights. I can do better than any factory built-in if for no other reason than I don't put a budget on safety vs. motor vehicles, so I go all out. The lights have to be daylight-bright as I use them day and night.

Also brakes. I typically put on my own favorites which are 4-piston Maguras with big, 2.3mm thick downhill rotors. If I see a bike sold with mechanical brakes its a red flag that the manufacturer has made other compromises.

 

[fooferdoggie]

The required equipment I have is never included on a bike, nor do I want it to be: Lights. I can do better than any factory built-in if for no other reason than I don't put a budget on safety vs. motor vehicles, so I go all out. The lights have to be daylight-bright as I use them day and night.

Also brakes. I typically put on my own favorites which are 4-piston Maguras with big, 2.3mm thick downhill rotors. If I see a bike sold with mechanical brakes its a red flag that the manufacturer has made other compromises.

the brakes we see on cheap bikes are scary then they use those really cheap Chinese hydrolic cable pull brakes with generic pads.

 

[RunForTheHills]

Mechanical brakes have been used on bikes for over 100 years and work just fine. I have had mechanical disc brakes on a Jamis road bike that were frustrating because they were fussy to align the disc with the calipers and made a lot of noise, but they stopped the bike just fine. I would be concerned about cheap Chinese hydraulic or mechanical brakes, but name brand mechanical brakes are not a show stopper if you ride the bike at normal bicycle speeds. If you ride the bike at motorcycle speeds, then you are going to need better brakes.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

1. Motor cutoff when you hit the brakes
2. Lockout for the throttle so you don't accidentally activate it when you are pushing the bike.
3. Adequate brakes for the weight of the bike.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Mechanical brakes have been used on bikes for over 100 years and work just fine. I have had mechanical disc brakes on a Jamis road bike that were frustrating because they were fussy to align the disc with the calipers and made a lot of noise, but they stopped the bike just fine. I would be concerned about cheap Chinese hydraulic or mechanical brakes, but name brand mechanical brakes are not a show stopper if you ride the bike at normal bicycle speeds. If you ride the bike at motorcycle speeds, then you are going to need better brakes.

but you don't see good mechanical brakes on e bikes. but yes they work fine but with the extra weight and speed maybe not.

 

[RunForTheHills]

but you don't see good mechanical brakes on e bikes. but yes they work fine but with the extra weight and speed maybe not.

Yes, extra weight like your tandem would be a factor in choosing brakes.