![]() ![]() There are exceptions to this generalisation. That in turn means that you need somewhere to store the electric bike that's near a power supply, whereas with a removable battery system, you can take your battery to the wall socket. This makes the e-bike look less porky but means that the battery needs to be charged in situ. Many lightweight e-bikes have batteries built into the frame's down tube. How do you charge a lightweight e-bike?Īnother thing to consider if you're looking for the best lightweight electric bike for you is how you charge it. It's a much more sport-focused design that makes it easy to forget you even have electric assist. With the Mahle x35 motor system, you can even set it to add assistance based on heart rate. Bikes of this style feel more like a traditional bike with the wind constantly at your back. You won't find anything like that in the ultralight market, with the exception of the Trek Domane+ SLR. It makes sense in this context to travel at higher speeds. The distances travelled are longer and there's more mixing with auto traffic. European law makes them difficult to own but they also make more sense in expansive American cities. These types of bikes are common in the American market. There are some electric bikes that speed along at up to 28mph with very little rider input. They have a unique ride feel to them and as long as you understand what you can expect you won't have any surprises. Lightweight electric bikes are a distinct flavour of electric bikes. Do lightweight e-bikes ride differently to heavier models? Electric bikes aren't immune from this same equation. When it comes to bikes, powered or not, if you want a light bike, it's gonna be more expensive. The one big trade-off when you go lightweight is price. ![]() No performance drawback doesn't completely mean no drawbacks at all though. ![]() As long as you set expectations that what's possible is light assist and smaller batteries then there's no real drawback to going light. If you are expecting an American-style, class III e-bike with a big battery and huge torque you won't find it. It all depends on how you look at things. But what about electric bikes? Is there a trade-off for going lightweight? When it comes to non-electric bikes that usually plays out as a choice between aero optimisation or lightweight. With most things in life optimizing for one feature means other features get left behind. Is there any drawback to a lightweight e-bike? They can add around 50 per cent to the e-bike's range, although you do lose the option to carry a second water bottle and you are adding extra weight to your lightweight e-bike. These usually fit into a bottle cage and plug into the internal battery's charging socket. Many lightweight electric bike systems, like those from Specialized, Mahle and TQ allow you to add a range extender battery if you need more range. This might limit the range, depending on where and how you ride.īut if the motor is speed-limited to 25kph, many riders will be exceeding this speed on the flat and the motor will only be called into use to any extent on climbs, extending the available range. A lightweight e-bike will usually have a smaller-capacity battery. There may be some overlap with heavier models, but the output range for non-lightweight e-bikes will typically spread from around 50Nm up to 90Nm.Ī heavier bike with a higher-powered motor will draw more juice from the e-bike's battery, so that will itself usually need to be heavier. That can vary between around 30Nm up to 60Nm for a lightweight e-bike. Most electric bike motors will produce 250 watts, but what's important is the torque output. It will usually pair with a less powerful motor system. In many cases, a lightweight electric bike will start off with a carbon fibre frame, which will be lighter than an alloy. Many electric bikes have an alloy frame and they'll often have a heavy, high-capacity battery and a high-torque motor system. Best lightweight e-bikes: Everything you need to know How are lightweight e-bikes made lighter? Our full review of the Brompton Electric C Line Urban folding bike covers all the attributes of ownership. If you want to lose some weight, Brompton has added the Electric P Line to its range, which it reckons shaves around one kilogram off the bike's weight by using a titanium rear frame and lighter components. Allowing you to carry it over your shoulder as a separate 2.3kg package and dropping the bike weight somewhat. At over 15kg and with a steel frame, the Brompton Electric C Line Urban folder may not really fit the "lightweight" bill, but its iconic folding mechanism makes it a great option for the commuter and the battery pack unclips from the front of the bike. ![]()
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