Written by Terry Glatt
By now, electric bikes have likely caught your attention, either from a friend who has one, the news, social media, or seeing a seemingly superhuman bicyclist zip by in the bike lane. eBikes are fun, practical, and healthy–a great way to enjoy a South Florida afternoon!
Electric vehicle use is growing very fast in Florida, and electric bicycles (eBikes) are no exception. Born from a love of eBikes, Elecruiser set out to shape the eBike world for South Florida with a great selection of models that are in stock, ready to test ride, and backed by a three year limited warranty and a full service shop. The Elecruiser store is located in the 5th Avenue Shops in Boca Raton.
There are two sides to an eBike. One side is a regular bicycle, with gears like a typical 10-speed, hand brakes, and (usually) spoked wheels, handlebars, and pedals. This mechanical side operates, and is serviceable, just like an ordinary pedal-power bicycle. Just like the good old 10-speed bike, the mechanical gears shift the same. Riders could ride eBikes this way, but they’d be missing out!
The other side of the eBike is the electrical side, which consists of a battery, controller (computer), display and motor. There are mid-drive motors and rear hub drive motors. Mid-drives are “torque-y”, good for mountain biking, and usually require pedaling. Rear hub drives are more sensible for South Florida, and usually include a throttle-only mode. This mode gives riders a choice to throttle only or use “pedal assist” (PAS). When using pedal assist, the motor helps the rider as much or as little as they choose through the control buttons.
The closest comparison to pedal assist is riding a tandem bike. Using the motor makes the rider feel like they have someone else pedaling with them or assisting them. The “two” riders can pedal together and get quite the workout, but at perhaps twice the speed. Using the controller buttons to select pedal assist “PAS1” gives a rider the least assist, and increasing the PAS number gives them more and more motor assist.
Once one owns an eBike, they’ll find that perfect combination of mechanical gear and PAS level which gives them the desired cruising workout. One major advantage is that they’re able to ride for much, much longer–both time and distance. Another major advantage is when eBike riders head up the Intracoastal Bridge, or into a headwind, their smile can light the way–those difficult parts of a bike ride are a breeze with an eBike.
The Federal Infrastructure Bill passed in 2021 treats eBikes very favorably. EBikes are defined as non-motorized vehicles, and can operate wherever a bicycle can. Here are three important takeaways from the bill:
- In Florida, in most cases, eBikes can ride on the sidewalk.
- eBikes require no registration or insurance by law.
- When riders hit the beach, they can park at the bike rack with no parking fees!
The two most crucial considerations when buying an eBike are motor power and battery capacity. 750W motors or less are legal, and prospective eBike owners should look for as close to 750W as they can afford, though 500W is plenty. The top legal speed is 28 mph when riders are in pedal assist, and anything north of 500W can travel at 25-28 mph. The more powerful motor is better for uphill or riding through grass or gravel or dirt, when the motor will be “loaded” more.
The unit of measure for battery capacity is Amp-hours (Ah). The technical meaning of this is how many Amperes of electrical current the battery can provide per hour. For example, a 15Ah battery can provide 15 Amps of current for one hour. Let’s simplify that: for eBikes, we translate Ahs to miles of range, or how many miles the battery can take a rider when fully charged. Just like a car and fuel economy, the battery “economy” depends on how one rides. If a rider goes pedal to the metal, they will use up the battery charge much faster. With a lower pedal assist setting, a 15Ah battery should take a rider 40+ miles or more, which equates to a ride from Boca Raton to Lake Worth and back. Elecruiser has models with up to a 20Ah+ battery that can take a rider 55+ miles with pedal assist.
One of the few problems with electric bikes is availability. Even if a prospective buyer finds the one they want, it may not be available. Elecruiser has a great variety of eBikes on the floor, including 20” tire folding eBikes, 26” fat tire eBikes and cargo eBikes, and eTrikes with three wheel hydraulic disc brakes and great front and rear baskets.
Elecruiser eBikes are in stock and ready to ride. Check their stock at https://elecruiser.com or visit the storefront at 1954 NE 5th Avenue in 5th Avenue Shops in Boca Raton.
This post is sponsored by Elecruiser Boca Raton.
