General Definition
Simply put; an e-Bike is just a regular bicycle with an electric motor, controller and battery added on.
e-Bike kits vs. pupose built e-Bikes
e-Bikes started a very long time ago when someone decided to put an electric motor onto a regular bicycle. Eventually someone got the idea of selling do it yourself (DIY) kits so anyone could convert their bike into an e-Bike. These days you local bike shop (LBS) can install the kits for you; provided that they sell the kits of course.
e-Bikes have grown in popularity a lot over the last few years with the introduction of more effecient and maintenance free motors as well new battery technologies. As a consequence several start-ups as well as well established major corporations have started to build their own pupose built e-Bikes from a mix of custom parts and off the shelf bicycle components.
e-Bike myth #1 - e-bikes are for lazy people
Because of the nature of pedaling required on all e-Bikes, it's obvious that e-bike riders aren't that lazy at all. While some e-bikes have throttles which allow the operator to run on power without needing to pedal, most riders eventually end up pedaling anyway. They soon find out that pedaling with assistance will increase their range.
And ask yourself this: if the e-biker really is lazy, wouldn't he/she be riding in a car, scooter, moped or motorcycle instead?
e-Bike myth #2 - e-bike riders are cheating
Most e-bike riders I know aren't out there to race. So who are they cheating against? Themselves? Not really, most e-bikers will begin to pedal their bikes at some point and will be getting more exercise the more they ride. Are they cheating you? Why would anyone think that? It's not a race out there. And while you may feel cheated because of all the hard work you put in and some guy/girl on an e-Bike goes flying by you, you have to ask yourself: who are you biking for anyway? Yourself or for the other guys/girls out there? If it's for yourself, what do you care if an e-biker flys by you? If it's for others, then again, what do you care?
e-Bike myth #3 - e-bikes are for old people or unhealthy people
Even healthy people, like athletes can benefit from e-bikes. Some e-Bike systems like the Bion-x even have a
generator system which can make the e-bike even harder to pedal than a normal bike; for those people who really want a workout.
Many e-bikes are targeted towards old people but these days there are plenty of sportier models being sold that are aimed at younger crowds.
Some manufacturers even sell special police versions. It's not that Police officers on bikes are unhealthy, it's just that with power assist kits they can go faster without exhausting themselves. That sure comes in handy if they have to chase down some biker that just ran a stop light.
e-Bike myth #4 - e-bikes take away any exercise benefit
Take this graphic from the Bionx Website.
What the graph shows is the push from the left and right legs on the crank and how it equates to the actual power going to the ground. The green bars are what the human does. The blue bars are the extra power assist given off by the Bionx system. You can see the assist level on the left from 1 to 4. Left leg on the left, right leg on the right. The graph is simply applied power over time. X axis is merely time and Y axis is power. Timespan is one crank revolution starting with the left left at the top.
You'll notice that the right leg is more powerful than the left leg (55% vs. 45%). Most people are right handed and also right leg dominant. Also of note is the dead zones at each end and in the middle. This is where the crank ends up being vertical with your propulsion leg at the bottom.
You can clearly see how the Bionx system makes real bike propulsion much smoother. And you can also see how the Bionx just assists the biker with extra propulsion. It helps make a ride much smoother while not taking away any exercise benefits.