Classes and the law
Ebike Classes Explained: Class 1, 2, and 3
The three-class system decides where you can legally ride. Here is what each class means in plain English.
Class 1 Ebikes: The Pedal-Assist Standard
Pedal assist only, 20 mph cutoff, and the widest trail access of any ebike class.
Class 2 Ebikes: Throttle Power Explained
A throttle you can use without pedaling, capped at 20 mph. The most common class sold in the US.
Class 3 Ebikes: The 28 MPH Commuter Class
Faster assist for road commuting, with tighter rules about where you can ride it.
Throttle Ebikes: How They Work and Where They Are Legal
Thumb, twist, and half-twist throttles compared, plus the rules that decide where you can use one.
Do You Have to Pedal an Electric Bike?
The honest answer depends on the class you buy, and on how far you want to get.
What Makes an Electric Bike Street Legal?
The four tests a bike has to pass, and what happens to the ones that fail them.
Ebike Laws by State
Which states adopted the three-class system, which did not, and where the rules still diverge.
Do Ebikes Need Registration or a License?
Where a bike stops being a bicycle and starts needing a plate, a licence, and insurance.
Ebike vs Scooter vs Moped
Three machines that overlap on the road and diverge completely in law, cost, and where you can park them.
Speed and power
How Fast Do Ebikes Go? Real Speeds by Class
Assist cutoffs, unassisted top speeds, and why your average speed is lower than the number on the box.
50 MPH Ebikes: What You Are Actually Buying
Bikes advertised at 50 mph are almost never legal ebikes. Here is what that means for you.
Ebike Motor Wattage: 500W vs 750W vs 1000W and Beyond
Why watts are the most misleading number on an ebike spec sheet, and what to read instead.
Derestricting an Ebike
How speed limiters work, what removing one actually does, and everything it costs you legally.
How ebikes work
What Do the Gears on an Ebike Actually Do?
Gears and assist levels are two different controls. Confusing them wrecks drivetrains.
Mid-Drive vs Hub Motor: Which Do You Need?
Where the motor sits changes hill climbing, range, maintenance cost, and how the bike feels.
36V vs 48V vs 52V Ebike Batteries
Volts, amp hours, and watt hours, and which of the three actually predicts your range.
Ebike Frames: Aluminium, Steel, and Carbon Compared
Why almost every ebike frame is aluminium, and what the exceptions actually buy you.
Ebike Controllers: The Part Nobody Talks About
The controller decides how your bike feels. Amps, sine wave against square wave, and failure modes.
Ebike Battery Replacement and Care
What a replacement pack costs, when you will need one, and the habits that delay the day.
How to Convert a Bike to Electric
Picking a donor, the order the job actually goes in, and the steps people skip and regret.
Choosing a Battery for a Conversion Kit
The BMS discharge rating decides whether the build works, and it is the spec nobody puts in the listing title.
Torque Sensor vs Cadence Sensor
Why two bikes with the same motor, the same battery, and the same top speed can feel nothing alike.
Ebike Wheel Sizes Explained
What 20, 24, 26, and 27.5 inch wheels actually change about how an ebike rides, accelerates, and fits you.
Ebike Chargers Explained
Voltage, amps, connectors, and why the wrong charger is the most expensive mistake you can make with a battery.
Ebike Suspension Explained
Hardtail, full suspension, or none at all, and why cheap forks on heavy bikes do more harm than good.
Solar Charging an Electric Bike
The arithmetic of charging a bike from panels, and why most setups people describe online do not work.
Ebike Range Extenders and Dual Batteries
Adding a second pack, what has to match before you do, and why parallel wiring goes wrong.
How Much Do Ebikes Weigh?
Where the weight actually sits, what each category realistically weighs, and when it starts to matter.
Where the Battery Sits and Why It Matters
Downtube, rear rack or integrated. Battery position drives handling, standover and frame strength.
Ebike Displays Explained
What each readout means, why your speedometer is probably wrong, and the one setting that changes everything.
Pedal Assist Levels Explained
What the numbers actually control, and why level 1 on one bike gives more than level 3 on another.
Cost of ownership
How Much Does an Electric Bike Cost?
Price brackets, what you get in each, and the ownership costs nobody quotes you up front.
Rent to Own and Financing an Electric Bike
What these plans really cost, how to read the APR, and when paying monthly makes sense.
Buying a Used Electric Bike
The battery is most of the value and the hardest thing to check. A full inspection routine.
Electric Bike Financing
Point of sale lending, what the zero percent offers really cost, and the rebates worth checking first.
Refurbished Electric Bikes
Manufacturer refurb programmes, what warranty actually carries over, and how they differ from a private sale.
Ebike Insurance
What homeowners policies actually cover, where they stop, and when a specialist policy is worth it.
Helmet safety
Bike Helmet Sizing, Fit and Safety Ratings
Measure, fit, and decode the ratings. CPSC is the law, MIPS is a liner, and Virginia Tech is the useful data.
Bike Helmet Laws by State
No US state requires adult cyclists to wear one. Ebike class rules are where it gets complicated.
Lenses and eyewear
Living with an ebike
Ebike Maintenance and Repair: What It Costs
A service schedule, what a shop charges, what you can do yourself, and finding someone who will touch an ebike.
Ebike Tyres and Wheels Explained
Why ebike tyres wear out faster, what the ECE-R75 marking means, and how wheel size changes the ride.
Ebike Parts and Accessories Worth Buying
The upgrades that change the ride, the ones that do nothing, and the spares to keep on a shelf.
Riding an Ebike in the Rain
What IP ratings actually promise, where water really gets in, and why pressure washing kills bearings.
Ebike Seats and Saddles: Fixing Discomfort
Sit bone width, why softer is usually worse, and when the saddle is not actually the problem.
Ebike Brakes: Rotors, Pads, and Stopping Power
The single most important system on a 60 lb bike, and the one budget builds cut first.
Ebike Locks and Theft Prevention
Ebikes are stolen more than bikes and cost more to replace. Lock ratings, technique, and insurance.
Ebike Lights and Turn Signals
Running lights off the main battery, what lumens actually buy you, and whether turn signals are worth fitting.
Ebike Waterproofing and IP Ratings
What IPX4 and IP65 actually promise, where water gets in, and how to store a bike outdoors without killing it.
Riding an Ebike in Winter
Cold cuts range roughly in half, salt destroys drivetrains, and charging a frozen battery damages it permanently.
Storing an Ebike in an Apartment
Wall mounts rated for 60 lb, battery charging rules in shared buildings, and the storage that ruins packs.
Ebike Key Replacement
Lost the battery key? What the code on the lock barrel means and how to get a cut replacement.