Electric Bikes
Northwest

Electric Bike Categories

Electric bikes and kits may be differentiated in several ways, such as by the Wattage of the electric drive system and how the power is activated and controlled by the rider:

A. Power

By law up to 750 Watt of power.

B. How power is applied and controlled by the rider:

1. Pedal Activated:

On the 'pedal activated' bike the rider engages the motor when pedaling. There are three ways this can be accomplished, viz.:

Rotation sensing
This design senses the pedaling rotation. The rider is on his or her own at takeoff as the motor kicks in after a pedal stroke or two. Thereafter the power stays on with pedaling, and a second or two after letting up on the pedal. The power level is unaffected by whether one pedals hard or hardly. Once engaged, the motor simply 'winds up'. Examples: iZip Urbano, E3 Metro (dual mode), Path (dual mode) & Vibe (dual mode); Fast4forward Edge (dual mode); eZee Quando Kinetics (dual mode).

Cadence sensing
This design senses how fast the rider cranks. The motor engages near instantly. The faster one pedals, the more power is delivered. Want maximum of power with minimal effort? Gear down and start spinning. Example: iZip Express.

Torque sensing
This design senses torque, i.e. pedal pressure, be it ever so light. The motor responds instantaneously and proportionally when you step on the pedal: 'The power you need, the instant you need it, without having to give it a thought'. The power level stays interactive with the pedaling effort. The power ceases the instant one lets up on the pedal. Examples: Giant Twist, all models; iZip Ultra; Stromer (dual mode); BionX kits (dual mode).

2. Throttle operated:

The rider applies the power manually from the handle bar. Examples: iZip E3 Metro, Path & Vibe (all dual mode); Stromer (dual mode); Fast4forward Edge (dual mode); eZee Kinetics Quando (dual mode); kits by Clean Republic, E-BikeKit, eZee Kinetics and BionX (dual mode).

3. Dual Mode

Offers the rider the instant back & forth choice between throttle operation and pedal activation. Examples: iZip E3 Metro, Path & Vibe; Stromer; eZee Kinetics Quando; Fast4forward Edge; Bionx kits.

Copyright © 2011 EbikesNW

January 2012