Whenever someone mentions the word Electric Bike, the very first image that pops up in our minds is something like those electric scooters we see in the videos. But hold that thought just there, that is not what an Electric Bike is. Now just imagine a regular cycle or bicycle which we all have in our home. You got that clear image, all you have to do now is imagine just a motor, battery, and a small controller on your bike. There you have the Electric Bike.
These bikes were invented for people to not get tired as they normally used to get with regular bicycles. These bikes do not work in a way that you think that you are riding a motorcycle. These motors in these bikes are just to help you cover the tough terrains where you need to exert too much force, for example, mountain terrains.
These bikes have become quite famous among cyclists, as they provide ease with hard trails. With so many bikes present in the market, all want the one which has the longest range. But you should know that there are actually different factors that increase or decrease the range of your electric bike. In this article, I will talk about those factors in detail and also mention the bike with the best range.
What Electric Bike Has the Longest Range
As I mentioned above, the range of the bike depends on different factors. You can not just say that you bought the most expensive one and it will have the best range.
Range of Electric Bikes
I hope you all know the meaning of range for electric bikes, well if you do not know, no need to worry as I will guide you through. The range is the distance your Electric bike can cover easily given its battery life and motor. Now the battery life of every bike varies and that leads to variance in the ranges of e-bikes available on the market.
If we talk about the average range on the full charge of the high-power e-bikes, it can be between 200 to 250 miles. But if the normal e-bikes are concerned or the ones which are best suited for the city roads, their range can be as low as 30 miles and as high as 75 miles. These ranges are based on the full charging of the battery. Now you might be thinking will the bike stops working when charging finishes, no it will not. You will just have to pedal the e-bike like any regular bicycle.
Factors that Increase or Decrease the Range of Electric Bike
Now that I have discussed the range, it is time for the factors. Even though the high-range bikes have good travel distance, they too can get affected due to the following factors. Here is a list of those factors;
- Charging Level of Battery
- Capacity of Battery
- Load and Weight Capacity of E-bike
- Style of Riding
- Tires Used
- Type of Terrain
- Assistance level
- Pedaling and Gear Shifting
- Weather Conditions
- Use of extra accessories
1. Charging Level of Battery
Just like our phones, e-bikes also come with 50% charged batteries when they come. It is advised to charge your e-bike before using it. If you charge it properly, you will not lose battery power at once. The biggest mistake most cyclists make is that they charge their e-bikes when they have completely drained the battery, this only reduces their capacity. If your e-bike is properly charged, then you will be able to cover a good range with it.
2. Capacity of Battery
This is one factor that I can say matters the most. The higher the capacity of battery your e-bike has, the greater the range it will cover and vice versa. When it comes to selecting an e-bike to cover a longer distance, you should check for the battery. If you have a Lithium-ion battery of 17.5Ah, it will allow you to cover a distance of 60 miles easily with a single charge as it has the capacity to store 840Wh in it. The bigger the battery cells, the more charge to cover more distance.
3. Load and Weight Capacity of E-Bike
If you have more weight than the actual weight capacity of the bike, then your bike would cover less distance as the battery would drain faster. The same thing goes for the load capacity. If your bike is overloaded and overweighed, the battery would drain faster than usual. This way your electric bike’s range can both increase and decrease.
4. Style of Riding
Now if you are riding on a road where you have lots of stops, that can lead to the draining of the battery faster than usual because you accelerate and stop again and again. You should avoid turning on the high assistance of the bike on the roads with lots of stops. It is better to ride on the bike with a lower gear, this will save the battery and you can cover more distance. High assistance is better for tough tracks or the ones with no stops.
5. Tires Used
The tires equally matter like the capacity of the battery. They not only carry the weight of the bike but also of the rider and provide friction on the road. If you have smoother tires, there would be less friction which means less power exerted and less resistance on the motor. There are tires made for roads and tough terrains, so be sure of which you have. Also, it is better to check the tires every day for any type of punctures and damage.
6. Type of Terrain
If you are riding on rough terrain for example a mountain one, your electric bike’s range will automatically decrease. This is because the motor will have to exert more energy to cover those tracks. Now if you are riding on a plain road, then the distance which you will cover will be more as compared to the rough track. The reason for this is that there will less force exertion on the battery.
7. Assistance Level
If you are using higher-pedal assistance, your e-bike is probably using more battery than usual. So if you want to cover more distance, it is better to have lower-pedal assistance. This is recommended in cases when you have less charge of battery on the e-bike so that you can cover a bit more distance. Every bike has its own assist level, the highest can normally be in most bikes Level 5 and the Level 1 is considered to be the economical one.
8. Pedaling and Gear Shifting
When it comes to pedaling, if you maintain a good pedal pace let’s say between 80 to 90 rpm on low assistance level, you are sure to cover more distance. If you keep on just depending on the assistance of an electric motor and pedal-less, you are clearly going to get less range. Other than pedaling, you should also timely shift your gears as you do on a motorcycle so that the motor does not have a hard time and consume more energy.
9. Weather Conditions
Yes, weather conditions do have an impact on the range of your electric bike. If the weather is windy and you are riding in the direction of the wind, you will surely get a push and cover more distance. But this will not be the case if you are going in the opposing direction of the wind, as there would be more friction leading to use or more battery.
In the same way temperatures due to weather conditions can also affect the range of your bike. Whether the temperature is too high or too low, they do no good to the batteries. So the milder or you can say moderate weather conditions allow you to cover more range.
10. Use of extra accessories
If you have some extra accessories installed on your bike like headlights, these will surely consume more battery than normal. Though the effect would not be too much this can also play a role in the increase or decrease of your e-bike’s range.
Best Electric Bike
1. VELOWAVE Electric Bike
This electric bike is all about the ease of the rider. The company of this bike Velowave wants to provide its customer with more ease, efficiency, and freedom of cycling on different terrains. With this electric bike, they decided to make riding life easier for people who loved challenges and love to ride.
This e-bike comes with a pair of fat tires to help you ride through any type of riding condition. To make it safer, the e-bike is equipped with professional Shimano 7-speed gear and adjustable aluminum alloy hydraulic for shock absorption. Furthermore, the fat tires used are anti-slip to keep you safe on slippery terrains and allow you to cover a range of 40 miles at most.
The Velowave electric bike comes with a powerful 750W motor with 80 Nm torque allowing it to reach a speed of 28 mph via the pedal mode. To support this strong motor, the e-bike has a 48V/15AH LG cell. Moreover, the bike has a backlight LCD color system display to show different features and a luminant front light to show the way in the dark.
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Anti-slip fat tires
- Adjustable hydraulic for safety
Cons
- Difficult to climb steep hills with it
Looking at all the features the Velowave electric bike offers, it is not wrong to say that the price you pay for it is a fair deal. This e-bike is one of my top recommendations to you guys as I have personally used it to go to work each day.
Conclusion
With the increasing oil prices, it is a good option to shift to electric bikes to cover short distances. These bikes not only allow you the ease of riding but also work on good batteries. Many people who own e-bikes mostly complain that their bike is not giving good range. Well, now I guess you know what may be causing the issue. I hope the whole article will let you sort out the range issue and the Velowave Electric Bike is my personal favorite with good features at a good price.

Austin Jacobs is a passionate cycling enthusiast who has over five years of experience in bike repair and maintenance. He is an avid mountain biker and loves tinkering with bikes for hours on end to make sure they are running at their optimum performance level. Leland’s blog, which focuses on bike repairs and tips to keep them in good running order, was created out of a desire to share his knowledge and help fellow cyclists stay safe while enjoying the outdoors. He covers topics such as preventive maintenance, troubleshooting common issues, basic tools and supplies needed for repairs, and more.