People all over the world are turning to e-bikes for cycling. And this rapidly-growing trend makes a lot of sense, given all of the benefits that electric bikes offer riders of all ages, from living healthier to easier commutes to reducing your carbon emissions. Traditional bicycles, of course, carry many of these same road bike riding techniques and benefits as electric bikes, but e-bikes are a far more inclusive transportation and exercise option, which is why so many people have adopted e-bike routines over the last decade or so—and that trend is not slowing down.
Much like the benefits between traditional bikes and electric bikes are similar, the way people ride them is also similar. However, riders of all types of bikes should always be looking for new and effective tips on how to ride a bike to the best of their ability. That is why we put together this helpful guide with tips on how to ride a bike better and safer, all while improving your e-bike skills and techniques. Breaking it down into five different pieces of advice, we only wanted to deliver targeted, practical assistance for your next ride.
Recharge Battery
Though traditional bikes and electric bikes are very similar in road bike riding techniques, there is one glaringly obvious area where they differ: electric bikes have batteries (duh!). Because of this fact, if you are riding an electric bike, you must be very diligent about charging and recharging the battery every chance you get.
To make this charging activity easier, you can buy a bike with a detachable battery. This means you can easily detach the battery after your ride, take it inside without carrying the entire bike inside, and then charge the battery. Not only does this make it easier to charge, but the likelihood of ever forgetting to charge the battery is greatly diminished since the battery is always right there in sight.
Always keeping your e-bike battery charged will mean you are always ready for whatever length ride you want to take on that day. Another helpful tip is to keep a fully-charged spare battery with you on long rides so that you never lose the supplemental electric power of an e-bike.
Check Tire Pressure
Sometimes, the best tips on how to ride a bike are not about road bike riding techniques but actually about steps you can take before the ride to ensure you are being safe and efficient. One of those steps is to always check your tire pressure before and after rides so that you can be confident you are riding safely and will not run into any pesky tire issues. This is an especially important task when using an electric bike because e-bikes typically have larger and heavier tires than traditional bicycles, making it vital that the tire pressure is always at an optimal level.
Pedal Faster When Going Uphill
The advantage of using an e-bike vs. a traditional bicycle is most greatly realized when traveling uphill. After all, many people choose to ride e-bikes instead of traditional bikes simply because they lend additional electric power during long rides or when going uphill. But even with that supplemental electric power, another strategy to improving your ability to climb steep hills is to pedal faster. Now, let’s be clear: pedaling faster does not have to mean pedaling harder. By switching gears on the bike, you can actually pedal faster much easier, even when climbing hills (especially if it is a Himiway bike, which has the horsepower to easily help you up hills of any steepness).
Lower Center of Gravity
As a general rule, electric bikes have a much lower center of gravity than traditional bikes. That is because while traditional bikes have a fairly balanced frame, electric bikes have to account for the motor and battery, both of which are typically situated lower on the e-bike frame. Therefore, when rapidly accelerating, if you stand up to try generating more power you will actually transfer power to the handlebars, raising the center of gravity and making it more difficult to control the bike. By maintaining a lower center of gravity, in contrast, you will actually have an easier time pedaling and controlling the bike throughout the ride.
Stop Pedaling When Entering the Turn
Lastly, now that you have some helpful tips for preparing for a ride and also some road bike riding techniques, let’s talk about some advice that will help improve both your safety while riding and your performance. This final tip is to stop pedaling when you begin to enter a turn. This may seem like obvious advice at first, but many riders become shaky around turns and either take them too fast and lose their balance (potentially causing injury), or they approach turns so slow that they lose all momentum and have to work twice as hard to get back up to speed.
But there is a middle ground to help you smoothly navigate turns. When you stop pedaling just before making the turn, you lose just a small amount of speed, allowing you to easily maintain control of the e-bike throughout the turn. However, you keep enough of your speed that as you make it through the turn and begin pedaling again, you still can benefit from all of the momentum that you had built previously.
Ultimately, road bike riding techniques are the most important aspect when it comes to performance, safety, and comfort. When you have better technique while riding your electric bike, the cycling experience will simply be much more enjoyable. Following the above-outlined tips on how to ride a bike better and safer will put you on the path to improving overall as a cyclist. The next time you are preparing for a ride on your e-bike or are out on the road, remember the simple tips of recharging your battery, checking your tire pressure, pedaling faster while going uphill, powering your center of gravity, and finally stopping your pedaling when entering into a turn.
