FAQ

How far will my e-bike really go on a charge?

Less than the brochure says — that’s the only universal answer. Budget 10-15 Wh per kilometer for real commuting with meaningful assist: a 500 Wh pack is a 35-50 km working range, not the 100 km the marketing page measured in eco mode on a windless day. Cold cuts it further — my winter range log in Sweden shows usable capacity dropping hard below freezing. Do the Wh math for your own rides and treat every published range as having an invisible weather asterisk.

Hub motor or mid-drive — which should I buy?

After years of owning both: hub drives are simple, cheaper, and nearly maintenance-free, and they’re the right answer for flat commutes and tight budgets. Mid-drives climb properly, center the bike’s weight, and wear like a bike instead of a wheelbarrow — and a torque-sensor mid-drive feels so natural it ruins you for everything else. My standing rule: the motor matters less than where the weight sits. If your rides have real hills or real distance, the mid-drive earns its price.

What’s the difference between a cadence sensor and a torque sensor?

A cadence sensor detects that you’re pedaling — assist arrives like a switch. A torque sensor measures how hard you’re pedaling and amplifies it — assist arrives like stronger legs. Once you’ve ridden a torque sensor, cadence assist feels like being pushed by someone with bad timing. It’s the single biggest ride-feel difference between cheap and good e-bikes, more than motor power.

How should I charge and store the battery?

Use the charger that came with the pack, charge on a hard non-flammable surface, and don’t babysit it to 100% for daily use — packs live longest cycled in the middle of their range. For storage longer than a few weeks, leave the pack around half charge somewhere cool and dry, never full and never empty. And in winter: charge the pack at room temperature, not in a freezing garage — cold charging is genuinely bad for the cells. Everything deeper than this belongs in your manual, which outranks me.

Are e-bike conversions worth it?

I built mine and the answer is: yes, if the reasons are right. Convert because you love the donor bike or want to understand the machine — not to save money on speed. Kits at the Bafang-class level with a bought finished pack are a legitimate path; cell-level battery building and BMS bypassing are house-fire territory and this site will never cover them. Remember the converted bike still has to comply with your local law.

What maintenance does an e-bike need that a regular bike doesn’t?

The same jobs, on a faster clock. Motor torque eats chains and cassettes quicker — especially on mid-drives — so measure chain wear and replace early before it chews the expensive parts. Brakes work harder at e-bike weight: expect shorter pad intervals. Hub-motor wheels deserve a spoke-tension check now and then. The motor and battery themselves are mostly service-free at the owner level; it’s the bicycle parts around them that feel the power.

Do I need a Class 3 / faster bike for commuting?

Where I live the question answers itself — the EU pedelec limit is 25 km/h assist, and a steady legal 25 with a torque-sensor mid-drive covers a surprising amount of commute. In the US, Class 3’s 28 mph assist is legal in many places and genuinely useful on long flat commutes — but check your state and your trail rules, because access differs by class. Buy for your actual route and your actual law, not for the top speed in someone’s YouTube title.