An electric bicycle (electrobike, e-bike, powerbike, pedelek) is a bicycle with an electric drive, which partially or completely provides its movement. It is also called a hybrid bicycle, although a hybrid bicycle is a bicycle that combines both the attributes of a mountain bike and a road bike in its design.

When I first heard about electric bikes, I thought that this thing is worthwhile and cool in every way. The best electric bike under $2000 allows you to drive relatively fast without the hassle of public transport, play sports, not sweat a lot, get from point A to point B without spending money on gas and car maintenance. Being an avid cyclist since childhood (my hobby is such a sport), I decided to check what kind of animal this is - an electric bike. Do I personally need it, what real advantages it gives and what objective disadvantages can be found in it. Here are my conclusions as a result.

First, let's define terms. An electric bicycle, or "ebike" in foreign terms, is any bicycle that has an electric motor. There are three main classes of electric bikes:

Bicycles with pedal drive. Abroad, this type of bicycle is called "pedelecs", in our country they are called "bicycles with a carriage type drive", or bicycles with a pedal assist system. The electric assistant (electric motor) on these bikes is activated using the pedals. The principle of operation of the system is associated with the rotation of the pedals, as a result of which the electric motor is activated by pressing the pedals while pedaling. The electric motor, as it were, acts as an assistant, facilitating movement, since the power coming from the electric motor is proportional.

In different countries, engine power is legally limited and does not go beyond certain limits, which is dictated by the requirements of the Rules of the Road and safety.

So, in the US, an electric bike will be a technique with a motor with a power of up to 250 watts. Everything above is already a moped and further down the list, up to full-fledged motorcycles. In other countries, such as the USA, the power of an electric motor will be limited to 750 watts, which, compared with our legislation, corresponds to the class of mopeds. The maximum speed is usually limited to around 30 km/h. Again, due to the safety issue, stock machines will generally not exceed this value.