There’s much to consider when purchasing an electric bike, including what will work best for you and what is actually supported by provincial regulation.
Jim Maybee and Steve Devantier, bike technicians at Salmon Arm’s Skookum Cycle and Ski Ltd, have witnessed the growing popularity of e-bikes, which they say now make up about half the bicycles sold by Skookum. With that, however, they are finding prospective buyers with a lot of questions, as well as people who didn’t ask enough questions before they bought an e-bike.
The two contacted the Observer, wanting to publicly address some of the questions and concerns they encounter.
One of the big questions/concerns they face has to do with the safety of rechargeable batteries.
Devantier, who previously worked with bicycle manufacturer Giant, explained while there are recognized manufacturing standards for lithium-ion batteries, including UL and IEC, not all manufacturers of battery-supported micromobility vehicles use batteries certified to meet those standards.
“All your little scooters and stuff like that, I would say more of the problems are coming from those kind of vehicles…,” said Devantier. “They’re definitely the items that are causing more of the fires you see in say, downtown Vancouver where they’ve had a few instances. And it’s been more scooters than anything.”
Devantier strongly urged sticking with reputable bicycle brands that have a proven track record, as they will use higher quality parts. For an e-bike from one of these manufacturers, he said, you can expect to pay around $2,700 and up. Though there are less expensive options on the market, they may come with “cheaper electronic components that aren’t necessarily safe,” and result in “not a very fun ride.”
This leads to another issue that comes up for the techs: repair work.
Maybe advised if you’re buying an e-bike, you want to make sure parts will be available for it and that it can be serviced locally. He noted some bikes may come with proprietary parts that may be difficult to acquire.
“If you stick to the known stuff (brands), you’re safe,” said Maybee. “Giant, as an example, they supply all the parts, we can order them at any time, we can get batteries, we can get controllers, we can get all the electronic stuff. Whereas if you buy brand X, you don’t know what you’re going to get, or if you’re going to be able to support it.”
Devantier noted reputable bike manufacturers also support the battery/electronic systems via firmware updates.
“Good bike companies are releasing firmware updates to make things like the battery more efficient,” said Devantier. “You want to stay on top of your firmware updates.”
Winter battery storage and general maintenance are also important for e-bike owners to keep on top of.
“Everything wears faster,” said Maybee of e-bikes. “We see a lot of people come in and everything is just worn out because they’ve been riding it like a bike, but they haven’t kept an eye on the wear and tear. So it’s really important for people who have e-bikes to really keep an eye on their chain wear so they don’t end up having to replace a whole bunch of other parts – because you are putting more consistent torque through the system on a regular basis.”
Another issue Maybee and Devantier see are people buying e-bikes without knowing or being aware of provincial regulation.
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In B.C., an e-bike cannot exceed 500 watts in total power output or go faster than 32 km/h (on level ground). It also has to have pedals (or hand cranks) capable of propelling the bike forward while the motor is engaged.
“Anything outside of those parameters, with higher power that goes faster, or that doesn’t have pedals, is classified as a motorcycle…,” said Maybee, explaining he and Devantier are seeing people buying non-compliant e-bikes, unaware of the regulation.
“There’s no law against selling it, the law is against using it,” said Maybee, noting bikes sold at Skookum are compliant. “We get people coming in her saying they want to have a bike that does 60 km/h, and we’re like, you can’t – that’s not legal unless you have insurance.”
While e-bikes are being made to suit a variety needs, from commuter to mountain trails, and are even becoming increasingly popular among downhill riders, Maybee said he’s also seeing e-bikes with unusual geometry and parts that may not suit individual riders. He strongy urged people to take an e-bike for a test ride before buying.
“Having ridden a bunch of them when they come to the shop for service – they ride terribly,” said Maybee. “You’re getting companies making bikes that don’t know how to make a bike that handles well… and you get on them and for someone who is new, or new again to biking, the handling is awful and it’s not safe.”
Another question that comes up with e-bikes involves the choice of mid-drive or rear-hub motor. A mid-drive motor is located between the pedals and the crankset. A rear-hub motor is located at the rear-wheel hub. Rear-hub can be less expensive while providing more torque. But Maybee and Devantier prefer mid-drive e-bikes. Maybee described changing a rear flat tire on a rear-drive bike as a “big job, and it’s not a fun job, even for us.” Devantier said mid-drive offers a smoother ride it has torque sensors that match the power you’re putting in by pedalling.
When it comes to riding in and around Salmon Arm, though the city has a number of greenways, Maybee suggested there is room for improvement.
“If you look for bike paths around town and interconnectivity through the different urban areas, you’re seeing very little in terms of bike path connectivity,” said Maybee. “People on their commute want to ride on the road, some people will ride trails… this is one thing our city needs to work on– designating more bike routes with some kind of marking on the side of the road so people know, or at least have an idea of where to go, and drivers can be wary of that.”
In addition people take an e-bike for a spin before buying (be it a test ride or rental), Maybee and Devantier encourage people to stop by their local bike shop to ask questions.
“I’d say the big thing is that if people have questions they can always come and talk to us about it,” said Maybee.
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