Which eSoulbike Kit is the best for You?
According to a new study comparing the physiological effects of e-bikes and standard road bicycles during a simulated commute, most people could complete their commutes faster and with less effort on e-bikes than standard bicycles, while elevating their breathing and heart rates enough to get a meaningful workout.
The findings have particular relevance at the moment, as pandemic restrictions loosen and offices reopen, and many of us consider options other than packed trains or buses.
But the thing is, not all e-bikes are suitable for your unique riding expectation, since the accessories and functions vary a lot with different brands. Among the many alternatives, the motor is the most significant part that deserves your attention. Generally, the main things you need to think about when choosing the right kit for you are:
- Motor size and use cases: Are you mostly riding on roads for commuting OR are you planning to ride a lot on hilly areas - even go full-on Mountain biking for some wild rides with your bike?
- Road legality and laws
- Battery size and placement
Motors and use cases
Generally, electric bike motors can be divided into categories according to the power they have. Our eSoulbike kits for example are: 250W & 1,500W. Basically, the difference is actually quite simple, it's 1,250 watts. But what does that mean? Translating that in terms of what is it going to mean to the rider as I said, you have different motor sizes. A 250W motor, if you're going full throttle, it is going to be able to get you to a top speed of about 25 km an hour.
If you're looking at a 1500-watt motor, that's gonna be a totally different story. Now, I'm talking full throttle, no pedaling, nothing. So that's really the number one difference, the top speed which can reach 45 km/h with our 1500W Mountain bike kit
The other difference is the torque of the motor, you're going to have more power. One big difference between 250W and 1,500W is the ability to go uphill. Now, there are also different types of motors, and I would recommend the mountain bike kit motor if you're going to be doing a lot of hills or otherwise ride your bike in a place that required a lot of power and torque.
But without getting too much into the specifics, if you have a 1,500W motor, taking hills, going up hills, is gonna be easier than on a 250W motor because it's going to have more power. When it boils down to it, specifically the biggest difference is more power, which translates to top speed.
That said, as a customer who wants to choose the right motor size for your e-bike, the first tip is to consider your needs -- Whether it be an e-bike for commuting or a high-profile mountain bike. A 250W motor is a good choice for your daily life, including commuting, parks, running errands, etc. On the other hand, if you are an MTB enthusiast or riding in particularly in a hilly area, a 1,500W e-bike can make you feel like flying.
Road legality and laws
Now that you have thought about the motor size we do need to give you a bit of disclaimer though. You should also pay attention to the local road laws for electric bikes and electric-assisted bikes. One of the main reasons we offer a 250W version of the motor is that it is the most commonly accepted to be road legal in Europe.
So please do make sure that your motor power is correct if you are planning to ride it on public roads. There are also rules if you can install the throttle on the bike. In our eSoulbike kits, we include a throttle but in some countries, the full motor only riding that the throttle enables is not allowed. In those places, you can leave the throttle out of your bike and add it later if the law changes - without the throttle the motor will detect when you are pedaling using the PAS and assists your riding.
You can find more information about the laws in Europe from here
Battery Size and placement
Thirdly you can choose which size of the battery you get. They don’t actually affect the performance of your bike other than the range you can go. For eSoulbike you can choose either the ECO or MAX
battery depending on your needs.
- ECO has 450Wh of power and the range is 45-80 km
- MAX has 576Wh of power and the range is 55-100 km
- For the 1500W the choice is easy since it has one available battery due to its high performance. Which is 768W PRO MTB battery. Please note that the PRO MTB battery is only compatible with the 1500W motored version.
Another thing to consider is the placement of the battery Tube or Rack battery. Which one is the best for you is mostly dictated by your bike. We have a helpful tool on the front page of esoulbike.com which can help you to choose the right battery and kit for your bike.
Conclusion
For most riders, we recommend the 250W kit because of the road legality and 1500W if your local laws allow it or if you are not riding on public roads but instead taking your bike to mountain paths and adventures.
Therefore, which kit you choose depends on your needs. If you're a city worker or merely want to ride your electric bike to the suburbs on the weekend to see the sights with some friends, you don't need a particularly powerful motor and a 250W one is more than enough.
Are you ready to ride?! Take a look at our eSoulbike 250W and 1500W kits here and electrify your bike with our kit! Order yours today!
