When it comes to riding in areas of rough terrain and steep topologies, you’d realize more than ever that it’s important to use gears. Riding with gear helps you conserve energy and enables you to maneuver the terrain more easily. Many sportbikes have gears that simplify riding. Also, seeing the e-bikes have pedal-assist and throttle, do they also have gear?
Do electric bikes have gears? Electric bikes do have gears similar to normal bicycles. Whereas the principle for utilizing gear is the same for both the electric and regular bicycle, some other things are different.
In this article, you will get to understand the details about gears in e-bikes, how to use gears, why electric bikes have gears, and how to maintain gears on electric bikes. If you’re ready, then let’s go!
Do Electric Bikes Have Gears?
Electric bikes have gears similar to the gears of standard bicycles. Gears help facilitate easier movement in various terrains. Regular bicycles have over 4 types of gears, but that isn’t the case for electric bicycles that use only 2 types of gears only.
One thing you shouldn’t do on an electric bike is to shift gear if you’re not riding it in pedal-assist or like a normal bicycle. Shifting gears in full throttle is not advisable if you are not pedaling. The three-speed gear is the only exception that allows you to shift gear if you are not pedaling.
Also, the type of e-bike gear determines whether you need to pedal-assist while shifting gears in an e-bike. Some e-bikes come with very high-capacity batteries that facilitate farther traveling, such as the 350 watt electric bike. Let’s consider the different types of e-bike gears.
Types Of Electric Bike Gears
There are two kinds of e-bike gears—the derailleur and hub gear. Let’s consider both of them shortly.
Derailleur Gears
This is the most famous and versatile gear used in electric bicycles. It typically emanates from things that are manually driven. This gear system comprises a gear “cassette” linked to the rear wheel’s hub. The hub itself is linked to the “sprocket” via a chain, while the pedal is linked directly to the gear.
If you tension the cable using a shifter on the bike’s handlebar, the derailleur will direct the chain over the sprockets to the lower gears, which are easier to pedal. When you release the tension on the cable, the derailleur will direct the chain outwards and down to the higher, smaller gears in this gear system.
To shift gear in this gear type, the rider has to be pedaling. You will usually see such pedal assisted bikes while shopping for ebikes for kids.
Hub Gears
This kind of gear is integrated within the rear hub. The hub gear is also called the ‘Internal Gear Hub.’ The hub gear is much easier to maintain and enables you to switch between multiple gears at once. In addition, it functions with belts rather than chains. Also, bikes that utilize hub gears are generally heavier than those with derailleur gears.
Shifting gears in this gear type doesn’t need you to be pedaling in the process.
How Many Gears Does An Electric Bike Have?
The number of gears can vary from 1, 3, 18, 21, 25, even up to 40 gears, depending. In electric bikes, the number of sprockets on the bike determines the number of gears.
How to Take Care Of E-Bike Gears?
- If your bike is a derailleur gear, apply degreaser on the gears and chain. It’s recommended that you use the specialist electric bike degreaser on your derailleur and gears. You don’t need to apply water; just apply the degreaser carefully.
- Use a brush to transmit the degreaser through tight spaces within the chain. Also, use a screwdriver or brush to remove any tough mud stuck between the teeth.
- If you don’t have the specialist degreaser, carefully rinse the drive train with water. Ensure not to turn the pedals this time, and allow the chain to thoroughly dry to avoid getting water into the bike’s motor.
- After the chain dries, re-lubricate it again. Turn the chains backward while dripping or spray the lubricant inside the e-bike’s chain link. Ideally, ensure to apply the lubricant in an area far from any of the brakes to avoid accidentally lubricating the brakes.
- Clean off any excess lubricant using a clean cloth. If the chain keeps falling off, take proper steps to fix it up in order to enjoy smooth rides every time.
How To Use Gears On Electric Bike
You can use gear shifters on an e-bike depending on the type of e-bike you’re using. For example, if you’re using hybrid or mountain electric bicycles, utilize the ‘grip shifters’ located inside the handlebars. To shift gear, just rotate the grip shifter.
How Do Electric Bike Gears Work?
Some electric bike gears operate through the handlebar, while others use electric gear type. For the handlebar, once you twist them, you can gear up and down as you need. The electric type requires only a click of the lever to increase or reduce the gear.
The gear functions equally on both e-bikes and regular bicycles. If you choose a higher gear, you’ll need to apply more energy to move, but you’ll be able to maintain a steady speed. However, if you are in a lower gear, you won’t need to expel much energy to move. But, you’d need to pedal faster to keep the speed at a faster pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gears do I need on my electric bike?
The number of gears you need depends on the purpose of the e-bike. For example, for a city drive with many accelerations, you need many gears.
What is bicycle cadence?
Bicycle cadence means the number of revolutions your leg makes within a period. It is usually measured in RPMs (Revolutions Per Minutes).
What’s the average cadence for an e-bike?
The recommended average cadence you should cycle is 60rpm. 1 revolution for each second. You can still increase your cadence above 60rpm to improve stamina and agility.
What should I do if water enters my battery mount?
If water enters the mount, ensure to dry the battery in a clean, dry area before using it again. The battery mount is designed to drain water off the battery contact points.
When should I use low or high gear?
You can use the low gears when climbing up terrains. The low gear uses the most battery assistance power and the largest cog in your mechanical gear. To select this gear, downshift. However, use the high gear for descending terrains. To use this gear, upshift.
Why Do Electric Bikes Have Gears?
Gears are used in e-bikes to enable cyclists to climb up steep terrains easily and improve battery life. Also, gears are one of the easiest ways to get more bike mileage.
Do E Bikes Have Gears?
E-bikes have mechanical gears which function the same way gears do in conventional bicycles. However, having gears in e-bikes boosts their capabilities more.
Final Thoughts
If you’re asking, do electric bikes have gears. The answer is simply yes. Gear systems can be installed on electric bicycles and standard bicycles. The gears function the same way in both types of bicycles. However, e-bikes have battery-powered motors.
These motors make commuting faster and seamless. There are two types of e-bike gears—the derailleur and hub. Derailleur gears are externally mounted and use mechanical chains, whereas the hub gears are internally mounted and use belts. While buying a geared e-bike, ensure to find out what type of gear system it has.