Riding an E-Bike without Battery

Can you riding an E-Bike without battery? Electric bikes are soaring in popularity thanks to high gas prices and the sheer pleasure of having one that provides you with something extra while you’re out riding.

If you haven’t bought an e-bike yet, you’ve probably been asking all the questions most often asked when venturing into new territory. One question that is sure to arise is, can you use an e-bike without batteries?

The short answer is yes. When the motor is not in use, the e-bike operates in the same way as a standard bike, either by choice or because the battery is dead.

We have reviewed a lot of e-bikes and we can tell you that riding without power will affect your riding. Let’s see how it changes things.

Why ride an e-bike without battery?

Most people would rather have pedal assistance if they can. But in some cases, riders will choose not to provide assistance, and it’s great to have that option. When you spend your hard-earned money on an e-bike, you want flexibility, and today’s e-bikes provide that.

Reasons to Ride an E-Bike Without Battery

Electric bikes make one’s work easier by having a small motor that gives you a boost. The inclusion of a battery ensures that you can ride for a long time without getting tired, which helps build endurance. However, in some cases, you may have to ride the e-bike without the battery.

Those instances include:

When You Need to Exercise

If you’re used to a traditional bike with pedals and getting a fair amount of exercise, you may find the e-bike reduces the amount of exercise you’d like to get due to the pedal-assist feature.

Removing the battery, even occasionally, would allow you to cycle more under your own power and get that extra exercise without any assistance.

Flat Battery

Sometimes you may forget to charge the battery, which means you now have a flat battery and may need to rush somewhere. In this case, you can remove the battery and rush to work or run and do your errands.

Removing the battery makes the bike easier and lighter to ride. Sometimes, you may forget to attach the battery after charging. That means having to ride without it.

Weight Limits

You may need to remove the battery from your bike if you have places that require you to be within safe weight limits.

A good example is going to a place with a chairlift, which means the battery may be heavier than the maximum chairlift weight. In that case, you’ll need to remove the battery to be within safe weight limits.

Getting on a Flight

Airlines don’t allow one to carry larger batteries on board for safety reasons. Batteries could short-circuit if they come into contact with tools or other batteries.

The best thing is that one can still travel by bike and get batteries at the destination.  Learn more on how to take your ebike on a plane.

Is it bad to ride an e-bike without batteries?

Whether you ride without battery power, you can be sure that doing so won’t affect the motor or the bike. There is no extra pressure on any part of the bike to ride in this way. The only pressure may be on your muscles.

Riding an e-bike without battery: How does it feel?

Cycling is more demanding. Since most e-bikes weigh two to three times as much as standard mountain or road bikes, not using assistive devices is an immediate concern. There’s no way around this, but in a pinch, you can certainly get where you need to go, but you might be a little tired when you get there.

The e-bike adds weight because it has pedal AIDS, which include the natural resistance you’ll get from all the parts of the electric system. If the driver is located in the hub, the motor has less drag than using a crank or direct drive motor.

The key elements of an e-bike that adds weight are the battery, motor and frame.

Batteries – E-bike batteries range in weight from 7 to 12 pounds. This may not sound like much, but if you pedal home without help, the weight can be very noticeable.

Depending on your needs and the e-bike options you might consider, a lighter battery will help when the only power source on board is your own.

Motors — The average electric bike motor weighs about 10 pounds. Hub motors will be heavier than crank or direct drive systems.

Frame — Most e-bike frames are made of aluminum alloy because they are strong, lightweight and affordable. An estimated 10 to 20 percent of steel-frame e-bikes are heavier.

Steel and aluminum frames can handle just about anything a rider can throw at them, but if you plan to ride alone for any period of time, opting for the lighter option will be beneficial.

These three factors will affect your ability to ride without batteries. So when buying a new e-bike or adding to your current one, remember that everything adds up. Your fitness level will also be a factor in how far or how fast you can ride an e-bike without batteries.

Riding an electric bike without batteries: Tips

If you plan to ride without a battery, you will undoubtedly have an advantage over someone who suddenly encounters a dead battery. You’ll have a chance to try and see what works best for you, rather than learn when the timing may not be ideal.

Here are some tips to make the experience as smooth as possible.

Just because you don’t have help, you still have your equipment to help you. Experiment with different gears to find a comfortable rhythm.

If you remove the battery, be sure to keep the space clean. When you insert the battery later, you don’t want to deal with debris on the contacts.

Place the battery in the charger or car so that when you are ready to ride with assistance again, so is your battery.

The bottom line is it’s harder to ride, you can ride an e-bike without batteries.

Tips to Prolong the Range of an Electric Bike

A charged e-bike battery can last from 30 miles to over 100 miles depending on the electric bike, and some may commute over 50 miles.

The actual range of an electric bike is determined by the rider’s weight, the speed at which the bike is traveling, the battery’s energy capacity, the grade of the terrain, the efficiency of the motor drive system, among other factors.

You may find yourself with a drained battery in some cases, which means you may need to ride without the battery.

Below are some tips that will help you achieve a longer range and get your battery to last.

Never Let the Battery Get to 0%

Batteries work at their optimal levels at 20-100%. Battery life reduces when the battery life decreases. One needs to charge the battery to about 20% power before riding.

Remember, the outdoor temperature needs to be right for the power stores to charge correctly. Don’t start charging the battery until it has reached room temperature, especially during winter.

Avoid overcharging the battery as this can make it discharge, leaving it at a lower capacity. Having too many minor discharges creates poor charging cycles, which can be detrimental to the battery in the long run.

Always Check the Tire Pressure

The bike’s tire pressure also influences the range of your electric bike battery. Little air in the tires only increases friction when cycling on hard surfaces. That means you may end up losing speed.

Having enough pressure in the tires transfers power from the drive to the ground, which means you don’t lose speed when cycling.

Reduce Excess Weight

An electric bike weight affects the battery range. Any extra rider weight only limits the range. If you have any heavy backpacks, you need to remove them to reduce the weight. You’ll notice the difference when going uphill.

Switch Between the Different Modes When Cycling

Riding an e-bike in turbo mode all day means that the battery won’t last all day. If one is looking to get more out of the battery, they need to experiment with the various modes available to get battery efficiency.

Opt for low and mid settings when cycling on faster sections of trail and roads. However, using the turbo mode when handling climbs and other complicated roads works better. Some bikes have on-screen power output readings.

Never Jet Wash the Battery

Although pointing a mesh wash on the battery may not seem like a big deal, it could affect your battery performance. What you can do is to get an electrical contact cleaner and spray near the battery terminals. That ensures that you get to maintain energy transfer and reduce corrosion.

Ride Smoothly

Using the right pedaling technique could help prolong the battery range. Stamping hard on the pedal and using wrong gears will only make the battery run out faster than expected. To avoid this, select the right gears and pedal continuously to further the range.

Avoid hammering in through turns; instead, flow through them. When you accelerate from zero, it only puts work on the battery and drains it more quickly.

Experiment With Different Terrain

Experimenting with different terrain is another way to prolong the range of the battery. Single tracks and steep climbs only drain the battery after a few kilometers. Opt for flowing turns and gentle gradients if you want to get the most out of your battery.

If you are looking for a new way of commuting or want a healthier lifestyle, we are here to help you. Visit our website to learn more about electric bikes and electric scooter or please leave information to us.

Leave a message