To see how well an electric bike fits your lifestyle, check the life-style assessment;

How e-bikes work is by assisting your pedaling. Electric bikes are everyday bicycles with an added battery-powered electric motor. Although capable of pushing you along without your help, electric bikes perform noticeably better when you pedal. The average "couch potato" who normally rides at 10 mph can ride at 15-20 mph using the same effort. You can also expect a range of 10 miles, with a recharge time of several hours. Do you remember that easy pedaling after you get your bike up to speed? That's the cruising feeling you get all the time with an electric bike.

Power, when activated by a switch on the handlebar (power-on-demand) or in response to your pedaling (ped-elec), gives you an immediate, nearly silent push. When you release the switch (or stop pedaling), the motor coasts or "freewheels" - like when you stop pedaling a regular bike. Standard bicycle hand brakes and gearing round out the controls.

"Power-on-demand" means just that...no pedaling required anytime! Although all electric (or "electric-assist") bikes are designed to work with your pedaling, power-on-demand allows you to break the rule. Most systems offer a variable speed control, although some are simply on/off (like the yellow switch above). A "ped-elec" won't deliver motor power unless it senses you are pedaling. And it's "power output to pedal pressure" ratio is often adjustable.

Electric bikes come in two basic designs - adaptive and purpose-built. The adaptive type starts with a bicycle and adds a drive system to it. A purpose-built e-bike is designed from the ground up. Adaptives are less expensive, less stylish, and may require installation (allow 3 hours if you're familiar with tools; otherwise your local bikeshop mechanic will charge about $75). Purpose-builts generate interesting designs and features (like brake-activated tail lights). Users of both types enjoy easy acceleration, hill climbing, and cutting through headwinds. Rechargeable batteries, usually sealed lead-acid, provide power for the electric drive motors. Charging costs less than 5¢ of electricity from common 110 VAC wall outlets. Charging times vary widely due to charger output and battery capacity, but you can expect to recharge in less than 8 hours with most stock chargers. Quick chargers are available.

Mopeds differ from e-bikes in that they generate more speed, risk, range, expense, pollution, and legal issues. Top speed of mopeds is limited by law to 30 mph. Often, a driver's license and registration is required. An electric bike, which by law is limited to a top speed of 20 mph, reduces the risk of serious injury. It's shorter range of 8-20 miles is plenty for errands and short commutes. E-bikes are the cleanest motorized vehicles - both in terms of air pollution and noise. If you own a bike, you can motorize it for as little as $400. Or buy a purpose-built e-bike for up to $3000. Either way, you can ride your e-bike without a driver's license, vehicle registration, or insurance.

How e-bikes perform depends on many factors. The most important factors are listed here with the (generally speaking) most important at the top:

● Terrain (number and incline of hills)
● E-bike speed (range at 10 mph is 8 times as far as at 20 mph)
● Wind conditions (going 10 mph against a 10 mph headwind feels like 20 to the bike)
● Pulling a trailer (which is like pulling another bicycle)
● Correct tire inflation (under-inflated tires slow you down)
● Battery size (measured in volt-amp-hours)
● Weight of rider and baggage
● Motor/controller/drive system efficiency

As you can see, battery size and system efficiency rank near the bottom. The speed you go makes a big difference in how far you go.

As for power, consider that Lance Armstrong's average speed over a 2-hour ride is 20.5 mph. That's just over the legal speed of e-bikes. Lance expended about 1/2 horsepower, or 373 watts, continuously. E-bike motors can peak at several hundred watts, but most operate continuously in the range of 200 - 400 watts. Most e-bikes, therefore, will make a big difference in getting you down the road and up the hill! Regenerative braking doesn't yield much "juice" back into the battery. Even hi-tech regen on electric automobiles regain less than 10% of the original charge. Therefore, given a choice of either regen or freewheeling, you will get more range with freewheeling - unless you have a very hilly route.

Due to the nature of batteries, you can double the battery life expectancy by discharging only 50% of capacity instead of 75%; you get 6 times the battery life at 30% capacity usage per cycle. Think of battery lifetime as having $1000 in the bank and withdrawing a dollar with each 50% disharge cycle -- and withdrawing $10 every time you flatten the battery.