Electric Bicycle – How It Differs from a Motorcycle?
An electric bicycle, equipped with a motor and a battery, provides a small amount of assistance to the cyclist pedaling. It is not a motorcycle or a scooter – the bicycle moves only when you pedal. If you stop pedaling, the motor stops working, and vice versa – the more you pedal, the more assistance you get. The main condition is always the same – keep pedaling.
The speed of the bicycle is not limited, and the maximum speed achievable with motor assistance is 25 km/h.
Who Are Electric Bicycles For?
More and more people are using bicycles to commute to work, wanting to arrive without feeling tired and sweaty. Often, a person wants to spend time with their partner or friends but cannot keep up with them due to limited physical capabilities. Sometimes, one just wants to relax and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery, but doctors recommend avoiding intense physical activity. What to do?
Electric bicycles are useful when the cyclist needs assistance to enjoy the ride without sweating, exhausting themselves, and violating doctor's recommendations.
How Much and What Kind of Assistance Does the Cyclist Get?
The cyclist can choose from different modes – eco, sport, or turbo. The eco mode provides gentle assistance, consuming the least battery power, the sport mode offers medium-level assistance, and the most help is received when riding in turbo mode.
Why Choose Specialized (USA) Electric Bicycles Turbo and Turbo SL?
Specialized (USA) is a globally recognized bicycle manufacturer, and their electric bicycles Turbo and Turbo SL have won many awards – the best electric mountain bike brand award, the best electric mountain bike model for three consecutive years, the Gran Fondo cycling magazine named Turbo Creo SL the expert's choice in 2019, and Turbo Vado the consumer's choice.
Specialized provides a lifetime warranty on all bicycle frames, and a 2-year or 15,000 km warranty on bicycle batteries and motors, along with special service after the warranty period ends.
What Is the Difference Between Turbo and Turbo SL?
The SL designation stands for Super Light. This is a new category of ultra-light bicycles, and to make the bicycle as light and mobile as possible, it is equipped with a much smaller motor, with half the power of conventional Turbo bike motors, and a much smaller battery.
A smaller battery means a shorter range. If you plan to take a long trip and fear that the battery will run out unexpectedly, you can purchase a special SL Range Extender Battery, which extends the battery life by up to 50 percent.
Which Type of Electric Bicycle Suits You Best?
An electric bicycle is essentially any type of bicycle with a battery and motor, and you choose it just like a regular bicycle. Specialized manufactures all types of electric bicycles.
For commuting to work, you can choose the city bike Turbo Como. The hybrid bike Turbo Vado is suitable for riding both in the city and in nature. If you plan to commute to work by bike and take extreme excursions through forests and meadows in your free time, where there are no paths – choose the mountain bike Turbo Levo. For riding on well-maintained country roads, the road bike Turbo Creo is suitable. People living in rural areas with incomplete infrastructure and who need to ride on various roads are recommended the gravel bike Turbo Creo of the same name.
In each case, you can choose a conventional or a super-light model, marked SL (Super Light).
How Far Can You Go with Electric Motor Assistance?
With Specialized bicycles, you can travel from 40 to 180 km on a single battery charge. The number of kilometers depends on the battery capacity, the chosen riding mode, the cyclist's height and weight, riding speed, surface, the number of planned stops, and other factors.
Specialized (USA) provides a link to a calculator for all their electric bicycles. By entering the mentioned data, you can easily calculate the distance.
How to Maintain an Electric Bicycle?
An electric bicycle is maintained the same way as a regular one – remember to check the tire pressure, lubricate the chain, and clean it regularly. Use a low-pressure garden hose, a damp cloth, or a sponge for cleaning. Do not use a high-pressure washer – it can damage seals, bearings, and other sensitive parts.
Before cleaning the bike, turn off the system. To protect the connections, it is recommended to leave the battery inside the frame.
