How To Use Pedal Assist on an E-Bike | Learning to Ride an Electric Bike

Hi guys, Alanna here with Sixthreezero and we're going over e-bike basics and today we'll be talking about Pedal Assist, what it is and how to use it.

Pedal Assist is one of the best features about owning an e-bike. It's what really allows you to tailor your bike ride to your goals. So if your goal is to get outside more, but you don't necessarily want it to be some workout every time, then Pedal Assist is definitely going to facilitate that. Or if you do want to work out more, but say, there's this big hill that always knocks you out and cuts your ride short, then Pedal Assist is going to help you get through that hill and allow you to continue riding for longer. You get to see more while on your ride because you get to ride longer.

Plus it's going to make it a lot easier on your knees if that's a concern for you. Many senior riders are choosing electric bicycles because it's enabling to go farther on a bike than they have in years. The idea that e bikes are not good for exercise is not true. The ability to have electric assist has gotten many people onto two wheels for exercise. It gives riders piece of mind, if they help they can have it when riding. Pedal Assist electric bikes are also a great option if you want to decrease the impact on your knees because it gives you that added boost that means less effort when pedaling. The invention of electric assist bikes is changing the cycling world and ultimately getting more people out onto two wheels.

So what is Pedal Assist and how does it work? So Pedal Assist is exactly that, it assists you while you're pedaling. So, you will set the assist level. We have one through five, e-bikes typically have different levels of pedal assist. But some styles of electric bikes may only have three levels of assist. One is the least assistance, five is the most assistance. All you have to do is start pedaling, after about the first stroke, you'll feel the motor kick in and give you a little boost. If it's your first time trying it out, it can be a little surprising, but it's always so much fun.

So if you're just at one, it's going to be a slight boost. You'll get a little faster, but if you're tackling something like hills and you set it to five, it'll definitely give you a lot of power and make pedaling essentially effortless. So the great thing about Pedal Assist is that you set the amount that you want to be assisted and you get to determine when you want assistance. So if you want your bike ride to be more of a workout, but you do want some help tackling hills, then just up the Pedal Assist when you approach a hill and bring it back down when that is no longer an obstacle. When you first turn your bike on, it will automatically start at level one, so you don't need to change anything. That's a good place to start if it's your first time riding an e-bike.

It'll just give you a little boost, so you won't be going too fast. But if you want more power then there are two buttons here that you can use to adjust the Pedal Assist level, a plus, and a minus sign. So if you want to increase, just hit the plus button on the right, if you want to bring it back down, the minus button on the left. And you can make these adjustments on Pedal Assist at any time during your ride. So you can the Pedal Assist level before you get going and you can always change it as you're riding.

As you ride more and more you will start to find the pedal assist level that feels best to you. It will become instinctual on when to shift into what level of pedal assist. Maybe to start rides you find level one or two good, then as you get moving maybe three is good, as you are climbing hills you like five. And maybe even at some point in your ride you completely turn off the motor and leg your legs do all of the work. That option is also available, just because a bike has pedal assist doesn't mean you have to have it turned on at all times.

So that covers Pedal Assist. That's one of three ways to ride your e-bike and we'll be covering the other two modes as well in future videos. But if you have any questions about e-bikes or Pedal Assist, please let us know in the comments below. And don't forget to download the app so you can start logging your rides and building a biking habit. Don't forget, it's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.