Electric bikes are typically equipped with two different methods for boosting speed or changing your pedaling cadence:
- Mechanical gears – Typically, an electric bike will have between 7 and 10 mechanical gears, and you change gears via a shifter located on the handlebars
- Electric pedal-assist – typically an electric bike will have between 3 and 5 different levels of motor assist (commonly known as pedal assist), and you change the amount of pedal assist via a control pad on the handlebars.
Many older riders who have bought an e-bike, or who are considering the purchase of an e-bike, may never have ridden a bike with multiple mechanical gears, or if they have – think Sturmey Archer 3-speeds for example – the mechanism for changing gears was quite different.
Because of this lack of familiarity or understanding of how to use mechanical gears, many older e-bike riders tend to leave their bike set in fourth or fifth gear and only use the pedal assist button to change the power being delivered to the wheels. And, while this may get them where they need to go, it results in inefficient use of the battery, which means two things:
- They won’t be able to ride as far as they should on a fully charged battery, because by not changing gears, they are making the motor work harder than necessary;
- Their battery will need to be charged more often, so it won’t last as long as it should before needing replacement. (The lithium ion batteries in electric bikes will typically handle about 500 charging cycles before their capacity to hold a charge begins to diminish).
So let’s dive in and unlock the secrets of when to change gears!
When Should I Change 
My Ebike Gears?
Bike gears enable you to maintain a comfortable pedalling speed. You should ideally pedal at a cadence (the number of revolutions of the crank per minute) of 70 to 100rpm, although this can differ between riders.
It would be best if you changed into a lower gear – for example, third gear – when approaching a hill, and then as you’re climbing the hill, continue shifting down into even lower gears as required to maintain a comfortable pedaling cadence.
You should shift into a higher gear once you have crested a hill, and continue shifting into higher gears as you proceed down a hill.
Also, if you know you’re going to be stopping – for example at a traffic light or intersection – it is a good idea to shift down into a lower gear – perhaps third, second, or first gear. That’s because it is so much easier to get moving again from a standstill when your bike is in a lower gear.
As you start to feel more comfortable with the gears, it’s worth experimenting with different combinations of gears to work out what’s best for your style of riding.
When Should I Change the Level of Pedal-Assist?
There’s a short answer: Change into the best mechanical gear first, then change the level of pedal assist as required to maintain a comfortable pedaling cadence. Here’s an example: If you’re approaching a hill, then shift down to third gear for example, and then perhaps boost the level of pedal assist if needed. From there, if pedaling gets too hard, shift down into second gear or even first gear, and then increase the level of pedal assist further, as required.
How Many Levels of Pedal Assist are There on a MeloYelo E-bike?
MeloYelo e-bikes all come with six different levels of pedal assist: Levels 0-6. In level 0, the motor does not provide any assistance, you ride the bike as if it were a regular push bike. In level 1, the motor boosts your leg power by about 30%, while in level 5, the motor boosts your leg power by about 300%. It follows then, that the higher levels of pedal assist consume more battery power, which means that if you stay in these higher levels of assist longer than necessary, you will be decreasing the distance you’ll be able to ride on a full battery charge.
Conclusion
If you’re not familiar with how to use gears, ask for help.
Our MeloYelo agents are great at working with older electric bike riders, many of whom haven’t ridden a bike in many years. They are also very patient and will take all the time necessary to help bring you up to speed regarding best practices for operating your electric bike.
If you’ve already bought a MeloYelo and want to learn how to use your gear more effectively, get in touch with your local agent. If you’re in the market for an e-bike, be sure and consider MeloYelo, especially if it has been a long time since you last rode a bike. Our older customers rave about the extra hand-holding assistance they get from their MeloYelo agents.
