The test ride

Before offering the customer a test ride, it is particularly important to think about Health & Safety, as well as liability.

Many ebike shoppers may not have been on a bike for 20 or 30 years or more. Therefore it is particularly important to find a safe place for the test ride, away from traffic and not too hilly, especially for the more inexperienced riders.

If they are inexperienced, take extra time to go through the process below and make sure that they start off on level 1 pedal assist. It may even be necessary to help support them as they start off by holding onto the carrier and running along behind them to keep them balanced as they get going.

Make sure they are wearing a helmet. And, it is strongly advised that you get the customer to sign a liability waiver. It is also a MeloYelo policy that all agents carry liability insurance.

Your goal is to make their very first ride the most pleasurable and comfortable it can possibly be. That means taking the time to fit the bike to the customer. (See our video here.)

Once you have fitted the bike to the customer proceed as follows:

• Turn the power on
• Show them how to move the pedal assist up and down using the + and – buttons.
• Explain what information is available to them on the display
• Show them how to turn the lights on and off (press and hold the + button for 3-4 seconds to turn on, same again to turn off)
• Show them how to use the brakes – left brake = rear brake, right = front brake)
• Show them how to change mechanical gears and advise them to always shift into a lower mechanical gear when approaching a hill, before increasing the pedal assist, as this will help them get maximum range from the battery).
• Set the pedal assist in level 1 or 2 to get them started, and set the mechanical gears in gear 4 or 5).
• Advise them to be sure and not to push the thumb throttle while getting on or off the bike, as the bike will take off unexpectedly)
• Advise them, once they are comfortable riding in pedal assist 1 or 2, to try moving to a higher level of pedal assist so they can get the full impact of the pedal assist
  • The pedal assist boosts their legs by about 30% in level 1, 300% in level 5)
• Let them know that they can also go down to 0 on the pedal assist, in which case they can ride the bike with no motor assist – a great thing to do on flat surfaces, to increase the battery range.
• Assist them as necessary to get started on their test ride. Ideally the first part of their ride should be on a flat surface, but they should also have an opportunity to ride the bike up a hill to feel the support they get from the motor, especially as they go into a higher level of pedal assist.