Things I did not know (relates to almost all Ebikes)

The Author’s new ride: Ridstar Electric Bike for Adults, 20″ Electric Mountain Bike 1000W Ebike, 28MPH Adult Electric Bicycle with 48V Removable Battery, Shimano 7 Speed available from Amazon

• Ebikes come 85% assembled, and you need a handy friend or bike shop to assemble them.
• Charge the battery first — you want it fully charged before you start. Despite the 7 speed gearing, these bikes are heavy and will be harder to pedal on foot power alone.
• Take your time setting up the handlebars and the seat. Positioning is important for comfort and safety.
• Ebikes need to be “started”. With the Ridstar, the battery needs to be turned on, and then the handlebar ignition switch needs to be turned to the on position. Then you push a button, the LCD lights up, and the bike is ready to go.
• I used my Pedal Assist at level 1 and 2. It goes up to 5. The motor was responsive and impressively powerful. When you stop pedaling, the bike slowed down quickly. The gears allow you to match your pedaling to the power assist speed. It took some getting used to.
• Ebikes can go FAST. Speed increases the potential for serious injury or death. Even though they are “Pedal-assisted”, try not to speed or test the limits of the Ebike. I consciously limited my speed. Ebikes flatten hills, make longer commutes possible, and have more comfort features than most conventional bikes. Don’t get to comfortable with going fast, Ebikes are not motorcycles. Larger batteries are for longer runtimes, climbing hills and grades, not just speed.
• Get a good helmet, and I recommend gloves like these to cushion your hands. on my first ride I had to get used to the heavier handling and the gloves really helped.
• My Ebike has 2 keys; I recommend a split keyring to separate them easily, and a really good safety lock, and maybe an alarm..

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