Can You Use an Electric Bike Without The Battery?
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Versatility is the language of the 21st century. If your electric bike fails you, without power, you’re better off with a reliable old-school bike. Luckily, electric bikes are dependable whether their batteries are on or off. They’re still the star of this era’s transportation show.
Still, there are a few factors to consider before deciding to go battery-free. In this article, we’ll share tips on making the best of optional bike power.
Table of Contents
Can You Use an Electric Bike Without The Battery?
You can ride your electric bike without batteries like a traditional bicycle, but it’ll be way heavier. Simply switch off the bike or set the pedal-assist to zero. Some bikers prefer to remove the batteries to reduce the bike’s weight or get around e-bike bans.
Some Factors to Keep in Mind
Assuming your battery is charged and ready to go, you still have the choice to ride your electric bike manually. Throttle and pedal-assist features are optional for those bikes. Below are some factors that you should consider before deciding to ditch that battery and start pedaling.
Weight
Electric bike batteries are game-changers when it comes to weight. Surprisingly, the battery weight can be between 10 to 20 pounds, depending on battery voltage and capacity. That’s a lot to keep in the bike if you’re planning to manually ride it.
In all cases, you’ll have to consider where to keep that dead load. Is it better to carry it in your backpack, keep it on the bike, or leave it at home altogether?
Stability
We’d personally take these hefty batteries seriously because they can tilt almost any balance. Designers have centered electric bike balance around two major heavy players: the motor and the battery. If the battery is removed, your bike will feel skittish, especially around rocks and corners of adventurous trails.
It’s better to keep the battery in place if you plan to take tight turns and ride on rough ground. If you’re commuting in the city streets, you can do without it.
Biker’s Fitness
Some bikers are confident enough to manually drive their electronic bikes (battery inserted) uphill. Others bought their E-bikes in the first place to overcome age or wellness restrictions.
In all cases, make sure to consider your energy level before manually riding an E-bike. If you’re fit enough, you can go manually to your liking. However, we recommend using a pedal-assist if you’re still a beginner.
Uphill or Downhill?
Uphill rides are even more exhausting with heavier electronic bikes. We definitely recommend using the pedal assist going uphill. That’s what electric bikes were made for in the first place.
If you have to remove the batteries at a bike park, use the uplift to spare yourself the grind. You’ll still miss a good uphill warm-up, though.
Downhill rides won’t be as strenuous as uphill undertakings without your E-bike’s battery.
However, the weight of the battery generates more downward speed and makes the bike more planted. We recommend keeping the battery when going downhill; it gives better preloading for the jumps, making the bike more stable in the air.
When to Ride Without Your E-Bike’s Battery?
Some scenarios won’t give you the choice of using your E-bike’s battery. Besides training your leg muscles, here’s how to get prepared for the unfortunate bike power cut.
When Your Battery Is Uncharged
Perhaps this is the most common reason behind the phenomenon of manually-pedaling E-bikers. Electric bike designers have considered manual options for both charge-depleting trips and forgetful bikers.
Luckily, electric bikes can use standard recharging outlets (110V), which are readily available at reasonable rates. You can remove the battery to save energy until you reach the nearest recharging station. Next time, make sure to tick this off your to-do list before leaving.
Fitness and Warm-up
If you’re riding your electric bike to the gym, you can save up some warm-up time and pedal instead. You can take time management to the next level and pedal back from work to skip the gym altogether. For trail riders, manual biking can be the best warm-up before the wild downhill ride.
They’re Banned at Some Bike Parks
Although they’re literally bikes with an added “E,” E-bikes are banned at several bike parks for their risks. Since they can go considerably faster than traditional bikes, they can harm other trail users or disturb the wildlife of untamed parks.
Moreover, the high speed of electric bikes means longer braking times, resulting in more accidents.
Wrap Up
Finally, can you use an electric Bike without the battery? Yes, but you’ll have to consider the heavier weight of the bike, which will prolong your trip and make it more exhausting.
Still, you can reduce the weight of your electric bike by removing the battery, but this will affect its stability. Unless necessary, your best bet is to use your electric bike for its purpose. Otherwise, a traditional bike can be more versatile.
