Electric Bikes Without Pedals

With technological advancement, we received some truly important things as blessings. E-bikes are one of them. Electric bikes are great for anyone who likes cycling and trying to replace driving. Riding on an e-bike allows you to travel distances with zero carbon footprint.

You can ride an e-bike and go significantly fast so that you can cover great distances. A regular bicycle with a different electric system that provides assistance to go faster and smoother is an e-bike. There are different kinds of e-bikes.

Some e-bikes have throttles like a moped or a regular scooter. Some e-bikes give you a pure cycling experience, whereas others cannot provide you with that.

After knowing these, you should be thinking, do all e-bikes have pedals? If some bikes don’t provide a pure cycling experience, do they need pedals? And as generally e-bikes are potentially high-efficient bicycles with an electric system, do you need to pedal at all?

E-bikes are a lovely form of transport. So, we are here to answer all these kinds of questions related to e-bikes. 

Can We Ride e-Bike Without Pedals?

In some cases, yeah! We can ride e-bikes without pedals. But this is not true for all e-bikes out in the market. It depends on the manufacturing. Some e-bikes come with a throttle, and you can ride those without pedaling.

The Throttle engages the motor, so you don’t need to pedal at all. These bikes are faster and have similarities with a regular scooter. But in some bikes, you cannot engage the motor anyway without pedaling. Those are pedal-assist e-bikes. 

So, to answer the main question, we can safely say yes! You can ride an e-bike without pedaling, but that’s not possible for all.

What is a Pedal-assist e-Bike?

The e-bikes in which you need to pedal to engage the motor are called pedal-assist e-bike. The electric system of an e-bike consists of a motor, a control screen or display, and batteries to run the motor. Some e-bikes also have green fuel-fed cells as energy sources.

Your pedaling engages the motor. Remember, there is no other way to engage the motor without pedaling in these bikes. After the motor kicks in, you start getting assistance from the motor. So that you can go faster on any terrain and your journey becomes easier.

You can set how much help you need from the motor via the control screen. If you pedal harder, you can go faster, or if you want, you can pedal moderately and still go fast using the pedal assistance. It’s easy, isn’t it? 

E-bikes are constructed to make your journey easy. 

How do Pedal-assist e-Bikes Work?

As in the name, you can ride a pedal-assist e-bike by pedaling it as usual, just like a regular bicycle. The additional feature is that you will get assistance from your bike’s electrical system and go significantly faster with minimal physical strain.

The electric motor provides you assistance on pedaling, and you can not start the motor without pedaling. Also, you can adjust how much assistance you need from the electrical system by the control screen.

There is another benefit of using a pedal-assist e-bike. You can turn the electric system entirely off and still use it as a regular bicycle. Suppose your battery dies or you forget to recharge, you can ride your pedal-assist electric bike by simply setting the pedal assistance to zero. 

Pros and Cons of a Pedal-assist e-Bike

In long journeys, pedal-assist e-bikes are beneficial.

Some advantages of a pedal-assist e-bike are likely:

• As you are pedaling too to move ahead, you squeeze out less power from the motor. That will prolong your battery and motor life. You can set the level of assistance by yourself. You can have a lot longer range out of your bikes. 
• In a pedal-assist e-bike, you can have the motor in the middle of your bike, which means even weight distribution. Since e-bikes weigh more than a regular bicycle, you’ll find it easy to handle when weight is well balanced. 
• You can set the pedal-assist to a low value or even zero while working out. Cycling is an excellent means of exercising, and as you have to pedal all along to ride a pedal-assist e-bike, you’ll be actively involved physically. 
• You don’t require a license to ride on a pedal-assist e-bike. 

Some disadvantages of a pedal-assist e-bike are likely:

• To speed up, you need to pedal harder, which takes time. You can’t just press a switch and start going at the desired speed. You need to gradually speed up via pedaling accordingly. 
• Sometimes pedaling can be challenging. For older adults, it can be hard to pedal every time. For hilly roads or long journeys, pedaling isn’t always convenient. 

Do You Still Need to Pedal an e-Bike?

Well, it is your choice! You don’t mandatorily have to pedal your e-bike to get going. You can ride an e-bike that occupies the motor with a throttle, not with pedaling. But in Europe, all kinds of e-bikes are not legal, and they prefer pedal-assist bikes over throttle mode.

So, you have no choice other than pedaling. In the USA, you can ride whichever e-bike you prefer. Actually, there is not much choice. The main job of your e-bike is to occupy the electric motor by any means to get a supportive power to go on hilly, rough roads or long distances without exhausting yourselves. Now you can engage your motor without pedaling too, if you want. 

To be specific, there is NO need to pedal some e-bikes. 

What is Throttle on e-Bikes (without pedaling)? 

E-bikes are either pedal-assist or Full Throttle. Bikes with Throttle generally are of two types: thumb throttle and twist throttle. In these types of bikes, we don’t need to pedal anyway. With a twist or press of a switch, you can engage your electric motor. As soon as the motor works, your bike receives power and moves forward. 

The most common type of Throttle in e-bikes is the half grip twist throttle. It is similar to a scooter or motorbike, i.e., you have to twist to engage the motor. 

The thumb throttle starts with a push on the button or paddle.

Pros of a Throttle e-Bike:

• Riding a throttle-assisted e-bike, you can rest whenever you want. You don’t need to pedal all along or pedal at all. For a long journey, it is beneficial.
• For hilly areas, rough road pedaling seems difficult and exhausting. A throttle e-bike makes your job easy. The acceleration from the Throttle can move you forward quite easily.
• You don’t need to gear down in throttle e-bikes. When you need to slow up speed, Throttle will do that. 
• For people who want to use an e-bike to get to work, a throttle assist e-bike is ideal. They can get to work in a less expensive, environment-friendly way without getting sweaty. 

There are some other benefits, depending on where the bike is being used.

How does e-Bike with Throttle Work?

The e-bikes that don’t need pedaling start with a throttle. The Throttle engages the electric motor, which helps move the bike forward. In a bike with Throttle, you need to press or twist a switch with your hand to engage the motor instantly.

The mechanical drive system doesn’t get neglected by the use of Throttle. You can adjust the power by a light or heavy twist or press of the Throttle, but generally, it doesn’t allow you to fix how much power you need. 

Throttle vs. Pedal-assist e-Bike

Some fundamental differences start with the speed limit. With a pedal-assist e-bike, you can travel at a speed of 28 mph, but you cannot ride a throttle e-bike over the speed of 20 mph. There are some legal restrictions that come forth to throttle e-bikes, and some countries even don’t allow the use of throttle e-bikes. 

In a throttle e-bike, the motor can’t go in the middle since the motor directly turns the wheels. The manufacturers have to place the motor in front or rear tires, and this creates a problem to handle the bike due to extra weight in front of rear portions. You don’t need to worry about this in a pedal-assist e-bike.

 You don’t always need to use the Throttle in a throttle assist e-bike, which means you can ride them as a regular bicycle when you want. But when in need, you can go on without putting any extra effort into pedaling. This can’t be done in a pedal-assist bike, and we necessarily need to pedal those bikes to get into motion. 

Let’s see e-bike is the most convenient for you!

What will be the Best Choice for an e-Bike?

It is your choice that decides which e-bike you need, and a pedal-assist or Throttle. If you are not very comfortable with a regular bicycle, it seems that throttle e-bikes are a reasonable choice for you. 

But if you are a confident bicycle rider who can ride a traditional bicycle safely, you can go for a pedal-assist e-bike. Also, those looking for some workout while riding the electric bike should opt for the pedal-assist e-bike. 

Usually, throttle e-bikes require a license, but pedal-assist e-bikes don’t. This makes a difference too. 

Clearly, you can choose either depending on your need and necessity. Some e-bikes come with a combination of pedal assist and Throttle. If you are too confused about what your need is, you can go for one of them.

Cost of e-Bike

Throttle e-bikes generally cost little more than a pedal-assist bike. An e-bike can cost from $800 to $3000 or even more, and the cost depends on its features and the manufacturing company. 

But whether your bike is pedal-assist or throttle mode, the cost doesn’t vary too much. 

Some e-bikes have a double motor or additional functionality, which usually costs more. Also, some companies have launched green hydrogen fuel-powered electric bikes, and they are decently more costly than a standard bike.

Conclusion

A little study before buying an e-bike gives you an insight into which option is optimal for you. This can save a lot of money and later problems. 

First of all, you get to know that we can ride an e-bike without pedals. 

But we cannot decide which is a better option among pedal-assist and Throttle since both serve the same purpose. It depends on the needs and choices of the biker. 

If you are a person who wants to get to your office or institute, or workplace fast and ecologically, then an e-bike is the right choice for you. You no longer have to drive the car to get to your destination.

Means your contribution to transport pollution becomes zero. For this, you don’t specifically need an e-bike with pedals. Yeah, you are good to go with a throttle e-bike also. But, keep in mind the discussion we offer here before you choose your e-bike.