Can You Ride Electric Mountain Bikes on the Road?

Electric-powered vehicles are growing in popularity as people transition towards greener energy sources. These vehicles are environmentally friendly, easy to operate, and fun to ride.

A question bike enthusiasts often wonder is, can you ride electric mountain bikes on the road?

Mountain bikes are usually designed to wind around uneven, dirt paths and ascend and descend steep mountainous trails. These bikes can easily navigate rough terrain, dirt tracks, and rocky pathways.

However, mountain bikes also serve another purpose. They also make excellent commuter bikes and can often outperform city or comfort bikes. Hence, these bikes are a great investment as they can be used for commuting, hiking, and traveling in the city.

Just because electric mountain bikes are designed to function well on rough, uneven terrain does not mean they cannot be ridden on roads. When driven on roads, they offer a smooth and comfortable ride. Thus, cyclists often prefer riding these bikes over scooters or city bikes for their daily commute around the city.

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Reasons to Choose Electric Mountain Bikes for Daily Commuting

Electric mountain bikes can easily be used for daily road travel due to their many advantages. Let’s discuss these in detail below.

A Comfortable Ride

Many cyclists prefer electric mountain bikes for commuting within the city due to their comfort. These bikes are more comfortable they most city ebikes that might have a more rigid frame structure.

A full-suspension electric mountain bike also outperforms ebikes with only front suspension. Full suspension ensures your ride is comfortable to ride and easy to operate. Full suspension improves handling, which isn’t as important for commuting at a casual speed in typical bicycle lanes but offers an added advantage.

Choosing electric mountain bikes on roads also lets you hop curbs or roll over obstacles without feeling the shock on your rear, wrist, or ankles. Electric mountain bikes offer a smooth, relaxing ride on city roads that cyclists will surely enjoy.

Powerful Bikes

Electric mountain bikes often have high-powered motors and sturdy, robust frames. As they can zoom over rough trails making casual riding a breeze. You can also take advantage of the extra power when out on the road.

You can make your way ahead of cars and zoom out of sticky situations. With these bikes, you are not obliged to use the extra power, but you can if you want to be daring sometimes.

Full suspension electric mountain bikes are also usually of higher quality compared to ordinary commuter ebikes.

Even though you can purchase a cheap electric mountain bike, investing in a high-quality one will give you much better performance and a great experience. High-quality mountain bikes come with full suspension and robust individual components. They have better paint jobs, frames, saddles, and even pedals.

Electric mountain bikes are designed for rough riding and have sturdy components. These high-quality parts are installed to withstand the wear and tear of mountain bike riding.

Using these mountain bikes for city commuting, which is comparatively much lighter than mountain bike riding, will make your ebike perform much better and last longer.

Better Batteries

Electric mountain bikes are usually equipped with higher-quality batteries. This is because these mountain bikes have powerful motors and are used to ride over rough, hilly terrain. This consumes more battery, thus requiring good quality battery cells. These cells ensure the voltage goes too low and the battery does not shut down.

Thus, these bikes have batteries with larger capacities. These batteries withstand even when the mountain bike has to ascend hills, a task that can drain the battery easily.

Since batteries are the most expensive part of an electric bike, a mountain bike with a powerful battery can be greatly beneficial. It will make your ebike last longer as battery cells wear down more slowly.

Easy Riding

Electric mountain bikes require less effort, thus making them easier to ride. This is especially true when using mountain bikes for commuting purposes. These bikes have good speed and can get you to your destination swiftly.

You won’t exert yourself too much when riding them and won’t reach your destination sweating. Therefore, these bikes make great car replacements and fit city commuting needs well.

Disadvantages

Using electric mountain bikes for city commuting can also have its set of disadvantages.

These bikes have beefier frames, stronger motors, bigger batteries, and heavier parts. This can usually add a lot of weight to the ebike making it harder to walk with your bike.

Electric mountain bikes are also a more expensive option than your city commuter ebike.

Sometimes full suspension electric mountain bikes are less efficient when ridden on flat ground. This is because the full suspension feature can absorb pedaling energy, especially if you do a lot of pedaling. An e-MTB’s electrical assist feature does make up for this drawback; however, it’s still a factor to note.

How Long Can My E-MTB Battery Last?

The longevity of your electric mountain bike or E-MTB’s battery can last from 2 to 5 years. You should know the lifespan of your bike’s battery if you are commuting long distances on a routine basis.

However, several other factors also determine the lifespan of your bike’s battery. These factors include your battery’s brand, the battery’s age, and the number of times its been charged.

A standard electric mountain bike can be charged thousands of times before its battery requires replacement. A single charge can easily let your ebike travel between 25 to 70 miles.

You should recharge your e-MTB when it has 30 to 40% of its battery capacity. This is a good technique to elongate the lifespan of your e-MTB. People tend to think that the lesser you use your battery, the longer it will last. This isn’t entirely accurate. Not using your ebike will do more harm than good.

You still need to charge the ebike even if you are not actively using it. This is because battery-powered devices are self-charging and must be charged frequently to keep the battery strong. If your ebike is sitting in the garage, you must charge it every 2 months.

Benefits of Using E-MTBs Compared to Ordinary Commuter Bikes

There are multiple benefits of using E-MTBs compared to ordinary commuter bikes when on the road. Let’s look at the benefits of using these highly efficient vehicles.

An Affordable Choice

Electric mountain bikes are a much more affordable option compared to cars. They also help you save a lot of money in terms of fuel costs in the long run. These bikes are also environmentally friendly as they do not depend on fossil fuels.

Even though electric mountain bikes are costlier than traditional mountain bikes, they are also faster and help you reach your destination quicker.

After you make the initial investment and purchase your electric mountain bike, your running costs will be minimal. You will just need to spend money to charge your bike, which will cost much lesser. An average electric mountain bike is priced between $2000 to $5000.

They Will Help You Keep Fit

Cycling is known to keep your body in shape and burn fat. So if you use your electric mountain bike for hikes and fun, why not start using it to go to work? This will add exercise to your daily routine and make you feel great!

Some people think electric bikes are pedal-assisted and don’t help burn as many calories as traditional bikes. Electric bikes indeed make cycling easier, but you still burn calories. When riding, you still exert effort to propel the bike, not just entirely dependent on the motor.

There are also different levels of assistance you can choose from on your electric bike. If you want to put in more effort, you can adjust the ebikes mode to minimize the use of the motor.

These bikes are also very powerful and can help you reach your workplace in minimal time. They will also help you make smarter turns on busy roads than traditional ebikes.

Riders also often adjust the mode of their e-MTB according to how they feel. You can increase the assisted pedaling feature if you feel lazy and don’t feel like pedaling. You can switch your bike to manual mode when you feel more active.

Tips to Ride your E-MTB’s on Busy Roads

You must follow certain regulations when riding your e-MTB on the road.

Find out if you need a license and are over the stated age limit before you ride an E-MTB on the road. Different states have different rules regarding driving e-bikes on roads. Make sure to know the law before you take your ebike out.
When riding your e-bike, always yield to pedestrians. Pedestrians always have the right of way on the street. As ebikes are silent, there is a chance pedestrians may not hear your approach when cycling through high-traffic areas. It’s always best to say a greeting or call out ‘on your left’ before you overtake someone.
Stay in your lane as much as possible when riding an electric bike on roads instead of going on center lanes. Also, keep a distance of at least three feet from cars, so it’s easy for drivers to see you. Be very careful when crossing lanes, and try not to surprise anyone.
When riding an ebike on the road, you must always be aware of your surroundings. Know how pedestrians, cars, and other road users are likely to react. Also, try making eye contact with other road users, so they know your next move. Always remember to expect the unexpected. Riding defensively should be your priority at all times.
Make sure to maintain adequate visibility to other motorists when on the road. Wear brightly colored clothing, especially when out at night. Also, make sure your ebike has adequate lighting. This will help other motorists see you. Lights on your ebike are useful both at night and during the day.
Also, ensure you know the law regarding what kind of lighting your ebike requires. Several states are varying policies regarding the type of lighting required.
When out on the road, always equip yourself with safety gear. Several states have made it compulsory for bikers to wear helmets, while others have not. Make sure you know the local law regarding helmet requirements. However, it’s useful to know that helmets largely reduce the risk of head injury and are advised to be worn by bike riders for safety.
If you are riding your ebike in bad weather, be extra careful. Keep the bike’s speed slow and switch on the ebikes lights. Suppose there is floodwater; it’s best not to ride through it. This is because the water may be deeper than you expect if there is lightning, it’s always a good idea to seek shelter at and lower elevation.
Always remember when riding on a road bicycle that safety is paramount. Always take proper safety precautions so you can stray safe and everyone around you can stay safe.

Final Thoughts

If you are sick and tired of congested roads and traffic, why not switch to an electric mountain bike? These great bikes are cheap to use after the initial investment of purchasing them. They are also faster and easier to ride as compared to traditional bicycles.

Need to go out and about in the city or run errands? Just hop on your ebike! Or need to get to work every morning? Your ebike is the perfect choice for that daily commute.

After the one-time initial investment, rest assured your electric mountain bike will last you a long time!