Best E-Bike Modes: Throttle vs Pedal Assist

AUG 24, 2022

Share:

Have you ever ridden on an e-bike? If you have, you know that it's a delightful experience. You get to ride your bike and feel like you're helping the environment. But if you haven't, or if you want to know more about the different modes of electric bikes and how they work, this post is for you!

Get $50 off your first order

Sign up for special offers and updates

E-bikes, or electric bikes, have become more and more popular in recent years. As such, there are many different types of these bikes and many different variations of them. To know the best one to pick, you must learn the difference between the different modes. In choosing the best e-bike modes for you to ride, you should consider some key differences between the two of them and understand which one works best for you.

There are two main types of e-bike modes: throttle and pedal assist. While both aim to make riding an e-bike easier and more enjoyable, they achieve this goal in very different ways.

Let's take a closer look at each option to understand how they work and what they offer. Below is the guide you need to read when choosing the best e-bike model in 2022, according to their mode options.

Let’s start!

What is an E-bike Throttle?

E-bike throttle is one of the most popular modes of electric bikes. The e-bike throttle is the same as a gas pedal on a combustion-engine vehicle because it provides power on demand to turn the bike's motor, which propels you forward and doesn’t need you to pedal it.


The throttle can usually be activated by twisting a thumb-operated lever or by pressing a button. In either case, it modulates the amount of electricity passing through the motor, and the more you press or twist, the faster your speed. This mode allows riders to choose the amount of assistance they want to use while pedaling and will provide additional power when needed, making it easier to climb hills or go faster.


With this mode, riders can choose between three different levels of assistance: low, medium, and high. In the case of NAKTO’s e-bikes, the amount of power provided by the motor will change based on your mode, so you will no longer need to pedal your way in for the e-bike to work when using this mode.

Sale Off
nakto folding ox
$1,199.00

PROS OF E-BIKE THROTTLES

Whether you’re looking to save money or have more control over your commute, an electric bike with a throttle may be the right choice for you. But there are many different types of e-bikes with throlles on the market, and it can be hard to choose. So you should consider the pros of e-bike throttles first, which are the following:


The biggest advantage of an e-bike throttle is that you can use it to control the speed of your bike. With a throttle, you can increase or decrease your speed without having to pedal faster or slower—which can be difficult if you have bad knees or back problems or simply don't feel like working out.


This gives you more freedom over where you go and how quickly you get there. For people who live in cities, this is a huge benefit. If you are traveling on the bike lanes and don’t want to get into an accident with another car or pedestrian, an e-bike throttle will help you maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and pedestrians.


You can ride the bike without pedaling. This makes it easier to navigate hills, stop quickly if necessary (for example, if there is an emergency vehicle approaching), and go faster when needed. Because you don’t have to pedal as much when using an e-bike, your legs will get a break from the constant exercise that comes along with riding a regular bicycle or e-bike in pedal assist mode.


You can ride the bike without a license and you don't need to attach a license plate to your e-bike either. You can even ride your e-bike without a helmet (in most states).


Another reason why people prefer using e-bike throttles is that they are more comfortable than other types of bikes, such as scooters or motorcycles. The reason for this is that e-bikes with throttles have a low center of gravity which makes them easier to ride. In addition, they have a wider wheel base which means they can go faster without feeling unstable or being prone to tipping over easily as scooters do often when you hit bumps while riding them at high speeds.


You can have more fun. If there's anything worse than pedaling uphill when it's hot outside, it's going downhill on an e-bike with no brakes and no way to slow down. With a throttle, however, this problem disappears completely because you have the motor to assist you.

CONS OF E-BIKE THROTTLES

Not as efficient as pedal assist. With pedal assist mode, your electric bike is smart enough to know when you want more power so it will help push against those hills or winds on its own. With throttle, you have to decide the speed for yourself.


The throttle can get sticky over time. The more you use it, the more likely it is that something will go wrong with it. If your throttle breaks when you're riding, you could crash into something or fall off your bike and injure yourself, so this is something to watch out for.


You’ll accidentally lose power and it takes more energy to pedal up hills. With an e-bike, pedaling won't get you as far because it's powered by electricity instead of being completely manual like traditional bicycles are - so if there's no power available when you need it most (like during a steep incline), then you'll have a hard time getting where you want to go.


They're sometimes heavy and bulky, so you can't take them on public transportation or fit them in your car. You'll need to rent a truck or borrow one from a friend if you want to move an e-bike from one place to another.


The batteries can be pricier and will need replacing every year or two, which means more money out of your pocket. In the case of NAKTO, it solves the issues by only using the most lifespan-efficient batteries in the market. Also, if you live in a hilly area, you'll have to buy higher battery power—and that could mean shelling out extra money.

What is a Pedal Assist?

Pedal assist is a type of electric bike that allows you to pedal as normal, but automatically adds power to the bike when you pedal, making you less tired. This is the most common type of electric bike, and also the most efficient. The way it works is that the motor senses how hard you are pedaling, mostly with the help of the best torque-sensing machines, and can add pedal assistance from 20% to as high as 300%.

This mode of an e-bike is great for people who want to ride a bike but find it hard to maneuver a motor option, or for those who just want to go farther without being too technical with throttle assist. NAKTO’s best mountain e-bikes, for example, can offer superior pedal assistance that can give the rider that extraordinary push assistance that it might make the rider feel like he has robotic legs.

PROS OF PEDAL ASSIST

●You can ride your bike while carrying groceries, kids, or anything else you need to get from point A to point B, without exerting too much effort.


●You can still use an e-bike if you have health problems or mobility issues. When you turn on pedal assist when you're riding your e-bike, it will automatically adjust the speed of your bike based on how much effort you put into pedaling. So if you want to go faster or slower, all you have to do is change how hard or soft you push down on the pedals. No more worrying about whether or not your legs will hold up for the whole ride.


●It's safer than riding an electric scooter because there are no pains involved in pedaling, even if you have the best budget e-bike in the market.


●It's cheaper than an electric scooter because there are no batteries involved.


●It has a more intuitive feel, regardless if you’re cruising, mountain biking or doing sport modes. This is nice because you can focus purely on your pedaling and you don’t have to hold the throttle in a certain position.


●Pedal assist e-bikes can be more fuel efficient than throttle because it uses some of your pedal energy and therefore you have more mileage, especially if you are heavy on the throttle.


●There may be fewer restrictions with pedal-assist than in throttle mode. There are rules still in development about the use of certain types of e-bikes in National Parks and on Federal Land, etc. These vary on a case-by-case basis and you may be allowed to use one type or another type or neither, based on exactly where you want to ride and on which trail. To ensure access to most trails, a class 1 (20mph limited pedal assist only) NAKTO e-bike may be the best option.

CONS OF PEDAL ASSIST

●The first con is that pedal-assist takes some getting used to if you're used to riding a regular bike. You might find yourself pedaling harder than you need to because your bike is helping you out.


●It can sometimes be confusing to operate, and it'll kick in at the wrong time—like when you're going downhill fast, for example. The good news is that with some practice, and if you use more advanced technology e-bikes like the NAKTO CAMEL STEP-THRU WHITE, you'll get used to how it works and figure out how best to use it.


●Another con is that pedal assist can still cause the battery to drain faster, so you might need to recharge it more often during a long ride—or bring an extra battery along with you on your trip, especially if your e-bike is not top-notch. If you’re looking for the best e-bike for hunting or the best folding e-bike within your budget, you should definitely consider this factor.


●If there are a lot of hills on your route, pedal assist might not be able to keep up with them without running out of power first.


●Another thing to consider is that if you want to ride your e-bike when your pedal assist is out of battery, then it's going to take some extra legwork for sure. You'll have to rely primarily on your own power instead of having any help from the motor. This could get really tiring over time.

Throttle vs. Pedal Assist: Which Is Best For Me?

This is a question that many e-bike potential buyers ask themselves when they're trying to choose between two different types of electric bikes. Whether you’re searching for the “best e-bikes of 2021” or the “best e-bikes of 2022”, the answer is not always easy to find, especially because there are so many options available on the market today.


First of all, the answer depends on your riding style, your own standards for the best e-bike conversion kit, and personal preferences. Throttles are more intuitive to use than pedal assist, so if you're new to electric bikes, they may be a good fit.


However, the pedal mode can offer the better option for efficiency since it automatically adjusts your power output as needed. It's also safer because it helps prevent over-revving or accidental discharge from a dead battery if you go too fast downhill or forget to turn off the throttle when stopped at an intersection.


So the best answer is: try doing a test drive for yourself, and assess where you will usually use your e-bike, and decide from there.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! You now have the basics on the modes of the best e-bike UK, the United States and other major cities are using today. You now know about throttle and pedal assist modes on e-bikes, and you can even already know which mode is best for your situation.


There are still so many things to consider when buying an e-bike, like price range and battery life. We hope our guide helped you narrow these factors down a bit before making your final decisions.


If you’re considering buying the best e-bike mode that suits your needs, you might want to consider NAKTO’s e-bikes. NAKTO aims to produce the cheap and best e-bikes with utmost technological innovation and development, creating high-quality products that allow consumers to enjoy the efficiency and convenience brought by the latest e-bike technology. VISIT our selection of valuable e-bikes here: https://nakto.com/