Why Are Electric Bikes Heavier Than Regular Bikes?

Electric bikes are very beneficial for riders. They aren’t hard on your joints, and compared to all other regular bikes, they reduce your back and neck pain. Apart from that, there are many more benefits of using an electric bike when you stack it up with cars. These bikes are environmentally friendly and cost-effective, so you will never regret buying them.

Short Answer

But there is still one con of using an electric bike, and you may have to wonder why are electric bikes so heavy. Because of the weightier frame and additional materials, these bikes have a lot more weight than regular bikes. The heavy materials in electric bicycles are the motor; display screen, battery, control system, and all the wiring, making your electric bikes have a lot of weight. Moreover, a heavy frame is also added to make your bike maneuverable at high speed.

Although there are many more things to know about the heavy weight of these electric bikes. All those questions, like what exactly makes an electric bike heavy? How does weight help in maneuverability? And how much exactly does an e-bike weigh? All these questions will be taken into account in this article. 

Why Are Electric Bikes So Heavy?

We all know that electric bikes are attractive, sturdy, efficient, and best for leisure and transportation. Mainly there are four parts of an e-bike that contribute to its heavyweight. Motor, battery, spikes, and frames. You probably already know about the parts of electric bikes, but understanding how much each component adds to the weight is also essential. Learning about each piece will let you have a better understanding of why electric bikes are so heavy.

Here is the detail about each component that participates in the heavyweight of the e-bike.

• Electric motor:

It doesn’t matter if it’s a hub or mid-drive; all electric bike motors weigh about 17 lbs or 8 kg. If you have ever opened an e-bike motor, you may have seen a circle known as a stator. This circle has a series of poles with wires around them. In the total weight of the e-bike, these motors contribute a lot. However, how much the e-bike motor’s total weight will depend upon the maximum speed and power output. Apart from that nature of the material will also affect the weight of the motor, whether it’s specialized or ordinary.

• Battery:

Usually, an e-bike battery weighs between 4.4 to 7.7 lbs, which is about 2-3.5 kg. The battery used in the electric bikes is similar to the battery used in laptops, and Mobile made up of lithium-ion. However, the weight of these batteries will depend on the capacity to store energy and construction. Remember that a more powerful battery will always be a lot heavier.

Different factors also affect the battery life of an e-bike on a single charge. Sometimes the heavier battery means it will last for more years. However, many electric bike manufacturers have tried to make e-bike batteries lighter and work for years.

• Control system:

Generally, the control system includes all the control display normally on the handlebars. These control displays also add some weight to the e-bike. To manage the power output of your electric bike, these control displays play an essential role. You can check the battery life, speed, and assistance level of your e-bike through this display control system.

• Wiring:

Although in new e-bike models, traditional Bowden had been replaced by lighter wires. But because e-bikes have more wires, thus still weigh more than conventional bikes. However, the least amount of weight is contributed by the cables, but still, they play a part in making e-bikes a bit heavier.

• Tire size:

Specific parts of different e-bikes vary with the size and model of the bike. But still, electric bike tires have an ounce of extra weight compared to traditional bikes, which adds up to the overall e-bike weight. Fat tire electric bikes have as thick as 4-inch tires, best for off-road adventure and long hours of the extreme gateway. Although it also increases the weight of your electric bike.

• Frame and extra parts:

We all know that frame is considered the backbone of an electric bike. Because it doesn’t only support your bike but also carries its entire load. Carbon frames are a lot lighter than aluminum alloy frames. Other than that, there are more parts made up of metal, including handles, seat tubes, and seat posts.

Why Should You Choose An Electric Bike?

Why should you choose one when all the extra components add about twenty to thirty pounds of weight to your electric bike? Although there are a lot of reasons that can make you choose a heavy electric bike, a few of the popular features of heavy e-bikes are written below:

• You don’t have to apply any additional effects to go faster.
• It is easy to climb hills with a heavy e-bike.
• This will not make you sweat much, so you can easily decrease sweating from exercise.
• It is easy to cross intersections because starting the e-bike is very easy.
• Less effort means no extra weight on your joints.
• You can easily set a uniform speed for every ride, although you travel to different areas.
• Electric bikes are environmentally friendly, so there is no negative effect while traveling.
• It is easy to pedal to work or travel areas without extra sweat.

All of the reasons, as mentioned earlier, make any rider choose a heavier bike. The heavyweight has its own benefits, which make your ride safe and comfy.

What Is The Benefit Of Being Heavy?

Controlling your bike and moving it towards the exact direction you want is much more difficult in lighter weight bikes. That is where you get the advantage of having a heavier bike. A heavyweight electric bike is best in maneuverability or controlling the direction while moving.

If we compare two bikes with the same speed, we will notice a big difference in their maneuverability because they have different weights.

Furthermore, in a lighter bike, the smallest twist of the handlebars can cause a significant change in the direction, making the rider and their bike get out of balance and fall from the bike.

Although heavy bikes have harder maneuvering, it is good for controlling your motion and decreasing the chances of getting out of balance and falling. Hence after getting the answer to why are electric bikes so heavy? Now you also know the benefits of having a heavier electric bike.

Will Electric Bikes Get Lighter In The Future?

With the advancement of technology, manufacturers are trying to find a specific way to make heavy electric bikes lighter. But they are trying hard not to sacrifice any feature like range or performance. For now, the main components making an e-bike heavier are its battery and motor.

Additionally, many e-bike manufacturers are experimenting with making the bikes lighter without compromising durability with performance.

Although one thing to remember is there is a chance of heavy e-bikes getting lighter in the future, they may also get a lot more expensive because new and advanced materials and technology will cost much higher. It is also possible that overweight reduction perf and range can be prioritized.

FAQs

Conclusion

Electric bikes’ motors and batteries are essential in making your e-bikes much heavier. But there are also many advantages of having a heavyweight electric bike. Apart from all the other benefits, the main one is its heavy weight makes your ride safe and sweat-free. Now you have got the answer to why electric bikes are so heavy. You can easily decide which bike suits your needs.