But how does this marvel actually work? Imagine your e-bike best as a highly developed organism. It has a heart, an energy source, and a brain that work perfectly together. Let’s take a look under the hood together!
The Heart: Your E-Bike Motor
The motor is the powerful heart of your e-bike. It is not a replacement for your leg work but a partner that combines and amplifies your pedaling power with electrical energy. Where this heart beats has a huge impact on your riding experience.The mid-motor (bottom bracket motor): This is the balanced all-rounder and the current standard on most high-quality e-bikes. It sits low and central at the bottom bracket, which ensures a perfect center of gravity. The result? An incredibly stable, agile, and natural riding feel that comes closest to a classic bicycle.
The rear motor (hub motor in the rear wheel): The sporty sprinter. This motor gives you a direct, strong push from behind – a feeling many describe as very sporty and dynamic. It is often quiet and discreetly hidden in the wheel hub, making it popular for light urban or gravel bikes.
The front motor (hub motor in the front wheel): The uncomplicated helper. It pulls you from the front and is a simple and often inexpensive solution. Today it has become rarer because the steering behavior can be somewhat sluggish and the front wheel might lose grip on slippery ground.
The pure power of the motor is measured in Newton meters (Nm). That is the “oomph” that pulls you up the hill. For the city and flat tours, 40-50 Nm is more than enough. For demanding trekking tours or steep climbs in the mountains, 65-85 Nm is ideal, while powerhouses with over 90 Nm can effortlessly move even heavy cargo bikes.
The Energy Source: The Battery as Your Tank
If the motor is the heart, then the battery is the energy tank of your e-bike. It contains the power for your adventures. Almost all modern e-bikes use advanced lithium-ion batteries. The most important figure here is the capacity, measured in watt-hours (Wh). Simply put: the higher the Wh number, the bigger the “tank” and the further you can theoretically go.300-500 Wh: Perfect for everyday city use and shorter trips.
625-750 Wh: The standard for long trekking tours and e-mountain bikes that go off-road.
But the question “How far can I go?” cannot be answered with a single number. The actual range is a dynamic interplay of many factors: the chosen support level (Eco or Turbo), the terrain, your weight, tire pressure, and even the headwind play a decisive role. Riding an e-bike is therefore a partnership: you learn to manage the energy, and the bike rewards you with an impressive range.
The Brain and the Senses: The Control
How does your e-bike know when and how strongly to support you? Here comes the ingenious nervous system into play, consisting of controller, display, and sensors. The controller is the hidden brain that processes all information. The display on the handlebar is your cockpit, through which you give commands and keep everything in view.But the real magic lies in the sensors. They are the fine senses of your bike:
The rotation sensor (cadence sensor): This sensor works like a simple switch. It detects that you are pedaling and releases a fixed level of support. This is uncomplicated and requires hardly any effort – perfect for a relaxed ride. However, the feeling can sometimes be a bit abrupt.
The torque sensor (pedal force sensor): This is the top class of sensor technology and the key to an absolutely natural riding feel. It measures not only that you are pedaling but how hard. If you pedal gently, you get a gentle breeze. If you pedal hard, the motor unleashes its full power. High-end systems measure your force over 1,000 times per second and deliver such seamless support that it feels as if you had superhuman legs.
In the end, an e-bike is a perfectly tuned symphony of these three components. When heart, tank, and brain work in harmony, the technology becomes invisible and all that remains is pure riding pleasure.
