OnBike Electric Bikes - The UK's Electric Bicycle Specialist

•  What are Electric Bikes? 

Electric Bikes (eBikes) are standard bicycles that have been fitted with or designed to incorporate electrical assistance in the form of a battery and motor.

They are not the same as a motorbike or moped and they do not require tax, insurance or MoT and can still be ridden on cycle paths and towpaths etc.

N.B. There are two main types of electric bike:

There are those that are driven from a motor in the wheel hub and have a throttle on the handlebars and  those that are driven from the crank sensing how much pressure you are applying to the pedals and assisting you from there.

We recommend trying out both technologies to see which is right for YOU!

• Who can ride an Electric Bike?  

Anyone over the age of 14 can legally ride an electric bicycle.

There are many manufacturers of electric bikes and there are many different styles, so we highly recommend speaking to us to find out about them.

• How many miles will the battery last for? 

It depends on a few factors which are:
~ How much effort you put in yourself / bike assistance level.

~ The capacity of the battery (measured in Ah).

~ How 'hilly' it is where you're riding.
As a rule of thumb, you realistically get about 20 to 30 miles out of a single full battery charge.

• What is 'Ah'?

Ah (Amp Hours) basically denotes the capacity of a battery.
The higher the Ah rating, the longer the battery will last and therefore the greater range of the bike.
E.G. a 14Ah battery will last 40% longer than a 10Ah battery.
The higher than Ah the better, although higher Ah batteries cost and weigh more!

• Does the battery recharge when you are cycling?  

Currently, most electric cycles do not have regeneration due to the extra cost and weight of the technology; our bikes get all their power from a bike mounted battery which is recharged at home or work using a standard UK 13amp socket.

• How long does it take to recharge the battery? 

Around 3 to 5 hours from a completely flat battery to fully charged, but we recommend keeping Lithium Ion batteries topped up regularly after use and never left for long periods of time without a top-up charge.

• How fast will an electric bike go? 

European law states that an electric bike can only assist you up to 15.5mph, although you can pedel or freewheel faster than this if you wish.

• I've heard the government will cover some of the cost of a new bike. Is this true and how does it work? 

Yes it's true! Please click on the 'Cycle to Work' or 'eBike2work' scheme links or click here. 

• Are the electric bikes UK road legal? 

Yes, all the electric bikes OnBike supply are UK road legal and require not tax or insurance etc...

• How much electricity does it use to recharge a battery?  

It costs around 2p to fully charge a battery, which gives you a petrol equivalant of around 1000mpg!