e-Bike Safety

[TricycleMichael]

Thought it would be interesting to hear about any lessons people have learned about safety.

In my village over the past 4 or 5 years there has been a big increase in the number of e-bikes. They are every where, bike lanes, paths, side walks etc. I hear comments like “they go too fast, don’t belong on the bike path” or my favorite “what about the children and families.” The speed they go and the butch like appearance of some newer designs also come under the negative comments column. In other words people are concerned about safety.

While that is happening, the big concern is MY safety and I would like to hear from you folks about issues - warnings, surprises, discoveries etc.

First example might be - don’t fall when riding!

My case:
Turn off the power whenever you dismount the machine. Once after a ride while maneuvering the bike I accidentally twisted the full twist throttle and the bike jumped. Switched to half twist and think that is safer. Thumb throttle is likely the safest but thumbs can hurt or ache over time.

Look forward to your experiences…

 

[portals]

Thought it would be interesting to hear about any lessons people have learned about safety.

I have a 1500W rear hub 52V/17.5Ah Samsung battery, when I'm stopped at a junction or lights or in fact anywhere, I ALWAYS engage the left ebrake (rear), and ALWAYS check that it registers on the KT-LCD8 colour display.

This means that for example if I've left PAS on 5 then do a 1/2 turn of pedals it can be enough to make the bike take of like a rocket and want to pull a wheelie, very dangerous at a busy junction.

If I'm on a busy main road with fast moving traffic then I always use the throttle to take away as I know how much power to expect.

I planned on using the two ebrakes that came with the kit however have not bothered to fit the right ebrake for front wheels as I find that quite useful as just a brake when the bike is on Cruise mode at say 20mph - I still have some braking available however as I'm not using ebrake it doesn't kill power to motor and so stay in cruise mode - useful!

Even with torque arms I clean my rear axle nuts with 99.9% IPA then use a Sharpie to draw a vertical line from top down past nut so I can see if the bike has loosened any under severe torque when I'm out, I already had one lucky escape with a rear wheel spin-out and do not want another...

 

[lnanek]

My safety tip would be to wear full motorcycle gear. I've crashed bicycles several times due to unavoidable stuff, like super loose gravel creeping out of a construction site on to the road in the dark and a car plowing into me from a driveway. Never broke anything. Just sprains and cuts and road rash.

I crashed my ebike only once ever, at 24mph, due to an unlit, unavoidable obstacle in the bike lane at night. Broke three bones in places I was only wearing normal pants and bicycle gloves. My head was fine since I was wearing a motorcycle helmet. If I'd been wearing my motorcycle pants and gloves, would probably have avoided weeks in a cast.

Ebikes go faster than regular bicycles, so the crashes have more energy behind them. What was sprains and scrapes before easily becomes more serious.

 

[Chalo]

Match your battery voltage to your motor RPM per volt so your bike tops out at 20 mph.

28 mph implies twice as much kinetic energy as 20 mph, which will result in much more serious injury when something goes awry.

 

[TricycleMichael]

Here is a tire ready to go bad. Easy visual check before a ride.

 

[Chalo]

Here is a tire ready to go bad. Easy visual check before a ride.

The tire looks fine. The tube may well be damaged by riding with very low pressure, which makes the tire creep around the rim and carry the tube with it.

 

[amberwolf]

FWIW, if that's a Kenda, then in my personal experience, the sidewall cross-threads showing in the rubber always flake the rubber away and begin peeling sidewall off (regardless of loads, pressures, usages, from normal everyday bicycle stuff to my extreme usages where I expect failures) for me, on every single Kenda tire I've ever had of every size type and model over the years.

One example (though this one is probably overloaded on my trike; I normally use moped tires on it):

 

[ccihon]

Ebike safety lessons learned:

Ebikes are fun, also good transportation, but if you want good transportation, try not to have too much fun.

Never assume you can be seen by motorists, but work to be seen, and plan routes well to avoid traffic challenges.

Scan the road for debris, and scan well ahead for larger obstructions.

Ride in a predictable and courteous manner. Gain respect by being respectable.

Use good reliable equipment... Helmet, eyewear, plus ride a safe bike. When you stop, turn the bike off, lock it, and take the keys.

It's way better to get there at reasonable speed than to get halfway fast.

I am older, and have broken all of these rules enough to understand how important they can be

 

[ZeroEm]

Most of you have covered it.

Broke my ribs early one morning hitting a pile of limbs that had been dumped that night. So good lights if riding at night. Yes, riding around 28mph to fast for safety and the trike is ok.

Set up my trike with a throttle and pas. The throttle will not work unless you hit 0.5 KPH. Just in case some one or me hits the throttle. IF it set at high power it would take your legs out from under you.

So, good lights and don't sneak up on anyone we are quite. I use a bell but it's not loud enough all the time, so I make sure i'm going just a little faster than they are.