Wheels on electric bikes are very important and I think in my personal opinion when it comes to electric bikes, wheels are an important issue.
The strange thing is that almost all electric bike riders talk about sizes in most cases. Are 24 inches a good size, 26 inches, or the relatively new size in the world of wheels 27.5?
There are not many people talking about materials, components, and design, although these points are very important, especially for electric bikes due to the weight of the bike, the presence of the motor, and its multiple uses.
In recent years, the term “eBike specific wheels” has appeared, and this term is mostly coming from the mountain bikes world
However, many sellers of electric bicycle wheels market their products as eBike-specific wheels.
That is why in this post we will explain the meaning of eBike-specific wheels and also do all categories of electric bikes need this type of wheels.
Now let’s start by finding out why wheels are so important to electric bikes.
Why wheels are so important to electric bikes?
When we talk about wheels in electric bikes, there are three main reasons that increase the importance of wheels to electric bikes, and they are the weight of the bike, the power of the motor, and the style of riding.
1- The weight of the electric bike.
The weight of the electric bike, as it is known, is heavier than regular bikes (more than 20 kg), and with this weight, the load on the wheels
increases, and therefore the presence of wheels made of high-quality materials is necessary.
On the other hand, well-designed wheels in a way that distributes the load while riding an electric bike are very necessary.
As for the design, in particular, this point is one of the most important reasons for the high prices of some wheel models because bike manufacturers spend a lot of money on R & D in order to get a design that is lightweight and reliable and also distributes the load well.
2- Ebike Motor.
The main reason that encouraged us to buy electric bikes is to get help while riding the electric bike from the motor, but this help for the wheels is nothing but an extra load that is added to the weight of the bike and the weight of the rider.
With the presence of the motor, the speed of rotation of the wheels is much more, about two or three times (depending on the power of the motor) the speed of rotation in ordinary bicycles.
With the speed of rotation, some components of the wheels move, and this makes the presence of strong wheels on electric bikes a necessity in order to increase your safety while riding.
3-Electric bike riding style.
Although the method of riding an electric bike is similar to a regular bike, in practice it is different.
When you ride an electric bike, you will be more daring to ride off-road (especially if you have a hybrid electric bike) and you will ride the
bike at high speeds, which makes having good wheels on electric bikes that can withstand different roads very necessary.
4-Rider Weight.
What is the difference between regular bike wheels & eBike-specific wheels?
Before we answer the main question of this post, which is Do you need eBike-specific wheels? I think it makes sense to understand in a simple way what is the gap between the wheels of ordinary bicycles and the ebike-specific wheels.
As a general rule, eBike-specific wheels differ from regular bicycle wheels in lighter weight, more reliable materials, and a design that redistributes the load well in order to increase the speed of the electric bike and also withstand the increased speed.
Do you need eBike-specific wheels?
From the previous parts in the post, you may think that you should buy eBike-specific wheels, and in fact, it is not what you think.
The wheels on the market today, although there are big differences between them, they are all similar in one thing, which is their ability to bear the weight of the electric bike
This is for the following reasons:
The presence of the tire:
Despite the importance of the wheels, the presence of a tire in the bike greatly reduces the load on the wheels, especially if you know how to fill the tire and determine the appropriate PSI for you.
Electric Bike Tires Inflation- Beginner’s Guide
Because the tire is the first contact point between the ebike frame and the ground.
Electric bike wheel sizes are an important factor:
Another factor that may not make you not need eBike-specific wheels is your choice of the appropriate wheel size for your current and future needs.
For example, if you ride your electric bike on city roads and mountain roads, it is preferable to choose a size of 27.5 inches, because of the higher the size, the fewer cycles.
But if you ride your bike on city roads only or you have a cargo ebike, it is better to buy small size wheels to bring the bike closer to the ground and reduce the load on the wheels.
If you have electric mountain bikes, the preferred size is 29 inches because it will help you have more control of the ebike and better distribute the road load.
3-Suspension Systems.
The third factor that makes you do not need to buy eBike-specific wheels is the presence of the front suspension and rear suspension system in the ebike.
the suspension system absorbs the shocks received by the ebike, which reduces the load on electric bikes, so in most cases, you will not need
to buy eBike-specific wheels if your uses are moderate for bike and you know how to get the best performance out of your suspension system
(this could be done by inflating the correct PSI to the front shocks & rear suspension)
Read also: Do Ebike Needs Suspension? Check Before You Buy
Who should get eBike-specific wheels?
Although most electric bikes will not need eBike-specific wheels, there are certain categories that may be a good thing to own.
In this part of the post, we will explain what categories you can consider buying eBike-specific wheels
1- Owners of electric mountain bikes.
The first target group for this type of wheels is the owners of electric mountain bikes because these wheels are lighter and more reliable, and the design of the wheels themselves helps greatly in the distribution of loads and the impact of shocks on the road while riding on the trails.
2- Owners of hybrid electric bikes.
Among the categories that can benefit from the advantages of eBike-specific wheels are the owners of hybrid electric bikes, and more precisely, who want to use their bikes a lot on unpaved roads.
As for those who use their hybrid electric bicycle for normal use (70% inside the city and 30% on trails) They will not need it so much.
3- Owners of electric cargo bikes.
People who own electric cargo bikes or pull a trailer on their electric bikes can benefit from the weight and reliability of eBike-specific wheels.
Important note: This part of the post assumes that you have chosen eBike-specific wheels from a well-known and trusted brand because there are many sellers who put eBike-specific wheels on inferior wheels in order to sell them.
That is why it is always preferable to do a good search for the model that you will choose and make sure that it is reliable.
Conclusion.
No, electric bikes do not need eBike-specific wheels,
However, there are some categories that can benefit from its features:
- Mountain electric bike owners.
- Owners of hybrid electric bikes.
- Cargo electric bike owners or those who carry heavy items on their bike on a daily basis