Introduction:
Following the best practices to Ride Electric Bike Safely is every rider’s responsibility. This article helps you to see safe riding manners and best practices. Your priority in using electric bikes is to reach the destination safely.
How to ride electric bikes safely is the important pieces of information to all riders to acknowledge and accept.
Six steps to observe Ride Electric Bike Safely:
- Aware of the conditions of your electric bike.
- Familiarity with your electric bike system and develop your riding style.
- Take high precaution to use the approved cycling lanes by your country.
- Know the possible cycling risks to increase your awareness on the road.
- Add the system that can help to reduce the electric bike cycling risk.
- Follow the best practices to ride electric bikes safely.
Aware of the conditions of your electric bike so you can Ride Electric Bikes safely:
Choose electric bike best fit for you
- Your electric bike’s seat height is fitted with your height means both of your feet can firmly step on the ground with your knee slightly bending. When you lose balance in the cornering, you can avoid falling with anyone of your foot touching the ground easily.
- Buy the right electric bike model that you can get on and get off the electric bike easily. Step-through is the best design for lady, senior, and physically unwell people to ride safely.
- The lighter the electric bike, the safer for the riders when there is an incident of falling off from the electric bike. The heaviest bike can accidentally hit us badly when we are falling off from the electric bike.
Maintain electric bikes in good conditions
- Follow the pressure rating of your electric bike tire. Regularly check your tire pressure with a portable pressure indicator; if the pressure drop, top-up to the right pressure before any long-distance riding.
- Tire at low pressure has high friction on the road surface to generate high heat to the tire; if tire materials become soft, there is a possible risk of tire bursting and is beyond repaired. Keep a spare air pump in your trunk bag for any emergency use.
- If your electric bike frame and front forks are made of carbon alloy, regularly check for any crack line is important for your safety. There are lawsuit cases the sudden collapse of carbon forks or frames, which caused rider injury to be hospitalized for a few days.
- Regular cleaning and lubricate your bike chain is important for a longer use life. Mud or sand on the chain can cause the chain to wear faster and broken. You need a spare chain keeping in your trunk bag for replacement. Without a chain, no bicycle can ride.
Keep speed setting as per factory-made – Do not manipulate
- Do not manipulate your speed setting for fast riding on the road. The high-end bike will recognize and switch to the emergency mode, which reduces support, protect the system, and discourages manipulation.
Keep the battery fully charged before use
- Always keep your electric bike battery fully charge before you start your long-distance riding. Avoid riding on the long upslope when your battery status is low. A sudden battery flat on the climbing slope is a risk to all riders.
Equipped your electric bikes with safety accessories
- Ensure your electric bike is equipped with front and rear light to make visible to other road users during the night riding.
- Outfit your electric bike with a bell for a polite alert to passengers or other road users when you overtake them.
Familiarity with your electric bike system and develop habits of Ride Electric Bike Safely:
Know your electric bike’s system
- Get familiar with your electric bike in acceleration and stopping conditions in a calm and safe environment before riding on the road. Learn how to accelerate your electric bike and safely stop your electric bike is an important riding skill to keep you safe on the road.
- When you stop pedaling, your electric bike can continue for a few seconds; you can apply the brake gently before you want to stop the bike.
- Get familiar with front forks’ response to the uneven road. Ride slow to experience the suspension control going to a small hole and then go to a bigger hole. Learn to balance yourself when the bike tire slips on the stone.
Choose the right frame of the electric bike for safety reasons – the key point is to get on and off the electric bikes safely is important to you and your family.
Develop your riding style
- For any bicycle, it is a high risk. Don’t use the front brake alone; you can fly off the bike like a front-wheel hitting the barrier.
- Familiar with the braking response when you are riding at a sharp corner or on a wet and slippery road. Always keep the electric bike at a low speed.
- Familiar with your gear shifting to adjust your bike speed to the conditions the same as the other road users to avoid surprise them with your high speed. An unexpected collision can happen if they are changing course, when you are going to pass through them.
- Always get to know your brake and its relative power so that you can better assess the sooner time to start slowing down.
Do not endanger yourself with high speed – You can control your electric bike when the speed is comfortable to you. Out of the limit, you are giving up yourself to your electric bike.
A positive riding attitude can save your life – use of an electric bike is to reach your destination safely.
Ride Electric Bike Safely by using the cycling lanes approved by your country:
Strictly follow the local cycling rules
Every country has its own approved cycling lanes that can be used by the riders.
In a city, there are footpaths for the passengers, persona mobility aid, and bicycle only, Shared paths mean the park connector network and cycling paths can be used by bicycle, power-assisted bicycle, E-scooter, and personal mobility aid. The road can be used by bicycle and power-assisted bicycle.
Cycling Rules in Singapore for your reference
- You have to ride in an “Orderly” fashion as well as with due regard for others’ safety.
- Always keep left, and give way to faster traffic. Some country keep right, which is the edge of the road. Any side parking car at the edge of the road is a risk of all riders, because the risk of hitting sudden open door.
- Where there is a cycle lane, you have to use it.
- More than two riders side by side is a No-No.
- Lights to be carried by bicycles during darkness.
- You have to signal your intention.
- Wear the right clothing for visibility.
- You ring that bell before overtake other fellow users.
Know possible cycling risks to ride electric bikes safely on the road:
Cases of possible cycling risks
This article can only highlight a few possible cycling accidents to uplift your awareness during your cycling time. It is for your safety to evaluate the traffic in front of you.
Any distraction on the traffic condition of you or other drivers can immediately create possible cycling accidents.
Lost of focus on road condition
This accident looks impossible to happen since the traffic is moving slow or stopping. But the rider hit the back of the car due to their own carelessness.
Horse-play on the road
The young adults are full of energy and brave to try any new thing. Fun play can become horseplay if you are acting at the wrong locations. Unfortunately, sometimes miss fortune can happen any time.
Not riding in the cycling lane
The cycling lane is inappropriate with car side parking close to the cycling lane. When careless car drivers open car doors without watching can pose high risks to any cyclist pass-by the car.
The rider intends to ride on the road for not taking the risk to ride in the cycling lane with a side parking car. The rider is facing another risk of approaching a car that has the intention to pass over him.
No cycling lane for riders
The rider taking the risk to cycle in the center of the flowing traffic can knock down by any car if the car driver is not aware of his movement.
The cyclist is easy to squeeze between the two cars, but no guarantee that the car will not close the gap to hit him.
Cyclists riding at both sides of the car
The cyclist is riding on both sides of the flowing traffic so it is highly difficult for the car driver to see the rider is approaching the car.
An electric bike’s speed can surprise the car driver and hit the cyclist when the cyclist wants to pass through the car.
Cyclist riding too close to the side parking car
The local authority should not arrange side parking cars beside the cycling lane. It is highly unsafe for riders to cycle on this kind of cycle lane.
Add the Helpful System to improve Ride Electric Bike Safely on the road:
Software to protect change of the speed setting
The software from the Bosch e-bike system can recognize when the speed setting has been manipulated and automatically switches to emergency mode to reduce support, protect the system, and discourages manipulation.
COBI Bikes Smartphone solution
The COBI bike smartphone solution and the new SmartPhone Hub enable the mobile phone to be operated easily and safely using a thumb control on the handlebar. The rider’s hand will not lift away from the handgrip, making the rider safe.
Both COBI and SmartPhone Hub navigate using voice output so that you can keep your eyes on the traffic. If you are interested in the Bosch e-bikes Drive Accessory Set, click here for more details. “As Amazon associates, I earn from qualifying purchases.”
Automatic e-shift solutions
The automatic e-shift solutions for a hub gear system ensure that you always start safely in the best starting gear. With the installation of e-shift solutions, you can experience gentle start-up and optimal acceleration to keep you in a safe condition.
Bosch e-bike ABS anti-lock braking system
The Bosch e-bike ABS anti-lock braking system helps optimize the riding stability and control of an e-bike while making sudden and sharp brakes, reducing the rear wheel’s chance of lifting from the ground.
Follow the best practices to ride electric bike safely on the road:
Riding in the cycling lane
- Ride calmly and safely in the cycling lane as well as take care co-riders in the cycling lane.
- Avoid riding side by side in the cycling lane, while riding in a row is an awesome discipline.
- Adjust your speed to the condition the same as your fellow road users.
- Always keep both hands on the handlebar.
- You have to signal your intentions to the approaching users on the cycling lane.
Before riding on the live traffic
- Use in-mold helmets to offer warranty protection of your brain – The in-mold helmets have shock-absorbing hard injected directly into the outer shell of the helmet, making it an excellent protection for your brain.
- Check the battery status; it must be at least half-full to cover your whole riding distance because a sudden loss of power is a risk to the rider on the road.
- Check the chain condition so to ensure no loose unit and well lubricated – a sudden chain snapped is a risk to the rider on the road.
- Adjust your side mirror to view the approaching vehicles easily. Install at least one side mirror so that you’re safe change of the road course toward the center of the road.
- Check the carbon frame to ensure no crack line was formed because a sudden collapse of carbon frame or carbon forks is a risk to the rider on the road.
- Check the horn and lighting are working well, so it can help make yourself visible to other road users.
- Wear comfortable clothing and cycling shoes, put your hand phone in the holder so you are ready to ride on the road.
Ride Electric Bikes Safely when you are riding on the live traffic:
- Always riding on the edge of the road to give way to the faster vehicle, but avoid riding at the center of the road.
- Always give a signal of your intention to the fellow road user before making any riding course change if you need to change course in the middle of the road, aware of any approaching vehicles through the side mirror.
- Do not suddenly braking in traffic because it is extremely dangerous.
- Never practice the front braking alone. The rear wheel can lift and throw you away from your seat.
- Pay full attention to the traffic during riding regardless of how slow the traffic is. Any distraction can bring you unexpected risks.
- Do not go fast speed in heavy traffic because your fast speed may surprise the other road users.
- Always keep both hands on the handlebar. It helps to balance easier when the wheel hit something on the road.
- Do not ride on the wet road during bad weather time – The risk of lightning strikes on the riders is high.
Conclusion
From the accident record, wearing a quality helmet can reduce 80% of the head injury. Unfortunately, only 60% of the riders are willing to wear helmets when riding in traffic flow. In some countries, it is compulsory to wear a helmet if you are riding an electric bike.
Keep yourself safe is a good practice and not a limitation of your acts and freedom. Riding in a good manner can reduce risk for you and the people around you. Ride Electric Bike Safely cannot be achieved by a single rider; it is every road user’s responsibility. Let us start ride safely today.
If you have real experience related to riding an electric bike safely on the road, please share with us using our comment form below. Thank you for your visit, reading, and comments given to us.
View related posts to read about the high accident rate for speedy vehicles – electric-bikes-can-solve-transport-issues
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Wow! If I had some governing power, I will make it law that every rider immerse themselves in the insight you provided here. Riders are so prune to accident and most of such could be avoided only if people can take time to learn and implement what they learned. Simply things like wearing a helmet or sticking to the rider’s lame can save lifes.
I am happy you can appreciate the safety and accept discipline manner. After COVID 19, everybody learned how to avoid virus spread. Always some people do not think COVID 19 is a serious matter.
I wish every rider can reach home safely and enjoy a sweet gathering with the family members. Let us pray more safety articles can present to the road users. Thank you for your sweet comment; it tastes like Christmas candy.
There is much knowledge you’re share here about e-biking, I actually notice a lot more of these bikes are coming out and was really thinking about having one of them with the Christmas traffic we face every year end, this would really help to move around faster and then you came with this article which can really help me in making that decision. This article came at the right time for me, I must thank you much for sharing this.
I hope you can get a new e-bike as a Christmas gift for yourself. The priority to use the electric bike is reaching your destination in a safe and leisurely manner. You can estimate well when you can reach the place you want. Electric bike with special lane has less opportunity to caught in the jam. The only country with a crowded cycle lane is Netherland.
Thank you for your visit and comments given to us.
I currently live in South Korea on a military installation that allows what they call Personal Transportation Devices (PTD). A PTD is “any vehicle designed to transport personnel that is not registered as a motor vehicle, motorcycle, moped, or motor scooter.” This includes the electric bikes you speak of here, plus devices such as scooters, motorized skates, hoverboards, and more. While most of the personnel obey the rules of the road, a small few take unnecessary risks.
If you have never been on a military installation, I will tell you that traffic moves much slower on the installation than it does off the installation. I take this one particular stretch of road to get to work that is limited to 24 kph due to school crossings. Although posted, I still have people come flying by me on these electric bikes and scooters going well above the posted speed limit. You also see some of these riders not using proper hand and arm signals and not using the designated lanes when available. They are simply an accident waiting to happen, unfortunately.
I think everyone who operates PTD’s should have to come here and read what you have posted. That way, they are not only getting proper training, but they also stay safe—very informative post with tons of advice for avid electric bike riders and other electric and motorized devices.
Thanks for your informative feedback about PTD, which is a wider scope to include electric bikes, scooters, personal aid devices, etc. It is true I have never been on a military installation. I have more than 35 years of experience working for petrochemical plants, teaching workers how to work safely. My plant was awarded for Grand award and a Gold award for many years.
My article for safety should be open for use by any company except for google indexing for a website with the same content not allowed by Google, not me. Please feel free to copy into your training manuals to train the riders. Thanks for your good feedback; it encouraged me to write better for my next article.