Riding an Electric Bike for the First Time | Safety Tips

Hi guys, Alanna here with sixthreezero, we're going over ebike basics and today we'll be walking you through all the steps to riding an e-bike for the first time.

So, when it comes to riding an e-bike for the first time it's not as difficult as you may think, especially if you've already ridden a regular bike. But before getting started, there are a few things you want to make sure are complete. So, first, you want to make sure your battery is charged, you've got a helmet, your bike is assembled and the tires are inflated, and you want to make sure you've dressed appropriately for the ride. So, I like to wear pretty much just leggings and a t-shirt or jeans and a t-shirt and shoes that aren't too fancy, no heels, something that you're comfortable in. You basically just want to make sure that there's nothing on you that could get caught on any parts of the bike.

So, you've got your gear, you're ready to go. Now you want to make sure that your bike is adjusted for you, so you can do that by mounting the bike and seeing how it feels. And when you mount the bike, you want to make sure you grip the front brake and then swing your leg over. We have another video that goes over mounting the bike, so you can watch that for more tips and tricks. But here, from this position, you can see that the seat is a great height for me. I like it so that I can just touch my toes to the ground. You might like it a little lower. Especially if it's your first time, you might feel more comfortable if you can put your feet flat on the ground while seated, and that's okay, you can always adjust as you get more comfortable with the bike. But that's a good place to start if it's your first time riding an e-bike. And as for the handlebars, you just want them adjusted so that you can maintain a comfortable upright position, no real tension in your shoulders or elbows.

Okay. Once your bike is adjusted to your liking, you can dismount and get ready to ride. But before doing so, you want to make sure that you know how the brakes work. And we have a video, of course, on how to brake but just a brief overview: the right brake is the rear brake and the left brake is a front brake. And so you use the right to slow down and the left to come to a complete stop. If you use the left, or the front brake, on its own, you might tip forward. And if you use just the right brake, you will slow down but you might not come to a complete stop. So best practice is first engage the rear brake and then the left brake. So slow down and then come to a complete stop. So, make sure you're comfortable with that and you can see that the brakes are engaged and you can even test out each brake while pushing your bike just to make sure that they're working properly. But now you know that your bike is ready to go and you know how to stop safely.

All right, now that you are familiar with the brakes it's time to get the battery in. So, you can charge the battery while it's connected to the bike, or you can remove it and charge it that way. So if you removed it, now's the time to slide it in. And you'll have to use the key. Turn the key and then push it in that last bit to get it locked in place and then make sure to remove the key. If you leave the key in, there's the potential that, as things bounce around, it could get loose, and then the battery will slide out. But to make sure that it doesn't happen, just go ahead and remove the key. I've got a cute sixthreezero key chain so I don't lose my keys. And now you can turn the battery on. So there's a switch here at the back. You just flip the switch and now you can check your battery to make sure it's charged. So, to do so I just power on. Hold it for a few seconds until it lights up and then you can see your battery life on the display. So I'm going to turn that back off 'cause I always like to make sure the motors off before I mount the bike.

All right. So now you are ready to get on your bike. I am just going to toss these aside for now, but you can put them in your pocket or a basket if you have one. So now, helmets on.

Okay so, from here, the motor is off but the battery is on, and to mount the bike just hold the front brake, left-hand brake, and swing my leg around. So now I'm mounted, the bike is already adjusted so I'm ready to start riding. I'm just going to go ahead and turn the motor on. And you can see that it starts in pedal assist level one. So from here, you can go ahead and start riding. You could also test out the throttle, just give it a gentle push so you can see how fast it goes. If you're not comfortable starting with pedal assist, you can just lower it down to zero and it'll operate as a regular bike.

So, now you are just about ready to go on your first ride. You'll want to kick the kickstand up, motors on, going to start my ride on the app. And so, of course, you want to look both ways, make sure the road is clear, no obstacles or vehicles coming your way. And I find that the easiest way to get going is by using the throttle. So, what I like to do is hit the throttle while simultaneously lifting my feet. Know where your pedals are so that you can place your feet on the pedals. But just that boost from the throttle will give you enough momentum to stay balanced so you don't have to worry about pushing and keeping balanced at the same time. And then from there, you can lay off the throttle and just continue pedaling, the pedal-assist will kick in and you'll be riding. You can adjust the pedal assist as needed. I would stay away from levels four or five to start. So just keep it one, two, three, unless you feel really comfortable and you know that it's safe to ramp it up.

All right, so that should cover all the steps to going on your first e-bike ride. Hopefully, we answered any questions you may have. Like I mentioned, with the pedal assist, I would stray away from levels four or five to start with, keep it at one through three until you get more comfortable riding with pedal assist. But it's a lot of fun riding an e-bike. That's been my experience and every person's experience who I've taught or shown an e-bike has just totally loved it. Make sure you download the app, it's a great way to log your rides and stay motivated and build a good biking habit. We have weekly leaderboard prizes, so it's a lot of fun. And in our Pedalers group, people like to share their rides and streaks, and it's just a great way to get excited about biking. So, hopefully, this was helpful to you. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you for watching. It's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.

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