Ultimate Guide to Electric Bike Speeds: How Fast Can an Electric Bike Go?

September 18, 2019

Electric bikes, or e-bikes are getting more and more popular, and it is easy to see why. E-bikes may sound like an extravagant product, but many people have the wrong idea about them. Electric bikes are essentially the same as traditional bikes, but more efficient and powerful. This does raise the question, however, of how fast do e bikes go.

How Electric Bikes Work

Before tackling the question of how fast e-bikes are, you need to understand how they work. Many people wrongfully assume that e-bikes entirely use a motor to propel the bike. Rather, electric bikes have a motor that activates when you pedal, giving you a boost. This is why it is more beneficial to think of e-bikes as the next evolution of bicycles, rather than an entirely different product. The best electric bike improves your pedaling efforts, making it possible to achieve a faster top speed than would otherwise be possible.

Pedaling

Because electric bikes are so similar to traditional bikes, the speed is going to vary based on how strong your pedaling is. You can ride an e-bike with the motor turned off, which means the bike will go just as fast as any other non-electric bike. Likewise, when you have the motor turned on, it will eventually hit a cap. When you reach a certain speed, the motor will stop giving you a boost. If you are able to reach this limit, then it will be entirely up to your muscles to determine how fast you are capable of going. If you are not capable of reaching this limit, then the motor will determine what your top speed is.

Motor Assist

So how fast do electric bikes go when using the battery? For most e-bikes, the speed cap is 20 miles per hour. Some of the fastest ebikes can get up to about 28 miles per hour before the motor stops assisting your pedaling. Different e-bikes are designed with different goals in mind. Some bikes are made for a daily commute, some are made for going off-road, and the electric cruiser bike is made for providing the most comfortable riding experience possible. So if top speed is your goal, you should consider a bike made for going fast.

Customization

At this point, you may be wondering how to make e bike faster. If 28 miles per hour is not enough for you, then there may be something you can do to push your e-bike a little further. Keep in mind, however, that traditional bikes really only get up to about 20 to 25 miles per hour, so the fastest e-bikes are already pushing the limit. First of all, do all the regular maintenance tasks to make your bike as fast as possible, including:

Fully inflating the tires
Installing smooth tires
Tuning your brakes

After that, you should also ensure that your battery is as charged as possible. Choosing a battery with the highest voltage possible will also boost your speed a little bit more. At a certain point, however, it stops being safe to push your speed any higher. No matter what your needs are, you can find a e-bike to match them.