Should you get an e-bike with Pedal Assist or a Throttle? Here's what some manufacturers don't want you to know.

You probably already know that you can get an e-bike with a Throttle or a Pedal Assist, but did you know you can get one with both? As a manufacturer, it makes me laugh when I hear what some other manufacturers say. Stuff like "Pedal Assist gives you better range." Or "Throttles are dangerous and Pedal Assist bikes are much safer," or "you can't use a Throttle with a mid-drive motor.”

These things just aren't true. Do you really get more range with Pedal Assist because you're pedaling? You can pedal on a bike with a Throttle. Is it really more distracting to push down your thumb three-quarters of an inch on a Throttle than it is to pedal an E-bike? I doubt it.

Pedal Assist can actually be dangerous too. Like in a turn. If you start pedaling, it could make the bike accelerate.

The real reason a lot of these manufacturers are making bikes without Throttles is that they provide bikes for both the European market, where Throttles are illegal and the US market. And it's cheaper and easier to make the same bike for both markets. So forget all that malarkey and get an E-bike with a Throttle and Pedal Assist.

December 15, 2023 — JP Blake