How to Choose the Right Electric Motor for Your Bike – Complete Guide to CYC Motor Kits
November 6, 2023
“How far can I ride on a single battery charge on an electric bike?” – this is the most frequently asked question before deciding to purchase a CYC Motor electric drive or any other. The answer isn’t straightforward, but in this post, we’ll show what a small battery can do in the mountains.
How many kilometers can you get from an electric bike battery – additional questions
If the answer is to be quick and short, it might go like this: On a single battery, you can ride an electric bike between 20 km and 100 km. That range might surprise or even disappoint, so for a more precise answer, we need to ask three key additional questions. Each of them includes an important factor: battery capacity, total elevation gain, and assistance level:
- Which battery do you mean – what’s its capacity in watt-hours (Wh)?
- What kind of terrain are you riding in, and on what type of bike – flat, smooth surfaces like asphalt or gravel with slick tires, or mountainous terrain, maybe even muddy or sandy trails with a heavy-duty mountain bike?
- How much assistance do you want from the motor, and how much effort are you contributing by pedaling?
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That’s why the range from a single battery can vary so widely. A typical battery currently used in branded electric bikes – around 500–600 Wh – can be fully drained after just 20 km in mountainous terrain (with 1,500 m of elevation gain) and high motor assistance (boost mode). The same battery can allow you to ride up to 100 km on flat terrain in economy mode. With drives like the CYC Motor we offer, instead of traditional boost or eco modes, you choose between gears – from 1 to 5 – in either street mode (weaker) or race mode (stronger). Still, it’s the same concept – gear 1 gives minimal support, while gear 5 is maximum assistance. The difference is that standard e-bikes limit the power to 250 W (in line with legal regulations), whereas CYC Motor systems can deliver up to 1,500 W (X1 Stealth Gen.3) or even 3,500–5,000 W (X1 Pro Gen.3), which drains the battery much faster.
How long does an electric bike battery last – mountain ride example
Here’s an example of a mountain bike ride in the Silesian Beskids near Brenna. A scenic route along hiking trails, as well as off-trail paths that are less known. The ride serves as a great example of the potential of a small battery, as it was nearly depleted by the end. We have complete data.
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First, route statistics according to a Garmin Oregon GPS device:
- Total distance: 36 km
- Total elevation gain: 1,300 m
- Total moving time: 2 h 40 min
Second, terrain: rocky mountain trails, some mud, with asphalt or gravel for about 10 km
Third, motor assistance level: the entire ride was in race mode (stronger) on gear 1 or 2, and in steep sections, gear 3 (out of 5), translating to power levels between 100 W – 600 W. Power above 500 W is considered fairly strong assistance.
Fourth, equipment: MTB bike Marin B-17 in mullet setup (27.5″ rear wheel, 29″ front), tires with aggressive tread – Maxxis Aggressor and Maxxis Dissector, with moderate pressure (using inner tubes). Drive system: CYC Motor X1 Stealth Gen1 mid-drive motor, Lift-MTB battery 36 V, 11.6 Ah, which is slightly over 400 Wh, carried in a backpack (battery weight 2.1 kg).
At the highest point of the route – Kotarz (974 m above sea level) – the battery was already nearly empty, but at that point, the total elevation gain had reached 1,222 m. The rest of the route was mostly downhill and then some asphalt/gravel, so no further assistance was needed, or I used it only occasionally. That’s why the battery still had power at the end of the trip. You can see the battery level comparison in photos from Kotarz and the trip’s end.
Summary
So, how far can you ride an electric bike on one battery charge? Mathematically, the answer is quite clear and practice confirms the theory. A 400 Wh battery will last for 1 hour of continuous use at 400 W – which is quite a lot. Or, you can ride for 2 hours at 200 W, or 4 hours at 100 W. And so on. If you’re riding on flat terrain with moderate assistance (100–150 W), a typical 600 Wh battery will last 4–6 hours, and in that time you can cover around 100 km. If you’re on a mountain bike and using much more assistance, battery life drops significantly. You may achieve a total elevation gain of 1,500 m or more, but the ride distance may shrink to 20–30 km.
The smaller battery I used on this mountain route – smaller than what’s in branded electric bikes – was enough for nearly 40 km of mountain riding with moderate assistance. It really depends on what the rider expects from the e-drive – light riding with strong support or longer range. Also remember, many factors influence range: total weight of the bike + rider, outside temperature, battery condition (new or used), and more.
This article uses my own photos and a map from the portal mapy.cz, which I highly recommend for planning outdoor activities. I also regularly use Compass paper maps.
