Ebike Displays Today and Tomorrow

What makes an ebike different from an acoustic bike is the motor, battery, and display.  When deciding on which ebike to purchase, your first priority should be to find a bike that accommodates your primary style of biking.  Popular bike styles are urban, hybrid, mountain, road, recumbent, folding, fat tire, etc.  Second in consideration might be the motor, whether hub or mid drive and the brand of motor followed by the power and range of the battery.  The display is far enough down the list that it will probably not be a significant factor in impacting the ebike you select, but it is good to understand the options and determine in advance if you will be satisfied with the display that comes with the ebike.

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A basic ebike display and control system

​Basic Displays
When the current generation of ebikes rolled onto the scene about ten years ago, they mostly had a basic display, or control system, with an on/off switch and some indicators.  The ebike display is usually mounted on the left side of the handlebar within reach. You want to keep your eyes on the road as much as possible so the display should be located where you can easily see it while pedaling.  It should be water resistant in case you encounter inclement weather.  At a minimum you want to have the following capability with an ebike display:   

• Indicator of the battery charge level
• Assist level the bike is currently in
• Ability to change assist level

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A modern ebike display located in the center of the handlebar

Modern Displays
A step up from a basic display is an LCD display that incorporates all of the basic functions plus additional ones typically found on a basic bike speedometer.  Speedometers, also called bike computers, have evolved over the last 20 years from the mechanical dial activated by a magnet on the wheel to more sophisticated ones that have capabilities you also see on fitness trackers and smart watches.  These might be able to collect and display the following data:

• Current speed
• Pedaling cadence
• Trip distance in miles
• Average speed
• Total distance
• Temperature
• Altitude

Other upgrades on modern displays that contribute to ease of use are a larger display, an LCD color display and locating the display separately from the controls, i.e. the control are near the left hand where it is easily accessible and the display is in the center of the handlebars for easy viewing. 

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​Future Displays
We are now starting to see innovations with displays as ebike designers take advantage of the battery, the miniaturization of electronics, and Bluetooth technology and they incorporate new functions not traditionally seen on a bike into an ebike display.  These functions might be built into a display mounted inside the frame of the ebike itself or through a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone app.  In some cases, there might not be a display on the ebike at all, but rather everything is controlled through an app that you download onto your smart phone.  There are ebikes on the market today or in early stages of development with the following advanced features:

• Navigation – For a cyclist the journey is just as important as the destination and you want options whether it be a route that is “easy," avoids main roads, highways or hills of a certain category, favors off road trails, includes intermediate destinations in route, or automatically reroutes based on construction and road closures.  Navigation software, maps, and GPS tracking is becoming more sophisticated as it will allow you to specify what features you are looking for in a ride and will provide help to plan it. 
• Transportation savings – Celebrate your use of sustainable transportation by having a display that computes how much energy you saved using an ebike instead of a car for your trip.   

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Display showing current battery charge level

• Multiple users – Share your ebike with other family members or friends and keep each user’s preferences and performance data separate.
• Battery range – A range-based navigation feature will take in account the battery level, the assist mode you’ve selected, the distance to your designation as well as the elevation profile of your route to estimate if you will be able to make it back home with the battery charge you have.  If you find yourself coming up short, you can reduce the assist mode and do more work pedaling to save some drain on the battery or you can modify your route to be shorter or with less elevation.    
• On board charging – Plug in your smartphone or a separate GPS device you may have into the display in order to charge them from the main ebike battery so you will not run out of charge on these peripheral devices. 
• Acoustic signals – A navigation aid incorporates beeps or voice instructions to draw your attention to upcoming turns or directions. These signals can also be used to warn of sharp transitions on the route such as quick turns or sharp bends in the road. 
• Display quality – By detecting ambient light and adjusting the display brightness automatically you will have optimized brightness, resolution, and readability on the display while riding.
• Theft alarm – An anti-theft feature is the capability to tell the bike that you are away.  Once activated and the device detects any movement an alarm will sound.  It may also be able to send a notification to a smartphone.  In some cases, there is a lock feature that deactivates all motor functions when the display which is uniquely linked to a bike is removed from the bike.   This feature is useful in addition to a mechanical lock.
• Crash detection – If a display that is connected to a smartphone detects there has been a crash, it will start a countdown and if it not stopped by the target time, it will place a call to your emergency contact. 
• Weather forecasts – Tapping into a weather app on a smart phone, the weather can be displayed for the remainder of your ride. This is useful during unsettled conditions to know of an upcoming storm so you can shorten or vary your route to avoid the adverse conditions.
• Fitness tracking - There are a variety of bands and watches that track heart rate, calories burned, and power exerted and when these features are combined with speed, distance and power data from the ebike it will provide a complete picture of the activity on a bike ride. 

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​What if your perfect bike does not have all the display features you would like?  In some cases, it is possible retrofit the display with another model or add a supplemental one with more functionality.  Just check the compatibility of the devices you would like to use.  ​

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