What You Should Know About Ebike Shifting

While not all ebikes have gears, most do and if your ebike has them you should know how to use them.  By shifting gears we’re talking about the gears in the bicycle drivetrain, not shifting the assist level of the electric motor.  On a non-assisted bike if you need to ride up a hill, you would shift the lever or grip on the handlebar to a lower gear in the wheel to take advantage of the bike drive train to spin faster with less effort.  But on an ebike, you can just switch to a higher assist level and have the motor power you up the hill.  So why do ebikes even have gears if you do not need them for different terrain?  When should you use them?

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Why Use Gears on an Ebike
When looking at the specs for an ebike, the spotlight is usually on the power of the motor and battery capacity and little attention is paid to the gearing system.  But gears are components to be aware of also, and here are some reasons to have and use them on an ebike:

1. Get up hills easier.  If you ride in hilly terrain your motor might not be able to get up steep hills.  Bikes come with different strength motors, but even if you have a powerful motor, 48v 500 watts or more, climbing hills will be slower if you make the motor do all the work.  It will be more efficient to help it along and do a little pedaling yourself.    
2. Battery range will be increased.  The more you use the motor and battery, the faster it will drain during a given ride, risking your having to pedal on the way home without any assistance.  You can meter out your available battery capacity by pedaling along with the motor.  
3. Help ride with little or no assistance.  An ebike is heavier than one without a motor and battery so whether you choose to ride without assistance for more exercise or you just run out of battery capacity, using gears will make it easier to pedal your way home. 
4. Find your optimal cadence.  When using the pedal assist if you find yourself spinning your legs fast or, on the opposite end, it is hard to pedal, adjusting to a harder or easier gear will make for a good cadence, ideally 90 Rotations Per Minute (RPM), and a more efficient ride. 
5. Get the workout you want.  Studies show that you can get just a good of a workout on an ebike as a non-assisted one, but this depends on how much effort you put in.  If you’re looking for a workout during a ride, turn off the pedal assist or put it in the lowest assist level and/or put it in a high gear that requires more effort by your core and legs, and get your heart rate up.  The opposite holds true so that if you are on a leisurely ride or just want to get home with the least effort, shift to an easier gear and spin easy.  You have options.  ​ ​

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Types of Bike Gears
Since ebikes are just regular bikes with the addition of a motor and battery, components that provide gearing on an ebike are similar to those found on non-assisted bikes.  The bike drive chain technology has been around for decades and is well understood.  One difference between the bike gears on an ebike versus a non-assisted bike is the number of gears—on a modern non-assisted bike there might be two or three gears in the front and 5-12 in the back for a total of 20-30 combinations.  Seven or eight gears is sufficient on an ebike due to the availability of the assist from the motor and battery.
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There are two basic gearing systems and it is helpful to understand which type you have on your ebike because it will affect how you use it. 

1. Internal hub gears – With this system gears are encased in the rear hub of the wheel.  They come in 3 to 11 speed options.  There will be a shifter on the right handlebar that pulls a cable that feeds into the hub and changes the gears inside.    
   
   Advantages of hub gears are that since they are not exposed to the elements, they can perform a long time without maintenance.  The chain will last longer since it stays on one cog and is not moved across different cogs.  Gears can be shifted when not pedaling and you can change several gears at a time, which is ideal in a city environment where you want to change gears while stopped and have a new gear when you start up again.  Hub gears work with the new belt drive systems that are becoming more popular. 
   
   Disadvantages of hub gears is that they weigh more than derailleur gears and are more expensive.  The inside consists of springs and pawls and in the rare case that one of these or something else inside fails, repairing is a job for an expert.  It can be more difficult to remove the rear wheel for truing or to repair a flat than a wheel with derailleur gears.   

2. Derailleur gears – These consist of a graduated set of silver colored sprockets or cogs in the back wheel and a derailleur, a component activated by the pull of a cable designed to move the chain across sprockets.  The cogs can be either a freewheel, where the bearings are inside the gears themselves or a cassette, where the bearings are in a hub that is part of the wheel.  The cable is tensioned via a shifter located on the handlebar.  You need to be pedaling in order to switch gears.  Some bikes also use a set of sprockets incorporated into the crank/pedals and a front derailleur but these are rare on ebikes. 

Advantages of derailleur gears are they have been around for decades and components are readily available (if there are no supply chain issues!).  Also knowledge on how to maintain them is readily available.

Disadvantages are that they are exposed to the elements and prone to getting dirty, out of adjustment, and damaged.  These have moving parts that do not perform well when covered with grime so they need cleaning, lubing, and adjustments for optimal performance.

How Ebike Gears Work
Gears on an ebike work similar to a regular bike.  The shifter to adjust the rear wheel gears is on the right side of the handlebar and can be either a grip, trigger, or thumb shifter.  The lower you set the gear number, the easier it will be to pedal, such as when you are going up a hill, and the higher the gear number, the harder you will have to pedal, but you will be able to go faster.   
 
When to Shift Gears
It is acceptable to shift gears when using assistance from the ebike motor.  How often you shift gears depends on your riding style--some people find their optimal gear and leave it there for their entire ride, while others are constantly shifting and fine tuning to match changes in terrain or stopping and starting. Shift into a lower gear when coming to a stop.  This will help you get going faster again, although with an ebike you have the options of shifting to a higher assist level or even the throttle if you have one for a quick burst of power when you want to roll from a dead stop or get across an intersection quickly.  

How to be Efficient at Shifting Gears
While there are multiple combinations of gears and assist levels, here are some best practices with which you can’t go wrong:

1. Anticipate changes in terrain – If you see an incline or desent coming ahead, shift in advance.  If you try to shift  to a lower gear while in the middle of ascending a hill, you will apply pressure on the cranks and chain resulting in stress on the components and grinding.  The chain might actually fall off the sprocket!  If you shift in advance you will be ready to tackle the incline easier.   It is less critical to shift in advance on a decent, although you may find yourself spinning out if you start out in a low gear that is too easy.  
2. Shift slowly – It is better mechanically to note which gear you are currently in and move to another one mindfully to make sure the change registers before going to the next one. 
3. Make one change at a time – Shift the gears or the assist level, but do one at a time if you don't have an internal hub.
4. Start with an easier gear – When in doubt, start with an easier gear and shift to a harder one if you want more speed on flat terrain.  Pedaling for long periods in high gears is hard on your knees and there is no need for a lung busting cardio workout everyday—unless that is what you are looking for!  Keeping a consistent cadence is most efficient and the idea is to shift gears to accommodate changes in terrain or speed so you are always pedaling at the same rate and effort.   

What if Your Ebike Does Not Have Gears 
Some ebikes are a single speed and do not have gears. The advantage of a single speed ebike is simplicity--there are less bike components resulting in a lower cost and less maintenance.  This may be appropriate if you ride on flat terrain, travel short distances, or are on a budget.  Without gears you will be using your motor or your legs to handle any changes in terrain or speed.  But the invention of the bike drive train 400 years ago has made bicycle gears popular for good reason so most ebikes today have them.

Practice Makes Perfect
Learning how to use the fundamental mechanical functions of an ebike like assist levels, brakes, pedals, and gears is worth the time to explore and master.  Until you get more confident shifting gears, seek out low traffic roads or trails where you can experiment with different combinations.  Don’t be surprised if your gear choices change as you ride more.  Eventually shifting will become second nature so you won't need to think twice about it.  Anyway you ride, the goal of an ebike is to get outside and have fun where ever you want to go.