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Electric Mountain Bike

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The electric mountain bike is an idea that is still coming into its own. It is pretty well known that there have been engineering struggles with the electric car throughout the years, mainly due to the fact that the battery power required to propel a vehicle ends up being very heavy. This creates significant issues for engineers who are trying to maximize power and cruising range.

An electric mountain bike, however, requiring a less heavy battery, is an idea that might work more effectively. The electric mountain bike is much smaller, of course, and for this reason in some ways is predisposed toward being ready for an electric upgrade.

There are actually a few different kinds of electric mountain bike designs out there. Among the most commonly used designs are electric dirt bikes, which typically need to go only a short distance, and need fast bursts of speed rather than long-term endurance over several miles. Gas-powered engines are also available (and more common) on these bikes, but electric engines eliminate exhaust emissions and greatly reduce the noise for which gas-powered dirt bikes are sometimes known.

This benefit of noise reduction is a big reason why the electric mountain bike is catching on in other forms as well. Many people who go mountain biking want to enjoy the scenic quiet of nature, and the rumble of a gas-powered engine can be terribly disruptive in that situation.

One of the pioneers of electric mountain bike design was Neal Saiki. He came up with a design that weighed only 140 pounds and had a battery power back installed. Altogether this model weighed less than half of its gas-powered counterparts on average. Saiki’s design remained fast and durable and was widely acclaimed in the mountain bike community.

The power pack design that Saiki implemented had two batteries, which eliminated the need for re-charging. This was one of the biggest drawbacks to the electric bike beforehand—the battery running out and taking a long time to recharge. Saiki’s model was able to go just as fast as a gas-powered dirt bike or mountain bike, but was substantially quieter and lighter.
Even so, the electric mountain bike is still not equipped to go over vast terrain if you will not be stopping at places you can recharge. Saiki’s design, for example, is able to go only 40-50 miles before a recharge is necessary.  

New designs of the electric mountain bike also feature a “half-power switch,” which cuts the power in half, thus using less battery power and relying more on manual work. This gear is ideal for traveling in the city. 

As it is still a relatively new development, the electric mountain bike remains fairly expensive at this time. Some of that is because these bike designs have to be specially made and ordered—your standard bike shop is not likely to carry an electric mountain bike in most cases. It also remains difficult at this point to convert a standard bike to using electric power.

Nevertheless, more and more companies are announcing plans for their own designs of the electric mountain bike, and it promises to be an interesting technology that will surely continue to grow and improve in the future.

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