QUIET REVOLUTION
Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, are changing the way many hunters head afield. But are these two-wheeled wonders right for you?
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OPERATION
The first time you try riding an e-bike, it takes a bit of getting used to. For starters, most are more robust in size than pedal bikes. However, the ride is remarkably smooth thanks to the fat tires, even on uneven terrain. With most e-bikes, you can use pedal-assisted power, electric power exclusively or a combination of both.
The key to operating an e-bike like a boss lies in the digital settings, where you can lock in your desired gearing and torque. Finding the ideal settings for where and when you’re riding is often a matter of trial and error, however. And just as the accelerator can be more or less sensitive on any given car or truck, the same goes with the throttle on e-bikes. As a result, there can be a learning curve to using the twist-grip throttles.
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DRIVE SYSTEMS
I’ve hunted from pedal-powered mountain bikes and they work great, but navigating inclines on uneven ground can be tricky. The best tip I can offer anyone considering an e-bike purchase for hunting (or other outdoor activities), is to give serious thought to an all-wheel-drive model. Not all e-bikes have this, with some only equipped with a single rear-wheel-drive system.
I can tell you that the dual drivetrain motors on our Mammoth e-bikes from Vamoose are powerhouses. Mine is a 750-watt model, at the high end of what’s available, and Heather’s is a 500-watt bike. They both have two brushless 52-volt motors, one for the front wheel and one for the rear. And each is powered by 52-volt, 20-amp-hour Samsung lithium-ion battery systems, equipping them with 1,040 watt-hours of power for truly impressive thrust. The first time we ever took them out, we stayed on city streets and I was actually a bit startled by the raw power, winding my bike up to 43 kmh.