An electric bicycle, as the word itself says, is a bike that works with a motor that is powered by a battery (the battery is charged with electricity). These bikes help you pedal when this motor assistance is activated. What does it mean? When you pedal and activate the assist, the motor pushes you, but if you stop pedalling, the motor stops working. This part must be taken into account because there are still people who believe that electric bicycles take you everywhere by themselves, and this is not the case. You also have to pedal. Believe it or not, one of the most typical questions that everyone asks is: Do you really exercise? with an electric bike? And this is a great advantage of the electric bicycle.
HovscoEbikes can be used both with pedal assistance and without assistance (like a conventional bike of a lifetime). If you activate the assist modes, the effort when pedalling will be much less. Electric bikes are perfect for climbing as you can use the help, but you can also go unassisted and get as much exercise as you want on the bike.
Tips for cycling around the city without contaminating yourself
Cycling is very healthy, you play sports, it is sustainable transport but in many cities, you can suffer collateral effects. There are studies that show that if you spend a lot of time in places with polluted air, you could have lung or cardiovascular diseases, for example. And we don’t want that to happen. So, follow these tips on how to avoid pollution and keep cycling. It is healthy and does not pollute!
- Choose a route with little traffic
Choose well the route you will do with the bike before leaving home. Try to go through streets with less car, motorcycle or bus traffic (whenever you can). It has been shown that if you move at least 25 meters away from the road where cars travel, particle pollution drops by up to 50%.
- Try not to pedal too fast
When you ride a bike around the city, don’t pedal too fast so you can breathe easy. Also, if you ride an electric bike, as you breathe easier, you absorb fewer polluting particles because you can make less effort.
- Separate yourself from the other vehicles
If you stop behind a car, stay two meters or more. The closer you are to the car or any other combustion vehicle, the more pollution you will receive. It seems obvious, but sometimes we don’t think about it. It is best to go along bike lanes, if there are any, so as not to go on the same road as cars. It is also important that you do not go near heavy vehicles (trucks, buses) because their engines are more powerful than those of motorcycles or cars and they emit more particles that harm your health.
- wear a mask
You can wear a mask, especially on days with high levels of pollution. We already know about masks thanks to the covid-19 pandemic, but the mask you use to reduce exposure to pollution cannot be just any mask, but one that is certified and filters at least 90%.
Improving air quality in cities means using the bicycle more and less using the car. Changing the way, we move and making cities more and more adapted to cyclists will help reduce pollution and allow us to breathe easy while pedalling through the streets of our city.
How to carry the mobile on the bicycle legally
With the new Traffic Law, using a mobile while riding a bike or scooter is prohibited. But… what do we mean by using the mobile? Carry it in your hand? Touch the screen? look at it. We tell you how to carry your mobile phone on the bike legally and without it being a danger.
What does the Traffic Law say about the use of mobile phones?
Understanding the new law is very easy: it is forbidden to use mobile if you are riding a bike. This includes both carrying the mobile in your hand and between the helmet and the head (ear), whenever you are pedalling a bicycle. If you are standing or carrying a bike while you are walking, there is no problem. But there is an exception in which you can use the mobile while pedalling: you can use it if you are cycling as long as you use it as a GPS. That is, you can place it on a special smartphone holder on the handlebar of the bike and you can use it as a GPS to see where you are going and if the route you are following is the correct one to get where you want. Placing it in a smartphone holder on the bike is the best way to carry your phone safely and without fear of being fined.
According to the DGT, the new regulation from March 21, 2022, says that “It is prohibited to drive and use headphones connected to receivers or sound players, as well as the use of mobile phones.” But Article 18 of the General Circulation Regulations says the following: “The use by the driver with the vehicle in motion of devices such as screensis considered incompatible with the mandatory permanent attention to driving. The use of monitors that are in sight of the driver (…) as well as the GPS device is excerpted for these purposes.
How to carry the mobile on the bicycle correctly?
In short, it is forbidden to use the mobile except if it works without us having to touch the screen or use headphones. So, attach a smartphone mount to the bike’s handlebars and it can work as a GPS. Don’t worry, you won’t miss out!
Oh, and don’t forget to stop the bike and get off it to pick up your mobile to WhatsApp with your friends. If you use it while pedalling, you can have an accident and, in addition, you can be sanctioned with a €200 fine and up to 6 points on your driving license (if you have one).
