biking – mountain biking – bike riding

Ah, semantics! When someone tries to argue semantics with you,isn’t it always fun? It always makes for great conversation on a first date and it ensures that the other person will like you when you show them your superior grasp of meaning in casual dialogue.

Sometimes, however, semantics can be important. Like when you’re researching electric bike kits. When looking for information online, people use all sorts of phrases in search of what they’re looking for: ‘electric bike kit,’ ‘electric bicycle kits,’ ‘bicycle engine kits,’ ‘electric bicycle engines,’ ‘electric bicycle conversion kit,’ ‘electric bicycle motors kits’ … the list goes on. Often, with the right combination of words, you find what you’re looking for. Other times you’re pointed to something that you did not intend, like a gas-powered bike kit or an eBay listing for a non-descript ‘bicycle engine’ that does not include all of the other necessary parts to convert your bicycle.

Technically speaking, the phrases ‘electric bicycle engine’ and ‘electric bike motor’ are the same thing. These days, when one says ‘engine’ or ‘bicycle engine kits’ it normally connotes a non-electric engine, and in the context of electric bicycle motor kits, (the qualifying term ‘electric’ aside) a motor refers to an electric motor.

According to the Dictionary of ever-useful.com to produce force and motion” and a motor is “a comparatively small and powerful engine, esp,an engine is “a machine for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy or power. an internal-combustion engine in an automobile, motorboat, or the like” and is “also called an electric motor. Electricity. As an induction motor,amachine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.”

That said, referring to electric bike kits as ‘bicycle engine kits,’ or their motors as ‘electric bicycle engines’ is not a misnomer, it’s just not the typically understood language. While an ‘electric bike kit’ specifies the type of power source, ‘bicycle engine kits’ could include both electric bicycle or folding electric bike engines and gas-powered bicycle engines.

If you are looking at electric bikes as a way to increase your biking range and decrease your commute time, you are looking in the right place. Many people think to buy a pre-made ebike as their main bicycle and stick with that for all their around town transportation needs. But what if you already have a bike and do not see the need to shell out for a whole new set of wheels? Well, fortunately, there are some great ebike conversion kits on the market that will let you turn your existing ride into an electric battery operated powerhouse with just a few hours of quality time with your screwdriver.

Ebike conversion kits range in complexity and price from the most basic models that just give you a little extra boost through more difficult terrain and when you start to get tired after a long ride to the high end models that can turn your traditional human powered cycle into the next level down from a do it yourself Harley. Okay, not quite, but they can be quite powerful if you are willing to spend the money for a higher end model. Just like pre-fab ebikes or folding electric bikes, conversion kits come in a wide range of models, power levels and prices, and for the most part, barring the occasional great sale, you get what you pay for.

Conversion kits let your turn your bike into the same level of product as a traditional pre-made electric bicycle, with the same level of maintenance and quality… of course, assuming the bike you put it on was a good one to start out with,. The great thing about conversion kits is that if you have a bike you dearly love and can’t stand to part with, you can upgrade it and get the extra power you want without having to give up your two wheeled baby.