The Benefits of a Pedal Assist Sensor
If you own an electric bike, you already know the different ways of activating the electric assist of your e-bike: hand throttle controls and pedal assist sensors (PAS). Which is better between the two ebike accessories? Of course, there’s no clear answer. It all comes down to how you plan to use your e-bike and your personal preference. Below, we’re going to discuss the benefits of having a pedal assist sensor for your ebike.
What is a Pedal Assist Sensor?
A pedal assist sensor or a PAS is a mode that provides power to your e-bike only when you are pedaling. If you have been using a traditional bike, a PAS has a more intuitive feel when compared to the throttle mode. The PAS usually works with a sensor that is mounted on the pedal crank or bottom bracket that automatically senses your pedal cadence or pedal torque for the newer e-bikes in the market, therefore indicating to the controller that it’s time to accelerate.
While some e-bike owners are still using the cadence pedal assist system, more are opting for the newer and more effective torque sensor PAS that measures the specific amount of torque that you apply when pedaling your e-bike.
What are the Benefits of a Pedal Assist Sensor?
Hands-Free and Great for Beginners
Unlike the throttle mode that requires you to hold on to a throttle or switch buttons on the handlebar of your e-bike, a pedal assist sensor helps you focus on pedaling. It’s much more hands-free and a great option for beginners who have no experience riding an e-bike before.
Different Levels of Assistance
Most pedal-assist e-bikes come with different levels of assistance: Low, medium and high assist. You can easily control your pedal assist settings using your e-bike LCD computer display. Just like in a mountain bike where you have different gear levels, with pedal assist, you also have different options. For instance, if you’re going downhill, a low pedal assist mode is perfect, but when going uphill, you can kick in high assist mode that will require less work on your end.
Gives You More Range
Considering that you’ll have to pedal to activate the pedal assist sensor, you’re likely to get more range out of your battery life when compared to the throttle mode. The fact that pedaling is needed to get your bike moving means that you don’t have to exclusively rely on your e-bike motor and throttle, ensuring utmost efficiency out of our battery pack.
Great for Exercise
A pedal assist sensor is great for e-bike lovers who want to ensure that they can easily exercise while using their electric bike. Most e-bikes today come with a lot of power and speed, and less need to pedal. Unless you don’t want to pedal at all, a pedal assist system is a perfect option if you want the good old-fashioned pedaling assistance for your e-bike.
Getting it Right
Your choice between having a pedal assist system or a push-button throttle for your e-bike depends largely on what type of riding experience you want. According to Leeds Electric Bike, a leading provider of e-bike kits and ebike accessories, whatever you choose, it’s good to have a look at various e-bike kits in the market so you can decide what option best suits you.
Leeds Electric Bike offers different types of e-bike kits with or without pedal assist sensors (PAS). You can choose whether or not to install a PAS system or implement other optional features that enable you to alter the performance of your e-bike. If you would like to learn more about our e-bike kits, please contact us.
