As is known to all, suspensions have been applied to every car. They are built to absorb tires' energy so drivers can smooth out those bumpy roads. What about ebikes? Definitely, with two tires, electric bikes can be equipped with the suspension to provide a better riding experience for ebike riders. But, we have to make it clear: not all electric bikes come with suspension. After all, they can work as a rigid ebike.
When we mention suspension on ebikes, full-suspension electric mountain bikes must be a topic that we can’t miss. All the time we can see everyone on the internet saying that they are great in terms of their performance, or something like that. Also, others think they are overrated and expensive, wondering if full-suspension ebikes are worth the money. They are just some of the most asked questions. Recently, another question about full-suspension ebikes comes to us: Are they safer? Well, today we will dig into this topic.
Differences between Hardtail Ebikes and Full Suspension Ebikes
You may find out the two words, hardtail ebikes, and full suspension ebikes, are always together. What are their differences?
Hardtail Ebikes
We think that it is quite easy to understand what is special about this kind of ebikes. “Hardtail” means that the rear part lacks suspension. To put it simply, hardtail ebikes are equipped with only front suspension. When you are riding on a hardtail ebike on bumpy roads, the front wheel is able to smooth out the bumps while the rear part can be a little bit tough and hard.
However, there are still advantages to hardtail ebikes. Usually, they are much lighter than full-suspension ebikes as they have only one front suspension fork. When it comes to electric mountain bike riding, it will be much easier and safer. Also, their speed can be a lot faster with less weight, but this is not absolute. If the full suspension ebike is equipped with a more powerful motor than that of a hardtail bike, the hardtail ebike is not faster necessarily. Also, another important factor is the price. With the incomplete suspension system, hardtail ebikes cost much less than full suspension ebikes.
Full Suspension Ebikes
Literally, a full-suspension ebike has a full-suspension system. The system could include a rear and a front suspension fork. Also, some frames of full-suspension ebikes are designed to be more adaptable to vibration, absorbing much shock on roads. In real life, this sort of ebike is called Softail ebikes as the rear part of them is kind of soft while riding over bumps.
To be honest, a full-suspension ebike is a better choice for skilled riders, making crazy moves. The full suspension system guarantees their safety while hitting the ground. Imagine when you hit the ground on a rigid ebike from a high position, what will happen? Chances are you may fall and hurt yourself. Moreover, even though you reach the ground safely, your arms, hands, butt, and even the whole body can be sore and uncomfortable due to the strong shock. That is one of the reasons why people don’t ride off-road with rigid ebikes.
Basically, a full-suspension electric bike for adults could absorb shock and dampen vibration wherever you are riding on it. You are going to have the most comfortable rides you’ve ever had. Also, as for safety, when it comes to making moves, you are going to get the most out of your skills on a full-suspension ebike. It is just like the difference between PS4 and PS5.
Of course, a better ebike comes at a higher cost. As I said above, full-suspension ebikes are more expensive than normal ebikes. So you’d better think twice before making a decision. As for their greater weight, well, we do think that it makes no difference since most ebikes are heavy enough.
Are Full-Suspension Ebikes Safer?
Our answer is yes. Why not? Below are xx reasons why full-suspension ebikes are safer.
Quality
The quality of an ebike affects your safety greatly. To put it simply, when you are riding halfway and your brakes don’t work, your tires are flat, and your handlebars are loose and moving around, how are you safe? These little examples can lead to tragedies easily, which are closely related to quality.
Normally, to provide a better experience and performance, ebike manufacturers try their best to apply high-quality materials to the process of producing a full-suspension ebike. However, we couldn’t say that every ebike brand will do so. Some electric bike manufacturers will use low-quality materials to get the cost down so that they can sell more of their trash ebikes.
Talking about quality, we must say a self-owned factory makes a huge difference, just like that of Magicycle. Whenever we got issues or advice about our ebike, Magicycle is able to make changes and improvements as soon as possible with its own factory, saving unnecessary procedures. With a factory that is owned by others, any ebike brand can lose some efficiency when it comes to making improvements as they have to spend time communicating with the factory.
Full Suspension System
The suspension system is the key to why full suspension ebikes are safer. While riding on rugged terrain with ebikes without suspension, you will possibly fall and hurt yourself because of some unseen rocks and bumps. Here we recommend you don’t ride off-road with an electric bike without suspension. With a full-suspension system, the ebike can not only absorb shocks and dampen vibration from bumpy roads, but provide smooth control and handling. In this way, you are going to ride stably and stay safer.
What Are Potential Dangers of Electric Bikes?
Well, as mentioned above, we think that full-suspension ebikes are safer than normal electric bikes. However, there are some potential safety issues that every kind of ebike can have if not used properly.
1. Ebike Battery Fire
Yes, we know that most ebike batteries nowadays are smart and can shut off automatically when it is fully charged. However, some riders always forget to unplug the chargers, which can possibly lead to overheating of batteries. Things can work like this: The battery is fully charged and the charger stops working, but an ebike battery capacity can drain out slowly even without being used. When the 100% battery drops to 99%, the charge will start working again. When you have a charger plugged in overnight, this process can repeat over and over again.
Also, some riders tend to charge their batteries outside without any cover. This is dangerous as well because it could be raining or snowy outside, both of which can damage ebike batteries directly.
2. Flat Tires on Electric Bikes
Whether you are riding ebikes, full-suspension ebikes, or regular bikes, flat tires can happen anytime. And once it happens, you can get hurt easily. Even if you are lucky enough to avoid injuries, it can cause you a lot of trouble. A common problem with tires could be overinflating. Once overinflated, ebike tires could have less traction. When they hit something sharp, they could be flat much more easily.
Also, it doesn’t mean that you should inflate less air into tires. It could depend on your weight, the terrain, and your tires. You are recommended to ask for all these details from where you purchase your ebikes.
Conclusion
Generally, a full-suspension ebike can be a lot safer and more fun compared with a regular electric bike, especially when you are intending to ride on electric mountain bike trails, but as we always say, safety is always the top priority. No matter what kind of ebikes you are riding, you’d better keep an eye on the potential dangers of ebikes. Also, you can check out our blog about how to ride ebikes safely.
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