What is the Difference Between Pedal Assist and Throttle?
I’ve seen a lot of questions about the difference between pedal-assist and throttle electric bikes. I own an electric bike with both throttle and pedal-assist. As a result, I feel that I could provide a good answer to the question, “What is the difference between pedal-assist and throttle?”
As a general rule, the difference between a pedal-assist e-bike and a throttle e-bike is that pedal-assist engages the motor of your electric bike while you are pedaling. On the other hand, a throttle e-bike uses a throttle to engage the motor which makes your electric bike move even without pedaling.
This article will cover the key differences between pedal assist and throttle. We will go over which electric bikes have pedal assist, which eBikes have a throttle, and if it’s possible to have both. By the end of this article, you will have a full understanding if a pedal-assist or throttle electric bike would be the best fit for you.
What Is the Difference Between Pedal Assist and Throttle?
Aside from their systems, pedal-assist and throttle e-bikes also differ in their max speed, battery drainage time, comfort, fitness capacity, and the laws that govern their operation.
| Pedal-Assist | Throttle | |
| System | Motor engages by pedaling | Motor engages by twisting the handlebar or pressing a thumb-sized button |
| Allowable Speed | Up to 28 mph | Up to 20 mph |
| Fitness Capacity | Can give you a good workout | Not much of a workout |
| Battery Drainage | Does not drain your battery fast | Can drain the battery quickly |
| Legality | Almost all pedal-assist are legal | Some throttle-assist are illegal |
| Comfort | Almost effortless but can still make you sweat | Effortless and almost no sweat at all. |
System Used for Pedal-Assist and Throttle
Pedal-Assist System
Pedal-assist electric bikes engage the motor by pedaling. Pedal-assist only works while you pedal. When you stop pedaling, your electric bike motor will turn off. As a result, you don’t have any option but to pedal if you want your motor to provide you with assistance.
Pedal-assist electric bikes have different assistance levels, and most eBikes have five different levels that you can set. You can choose a high or low level pedal-assist, depending on your needs.
Throttle System
On the other hand, throttle-assisted electric bikes engage their motors by using a throttle. The throttle can either be a thumb throttle or a twist throttle.
A twist throttle on an e-bike works by twisting the end of the handlebar back towards the rider. When you twist the handlebar, your electric bike motor will turn on which will propel your eBike forward. The eBike motor will turn off as soon as you stop twisting the handlebar.
The thumb throttle functions by pressing a thumb-sized button that engages the motor which will cause the e-bike to move. As soon you stop pressing the thumb throttle button, your eBike motor will turn off.
You can use the throttle to engage the e-bike motor, whether you are actively pedaling an electric bike or not. As a result, you can ride a throttle electric bike without pedaling. This makes a throttle electric bike similar to a motorcycle in this specific regard. If you want to learn more about how an electric bike throttle works, feel free to check out our article How an Electric Bike Throttle Works (Choose the Right Throttle)
Suppose you decide to use an electric bike’s throttle without pedaling. This will cause you to burn through your electric bike’s battery much faster than if you were to use your pedal-assist function instead.
You can still ride your e-bike by pedaling when the motor is turned off without the assistance of either system.
Allowable Speed of Pedal-Assist and Throttle
Pedal-assist electric bikes can either fall under a Class 1 or Class 3 classification. Class 1 e-bikes can go up to 20 mph, and Class 3 e-bikes can go up to 28 mph in almost all states.
On the other hand, most throttle-assisted e-bikes fall under Class 2. Class 2 e-bikes can only go up to 20 mph.
If you want to learn about the laws that govern electric bike us in your particular states, check out our article: Are Electric Bikes Street Legal (Detailed Info: All 50 States)
The electric bike motor will turn off when your e-bike has reached the maximum speed that is set on the e-bike controller regardless of whether you are using the pedal-assist function or the throttle function.
If you want to travel any faster than the max speed set by your controller, you will have to pedal.
Fitness Capacity of Pedal-Assist and Throttle
Using a pedal-assist electric bike can provide you with an effective workout. Riding a pedal-assist e-bike is just like riding a regular bicycle, but with assistance from the motor. On an electric bike with pedal assist, you can travel further when compared to a traditional bicycle, all while burning calories.
On the other hand, riding a throttle-assisted e-bike is like riding a motorcycle or an electric scooter. Aside from your arm muscles that control the balance of your e-bike, you won’t get much of a workout if you heavily depend on using the throttle to propel you forward. The only way you are going to increase you fitness level on a throttle electric bike is if you depend less on the throttle and pedal more.
You can actually get a more intense work out on a throttle electric bike when compared to a regular bike if you turn the throttle off. This is because a typical electric bike weighs a lot more than a traditional bike and much more effort is needed to move it.
If you want to learn more about working out on an e-bike, take a look at our article “Workout on an electric bike (Lose Weight and Maximum Fitness).” In this article, you will learn how to get a good workout on an e-bike, some tips to lose weight using an electric bike, and other helpful information.
Battery Drainage Time of Pedal-Assist and Throttle
Throttle-assisted e-bikes drain their batteries much faster than pedal-assisted e-bikes. This is because throttle-assisted e-bikes do not rely on pedaling, so they use more power from the motor. When you are using more energy from the battery, it will drain your battery faster.
Pedal assist using less energy from the battery in comparison, as some of the power propelling your eBike forward is generated when you pedal.
Legality of Use of Pedal-Assist and Throttle
Pedal-assisted electric bikes are legal to use in almost all 50 states in the U.S. You can ride eBikes in bike lanes in most areas. In addition, most states do not require any license or insurance when riding a pedal-assist e-bike. If you want to learn more about if e-bikes are street legal where you live, check out our article “Are electric bikes street legal (detailed info: all 50 states).”
Throttle-assist e-bikes are not legal to use in some states. That is because some throttle-assisted e-bikes are considered moped bicycles in some locales. If your electric bike is classified as a “moped bicycle” in your area, you would have to follow the rules and regulations implemented for motorcycles. That includes having valid insurance, license, and registration.
Comfort in Using Pedal-Assist and Throttle
Throttle-assist e-bikes are more comfortable to use than pedal-assist electric bikes. However, even though pedal-assist gathers assistance from the motor, there is still a possibility that you can develop leg fatigue, unlike individuals who use throttle-assist e-bikes without pedaling.
On a throttle-assist e-bike, you could get to your destination quickly without getting too hot and sweaty if you rely solely on the throttle and decide not to pedal.
Did You Know?
In 1989, Yamaha Built one of the first prototypes of electric bicycles and later also invented the pedal-assist system in 1993.
https://www.ebicycles.com/ebike-facts-statistics/
Is Pedal-Assist Better Than Throttle?
As a whole, pedal-assist is not better than throttle, and the throttle is not better than pedal-assist. Pedal-assist and throttle are designed for different purposes, and each system has its distinct advantages and disadvantages.
If you’re looking for the better option, you have to figure out if pedal-assist or throttle works better for your specific situation.
A pedal-assist e-bike is the better option if you are looking to pedal and you want to have more of a workout on your e-bike. In addition, pedaling will help you conserve battery life.
On the other hand, if you’re not into pedaling, a throttled e-bike could be an excellent choice for you as you don’t have to pedal if you don’t wish to. It would be best to be mindful of your state’s e-bike laws if you want to use a throttle electric bike as they are not allowed to be ridden everywhere. If you want to find out if a throttle e-bike is legal in your state, feel free to check out our article: Are Electric Bikes Street Legal (Detailed Info: All 50 States)
The good thing about electric bikes nowadays is that some e-bikes have both pedal-assist and throttle. It is great to have both options in just one electric bike, so you won’t have to choose.
Can You Use Throttle And Pedal-Assist At The Same Time?
As a general rule, you can use pedal-assist and throttle at the same time. This is only possible if your electric bike allows you to use both throttle and pedal-assist. Though this is a feature for some e-bikes, most e-bikes do not allow these two functions to be used at the same time.
On some electric bikes, you can use the pedal-assist and throttle features at the same time. But, you might be wondering, “how is that even possible?” Well, with pedal-assist, your motor engages when you pedal and provides you assistance with your riding.
Now let’s take a look at how having a throttle on top of your pedal assist may come in handy. For example, let’s say you were riding along using pedal-assist, and you came across an inclined hill.
In this situation, you can directly twist the handlebar or press the thumb-size throttle button to use the throttle. As a result, your motor will engage and provide you with an extra boost that could enable you to climb up the hill quickly.
However, that might not be true for some e-bikes. For example, there are electric bikes with both pedal-assist and throttle features, but they do not allow you to use both simultaneously. As a result, you need to use either the pedal-assist or the throttle at any one point in time. But, of course, you can always choose to use neither.
Are All Electric Bikes Pedal-Assist?
As a whole, not all electric bikes have pedal-assist. Instead, electric bikes are either equipped with a pedal-assist system or throttle. There are also electric bikes that have both pedal-assist and throttle systems.
Not all electric bikes have pedal-assist. Some of them have throttles, or even both pedal-assist and throttle. The system used (pedal-assist or throttle) on your e-bike depends entirely on how the manufacturer designed the electric bike.
If you have a pedal-assist e-bike, the motor will assist you as you pedal. On the other hand, if you have a throttled e-bike, you can use the throttle alone to propel your electric bike forward without having to pedal.
Can You Put a Throttle on a Pedal-Assist eBike?
As a general rule, you can put a throttle on a pedal-assist e-bike. Likewise, you can add throttle to most electric bikes as long as they are suitable for throttle installment. Your controller must have an available wire to connect a throttle in such a scenario.
Putting a throttle on your pedal-assist e-bike is possible if you have a suitable e-bike.
Putting a throttle on your pedal-assist e-bike will provide you with an extra boost in your ride. In addition, you won’t have to worry about pedaling if you have throttle mode on your e-bike.
However, before installing a throttle, be mindful of the laws in your particular state because there are states where the use of throttled e-bikes is not legal. In addition, please note that the throttle feature can drain your e-bike battery faster. As a result, you might not be able to ride your electric bike for as long as you would if you were using pedal-assist alone.
If you plan to buy a twist throttle, we recommend this eBike Twist Throttle which comes with a built-in LCD Display. You can pick it up on Amazon. On the other hand, If you plan to buy a thumb throttle, we highly recommend RICETOO eBike Thumb Throttle. It even has a waterproof plug.
If you want to learn more about throttle-assisted e-bikes and how they work, please visit our article “How an electric bike throttle works (Choose the right throttle).”
If you plan to add throttle to your pedal-assist e-bike, you can feel free to watch the video below.
Are Pedal-Assist eBikes Worth It?
As a general rule, pedal-assist e-bikes are worth it. That is because pedal-assist electric bikes have many benefits to offer, including a good workout, longer travel distances, and have a widely accepted ability to use legally on roads in most states.
Pedal-Assist eBikes Can Provide a Good Workout
Having a pedal-assist e-bike is worth it because it can provide you with a good workout. Riding a pedal-assist e-bike is very similar to riding a typical bicycle. However, you have to pedal your electric bike for the motor to engage to provide you with assistance. As a result, you can get a good workout out of your pedal-assist e-bike as you can’t depend on the motor alone.
When using a pedal-assist e-bike, you can adjust the level of assistance that your motor will provide. The lower the assistance level, the greater the workout you can obtain. You can enjoy a relatively effortless ride with pedal-assist electric bike while staying fit and healthy.
If you want to increase your fitness or lose weight with your e-bike, you can check our article, “Workout on electric bike (loss weight and maximize fitness).” This article will provide you with helpful information on how you can get a good workout on your e-bike.
Pedal-Assist eBikes Travel Longer Distances
Your pedal-assist electric bike can travel longer distances when compared to a throttled e-bike. This is because a throttled e-bike drains your battery much faster than a pedal-assist e-bike. The mileage that your pedal-assist e-bike can obtain depends heavily on the level of assistance you set, your battery capacity, the type of terrain you are riding on, and your riding style.
Suppose you set your pedal-assist system to the highest pedal-assist level available on your electric bike. In that case, your motor will pull more energy from the battery, resulting in much quicker battery drainage.
Even without pedal-assist, you can still pedal and ride your electric bike.
The amount of distance you can travel on your e-bike also depends on your electric bike’s battery capacity. The higher the battery capacity, the longer your e-bike can travel. We have an entire article on electric bike batteries and how long they can last that you can check out.
The type of terrain and your riding style can also significantly impact the range of your pedal-assist e-bike. For example, your battery will likely drain faster if you’re into extreme off-road riding.
Pedal-Assist eBikes are Legal to Use in Most States
What makes a pedal-assist eBike worth buying is its legality of use in most states. Most states allow pedal-assisted electric bikes to be used on public roadways. If you want to learn more about the legality of e-bikes in all states, you can check out our article “Are electric bikes street legal: Detailed info (all 50 states).”
What Is The Difference Between Electric Bike And Pedal-Assist?
As a whole, the difference between an electric bike and a pedal-assist is that an electric bike is a motorized bicycle powered by a battery, whereas a pedal-assist is a system that an electric bike can have.
An electric bike is powered by a battery that provides the motor with energy to propel your e-bike. An electric bike can either have a pedal-assist system or a throttle system.
Most electric bikes are equipped with a pedal-assist system. You can ride your electric bike with a pedal-assist like a regular bicycle. However, your ride will involve less leg muscle stress and effort, as your electric motor will automatically assist you with propulsion during your ride. This is assuming your pedal assist is turned on.
If you plan to buy an electric bike that fits your budget, our article “Best Electric Bike Brands (Ranked by Budget Level & Style” can help you decide.
