Comparison LikeBike Flash vs Airwheel R5

The maximum weight for which the frame, wheels, suspension, brakes, and other components of the electric bike are designed. This usually implies the weight of the rider along with baggage and accessories: for example, a backpack, basket, child seat, or load on the luggage rack. It is not advisable to exceed this limit, as the additional weight reduces maneuverability, increases braking distance, and accelerates wear on the wheels, spokes, hubs, and frame.

Approximate distance that an electric bike can travel on a single battery charge. Specifications usually indicate an estimated value, as the actual range depends on the chosen level of assistance, rider's weight, terrain, speed, temperature, and tire pressure. For example, in economy mode, an e-bike can travel significantly further than when constantly riding with maximum support and speed downhill.

The characteristic of the electric motor in watts shows how actively it assists in acceleration, climbing hills, and riding with a load. For leisurely city rides and bike paths, a motor of about 250 W is often sufficient. For suburban routes, hills, and heavier riders, a reserve of 350 – 500 W is more convenient. Values of 750 W and above are more commonly found in powerful fat bikes, cargo, and off-road models. When choosing, it’s important to consider that high power quickly depletes the charge and doesn’t always mean greater speed: real dynamics are also influenced by torque, bicycle weight, battery capacity, and controller settings.

The maximum speed at which an electric bike can accelerate using the electric motor. For relaxed city rides and bike paths, models with a limit of around 25 km/h are usually sufficient, while options with speeds of approximately 30–35 km/h are found for suburban routes and more dynamic riding. Higher speeds are more common in powerful off-road bikes, fat bikes, and high-speed models.

It is worth considering that the actual speed depends on the motor's power, rider's weight, battery charge, terrain, wind, and controller settings. In some cases, it may also be limited by traffic regulations or firmware.

The wheel size of an electric bicycle in inches affects compactness, stability, rolling, and passability. The larger the wheel, the easier it rolls over bumps and maintains speed, but the bigger the bike itself becomes.

Small 20″ wheels and below are typical for folding e-bikes, 26″ is well-suited for city rides, leisure, and basic off-roading, while 27.5″, 28″, and 29″ are often chosen for mountain, road, touring, and high-speed models.

A system of spring, air, or elastomer elements that softens bumps and makes the ride more comfortable. Suspension affects the purpose of the bicycle.

— Front. The suspension fork is installed at the front and softens impacts on the front wheel. This is the most common option for city, recreational, mountain, and touring e-bikes: it helps with curbs, potholes, tiles, gravel, and light off-road without making the bike too heavy and complicated.

— Front and rear. Suspension is available both in the front and rear, so bumps are absorbed by both wheels. This setup is better suited for trails, forest roads, rocks, roots, descents, and active riding but makes the electric bicycle more expensive, heavier, and more demanding to maintain.

— Rear. A shock absorber is installed at the rear, softening impacts from the rear wheel or the saddle part of the frame. This option is less common than front suspension and can be useful for enhancing comfort on rough roads, especially if the main load falls on the saddle and rear of the bicycle.

— None. A rigid design without shock absorbers is simpler, lighter, and cheaper to maintain. It is well-suited for smooth asphalt, bike paths, and calm urban routes, but on potholes, tiles, dirt, and curbs, it will transmit more shocks to the hands, back, and frame.

The type of front fork describes the internal construction: how the unit compresses upon impact and how it absorbs rebound. In e-bikes, this aspect is essential not only for comfort but also for handling on rough terrains, as the heavy e-bike places more stress on the suspension.

— Spring-elastomer. A metal spring is used inside, with an elastomer that helps soften impacts and limit sharp vibrations. This is a simple and affordable solution for city rides, leisurely outings, and light off-road, but it lacks the smoothness and adjustability of oil systems, and the elastomer may become stiffer in cold conditions.

— Spring-oil. Elasticity is provided by a metal spring, while oil dampens oscillations and makes the suspension operation more controllable. This option is heavier than the air-oil type but generally more reliable and stable than the spring-elastomer version, making it suitable for versatile e-bikes, poor roads, off-road, and moderately active riding.

— Air-oil. In this suspension, air acts as the elastic element, while oil ensures smooth operation and damping of oscillations. It is lighter and can be more precisely adjusted to the rider's weight using air pressure, making it well-suited for mountain, trail, and more advanced e-bikes, but usually costs more and requires more attentive maintenance.

The number of gears indicates how many mechanical shifts are available to the rider for changing the pedaling effort. Simple transmissions with a small number of gears may suffice for city e-bikes, while a wider range of gears is more convenient for hills, long routes, off-road terrain, and riding without active motor assistance. However, a large number of gears does not always mean a faster e-bike: it primarily affects the convenience of riding in different conditions, not the maximum speed of the electric motor.

This point should not be confused with the motor speed modes: gears change the operation of the chain and sprockets, while modes change the level of assistance from the electric drive.

Bicycle drivetrain component that moves the chain between gears to select the desired gear. Specifications usually include the series or manufacturer name, such as Shimano, SRAM, Microshift, Shimano Tourney, Altus, Acera, Alivio, Deore, and other options. This helps to roughly understand the drivetrain class, shifting precision, compatibility with the number of speeds, and maintenance level.