Like your circulatory or respiratory system, your electric bike is made up of an intricate system of parts that work together to achieve something truly extraordinary. Each part of your e-bike serves an equally essential function, from the pedals that help propel your bike forward to the handlebars that allow you to steer.
Knowing the parts of your bike and how they work can help enhance your ownership experience, whether you want to tackle some DIY maintenance or simply better understand what your e-bike mechanic is talking about during routine service. Scroll down and level up your e-bike expertise!
Battery Pack
As implied by the name, the battery pack is a removable pack made up of groups of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The battery pack provides power to your e-bike’s electrical components, including the motor. Most electric bikes use 38 – 48-Volt batteries, but all Juiced Bikes models boast 52-Volt batteries for more power, speed, range, and efficiency.
Bottom Bracket
This e-bike component connects the crankset to the bike frame and enables it to rotate independently. Your electric bike needs the bottom bracket to allow the transmission to rotate.
Brake Levers
On most e-bikes, the left lever on your handlebar controls the front brake, and the right lever controls the rear brake. On e-bikes outfitted with hydraulic disc brakes (like all Juiced Bikes models are!), you squeeze the desired brake lever, and brake fluid flows throughout the system, clamping the brake pads onto the disc rotor to slow you down.
Cassette
The cassette is the group of gear sprockets mounted on the rear wheel’s freehub that allows you to shift gears. Your e-bike’s cassette speed is the number of sprockets it has. For example, the CrossCurrent X has a 9-speed transmission, meaning it has nine sprockets in its cassette.
Chain
The chain is composed of alternating wide and narrow links and connects your chainrings to the cassette on your rear wheel. The chain transfers the power you generate from pedaling to the drive wheel of your electric bike, propelling it forward.
Chainstays
These two bike frame tubes run from the bottom bracket to the seat stays, effectively connecting the bottom bracket to the center of your e-bike’s rear wheel.
Crankset
The crankset is made up of two crank arms that connect your pedals and chainrings over which the chain runs. The crankset, also called the chainset, converts the movement of your pedaling into the energy used to drive the chain, which then drives your bike’s rear wheel.
Controller
The controller is a tiny computer that connects all the electrical components of your e-bike (e.g., motor, battery, pedal assist sensor, etc.). Often called the brain of your electric bike, the controller takes your inputs and redistributes power from the battery to perform functions such as powering the motor for pedal assist levels, throttle application, and toggling the headlight. The location of the controller varies by Juiced model — for example, you’ll find it mounted at the bottom of the seatpost on the RipRacer and underneath the seat on the Scorpion.
Derailleur
The rear derailleur is the gear-shifting component on your e-bike. The derailleur’s body includes a parallelogram that moves it from side to side when you use your gear shift lever, which causes the chain to shift between sprockets wheels in the cassette to change the gears on your e-bike.
Down Tube
The down tube on your e-bike is the part of the frame that connects the head tube to the bottom bracket. Because of all the torsion (twisting) that this vital component is subjected to from both ends of the bike, the down tube is one of the most durable parts of your electric bike.
Fenders
Front and rear fenders help prevent dirt, mud, and other debris from splattering onto your bike and clothes during rides. Fenders are particularly helpful in reducing the amount of grime that splashes up when riding in the rain.
Front Fork
This part of your electric bike holds the front wheel and is turned via the handlebars to steer your bike. The front fork is made up of a steerer tube, crown, fork legs, and dropout.
Handlebars
You use the handlebars to steer your e-bike. Additionally, many key components like the brake levers and throttle are mounted on handlebars conveniently within your reach. There are several different types of handlebars, including standard, BMX (like on our RipRacer!), and drop.
Headlight
The ultra-bright LED headlight on your Juiced bike lights up your path and increases your visibility to others during rides when the lighting is low. You can turn on the LED headlight by flipping the headlight switch mounted on the handlebars.
Headset
The headset is a frequently overlooked but crucial component of your electric bicycle. Fitted into your bike’s head tube, this bearing assembly holds your fork in place and allows you to steer.
Head Tube
The head tube is the short tube at the front of your e-bike frame that connects the handlebars to the wheel fork.
Hydraulic Disc Brakes
This indispensable component is tasked with the job of slowing your bike down. Hydraulic disc brakes have a closed system of hoses and reservoirs containing brake fluid to operate the brakes. More complex and expensive than mechanical disc braking systems, hydraulic brakes provide superior stopping power, fade resistance, and reliability.
LCD
Short for Liquid Crystal Display, the LCD shows you vital metrics such as your speed, range, and battery charge level. You can also perform functions via the LCD that enhance your riding experience, such as adjusting your pedal assist level and activating Walk Mode to make walking your e-bike up driveways less of a sweaty affair.
Pedals
You push the pedals with your foot to propel your electric bicycle forward. The pedals feature spindles that thread into the ends of your cranks and footrests that rotate on bearings.
Pedal Assist Sensors
Your Juiced bike is equipped with pedal assist sensors that activate the motor whenever you pedal your bike. Your e-bike has either a cadence or torque sensor. Cadence sensors are mounted on the left side of the bottom bracket and turn the motor on when you start pedaling and off when you stop. Torque sensors are located in the rear of the bike to which the derailleur is attached. These more advanced sensors measure how hard you pedal to determine how much power to supply.
Rear Hub Motor
All Juiced Bikes feature powerful electric motors built directly into the rear wheel's hub. The rear hub motor converts electricity the battery pack provides into propulsion, giving you that addicting adrenaline-pumping power boost that makes e-bikes so much fun to ride. Rear hub motors have several advantages over front hub motors, including better traction, superior handling, and a smoother ride.
Rear Rack
The rear rack expands the utility of your e-bike by increasing its carrying capacity. You can add a pannier bag directly to the rear rack to stow your gear during rides or max out your on-the-go storage by adding any number of spacious baskets to swallow up even more stuff.
Seat (Saddle)
You really couldn’t ride your awesome electric bike without a comfy place to park your rear — and a good bike seat provides just that. Available in all shapes and sizes, your e-bike seat features padding and an ergonomic design for optimal comfort during short and long rides.
Seatpost
The seatpost on your electric bike is a long tube that connects the seat to the bike frame. On most Juiced models, you can adjust the seatpost to accommodate a comfortable riding position that fits your body frame.
Seat Stays
The seat stays are the two e-bike frame tubes running from the seat tube to the chain stays supporting the rear wheel. The seat stays are usually thin to help make the ride more comfortable.
Seat Tube
The seat tube is the part of your electric bike frame that runs from the seatpost to the bottom bracket. A lot is riding on this integral component — it provides structural support to the seat.
Taillight
The LED taillight draws attention to you and your bike during rides where visibility is compromised, such as at night or in foggy or wet conditions. This essential safety feature goes a long way in making motorists, fellow cyclists, and pedestrians aware of your presence.
Throttle
The throttle on your e-bike controls the amount of power you get from the motor independently of pedaling. There are two common types of e-bike throttles: thumb and twist. A thumb-type throttle delivers your desired power when you press down the lever with your thumb while you twist the twist-style throttle (like a motorcycle) to get the power you need. Both types of throttle are conveniently mounted on the handlebars.
Top Tube
The top tube is the part of your e-bike frame situated underneath your legs. Top tubes can either be horizontal or sloped, with each type offering pros and cons. Horizontal top tubes are more aerodynamic and provide more space for stowing bikepacking bags but are heavier, while sloped top tubes are lighter and stronger but not as aerodynamic. Some electric bikes feature a step-through frame without a top tube, making it easier for riders to mount and dismount the bike.
The Most Important Part of Your E-Bike — You!
There you have it, fellow Juiced heads — a brief breakdown of all the important parts that enable your bike to do all the amazing things it does. We hope this knowledge comes in handy and helps you get the most out of your Juiced bike.
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