The first Czech publication on electric bicycles will introduce interested parties to the issue of bicycles in which pedaling is supported by an electric drive. These bikes have been gaining popularity lately, which is reflected in their rising sales. Several dozen electric bicycles of various types and brands from 1995 to 2010 are presented, which are a kind of "new age" of this type of bicycle. At its beginning, in the mid-nineties, there was a structurally very successful compact drive unit (motor + battery) of the Yamaha concern, which was produced in relatively large series and assembled into e-bikes of various brands of many companies - in Asia and Europe. The Japanese Yamaha thus broke the barrier of distrust towards electric bicycles and showed the way that led to their current boom. In addition to Yamaha, other well-known motorcycle manufacturers - Honda, Suzuki, big names from the bicycle industry - from the Far East, for example Merida, Giant, Dahon, and a whole range of European companies, mainly German and Dutch, and last but not least also electronic concerns, were involved in the development of electric bikes. Panasonic or Sanyo. Electric bikes gradually lost their robustness and their weight (including the battery) decreased considerably.
In the given typology of electric bikes, the variety of types of bikes with an additional electric drive is outlined according to their predominant purpose. The areas in which the use of electric bicycles is an indisputable benefit for different age groups of the population, for whom they can make life more pleasant and enriching, are listed. The main components of the electric drive – motors, control units, batteries and control elements – are described in detail. Electric kits or "kits" that can be used to electrify ordinary bicycles are also not left out. Advice on what to do and what not to overlook when buying an electric bike is also valuable, including getting to know the electric bikes that are offered on our domestic market. The readability of the publication, which introduces readers to the world of electric bikes and makes it easier for them to navigate in it, is enhanced by various interesting things, experiments and curiosities.