Search, or describe the problem in your own words

Motors and drive

• Hub motorA motor built into the center of the front or rear wheel.
• Mid-drive motorA motor mounted at the pedals, in the middle of the frame.
• Motor controllerThe electronics that decide how much power goes from the battery to the motor.
• Pedal assistThe motor helping you while you pedal.
• ThrottleA lever or twist grip that runs the motor without pedaling.
• Brake motor cutoffSwitches in the brake levers that turn the motor off while you brake.
• Watts and power ratingHow much power the motor puts out, in watts.
• Torque (Nm)How strongly the motor can twist the crank or wheel, in newton-meters.

Displays and sensors

• Torque sensorA sensor that measures how hard you push on the pedals.
• Cadence sensorA sensor that detects whether, and how fast, the pedals are turning.
• DisplayThe screen or light panel on the handlebar.
• Error codesNumbers or letters the display shows when the system detects a problem.
• FirmwareThe software inside the motor, display and battery.
• Speed sensorA sensor that reads how fast the wheel turns, usually from a magnet on a spoke or the brake rotor.
• Walk modeA setting that makes the motor push the bike slowly while you walk beside it.

Batteries and charging

• Lithium-ion batteryThe rechargeable battery that powers the motor, made of many small cells joined together.
• Battery management system (BMS)The electronics inside a battery pack that protect it.
• Voltage (V)The battery's electrical pressure, in volts.
• Amp-hours (Ah)How much charge the battery holds, in amp-hours.
• Watt-hours (Wh) and rangeThe total energy the battery holds: volts times amp-hours.
• Battery chargerThe charger made for your battery's voltage, chemistry and connector.
• Battery connectors and contactsThe metal contacts where the battery meets the bike, and the port where the charger plugs in.
• Battery agingLithium-ion batteries slowly hold less charge as they age and get used.

Owning an e-bike

• Rain and waterE-bikes handle rain, but water in the wrong places causes faults.
• Storing your batteryHow to keep a battery when you're not riding for a while.
• E-bike classesThe three legal types of e-bike in Florida and most U.S. states.
• Maintenance scheduleWhat to check and how often.

Brakes, wheels and drivetrain

• Hydraulic disc brakesBrakes that use fluid in a sealed hose to push pads onto a metal rotor.
• Brake padsThe replaceable pads that grip the rotor.
• Brake rotorsThe metal discs on the wheel hubs that the brake pads grip.
• ChainThe chain that carries your pedaling (and a mid-drive's power) to the rear wheel.
• Derailleur and gearsThe mechanism that moves the chain between gears.
• Tire pressureHow hard the tires are pumped up.