Question and Answer

• Electric support

  • How does your electric bike work?

    The Innergy system consists of four or five main components:
    - The battery: built into the luggage carrier;
    - The motor: built into the front wheel hub. The cycle controller is in turn integrated into the motor;
    - The display: fitted to your handlebars;
    - The rotation sensor: fitted at the (front) chainwheel;
    - (for Xtra and Excellent models) Pedal force sensor: fitted at the rear hub.

    The cycle controller is built into the bike motor. It determines the amount of assistance provided by the motor at the set level of assistance, measured rotation and pedal force, if any. You set the level of assistance yourself using the display on the handlebars. The motor is powered by the battery. The rotation and any pedal force are measured by the aforementioned sensors. Below you will find a brief description of the operation of both sensors.

    Rotation sensor operation
    Your bike is equipped with a rotation sensor This sensor detects whether and in which direction you are pedalling. The sensor is next to the chainring and records the number of sprocket teeth passing it. As soon as forward rotation is detected in the chainring, i.e. as soon as you pedal forward, the motor will assist you provided you have enabled assistance on the display. Accordingly, if you stop pedalling or back-pedal, your bike will stop assisting you.

    Dual sensor technology operation
    As well as being equipped with a rotation sensor, your bike also features a pedal force sensor. This sensor detects the force you apply to the pedals on your bike. It is located on your bike's rear fork-end. Pedal force is transmitted through the chain to the rear fork-end, which causes the latter to distort slightly. This distortion is measured by the pedal force sensor on your bike. If you apply more force to the pedals, for instance when accelerating or going up a hill, the distortion will increase and the motor will give you more assistance. In addition obviously to the fact that you need to have assistance enabled on your display in order to get it, the force you apply to the pedals will therefore determine the extent of the motor assistance you get.
    

  • What is the difference between a rotation and a pedal force sensor? And how will I be aware of this difference while pedalling?

    Gazelle offers two different electric bike systems, with different benefits and associated road behaviour. After all, one bike is not like the other. The Gazelle Pure and Plus models and the Bloom and Balance Innergy bikes are equipped with a rotation sensor. The Xtra and Excellent models also feature a pedal force sensor in addition (Dual sensor technology). But what does this actually mean and how will you be aware of it while riding your bike?

    The system with a rotation sensor works very simply. As soon as you pedal (forwards), the sensor sends a signal to the motor and you will be immediately aware of in the form of the assistance you are getting. It makes no difference how hard you pedal, the assistance is constant. This is due to the simplicity of this highly robust system, which will save you any complicated repairs.

    It works differently with the Xtra and Excellent models, since with these it is precisely the force you apply to the pedals that determines the extent to which the motor will assist you. As soon as you pedal harder, the pedal force sensor signals this to the motor and you will feel greater assistance. It is actually the same as an ordinary bike, except with a little help! 

    The rotation sensor provides:
    1. A high level of reliability (due to its simplicity). It is not without reason that this type of sensor is much used in the automotive industry in systems such as ABS and traction control.
    2. The right assistance in situations in which although the rider is pedalling, but not much force is being applied to the pedals. This is a situation that is sometimes difficult for a pedal force sensor to cope with: is the rider pedalling or not?
    3. Safety. The rotation sensor detects whether the rider is pedalling forwards or back-pedalling. This means that assistance will be disabled directly and reliably if the pedals are at a standstill or back-pedalling.

    The rotation sensor provides:
    A highly natural cycling experience by measuring pedal force.DST therefore provides the optimum combination of the benefits of both types of sensor, resulting in an extremely reliable and safe electronic system which gives pleasant and natural bike behaviour.
    

  • What is the difference between an ‘ordinary’ motor and an XT motor?

    The XT motor is a new addition to the collection dating back to September 2011. This motor is no better than the current direct drive motor, but it is suitable for other road applications. Depending on what you want to use the bike for, you can decide with your Gazelle dealer on whether to go for a bike equipped with an XT or a direct drive motor. But what exactly is the difference between these two motors and how will you be aware of it while riding your bike?

    The XT motor has more pulling power than the direct drive motor. You will notice it while cycling in that an XT motor offers more motor assistance than the direct drive motor even at low speeds. An important difference between the two motors that follows on from this is the difference in efficiency, in other words the extent to which you use the battery efficiently. Whenever the power output from the motor is converted to heat rather than motor assistance, you will have low efficiency which means that you will be able to ride fewer miles on a battery charge (= reduced range). The two motors offer high efficiency at different speeds and are therefore suited to different riding applications.

    With an XT motor it is the case that even though the motor is providing a great deal of assistance, (e.g. at high speed riding uphill or into a headwind), you will still have high efficiency.  However the reverse also applies, in that if the motor is providing little assistance, you will have low efficiency and you will therefore manage fewer miles on a battery charge. The is due to the fact that the motor is fitted with gearing, which absorbs more power when getting up to speed. Accordingly, if you ride a great deal at low speed, the direct drive motor will be more suitable, because you will achieve greater efficiency and will therefore be able to cycle for more miles on a battery charge. If, however, you require a great deal of motor assistance, e.g.  when riding into a headwind or going uphill, then an XT motor will be more suitable, since in addition to greater assistance, you will also get higher efficiency, enabling you to ride more miles on a battery charge. The gearing in an XT motor does however result in more noise being generated while cycling. On the other hand the motor is 0.8 kg lighter than the direct drive motor.

    Summing up this means therefore that your riding behaviour will determine which motor is most suitable. If for instance you will be riding long distances on a level road for which you will require moderate to medium motor assistance, a direct drive motor will suit you best and you will get more miles from a battery charge. If in the other hand you wish to have a great deal of assistance at low speed, because you like it or because the wind is against you, then an XT motor will be more suitable for your riding behaviour. It is advisable to consult with your Gazelle dealer in order to arrive at your final choice. A trial run in order to able able to sample both motors will not go amiss in doing so!
    

  • Is the degree of assistance adjustable?
    Yes of course, the degree of assistance can be easily adjusted using your display.
    You will be able to adjust the level of assistance depending on whether you have acquired a Pure, Plus or Xtra/ Excellent Innergy bike. The user manual show which button does this on each display.
    
    There are four assistance options you can select by pressing the button repeatedly.
    • No assistance: you will select this option if you want to deliver all the effort yourself, without any motor assistance.
    • Economical assistance: this option costs you the least battery capacity and you select it for longer distances or if you require minimal assistance from your motor.
    • Normal assistance: you use this option to select medium motor assistance.
    • Boost assistance: you select this option if you wish to have maximum assistance, e.g. when riding uphill.
    
  • What is the range with the various assistance settings?
    You have a choice of four different batteries when purchasing your Gazelle Innergy: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. These four batteries differ in terms of capacity: the capacity of the bronze battery is 252 Wh, the silver battery 324 Wh, the gold battery 396 Wh and the platinum battery 504 Wh. The mileage you can cover with each battery will therefore vary with each battery.
    
    The following summary gives you an indication of the mileage you can achieve with each of the various Gazelle Innergy batteries. These figures do not apply to XT Innergy models. There are a number of factors that can just increase or decrease the range you manage, thus your tyre pressure will have an effect, as will your weight, the weather conditions and the age of the battery. The summary below is purely an indication of the distance in kilometres that you can ride on a battery charge. The distance in kilometres that can be ridden on a battery charge for each battery is as follows:
    
    

    	Bronze	Silver	Gold	Platinum
    Watthour (Ampere * Volt):	7 * 36 = 252 Wh	9 * 36 = 324 Wh	11 * 36 = 396 Wh	14 * 36 = 504 Wh
    Action radius Eco	70- 85 km	130- 170 km	160- 210 km	200- 265 km
    Action radius Normal	40- 55 km	50- 80 km	60- 100 km	75- 125 km
    Action radius Boost	25- 30 km	35- 45 km	45- 55	55- 70 km

    
    !!NB!! These figures apply to the Pure, Plus, Xtra and Excellent Innergy models but do not apply to the XT Innergy models. The exact values achieved may differ depending on the model you have acquired. Besides, XT models have virtually the same range on level terrain as non-XT models.
  • Which factors affect range?
    Your range will depend on the amount of energy contained in your battery, the voltage with which the electric system communicates and the amount of assistance you call for. In order to compare bike systems you need to compare Watt-hours (Amps x Volts), as you do with cars. The Gazelle Innergy system delivers 252 Wh which means that it is one of the most powerful in the Netherlands. There are a number of factors that affect the range ultimately achieved:
    • Ensure tyre pressure is correct; you will use up more battery capacity with soft tyres.
    • Cycle as far as possible at a constant fixed speed; it is precisely acceleration that consumes a great deal of battery capacity.
    • Change down to a lower gear when you are about to accelerate.
    • Do not accelerate with the bike set to ‘Boost’, since doing so will cause the bike to deliver increased assistance at low speed, thus consuming more battery capacity.
    • Charge your battery at room temperature; your battery charge will be reduced by up to 25% at a temperature of zero degrees or below.
    • If you won't be using the battery for an extended period, we advise you not to store it fully charged, this means that a maximum of three or four LEDs should be lit. This can result in partial loss of overall battery capacity.
    If you go cycling in a hilly area, you need to allow for the fact that this will require additional battery capacity.
    
  • Does the pedalling effort increase if you disable the motor or if the battery is flat?

    No, the bike is equipped with a brushless DC motor or brushless geared DC motor which means that the motor does not offer any perceptible resistance when disabled. Moreover the XT motor is equipped with a freewheel, which means that the gearing is not driven if the motor is inactive. In addition to this the bike has gears, which means that you can select an appropriately low gear. If you want to go on cycling after the battery has run flat, we would advise you just to withdraw the battery from the bike and slide it back in again, in order to clear the magnetic field from your motor.

  • How fast can I ride with this bike?

    It is up to you. It is the case though that assistance is no longer delivered at speeds over 25km/h. This is a legal requirement for motor-assisted bicycles and is part of European standard EN-15194 for EPAC – Electrically Power Assisted Cycles.

  • Will the bike still provide assistance if the battery is almost flat?

    Yes, your Gazelle Innergy will continue to provide assistance even if the battery is almost flat.

  • Isn't a bike with the Innergy system very heavy?

    The weight of an Innergy system bike is a great deal less than you would think. The motor and the battery do nevertheless  add weight. The lightweight motor weighs around 3 kg and the removable battery 2.5 kg, although it does depend on which battery you have bought. The golden and platinum batteries are heavier (3.6 kg) than the bronze and silver batteries (2.5 kg). Accordingly, you will need to add 5.5 to 6.6 kg to the weight of an ordinary bike. Taking an Orange Pure Innergy, the weight with a bronze battery works out at 24.8 kg.

  • Can my dealer maintain the electronics?
    Yes. Your Gazelle-dealer is specially trained to maintain and repair your bicycle. Besides this special computer software to solve an eventual defect, he can always fall back on the Service and Warranty department of Gazelle.
    
  • Can I hop onto it just like an ordinary bike?

    This is theoretically the case. Assistance does not start until your wheel has travelled through half a revolution. Furthermore it has been programmed for the assistance to respond more gradually and be gentler at speeds between 0 and 5 km/h. Take care not to ride off in too high a gear, a lower gear will require less power from you and your battery, thus increasing your range.

  • Can I keep my foot on the pedal if I am standing still?

    Yes you can because your bike is fitted with a rotation sensor. This means that rotation must occur before the assistance is available from the motor which is not the case if you are resting your foot on the pedal.

  • Can I ride my Innergy bike in the rain too?

    Yes, Innergy components are splash-proof in compliance with the IPX4 standard and will keep going in the rain. However the system is not proof against immersion in any liquid or being treated with a pressure washer. So never clean your bike with a pressure washer!

  • Can I park my bike in the rain or snow without the display?

    Yes, this is not a problem because all Innergy components are splash-proof. We do recommend that you clip the white plastic cover (referred to as the dummy display) onto the display holder in order to protect the contact pins even better.

  • How often do I need to return to the Gazelle dealer for service?

    None of the Innergy components require any more service than the other cycle components. Service intervals will depend on use. It may be the case though that new software updates for your bike will be available through your dealer. Your dealer will be happy to install these updates free of charge for you at the next service.

  • How do I switch the bike off?

    The best way is to switch the bike off using the on/off button on the display. If you press and hold this button for around 5 seconds, the bike will shut down completely. If you park the bike somewhere and just leave it, the system will shut down automatically after 5 minutes. After switching off the pedal assistance, you can, if you wish, remove the battery to charge it up.

  • I have parked my bike and removed the display, but my rear lamp is still lit, why is this?
    We recommend that you switch off the lights if they are on before removing the display, by pressing the button for the lights. You can also press and hold the on/off button for 5 seconds – this will switch everything off, including the lights. If you fail to do so and remove the display while the lights are still lit, then the rear light will stay on for another 5 minutes. It will then switch off automatically.
    
    You can switch of the rear light which is still lit by putting the display back on the bike and pressing the lights button.
  • My display cuts out sometimes, what can I do about it?
    We advise you to go to your dealer to have the display holder position and fixing checked. In actual fact the display holder must not be too loose, too tight or fitted over the rotary bell. This will prevent the display from operating correctly.
    
    Check the 3 pins on the display holder too. Are all 3 at the same height? If not ask your dealer to look at this.