Assist levels and how sensors shape them

You switch to the same level on a friend's bike, and it feels nothing like yours. That's normal, and it isn't a sign something's broken. The level is just one input.

What a level is

One reference says the power supplied depends on the chosen level of support, usually in several support levels from zero to maximum.¹ Your display shows the level. It doesn't say how the bike turns that level into watts.

What else shapes the help

The sensor reading is the second input. The controller combines it with your level. The same source says a controller must shape the motor's output around how you pedal.¹

That leaves room for different bikes to behave differently.

• Cadence-based bikes. Gazelle, a bike maker, says cadence-based power follows the level you chose plus how the wheels turn.² How hard you push isn't part of that description.
• Torque-based bikes. Gazelle says pedal force drives how much power the motor delivers.² So the same level can give less help when you push lightly and more when you push hard.
• Bikes with a switch. One reference notes that some models allow manual switching from torque to speed control.¹

Gear choice changes what you feel

Gear matters on every pedal-assist bike. One reference says the same cadence can produce different speeds and power outputs depending on the selected gear.³

For a torque sensor, this matters twice. A harder gear means more force on the pedals, and force is what the sensor reads. Gazelle makes a related point for torque systems: shifting down when stopping or climbing makes the pedals feel lighter.²

Why a friend's bike feels different

Put the pieces together. Bike A might read only your pedaling speed. Bike B might read your force too. Bike C might let you switch between the two. Each could show the same level on the display and still deliver help in a different way.

Add the controller's own settings, which the maker chooses, and the gap can grow. Nothing here means one bike is wrong. It means the number on the display isn't a promise of the same feel.

Working through "it feels different"

Go in order and change one thing at a time.

• Confirm the level. Check which level is selected on your display.
• Check your gear. Try the same road in a different gear. Notice whether the help changes.
• Learn which sensor you have. The manual or the maker's spec page should say. Compare the two kinds in this side-by-side.
• Use the levels on the move. For cadence systems, Gazelle suggests adjusting assist levels on the fly to match your terrain.²
• Ask a dealer. If the help seems wrong at every level, don't guess. The manual for your own model has the steps for your bike, and a dealer can check for faults.

What this page doesn't say

The saved sources give no shared scale for levels. This page makes no claim about what a given level delivers on a given bike.

To see how the law treats pedal assist, read sensors, pedal assist and e-bike classes.