PAS (Pedal Assist System) is a ‘feature’ of most e-bikes on the market, but is optional when building your own bike. With my first e-bike, I did not install PAS and am very satisfied with using the thumb throttle to supplement pedal effort. My second build includes PAS and I have to say I’m not really a fan of PAS. My issue with it is that once you set the PAS level, when you start pedaling, the motor kicks in and depending on the level set, the bike might take off at a speed greater than you anticipated. Not good! I would prefer to modulate my starting-out speed myself.
My objective with this post is NOT to get into the legal implications (which I’ll cover in a future post) of PAS, but to convey my personal experience. I like riding bicycles and having a motor makes riding more enjoyable for me. I’m getting older, and promoting e-bikes for an aging population is a good thing, I think. But the concept and implementation of PAS just doesn’t cut it for me.