# Walk assist



## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

Is walk assist allowed in USA and California?

It would be occasionally quite useful on the toughest terrain.

I just purchased a Giant Trance ebike and don't seem to be able to get the "walk assist" mode to operate. Am I not doing it correctly or has Giant disabled walk assist for California?


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## SCFord (Jul 12, 2019)

I’ve been on Santa Cruz, orbea, specialized and Yt ebikes all in ca all have walk assist. Maybe check the manual again for how to use it


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## Lambow (Sep 29, 2013)

At first walk assist class 1 wasn't allowed in the US Market, because the bike could move without pedaling. Now it is OK under a certain speed. On my 2019 trek Powerfly it was disabled, but a Trek dealer could reactivate it. It might be the same with your Giant if it is an earlier model.


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## chadbrochills (Aug 9, 2018)

Definitely allowed in the US. My '21 Heckler has it.


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

Mine doesn't seem to work unless you walk a few feet while holding the button, which I suppose makes it an "assist" to your walking vs making it "self propelled".


.


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

On the Levo/Kenevo SL the walk assist is not powerful enough to offer any useful help. Unless you are on a mellow incline, but then why would you be walking? Lol.


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## Lambow (Sep 29, 2013)

On my Powerfly in walk assist, how fast it goes is determined by what cog you're in. Bigger cogs are slower, smaller cogs are faster. Have you tried a smaller cog on your Levo/Kenevo?


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## AEyogi (Nov 19, 2021)

RBoardman said:


> On the Levo/Kenevo SL the walk assist is not powerful enough to offer any useful help. Unless you are on a mellow incline, but then why would you be walking? Lol.


Kenevo SL assist is useless, it adds more motor drag than it provides in assist. At least it is a light bike.


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## Wrongturn (Jul 17, 2016)

Walk assist? I don’t know that there was such a thing. How lazy are we getting?


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## AEyogi (Nov 19, 2021)

Wrongturn said:


> Walk assist? I don’t know that there was such a thing. How lazy are we getting?


It is for when the trail gets so steep or technical you can't ride it on an ebike. Sometimes it is tricky to walk up those grades on flat pedal shoes, let alone push a bike at the same time.


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## RBoardman (Dec 27, 2014)

Wrongturn said:


> Walk assist? I don’t know that there was such a thing. How lazy are we getting?


When you bike up mountains, a walk assist is nice. If it’s not real hike-a-bike then I’ll just pedal my ebike up the hill.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Wrongturn said:


> Walk assist? I don’t know that there was such a thing. How lazy are we getting?





AEyogi said:


> It is for when the trail gets so steep or technical you can't ride it on an ebike. Sometimes it is tricky to walk up those grades on flat pedal shoes, let alone push a bike at the same time.


Imagine that. Just like an analog bike.
Maybe an e-winch?


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

I'm not sure I'd want to toss an ebike on my shoulders though.


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Cleared2land said:


> Imagine that. Just like an analog bike.


Except 15-20 lbs heavier. And if the trail is so steep you can’t pedal your eBike up it, it’s really hard to push it. The walk assist comes in handy. Not absolutely necessary, but appreciated.

I had some trouble figuring out how to get it to work on my Turbo Levo but the secret seems to be to make sure I’m eco mode when I push the walk assist button. I also noticed it’s a little bit less effective when in loose ground as the rear wheel spins too easy without any weight on it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bigwheel (Jan 12, 2004)

Because any eBike I own has a throttle on it I get to use that for a walk assist and pretty much just that other than starting off. With the throttle i the right place it makes pushing a heavier bike easier especially if you are plowing through the pucker brush or on a really steep loose slope. 

I thought of this post today as I was coming off a beach ride on my e750d. It only has 40c's on it and although it will rip dark sand light sand is a push. Bike is a front hub motor and the way it is set up if you hold the throttle at whatever watt output you want for 3seconds it will stay there or below. As I was going off the beach I especially noticed that I didn't have to touch the throttle but could just push along with the hub putting out 100w and pulling the bike at a walking pace so as to make it weightless actually. But when I got to the really steep loose final bank it was a grunt but still an advantage although I had to tickle the throttle instead.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Lambow said:


> On my Powerfly in walk assist, how fast it goes is determined by what cog you're in. Bigger cogs are slower, smaller cogs are faster. Have you tried a smaller cog on your Levo/Kenevo?


This is the answer for a lot of the systems, including Shimano.

The problem is that when you reach an unclimbable incline (in my case, in the snow), you are usually in a low gear. It’s a complete PITA to have to lift your rear tire, spin your crank with your hand, and change into 8th or 9th gear.


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## kntr (Jan 25, 2004)

If you know how to use it the walk assist works fine. I use it on my Levo all the time.


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## kevjob (Jan 25, 2021)

telemike said:


> Is walk assist allowed in USA and California?
> 
> It would be occasionally quite useful on the toughest terrain.
> 
> I just purchased a Giant Trance ebike and don't seem to be able to get the "walk assist" mode to operate. Am I not doing it correctly or has Giant disabled walk assist for California?


If you have the new version on controller pushing the middle slim button will activate walk mode and the led on left side of display on top tube will illuminate from bottom to top indicating walk mode is on, hold up button on controller.


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## kntr (Jan 25, 2004)

Worked great on my Levo yesterday. I hit the button and as soon as it starts moving I switch up 2-3 gears. Then it moves faster. When I go to get back on, I shift back down while its still moving.


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

kntr said:


> Worked great on my Levo yesterday. I hit the button and as soon as it starts moving I switch up 2-3 gears. Then it moves faster. When I go to get back on, I shift back down while its still moving.
> 
> 
> View attachment 1993843


Good idea. I hadn't thought about shifting while in walk mode. When I finally resort to pushing I'm already in the lowest gear which might contribute to the tire spinning out while in walk mode. Next time I'll try shifting into a gear or two taller to see if the wheel spin is better controlled. Do you find you have to drop down into Eco mode before the walk mode button will activate?


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## kntr (Jan 25, 2004)

KRob said:


> Good idea. I hadn't thought about shifting while in walk mode. When I finally resort to pushing I'm already in the lowest gear which might contribute to the tire spinning out while in walk mode. Next time I'll try shifting into a gear or two taller to see if the wheel spin is better controlled. Do you find you have to drop down into Eco mode before the walk mode button will activate?


It works in all modes. I can't tell the difference. 

I put some weight on the seat with my hand as I push to give traction. I have one hand on the bars and one hand on the seat.


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

I had a chance to use walk mode extensively yesterday, and I don't know, maybe different brands are different, but my Brose S-Mag has very very little power in walk mode, even in the lowest gears. Certainly not enough power for higher gears or to move the bike uphill with a rider on it.

.


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## Lambow (Sep 29, 2013)

CJ I can’t speak to your bike specifically, but here’s what I think happens. In walk mode the software turns the

crank at a set RPM regardless what gear the bike is in.

When you shift in too a higher gear, the software 

increases the torque, to maintain that RPM. The bike is able to climb at a fast rate.


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## _CJ (May 1, 2014)

Lambow said:


> CJ I can’t speak to your bike specifically, but here’s what I think happens. In walk mode the software turns the
> 
> crank at a set RPM regardless what gear the bike is in.
> 
> ...


The power just isn't there. I can easily press down on the seat and bring the bike to a stop, and then let up and it'll start going again.

It works fine as intended. If I have to run to keep up, or even walk at a fast pace, I should be riding it.


.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

My Shimano motor in walk mode can climb the steepest of steeps, as long as it’s in a higher gear. Definitely more than enough power to push my e-fattie up and through snowy, drift filled pitches.


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