Method for controlling the propulsion means of an electric bicycle , the method comprising the following steps: a. determining of a first movement of at least one body part of a rider of the electric bicycle by means of the following substeps: - detecting of first distance values of the at least one body part at a first time, and - detecting of second distance values of the at least one body part at a second time which is temporally after the first time, and - determining of a first movement of the at least one body part in a manner which is dependent on the previously detected first distance values and the second distance values, b. controlling of the propulsion means of the electric bicycle in a manner which is dependent on the determined first movement, the determined movement being compared with predefined movements, a control operation which is assigned to the corresponding, predefined movement being generated if the determined movement corresponds to a predefined movement, and at least one of the following operating and/or environmental variables being detected: - speed of the bicycle , - acceleration of the bicycle , - angle of inclination of the bicycle , - angle of inclination of a roadway of the bicycle, - ground condition of the roadway of the bicycle, - position of the pedals of the bicycle , - drive torque of the bicycle , - rotational speed of a pedal crank shaft of the bicycle , characterized in that - a predefined movement is assigned at least two control operations which are different from one another, - the different control operations are assigned different values of the at least one detected operating and/or environmental variable, - the control operation is additionally selected in a manner which is dependent on the detected operating and/or environmental variables. a. determining of a first movement of at least one body part of a rider of the electric bicycle by means of the following substeps: - detecting of first distance values of the at least one body part at a first time, and - detecting of second distance values of the at least one body part at a second time which is temporally after the first time, and - determining of a first movement of the at least one body part in a manner which is dependent on the previously detected first distance values and the second distance values, - detecting of first distance values of the at least one body part at a first time, and - detecting of second distance values of the at least one body part at a second time which is temporally after the first time, and - determining of a first movement of the at least one body part in a manner which is dependent on the previously detected first distance values and the second distance values, b. controlling of the propulsion means of the electric bicycle in a manner which is dependent on the determined first movement, - speed of the bicycle , - acceleration of the bicycle , - angle of inclination of the bicycle , - angle of inclination of a roadway of the bicycle, - ground condition of the roadway of the bicycle, - position of the pedals of the bicycle , - drive torque of the bicycle , - rotational speed of a pedal crank shaft of the bicycle , - a predefined movement is assigned at least two control operations which are different from one another, - the different control operations are assigned different values of the at least one detected operating and/or environmental variable, - the control operation is additionally selected in a manner which is dependent on the detected operating and/or environmental variables. <EOS>