Best electric bikes | 15 top-rated ebikes for every type of rider
The best electric bike for you will depend on the type of riding you want to do, so in this guide we’ll cover the whole range of different electric bike types and recommend some of the best we’ve tested.
Electric bikes – or ebikes as they’re commonly known – are bicycles with an electric motor and battery that provides assistance as you pedal. There are many benefits to riding an electric bike. Electric bikes make riding up hills easier and will enable most riders to travel at a higher speed over longer distances without arriving at their destination covered in sweat.
Despite common misconceptions, you can still ride an electric bike for fitness. Electric bike laws limit the power of an ebike’s motor, so you still need to pedal – there’s no twist-and-go throttle here. There is an electric bike for every type of riding. Electric folding bikes and electric hybrid bikes are great choices for cycling to work, the best electric mountain bikes will help you get to the top of the next trail so you can enjoy more descending and the best electric road bikes and electric gravel bikes will enable you to take on longer adventures. Making sense of how an electric bike works and how to choose the right one for you is a daunting task. Luckily for you, BikeRadar’s team of expert testers have put in hundreds of hours riding more than 175 electric bikes across all categories. Our testing is 100 per cent editorially independent, so you can always trust our recommendations. In this in-depth buyer’s guide to choosing the best electric bike for any rider, we’ll talk you through the things you need to consider for each category of ebike. We also highlight the best bikes we have reviewed, as selected by BikeRadar’s expert team of tech editors, for each type of ebike, with links to our detailed buyer’s guide for each category. We also have a general buyer’s guide to electric bike tech at the bottom of this article that answers common questions. For even more information, take a look at our ebike FAQs. There’s a lot to cover here, so use the links below to skip to the section you need, or read on for every detail.
Best electric hybrid bikes
Like a non-assisted hybrid bike, electric hybrid bikes feature an upright riding position, flat bars and stable handling. They’re often the least expensive entry point into ebikes.
With lots of mounting points for accessories such as pannier bags and mudguards, electric hybrids are great if you’re planning to commute to work by bike, ride around town or want to go for leisurely rides on bike trails or through parks.
Electric hybrid bikes can be quite heavy because they tend to use less sophisticated motor systems and the bikes are built for robustness. This is worth bearing in mind if you need to carry them up stairs.
Below is a selection of four of the very best electric hybrid bikes as tested by our senior road technical editor, Warren Rossiter. For more recommendations, check out our full round-up of the best electric hybrid bikes.
Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0
- £2,600 / €2,999 / 3,500 as tested
- Pros: Well-tuned power delivery; low weight
- Cons: Lower-torque motor means you have to put in more work
Specialized makes two electric hybrid bike ranges. Whereas the standard Turbo Vado is a heavy-duty ebike, the Vado SL uses a less powerful motor with 35Nm of torque. This reduces the weight to under 15kg, but the flip side is that you have less assistance than with the Turbo Vado, which could be a problem on hills.
The other advantage of the lower output is clean looks, with the concealed battery giving a sporty appearance. Specialized fits lights to all models and includes mudguards and a luggage rack on pricier models.
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Canyon Pathlite:ON 5
- £2,499 / €2,699, as tested
- Pros: Great handling and confident off-road
- Cons: Heavy versus its rivals
The Canyon Pathlite:ON 5 is a powerful electric hybrid bike that handles and rides commendably. Our testing found the Canyon’s 100km claimed range to be true, but there’s no denying the bike is heavy at 23.5kg.
Where the Pathlite:ON 5 truly stands out is off the tarmac, where it rivals electric mountain bikes with confidence-inspiring chunky tyres and a shock-absorbing suspension fork.
Tern Quick Haul P9
- £3,100 / 3,299 / AU4995 as tested
- Pros: Great fun to ride and versatile
- Cons: Official add-ons are fairly pricey
The Tern Quick Haul P9 looks like a cargo bike at first glance, but its compact design means it isn’t much longer than a typical electric hybrid.
With the option to fit a huge array of useful add-on accessories both front and back, our tester described the Quick Haul P9 as a “genuinely viable car replacement”.
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Best electric folding bikes
Commuters who travel by public transport or are short on space are catered for too. Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
If you want to cycle to work or are just pressed for space to store your ride, a compact electric folding bike could be the answer.
Folding ebikes often have the battery hidden in their frames, or they may come with a removable battery to make carrying them on and off public transport a bit easier.
A removable battery also means you can take it somewhere where it’s easier to charge (at your desk, for example, if you use the bike to ride to work).
But the extra weight of the motor and battery means carrying a folding ebike on and off public transport, and up and down stairs, will be harder. The available range can be quite limited in some models too.
For more product recommendations, check out our round-up of the best folding electric bikes.
Brompton Electric
The Brompton Electric adds a front-hub motor to the iconic folder. Russell Burton / Immediate Media
- £2,725 as tested
- Pros: Very compact fold; smooth power delivery
- Cons: Quite heavy; two pieces to carry
A front-hub motor adds electric power to the classic Brompton folding bike, giving you a range of around 40km. The battery sits in a separate pack, which can be removed from the bike for carrying.
Since we tested the Brompton Electric, the standard bike has been redesignated the C Line Explore. It’s been joined by the P Line, which uses lighter frame materials and components to chop almost 2kg off the C Line’s 17.4kg claimed weight.
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GoCycle G4
- £3,999 as tested
- Pros: Larger wheels ride more smoothly; stylish design
- Cons: Expensive; doesn’t fold as small as some ebikes
While pricey, the GoCycle G4 is a folder, commuter and electric bike in one. The ride and handling are far more assured than most folding bikes on- and off-road, thanks to the meaty tyres and larger wheels.
The bike folds in half at its centre, making it easier to roll than to carry and the removable battery in the front of the frame is accessed via the fold. At over 17kg, it’s quite heavy though.
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MiRider One GB3
The GB3 is an upgrade on the original MiRider One, with an accompanying price rise. David Caudery / Our Media
- £2,495 as tested
- Pros: Very compact
- Cons: Price has increased significantly from the original bike
The MiRider One GB3 is an upgrade from the original model we tested a few years ago. Unfortunately, that’s resulted in a significant price hike, but the ebike is still a compact, nippy city commuter.
The belt drive is cleaner and lower-maintenance than a chain, there’s good adjustability, and built-in rear suspension and wide tyres add comfort.
The GB3 design has three speeds, adding flexibility over the singlespeed predecessor, and you can change gear while stationary. We achieved a range of up to 50km.
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Best electric mountain bikes
Electric mountain bikes can be great on the climbs, but handling on the descents can take a bit of getting used to. Ian Linton
An electric mountain bike will get you to the top quicker, particularly on technical, steeper climbs, and with more energy to enjoy the descents. Plus, getting up the ups more easily will give you extra range to explore further.
Recent improvements in eMTB performance mean handling is approaching that of the best mountain bikes without a motor, providing heaps of flat-out riding fun.
But, nevertheless, the extra weight can make handling more tricky on particularly technical sections, so it’s a good idea to ease off a bit until you’ve got the feel of the bike
This is a small selection of the best electric mountain bikes we have tested, as selected by our expert team of mountain bike tech editors, Alex Evans, Robin Weaver and Tom Marvin.
Vitus E-Sommet VRX
For the money, the E-Sommet has to be one of the best electric mountain bikes out there. Ian Linton / Our Media
- £5,499 as tested
- Pros: Quality spec; great geometry and suspension
- Cons: Awkward cable routing and bottle placement
The Vitus E-Sommet adds a powerful Shimano EP8 motor and large-capacity battery to Vitus’ enduro platform. It rolls on a 29in front and 27.5in rear wheel mullet build and is impressively specced for its price, with a 170mm RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork, a Super Deluxe Select RT shock and Shimano’s XT groupset.
The E-Sommet descends and climbs impressively, with both comfort and great grip, making it fun, engaging and highly capable.
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Marin Rift Zone E2
- £5,895 / 6,299 / €6,899 as tested
- Pros: Lively; great spec
- Cons: Slightly over-geared; less powerful motor than its competitors
The Marin Rift Zone E2 is a classy, comfortable full-suspension electric mountain bike with 140mm travel. It can take you beyond its trail riding mandate, handling more technical descents well.
The Rift Zone ebike is well specced for its price, although the Shimano EP801 motor’s 85Nm torque is a little less than competitors. We’d have preferred a smaller chainring than the 38t fitted for easier climbing.
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Whyte E-160 RSX
- £7,999 as tested
- Pros: Calm and composed handling; hides its weight well
- Cons: Some chain slap; seat tube too slack for optimal climbing
The Whyte E-160 RSX is a well-equipped enduro bike, with its battery mounted below the Bosch motor to lower its centre of gravity.
Whyte says the full down tube this allows improves torsional rigidity as well. Lower-spec E-160s are available in both 29in and ‘mullet’ form, so you can pick your preferred wheel configuration, although this top-spec model is 29in only.
Despite its 26kg-plus weight, we found the low centre of gravity made for impressive downhill performance, although we’d have liked to see a slightly steeper seat tube for better climbing.
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Best electric road bikes
It’s often hard to tell many electric road bikes from their unassisted counterparts. Russell Burton / Immediate Media
If you enjoy road cycling, but want a bit of help to keep your speed up or to get you up hills, an electric road bike could be the right choice for you.
Most e-road bikes use lightweight motor systems that provide less power than the motors used on electric hybrid or mountain bikes. This means they’re typically a bit lighter too, with the very lightest models tipping the scales at around 11kg.
However, with many road riders achieving speeds on the flat of 15mph or above, you may feel you’re carrying dead weight around, with the motor cutting out at that top-assisted speed, although assistance can continue to 20mph, or even in some cases 28mph in much of the USA.
Below are three of the very best electric road bikes senior road technical editor Warren Rossiter has tested to date.
BMC Roadmachine AMP One
- £7,600 / €7,999 as tested
- Pros: Smooth ride; compact motor; impressive range
- Cons: Tyres may need a swap-out for colder, wetter conditions
The BMC Roadmachine AMP One doesn’t look much different from its non-assisted sibling; it’s only the slightly expanded down tube, hiding a 350Wh battery, that shows there’s extra assistance. The Mahle X20 motor is so compact it hides between the largest cassette sprocket and the disc rotor.
The ride feels like the non-assisted Roadmachine as well, despite the 12kg weight. Range is impressive, heading up to 160km, depending on the conditions. We’d swap out the tyres for winter use though.
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Scott Addict eRide Premium
The Scott Addict eRide Premium looks and rides like a racy road bike. Russell Burton / Immediate Media
- £8,349 / 9,299 as tested
- Pros: Great looks; top-spec build; lovely handling
- Cons: Non-removable battery
The Scott Addict eRide Premium has similar geometry to the Scott Addict RC Disc and the same carbon frame. The result is a possible sub-11kg build powered by the consistent ebikemotion rear-hub motor.
Neatly concealed in the down tube, the battery managed 100km and 2,000m elevation in testing. The 2022 version of the bike has been renamed as the Scott Addict eRide Ultimate.
Best electric road bikes of 2023: Go farther, faster
Electric bikes are incredibly popular and a huge part of the cycling market these days. They can make cycling more accessible to a wider range of riders over different applications and terrains and are just downright fun to use. The best electric bikes can be used over a range of uses, including e-bike commuting and gravel riding. We will be taking a look a the best electric road bikes here, a category that has come a long way with the best models being very close to the best road bikes in terms of ride quality and looks whilst offering heaps of extra power when needed.
Electric road bikes can almost go unnoticed these days, so discreet they now look. They utilise a lot of the same components regular road bikes do, like the best road bike wheels and best road bike tyres most of which are rated for e-bike use these days.
E-bikes are now nearly universally accepted, the ‘cheating’ argument has fallen by the wayside as people have acknowledged how useful and varied e-bike uses can be. Whether that be aiding sustainable travel or helping groups of riders with varying fitness ride together.
We’ve gathered the best electric road bikes into this list, helping you analyse specifications and tech to help you make a more informed buying decision. If you still need a little more help, head to the bottom of the page to see our buying guide pointers.
Best electric road bikes available today
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Reasons to avoid
The Trek Domane SLR is the newest e-road bike from the US-based brand. Available in six different spec options but all based around a superlight weight Trek OCLV 800 carbon frame, this is the lightest e-road bike trek has ever produced.
The Domane SLR is aimed at performance road riders who want a little extra zip, it has a discreet motor and battery from German specialist TQ which offers a super smooth and quiet e-riding experience. The Domane SLR is lighter than the Trek Domane LT and has a non-removable battery whereas the LT’s is removable
You get a neatly integrated LCD display in the top tube, mode toggle buttons custom built into the shifters, and the lights and eTap charging can be wired in to run from the battery to simplify things. If you want a high-end lightweight electric road bike, the Domane SLR is one we’d be happy to recommend.
Reasons to avoid
Claimed to weigh 11kg, the Ribble Endurance SL e is one of the lightest e-road bikes currently available and, visually, the frame is almost identical to its non-assisted sibling, including the aggressive geometry.
Using the Mahle Ebikemotion system, the Endurance SL e doesn’t get a control unit, instead opting for a button on the top tube that cycles through the three levels of assistance. Hidden inside the downtube is a Panasonic 250Wh battery, which is connected to a rear hub-based motor said to provide 40Nm of torque. There is an accompanying app, too, which will provide additional information such as remaining battery life.
As Ribble is consumer direct, the pricing is competitive with the Tiagra build starting at £2,799, and the 105 build starting at £3,299 — every component can be upgraded through the brand’s ‘BikeBuilder’ program.
Reasons to avoid
Using the C64 as the backbone, Colnago has adapted its carbon racer into a pedal-assist roadie. Claimed to tip the scales at 12kg including the battery, Colnago says the rear hub-based motor only adds 3.7kg and it’s capable of delivering 250 watts of assistance.
With the battery housed in the downtube, the E64 doesn’t get a built-in head unit; instead, there is a button on the top tube that controls the electronics. The battery is stored in the downtube and is not removable, but Colnago says there is an auxiliary battery on the horizon which can be stored in one of the bottle cages to add range.
Although the E64 appears to be a carbon-lugged frame, it’s a visual illusion with these details being added in the paint shop. The bike comes with a Shimano Ultegra drivetrain, Deda finishing kit and Mavic Aksium Elite EVO UST wheels.
Reasons to avoid
With the IsoSpeed decoupler in the seat tube and room in the frame for 38c tyres, Trek’s Domane LT is probably the best electric road bike for comfort.
It comes with a 250w motor and 250Wh battery, so in terms of power and range, it’s on a par with many of the ‘secret e-bikes’ featured here, however, instead of having a battery permanently hidden inside the down tube, the Domane uses a removable battery. Batteries do degrade over time, so the option to replace them will be positive when it comes to long-term ownership or resale value.
The Domane LT features all the niceties of the pedal-powered Domane, including fender mounts, Blendr accessories, and endurance geometry. The carbon frame is fitted with a Shimano Ultegra 2×11 groupset, with a 50/34 chainset and 11-34 cassette.
Reasons to avoid
On the surface, the Nytro looks like any other Pinarello frame, complete with a wavy fork and aero tubing but hidden in the downtube are a Fazua drive unit and battery. The Nytro is claimed to have up to 250w of power and 55Nm of torque, and the battery can be dropped out of the downtube to make it just a normal road bike, weighing in at around 9kg without the battery.
The frame uses the brand’s F10 frameset as a starting point and adds a bit of length to the wheelbase and height to the head tube. Rest assured, Pinarello hasn’t forgotten to give the Nytro its trademark asymmetric tube treatment.
Built with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 11-speed drivetrain, the bike gets hydraulic disc brakes and rolls on Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels. It also comes with a Pinarello-sized price tag.
Reasons to avoid
Launched during the 2019 Tour de France is the latest addition to Specialized’s line-up of Turbo bikes, the Creo SL, is designed to be a high-performance e-road bike that’s powered by the brand’s own SL 1.1 drive system, it also uses the brand’s Futureshock 2.0 at the front. Instead of an aftermarket solution from Bosch, Fazua or Shimano, Specialized designed its own, which is claimed to weigh just 1.96kg.
The 320Wh battery itself weighs 1.8kg, and Specialized is also offering 60Wh extender packs which fit in a bottle cage — the extender packs are included with the S-Works and Founders edition, but not the Expert build.
With the Mission Control app, you can run diagnostics and customise the assistance levels. Specialized says you can customise them on the fly, which means in theory, you could tailor the wattage to help you keep up with friends on the climb while still getting a workout.
The Turbo Creo features a full carbon frame and is only available as a 1x setup, with the Expert edition using a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed Di2/XT Di2 mix drivetrain with Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes and Roval carbon wheels.
Reasons to avoid
The SuperSix EVO Neo features a ebike motion X35 motor, which offers 250w of assistance and up to 40Nm of torque (in the highest mode).
According to Cannondale, the 250Wh removable battery will take you around 75km on a single charge. The bike comes with 28mm slick Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres, and the frame features an integrated seat binder combined with a 27 KNØT seat post, designed to work together to absorb road bumps. The frame also features SAVE micro-suspension to smooth out most rides for added comfort.
It’s powered by a respectable Shimano 105 R7000 hydraulic groupset, with 2×11 gearing. Up front the FSA crank features 50/34 chainrings, paired with an 11-34 cassette at the rear, offering a massive range of gears.
As part of Cannondale’s e-bike range, the SuperSix Evo Neo 3 Disc benefits from the brand’s integrated wheel sensor, which delivers accurate speed, route and distance information, registers your bike, reminds you when you need service, and more.
Reasons to avoid
There’s no denying that the Revolt E carries more of an electric bike aesthetic than some others here, but within its oversized down tube comes a large battery and a motor with a lot of torque.
Powering it is the Shimano EP8-powered SyncDrive Pro pedal-assist system, which promises smooth acceleration (thanks to its 85Nm of maximum torque). Meanwhile, the Shimano GRX Di2 1×11 electronic groupset and 40mm tyres make it all-road ready if you plan to mix things up a bit. There are also mounts for mudguards and racks.
The system is simple to use, and the motor comes with a SmartAssist mode that automatically adapts to your cadence and ride style, tuning the amount of assistance to the levels you actually need. This means you don’t need to think about anything and can pedal without thinking about it.
How to choose the best electric road bike for you
Your riding demands will dictate which e-road bike is best for you. Hopefully, this guide should have given you an idea of what’s out there. Next, You should consider how you may want to use your e-bike: are you commuting to work, adventuring and discovering new terrain or simply adding a new bike to your fleet? Your requirements will dictate weight, gearing, range, prince point etc. Test ride a bike if you can and chat with manufacturers about which e-bike is best for you.
What do I need to know about the drive system?
With the electric bike market continually growing, more and more brands are getting on board and developing newer and better technology all the time. The best electric road bike will likely come with a powerful and reliable drive system, including one of the best e-bike motors from the likes of Bosch, Yamaha, and Shimano, while some feature integrated units from Ebikemotion and Fazua.
These systems place the motor either at the bottom bracket or the rear hub and vary in weight. In fact, some of the integrated systems are surprisingly light. The power they offer is an important factor, and most hover between 250w and 500w.
What’s the best wattage for an electric bike battery?
How long is a piece of string? It all depends on how much you’re riding, and how much you care about your electric road bike’s aesthetic.
When e-bikes started to gain popularity, the batteries were bulbous, and almost appeared to be haphazardly bolted on wherever there was space. Now we are seeing brands working to integrate them into the frame seamlessly.
Unfortunately, the smaller the battery, the smaller the capacity. which is measured in watt-hours (Wh). While some brands are quick to make claims about how far certain Wh batteries will take their bikes, these figures can vary greatly depending on the level of boost, the terrain and even the weight of the rider. Bosch has put together a handy Range Assistant, which can provide a good idea of how much mileage you can expect to achieve, depending on your riding habits.
While some bikes have removable batteries which allow you to keep a spare, others with hidden battery packs look much cleaner.
Are electric road bikes unisex?
As a general rule of thumb, most e-road bikes are made to be unisex, while having multiple size options that should work for most people. The saddle, which is the key contact area that needs some tailoring to fit the users, is easily swapped out for one of the best women’s road bike saddles if need be.
If you would prefer a women’s specific model, be sure to check out our list of the best women’s electric bikes.
Regional restrictions
Most e-bikes use one of three e-bike systems, however, depending on where you live, the level of assistance as well as whether you need a license and insurance will vary. Here’s a breakdown of all the e-bike restrictions in place in the UK, US and Australia.
The UK adopted a lot of the EU’s regulations regarding e-bikes but with Brexit, it’s hard to say if that may change.
All of the bikes featured here fall under ‘The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EPAC) Amendment Regulations’ mandates; electric assistance can only provide 250 watts of aid and must cut out at 25kph. It also stipulates the rider must be in motion for the motor to kick in and be at least 14 years old.
Electric bikes (and riders) that meet these standards have the same legal standing as regular bicycles and are allowed on roads and bike paths.
In Europe, a new class of speed-pedelecs or s-pedelecs are gaining popularity that are capable of providing assistance up to 45kph. You still need to pedal for the motor to kick in, however, under UK law these are considered two-wheel mopeds and require insurance, a legally certified helmet and a qualifying driver’s license.
In the US, rules for e-bikes vary from state to state; 30 states classify e-bikes as ordinary bicycles, while the remaining 20 label e-bikes as mopeds, scooters or something else altogether.
Federal law defines an electric bicycle as a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of fewer than 750 watts, whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20mph.’
It’s worth noting this statute defines the maximum assisted speed of the bike when being only powered by the motor, not when it’s being pedalled. To make things more confusing, state regulations can supersede the federal statute.
The Bicycle Product Suppliers Association has proposed a three-class system which divides electric bikes up based on their maximum assisted speed:
Class 1: the motor provides assistance only when the rider is pedalling and cuts out a 20mph
Class 2: the motor can contribute regardless of pedalling but is governed to 20mph
Class 3: the motor provides assistance when the rider is pedalling but cuts out at 28mph and must be equipped with a speedometer.
For all three classes, the motor can only put out a max of 750 watts, and the class needs to be clearly labelled. This system also defines where the bikes can be ridden; classes 1 and 2 are permitted anywhere bikes are allowed, while class 3 can be ridden on roads and bike lanes but not multi-use paths, and may be subject to minimum user age and helmet requirements.
So far, 22 states have legislation creating a class system and our friends over at People for Bikes has put together a full state-by-state run down.
In Australia, e-bikes are split into throttle-operated and pedal-assist. Both systems must be limited to 25kph, and the throttle-operated motors can only output 200 watts while pedal assist is legal up to 250 watts. Anything that exceeds these figures is considered a motorbike and must be licensed and insured.
RECON
Built and tested in the USA. Motor Power | 20kW Stock Battery | 72V 36Ah (2.6kWh) Stock Range | 16-8 0 miles Brakes | 220mm Tektro Brakes Suspension Travel | 8 Front and 10 Rear Wheels | 19 Motorcycle DOT wheels Charger | 110V Smart AC Charger Contact for custom paint color, p ictures for reference only.
Options
AuxiliaryPower and LED Light Kit
- Ultra-bright head and tail light
- On/Off button
- 12V lighter port 5V USB up to 120 Watts.
Street Safety Kit
Making your ride safer and necessary if you intend to register you bike, it includes:
- Auxiliary Power Kit
- Headlight
- Brake light
- Turn signals
- Mirrors
- Horn
Performance MotorWheel
- Hand-built in the USA with top materials and expertise.
- Essential for pushing your bike to the highest levels of performance.
- ~2x standard spoke diameter.
- 18 Excel Takasago rim (or similar) for high impacts and rocky conditions.
Tektro Brake System
- 1.8mm: 220mm Rotors / 2-piston
- 2.3mm System: 220mm Rotors / 4-piston
- Dual Front Rotors: Less noise / 2x Front Force / Longer brake life
Schlumpf 2 Speed Crankset
- Made in Germany
- 2.5:1 overdrive, pedal upwards of 50 mph. (Only 15 mph stock)
- A satisfying feeling and can add to the effective range of your bike.
Shipping
USA Shipping: 600 ready-to-ride
Call or Email for International Shipping.
1 (714) 594-9885 / cab@cabmotorworks.com
FAQs
What’s the max range of your bikes?
Battery sizes are as follows:
24Ah / 1.7kW Hours | 12-60 miles of range. 30Ah / 2.2kW Hours | 14-70 miles of range. 42Ah / 3kW Hours | 20-100 miles of range. 63Ah / 4.5kW Hours | 40-200 miles of range.
Riding easy vs hard can result in a ~5x difference in range. This is true for all battery powered high-performance vehicles.
How capable are the bikes?
Acceleration: Our ebikes have surprising torque, and the Recon is quicker than any other ebike. Nimbleness: Added weight from a larger battery is hardly noticeable. Light, powerful, and agile. Terrain: Standard 8 front and 10 rear suspension allow you to overcome most all obstacles.
What is the Performance Motor wheel?
Hand-built in the USA and doubling the spoke diameter from the standard. It cushions the motor from high impacts and rocky conditions. Mitigating dented rims with its higher sidewall.This is essential if you’ll be pushing your bike to the highest levels of performance.
Rain and wet conditions?
Our E-bikes can handle rain and water splashes. However, submerging or pressure washing the bikes with water is not recommended and can lead to component damage or failure.
How should I clean my bike?
Use a clean, dry or damp microfiber cloth to wipe down your ride or leave it dirty as your badge of honor.
The incredible, Earth-saving electric bike is having a moment
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The clean-transportation revolution won’t arrive by way of futuristic hyperloops, driverless taxi pods, or drones the size of minivans — not anytime soon, at least.
And while electric cars get all the hype, a game-changing solution to getting around without warming the planet has flourished right under our noses.
Electric bicycles of all shapes and sizes have whirred and zipped their way into the mainstream in recent years as the pandemic has supercharged an e-biking boom that was already well underway. And that’s a great thing, because while replacing gas-burning cars with electric ones is key to heading off global warming, research has found Americans also need to drive less altogether to avoid climate catastrophe.
The Earth-saving potential of e-bikes
Transportation is the single biggest contributor to US greenhouse-gas emissions. And light-duty vehicles (cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs, not semis and airplanes) make up the largest chunk of that. Gains in vehicle efficiency are being dragged down by rising sales of large SUVs and trucks, while practically no progress has been made in reducing the number of miles people drive, Carter Rubin, a transportation lead at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told Insider.
All that makes enticing people to step out of the driver’s seat and onto a bike, bus, or sidewalk increasingly important for meeting climate goals.
Cleaner cars are an important solution, but we can’t just FOCUS on cars, Katherine García, the director of the Clean Transportation for All Campaign at the Sierra Club, told Insider. We need to make sure we are putting programs in place that really encourage people to take alternatives.
E-bikes have loads of potential to pry Americans away from their beloved automobiles, advocates told Insider, especially since short trips could easily be made on two wheels instead. According to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, more than half of all trips in the US are under 3 miles.
A University of Oxford study found that swapping a car for a bike just once a day slashed an individual’s transportation emissions by a whopping 67%. Another study found choosing an e-bike for 15% of one’s miles traveled cut their transportation emissions by 12%.
Fast, fun, and convenient, e-bikes are already helping people make that kind of shift in their daily lives.
Victor Silva, a product manager in the suburbs of Washington, DC, bought a RadRunner Plus from Rad Power Bikes for 1,900 in the summer after realizing most of his car trips were only a few miles. Now he’s hooked. He recently bought another e-bike and is looking to sell his and his wife’s second car since it barely gets any use. He said he wasn’t going to miss the insurance payments or traffic jams.
I’m trading an activity that I absolutely hate doing, which is getting stuck in traffic, with something that I actually like doing, which is getting some exercise and riding my bike, he told Insider.
After Wesley Cook and his wife sold their second car last year, they test-rode a pair of e-bikes from a local, Atlanta-based company called Edison Bicycles and never looked back. While they had never biked much before, they’ve slowly replaced daily errands like getting groceries or taking their son to school with e-bike rides.
Cook, a software engineer, just made an addition to the couple’s fleet — a cargo bike from Urban Arrow that has plenty of room for their son and their baby who’s arriving later this year.
The e-bike advantage
The power of e-bikes to alter peoples’ habits and help save the planet is simple and maybe a little obvious. But it’s important and worth spelling out nonetheless: By making biking easier, e-bikes encourage people to ride more.
A little electrical assistance goes a long way toward helping people overcome the obstacles keeping them from biking, whether that’s steep hills, a lengthy commute, physical limitations, or the mortifying thought of showing up somewhere with pit stains, John MacArthur, a professor at Portland State University who researches sustainable transportation, told Insider.
A lot of those barriers can be broken down by putting a motor on a bike, he said.
National surveys he’s conducted have indicated that e-bikes motivate people to ride farther and more often — plus they broaden interest in cycling beyond the stereotypical spandex-clad white man.
Lyft, which operates bike-sharing systems across the US, has noticed similar trends. It’s seen ridership boom by more than 50% since 2020 and attributes much of that growth to e-bikes. In 2021, e-bikes made up just 20% of Lyft’s New York City fleet but 40% of total rides and nearly two-thirds of journeys between boroughs, which typically involve a steep climb over a bridge.
As many people who have ridden an e-bike will tell you, they’re just plain fun — and they can often get you places faster and with less hassle than a car or bus. They’re that rare thing in life that’s both good and good for you.
They’re kind of a rocket fuel for regular biking, Rubin, a daily e-biker, told Insider.
Electric cars are important, too, but they’re expensive and far off for a lot of drivers, MacArthur said. Just consider someone who recently bought a gas car and doesn’t plan on trading it in for a decade. E-bikes, on the other hand, are an option that’s right here, right now.
The most popular electric vehicles in the US don’t have a Tesla logo
While electric cars get all the attention, e-bikes have for years been the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.
Last year, Americans bought just over 800,000 electric cars, according to Kelley Blue Book, a record. E-bike imports (a good proxy for sales since most e-bikes aren’t made in the US) numbered around 1.1 million, surging from 880,000 in 2021 and 437,000 the year before, according to an e-bike-industry trade group.
In dollar terms, e-bike retail sales nearly quadrupled in the past four years, rising from 240.1 million in 2019 to 885.5 million in 2022, the market-research firm Circana estimates. While sales of leg-powered bicycles slumped 16% last year, e-bike sales jumped by 100 million.
Ed Benjamin, the Light Electric Vehicle Association’s chair, chalks up the trend to growing awareness among consumers and more interest and know-how among bike sellers. The pandemic, which made people wary of close-quarters public transit, boosted e-bike fandom to new heights, he said. And sales show no sign of slowing down. In China and some parts of Europe, one out of every two bikes sold has a motor, Benjamin said, which indicates there’s plenty of room for growth in the US.
Improving tech and new form factors for different types of shoppers have fueled public appetite, too, MacArthur of Portland State said. Now buyers can choose from a wide variety of regular-looking bikes, folding bikes, tricycles, fat-tire mopeds, and even cargo bikes, which have extra room for groceries and seats for children.
The demand explosion has meant boom times for e-bike makers who played their cards right, like California’s Aventon, which got its start in 2013 selling (nonelectric) fixed-gear bikes.
Seeing the potential in e-bikes, the young firm went all in on the technology in 2020, at what turned out to be a very opportune time. Since then, it’s expanded its lineup to seven models and multiplied its revenues by a factor of 42, Aventon’s chief marketing officer, Adele Nasr, told Insider. One key driver of the success, Nasr said: Customers are increasingly seeing e-bikes as legitimate tools for replacing car trips, rather than just toys for recreation.
They’re starting to think about them differently, starting to imagine use cases that are so much more evolved than they were even three years ago, which is incredible, Nasr said.
Congress could give the e-bike boom another jolt
While the federal government has committed billions of dollars to public EV charging and 7,500 tax refunds to buyers of Teslas and electric Ford F-150s, it’s largely left e-bikes out in the cold.
That’s a big mistake, said Noa Banayan, the director of federal affairs at PeopleForBikes, an advocacy group that represents the bike industry. Since e-bikes are much cheaper than electric cars, you can get them into the hands of consumers faster, she said.
But times are changing. In March, a group of congresspeople reintroduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act, which proposes a 30% discount (up to 1,500) for the purchase of a new e-bike. The law could not only make e-bikes more accessible to more Americans, Rubin of the Natural Resources Defense Council said, but also send a powerful message to state and local governments to get serious about safer cycling infrastructure such as protected bike lanes.
Unlike when it was first introduced (then scrapped) in 2021, the bill now has support from major environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Environment America.
Now they’re realizing that electric bicycles and active transportation, and micromobility more broadly, should be a part of their larger transportation and climate agendas, Banayan said. That’s really exciting.
This article is part of The Great Transition, a series covering the big changes across industries that are leading to a more sustainable future. For more climate-action news, visit Insider’s One Planet hub.