With gas prices constantly on the rise and major cities becoming increasingly polluted and congested with each passing day, it is no wonder that more and more people are turning their attention to electric bicycles.
Getting around by bicycle has always been a popular option for those who want to focus on their fitness, but getting all away across the city on a conventional bike can be a time-consuming and difficult task.
Electric bikes have managed to bridge that gap. Step into any major city these days, and you will see thousands of people traveling around on electric bikes. The market for the vehicles is constantly getting better and better, and the bikes, which originally were quite large and clunky, are becoming increasingly stylish and practical.
It’s not only city-dwellers who have gone crazy for electric bikes either. The bikes have been welcomed by the mountain biking and road-cycling communities as they provide riders with an opportunity to go further and last longer than ever before.
Electric bikes don’t come cheap though, and if you are planning on investing in one, then you need to be sure you are making the right decision, and choosing the right bike store. There are plenty of different uses for electric bikes, and there are bikes available for a range of different budgets. In the following guide, we break down the best electric bike options for you, no matter what your budget and what type of bike you are looking for.
Best Electric Bike – Merax 26-Inch Aluminum Electric Mountain Bike
As electric bikes go, there are few on the market that can compete with the all-around excellence of the Merax 26-Inch Aluminum Electric Mountain Bike.
The bike boasts an impressive 350-watt motor, which allows you to reach speeds of up to 32 mph with ease and it is also one of the most comfortable bikes on the market. On top of that, its lightweight aluminum frame means that it can be carried around without making too much of a nuisance of itself.
Switching between the bike’s standard pedal mode and the electric mode is easily done thanks to a handy switch by the handles and an LED display board on the front of the bike makes it easy to control your speed.
It also comes with a strong 36-volt 8.8Ah lithium-ion battery, which charges in a relatively quick time and will last you for between 20-30 miles of travel, depending on the speed you are traveling at.
It is also an extremely pleasing bike to look at and is sure to turn a few heads when you take it out on the road.
If you are looking for specialized outdoor bikes, check out our selection of the best winter fat bikes.
Best Folding Electric Bike – Brompton Electric
Electric bikes have become a staple of inner-city commuting, but for those who face a slightly longer journey to work, being able to carry your bike around with you on foot and on public transport is incredibly useful.
Folding electric bikes have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. Their lightweight features make them an incredibly practical edition to inner-city living, and they can also prove to be incredibly cost-effective in the long run.
The Brompton Electric bike stands head and shoulders above the rest as the finest folding electric bike on the market right now. Not only does the bike boast an incredibly stylish vintage look, but it is super lightweight and offers a smooth ride. The bike is capable of reaching speeds of around 15/16 mph, which may not be as much as some of the others on the market but is the ideal speed to be traveling at if you are in an urban area with a lot of traffic.
The motor for the Brompton Electric is nicely located on the front wheel, and the battery and control unit can be found mounted on the front tube of the bike. The battery itself offers plenty of miles from a single charge, powering the bike somewhere between 25-50 miles on average.
Perhaps the most attractive thing about the bike, however, is its simplicity. It can be easily picked up by anybody, and its simple, uncluttered approach makes it incredibly easy to use.
Best Electric Bike for $500 or Less – SwagCycle EB-5 Pro
One of the simplest and most effective electric bikes available on the market is the SwagCycle EB-5 Pro. The bike’s design is so simple that anybody can pick it up and use it, and it is also one of the most affordable bikes on the market right now.
Coming in at under $500, the SwagCycle EB-5 Pro offers a lot of bang for its (considerably low) buck. Many of the electric bikes that come in at this kind of price may be of questionable quality, but the SwagCycle EB-5 Pro is sure to not disappoint.
It is incredibly light at just 37 pounds and is the perfect entry-level bike under $500 if you are looking for a beginner electric bike or something that can be used safely by the whole family. It also has an easily adjustable height, which means it can be suitable for members of the family of any age.
The bike’s maximum speed is around 15 mph, which is enough to make sure that you can get from A to B at a considerable speed but also safe enough to ensure that children or teenagers are not likely to cause themselves any damage when riding it.
Best Electric Mountain Bike – Haibike SDURO HardNine 4
For those who enjoy taking their bikes off-road, the rise of electric mountain bikes has changed the game. Riders are now able to go further and last longer than ever before. The market for electric mountain bikes is constantly growing, and companies are regularly releasing more durable bikes that can be taken over any terrain.
Of the current models available, the Haibike SDURO HardNine is easily the stand-out option. The bike is kitted out with 29-inch tires, hydraulic disk brakes, and a 100mm front suspension fork, which makes it perfect for going up difficult terrains with relative comfort.
The bike can reach speeds of up to 20 mph and can be incredibly effective when it comes to preserving your energy when you’re hitting a hard trail. The battery is also incredibly quick to charge, meaning it can be useful if you are taking it away for a cycling weekend.
Available for as low as $1,800, the Haibike SURDO HardNine 4.0 is one of the most affordable electric mountain bikes on the markets and also offers some of the best value for money.
Best City Electric Bike – Specialized Turbo Vado 6.0
The Vado Specialized line-up offers some of the best electric bikes in the industry, and the Specialized Turbo Vado 6.0 is one of their finest models yet.
The Turbo Vado 6.0 is one of the comfiest and smartest bikes for those who want to get around the big city. Its minimalist look means you will stand out from the crowd. The bike is designed specifically for helping people getting around the city, and with top speeds of up to 28 mph, it is incredibly efficient at doing just that.
The bike also comes fitted with all of the latest mod-cons, with an LED board on the handles keeping you up to date with how fast you are going, how many calories you have burned that day, and how much battery life you have left.
Talking of batteries, the Vado 6.0 comes with a 604-watt lithium-ion battery, which is one of the best available on the market right now. This can offer you a very impressive 80 miles off the back of just one single charge, which puts the Vado 6.0 far ahead of the competition.
Vado has also released an app, the Specialized Mission Control App, which can be connected to the bike with the use of Bluetooth. The app allows you to customize their ride to gain the maximum usage out of their bike and the battery. It also allows you to record your rides and will also instantly diagnose any issues you have with your bike on the spot. The app is also compatible with several other bikes in the Vado Specialized range.
Don’t miss our comprehensive guide to the top electric dirt bikes and find the right one for your adventures.
Best Commuter Electric Bike – Bulls Twenty8 E45
Electric bikes and commuting go hand in hand. For those who are looking for a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to get to work in the big city, electric bikes have become a go-to purchase, and there are few on the market as reliable as the Bulls Twenty8 E45.
This commuter bike is one of the most well-rounded on the market. Its stylish look means you will be the envy of all of the other commuters in the city, and it also offers one of the most comfortable rides available. One of the big features in terms of comfort is the suspension seat post. These are often costly accessories, so the bike coming equipped with one already is a huge benefit. It also has a nice gel seat that makes riding around the city a very smooth experience.
The Bulls Twenty8 E45 is powered by an impressive Bosch PowerTube 500 battery. Bosch supplies some of the most reliable batteries on the market, and this one helps give the bike an edge over its competitors. The top speed for the bike is around 28 mph. One of the other unique features on this battery is that there is no need to remove it from the bike to charge it, which makes charging it up a nice and easy process that doesn’t involve any fiddling around.
The bike also features a Bosch LED control panel on the handlebars, so you can stay up to speed with how quick you are going and how much charge the battery is carrying.
To top it all off, this is also one of the safest bikes on the market, which makes it ideal if you are commuting home late from work or if you live in a place where it gets particularly dark in the early evening. It also comes with some rubber mud-flaps, which make for a nice touch if you are riding home in your work trousers and it has been raining. The bike comes with integrated lights at the front and the back, which is another great money saver.
Best Cargo Electric Bike – Tern GSD
Electric bikes have a plethora of different uses, and one that is becoming increasingly popular is to carry cargo or baggage. Electric bikes can be a great way of getting your stuff around a city, especially if the load is a little too heavy to be carried on your back and you need to get somewhere fast.
While, of course, cargo bikes are not the most aesthetically pleasing electric bikes on the market, they are incredibly practical, and few are as perfectly designed as the Tern GSD.
The Tern GSD, like most cargo electric bikes, is not the lightest bike available, but the powerful 400-watt Bosch battery, which can also be combined with another battery of the same power, means that you don’t feel any of this weight when you are riding the bike around.
The battery offers you around 31-68 miles on a single charge, which is ideal if you are regularly carrying a lot of weight around the city. It is also perfect for those who are moving house as it can sustain plenty of short journeys. You can also attach your kid’s seat to the back of it, meaning it could even be an alternative way of traveling around the city with your children.
Above all else, the Tern GSD will save you an awful lot of cash in gas money as it removes the need to drive around to move cargo or heavy items. For those living in a city or urban area, the Tern GSD offers riders a genuine alternative to driving a car each and every day.
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Best Budget Electric Bike – Ancheer Power Plus E-Bike
Electric bikes are a very expensive acquisition. The majority of high-quality electric bikes on the market are priced well into the thousands, and while some of them are definitely worth that, not everybody has that kind of money to be splashing around.
Step forward the Ancheer Power Plus E-Bike. The bike has an excellent design that makes it look no different than a normal mountain bike, and it has a durable build that makes it suitable for riding on a wide variety of terrains.
Its electricity is accessed with a simple twist function on the handlebars, which makes it nice and easy for first-time users, and its low price means that it can make the perfect first-time electric bike.
In fact, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between this and a normal bike at first glance because the 36-volt Li-Ion battery is very hidden away and designed to look like a thermos flask on the frame. The bike comes with three speed settings (low, medium, and high), and it is capable of reaching top speeds of around 18 mph. The battery holds its charge for around 30 miles, which is plenty for those who want to take it mountain biking for a day.
The bike’s alloy frame gives it a cool aesthetic and makes it blend in with normal bicycles, but it does also mean that it isn’t the lightest bike on the market. That being said, at under $1,000, this is the perfect budget bike for beginners.
Best Electric Box Bike – Riese & Muller Load 75 Touring HS
Electric box bikes are basically a substitute for a family vehicle. The Riese & Muller Load 75 is one of the most practical electric box bikes on the market and is perfect if you have a big family or often have to carry cargo around.
The front of the device is designed to accept add-ons and accessories from Riese & Muller, so you can equip the bike with covers or sidewalls, as well as various other items.
The Load 75 is a slight step up from the popular Riese & Muller Load 60. It is larger than its predecessor, allowing you to carry more baggage or load up with more family members. It also has a much bigger braking system, which allows for more efficient stopping when necessary.
While the bike may be heavier than its predecessor, the Bosch powered motor still allows the bike to comfortably reach speeds of up to 28 mph. The system is powered by two Bosch Powerpack 500 batteries, which are some of the most powerful on the market.
Best Road Electric Bike – The Giant Road E+1 Pro
Taking an electric bike out onto the road can be a liberating experience. While purists may argue that it takes away from the enjoyment of cycling on the road, there are plenty who would argue that they are looking at it in the wrong way.
Electric bikes actually allow road cyclists to go further than ever before. They can help break down challenging journeys and also allow you a few moments to stop and actually appreciate the scenery around you.
Of all the electric road bikes available on the market right now, The Giant Road E+1 Pro is the best available. The bike is a further improvement over the already very impressive Giant Road E+1, which quickly established itself as one of the most popular electric road bikes.
The Giant Road E+1 Pro is powered by a Yamaha Sync Drive Pro motor, which allows the bike to reach speeds of up to 28 mph. The motor also offers an impressive five different support modes. It is also an incredibly comfortable ride that is durable over a range of different terrains, making it perfect for road biking.
Getting a bike with the correct battery is also very important, and the E+1 Pro comes equipped with the Giant EnergyPak 500, which offers you a potential range of up to 100 miles on a single charge, making it one of the best batteries on the market.
Last but by no means least, the bike also has an excellent LED display on the handlebars, which means you can keep up to date with your progress, the bike’s battery life, and how many calories you’ve burned during your journey.