![]() Which bike ends up in your garage depends on your budget and how you intend to use the bike. Others look more utilitarian, with visible batteries mounted to a sci-fi-style frame. Some of the best ebikes, like the LeMond Prolog, are so lightweight and streamlined you can barely tell it’s electric until you feel the “boost” you get while pedaling. No matter which one you get, you can pedal it normally or engage the motor when you need assistance. Remember that at the end of the day, an electric bike is still just a bike. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great ebike. The least expensive ebikes start around $800, and there’s almost no upper limit, with some premium models costing well over $10,000. Still, it’s worth checking the bike’s battery range before you buy it to make sure it fits your daily needs.If you’re new to electric bikes, get ready for a little sticker shock. Like gas mileage in a car, real-world results vary depending on what assist level you use, terrain, and more. The highest range in this list is 70 miles, but most average about 45. But we’re beginning to see more batteries hidden within the down tube or tucked discreetly behind the seat tube.ĭon’t expect to ride across the state on these bikes, either. Instead, companies installed them prominently on top of the down tube. It used to be that most bikes at this price point didn’t hide their batteries with much elegance. Aventon, for example, pieced together its own e-bike system for the Pace 350-rather than buying a complete one from someone else-to keep the price down and allow for higher-quality parts elsewhere. It just means that the bike’s designers took into consideration where they could include lower-level parts without sacrificing safety while putting the money where it counts most-hydraulic disc brakes, decent tires, and a reliable e-system.Īlthough the electrical components on some of these bikes might not be plastered with a familiar name, like Bosch or Shimano, that doesn’t mean they’re not capable. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be riding around on a rattling tin can. Usually, the cheaper the bike, the cheaper the parts. Join Bicycling All Access for more in-depth bike reviews Cheaper E-Bike Components Aventon’s popular Pace 500, for example, is technically a Class 3 e-bike in that it reaches speeds up to 28 mph, but it also has a throttle that tops out at 20 mph (the maximum legal speed for a throttle). These models have a throttle that can propel a bike up to, and maintain, 20 mph without having to continuously pedal. Rare just a year ago, Class 2 models are becoming more popular, especially at lower prices. Class 3, also known as “speed pedelec,” can also have up to only a 750w motor (aka 1 horsepower), but can assist you up to 28 mph.īoth are allowed in most states and cities without the need for a license. ![]() Class 1 bikes have a motor (max 750w) that assists while you’re pedaling, up to 20 mph. Most electric bikes are defined as class 1 or 3. In the U.S., there are three classes defined by the type of assist and how fast the motor will propel you. Hub motors, like the one on Aventon’s Soltera, are an economical way to add reliable electric assist to bikes. In addition to bikes for everyday riding, we included folding e-bikes and even a fat-tire e-bike. To make these reviews as helpful as possible, we focused on lower-priced options from brands like Aventon, Rad Power Bikes, and others that you can purchase directly online. ![]() These bikes cost less, but our testing and research show them to be very reliable for everyday commuting and riding. ![]() But they can cost three or four times the models here. We’ve tested many of those premium e-bikes and electric mountain bikes too and some are truly exceptional. We use the term cheap electric bikes here to describe their price relative to the more expensive electric bikes you can find in bike shops and some online retailers. Last year, using a decibel meter, I compared the loudness of various e-bike motors to see which had the least offensive output (the Bosch Performance line CX used on many premium bikes had the lowest noise to torque levels). I commute to work and anywhere else I can on a Benno Boost e-cargo bike (often with my kids riding on the extended rear platform) and typically have three to four e-bikes in my garage to test at any one time. ![]() market with its first electric mountain bike. I’ve been testing e-bikes since 2013, when the Haibike entered the U.S. For four years, I oversaw product testing for Bicycling, in addition to Popular Mechanics and Runner’s World. Show more The Expert: I’ve been testing bikes and other gear for more than 20 years, leading the product review and gear teams for half a dozen magazines and web sites. ![]()
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