Best Electric Bikes Buy Guide And Review
Best Electric Bikes
What is an electric bike?
Electric bikes (also known as e-bikes and electric assist bikes) amplify your pedaling power thanks to an electric drive system. There are many different kinds of e-bikes, but all of them use an electric motor and battery to help you power your bike. Most have what’s called a controller that lets you choose the amount of power the system provides.
Is an e-bike right for me?
While e-bikes are a super fun and easy way to get around, they might not be right for everyone. Here’s a brief comparison of electric bikes and other popular modes of transportation.
Electric bikes vs regular bikes
Traditional bikes don’t give you a boost to help you go faster and farther. But they are lighter and generally less expensive than e-bikes. Both are a great way to get exercise!
Electric bikes vs electric scooters
Electric scooters are compact and easy to maneuver in the city. Scooters shine on short, intra-city trips when you want to get somewhere faster than you can walk, but they won’t necessarily replace car trips. Plus, they’re more dangerous and less regulated than electric bikes, and they aren’t always available when you need one.
Electric bikes vs cars
Cars can take you on much farther and faster trips, you have to worry less about weather conditions, and you can haul a lot. But cars are much worse for the planet than e-bikes are, and cars are more expensive initially and over time—consider maintenance, gas, licensing, and insurance costs. Plus, you aren’t getting exercise and you have to deal with traffic and parking.
Electric bikes make more possible
E-bikes let you go farther and faster, and help you do more by bike. There’s an e-bike for everyone, no matter if you’ve never had a bike before, are coming back from an injury, want to keep up with faster riders, or just want to have fun on every single ride. E-bikes flatten hills, let you carry heavier loads, and help you cut back on car trips. The best part? You still get the benefits of a traditional bike, like exercise, time outside, and not having to sit in with traffic jams or find parking.
It’s easy and fun to get out and ride
Whether you’re coming back from an injury, can’t ride as far as you’d like anymore, or are just thinking about getting a bike for the first time, electric bikes are an awesome option. The extra boost helps you get out for exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and put less strain on your body than a traditional bike.
Ride farther, faster, and right up hills
If hills are discouraging you from riding a bike, electric bikes are the perfect solution! The boost will help you power right up hills, and it amplifies your level of fitness so longer, faster trips are always within reach. No more worrying whether or not you can make it!
Replace car trips and commutes
Electric bikes make long bike commutes super feasible, and make any commute more enjoyable and much less sweaty than on a traditional bike. Plus, the boost lets you carry more on errand runs, giving you yet another reason to take your e-bike instead of your car! You can feel good about getting exercise while lessening your impact on the environment.
How do electric bikes work?
Electric bikes work by using an electric motor and battery to help you power your bike. The battery powers the motor, and you control the amount of power the system outputs using the controller. There are two main methods by which power is transferred from the drive system to your bike, and those are pedal assist and throttle control.
Pedal assist electric bikes
On pedal assist electric bikes, you control the amount of assist the system gives you and the assist only kicks in when you pedal. The motor amplifies the power behind each of your pedal strokes, providing a natural riding feeling that makes it seem like your legs are supercharged!
Electric bikes with throttles
These bikes let you use a twist throttle to engage the drive system. When the bike is in this mode you don’t have to be pedaling to be powered by the electric motor. Throttle bikes can be dangerous, as it’s easy to get out of control if you’re not paying attention. E-bikes with throttles are only allowed in certain areas, so be sure to check your local regulations before purchaing one.
How fast are electric bikes?
Electric bike speed is dependent on the capabilty and construction of the motor, and maximum electric bike speeds are regulated by law. Most e-bikes in the US will assist up to 20 mph. You can go faster than that, like when you’re zipping down a hill, but the motor will stop assisting once you reach 20 mph. At speeds lower than 20 mph, your speed is dependent on what gear you’re in, how much you’re pedaling, and what level of assist you choose. Different levels of assist will help you move faster by providing more power. For example, turbo mode provides the highest level of assist, and would help you go your fastest.
Fast electric bikes
Speed electric bikes or speed pedelecs have special motors that assist up to 28 mph in the US. These bikes are favored by commuters and avid riders who want to go a long distance in a short amount of time. This kind of e-bike is only allowed in certain areas, so be sure to check your local regulations before purchasing a speed e-bike.
What are electric bike classes?
Electric bikes are divided into three main types or classes based on what sort of motor they have, whether or not they have a throttle, and how fast they go. It’s important to know which classes of e-bikes are legal in the areas where you’ll ride.
Class 1 electric bikes (low-speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle)
A bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.
Class 2 electric bikes (low-speed throttle-assisted electric bicycle)
A bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.
Class 3 electric bikes (speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle)
A bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches 28 mph.
What kind of e-bikes are there?
There are lots of different kinds of electric bikes, but most of them can be grouped into one of these three categories:
Electric hybrid bikes and electric commuter bikes
These popular electric bikes are available in a lot of variations. Some are designed for recreational riding, others are built for short city commutes and trips, and still others have more powerful batteries and faster motors ideal for taking on long commutes. These bikes often come with integrated accessories like racks and fenders.
Electric road bikes
These electric bikes are made for riding on pavement and are perfect for group rides, solo rides, and even commuting. They have sleek, discreet electric drive systems designed to give you a boost when you need to get up hills or stick with the pack.
Electric mountain bikes
Electric mountain bikes are built for riding off-road on designated trails. These bikes have all the technology and parts of traditional mountain bikes, but they also have a motor and battery designed specifically to help you tackle tough, mountainous terrain.
You can also find electric cargo bikes designed to let you carry huge loads, fat tire electric bikes (fat bikes) for riding in snowy weather, and even electric hunting bikes that make it easier to haul gear in and game out.
What are long range electric bikes?
Long range electric bikes are e-bikes that are designed to go a long way on a single charge. These e-bikes typically have large capacity batteries of 500Wh or more, and are often built with efficient motors that help maximize battery life. Long range electric bikes are favored by long-distance commuters and bike tourers who want to travel far without needing to stop and charge their battery.
Can you have more than one battery?
Yes! Several manufacturers offer the ability to add an additional battery to your electric bike. This is a great feature for avid e-bike riders and long-distance commuters. Typically the electric drive system controls how power is pulled from the two batteries, so there’s no extra fuss or hassle for you.
Learn about Range Boost batteries
What’s considered a fast electric bike or speed pedelec?
These electric bike have special motors that are capable of sustaining faster speeds than typical e-bikes. In the US, speed pedelecs are considered Class 3 e-bikes and can assist up to 28 mph. A fast e-bike is the best electric bike for commuting, especially if you have a long distance commute. They also come in handy if you want to be able to get places even more quickly.
Parts of an electric bike
1 Electric bike motors
All of our e-bikes are designed with mid-drive pedal-assist motors that are located in the same area as your pedals. They feel natural while pedaling, are easy to shift on hills, and provide a boost of smooth, consistent power with every pedal stroke you take.
2 Electric bike displays
E-bike displays (also known as controllers) are what you use to see and control your e-bike’s settings. You can change your level of assist, see your speed and distance, and check how much battery power you have left. Our e-bike displays are super intuitive to use, and are conveniently mounted right at your fingertips.
3 Electric bike batteries
E-bike batteries are the biggest contributing factor to how far your e-bike can go. The higher watt hour (Wh) your battery is, the more power capacity it has. Batteries can be mounted in lots of different places, but those mounted on the downtube or integrated into the downtube itself provide the best center of gravity for better balance.
How pedal assist motors work
Electric bikes work by using an electric motor and battery to help you power your bike. On pedal assist e-bikes, you control the amount of power the drive system provides and the assist only kicks in when you pedal. The motor amplifies the power behind each of your pedal strokes, providing a natural riding feeling that makes it seem like your legs are supercharged!
Some manufacturers make e-bikes that use a twist throttle to engage the drive system. With these bikes, you don’t have to be pedaling for the motor to be engaged. This can be dangerous, since it’s easy to get out of control if you’re not paying attention. We only make pedal assist e-bikes, because they feel the most like a regular bike and help riders feel more in command of their ride.
Pedal assist motor
Depending on the model, your e-bike’s electric motor has a power output between 250 and 350 watts, and assists up to 20 or 28 mph. And you can go faster than that without feeling much resistance from the motor.
You can charge your battery on or off the bike using a charging cable that functions just like your laptop’s. Plus, our Removable Integrated Battery (RIB) system makes it easy to take your battery with you for on-the-go charging.
Easy to use displayAll our displays show you critical ride info like range, assist mode, speed, and battery level. Select displays take things a step further by integrating with your phone for on-bike access to music, apps, turn-by-turn directions, and more.
