Unbiased, In-Depth Analysis of the Best Electric Bikes
Electric bikes or ebikes combine human power from pedaling with electronic power from a hub motor, mid drive, or friction drive powered by a battery pack. They come in all shapes and sizes, including trikes, tandems, folding, cargo, and more. A traditional analog bicycle can usually be converted to electric through the use of kits. Ebikes fall into three classes including Class 1 pedal assist only up to a set speed (usually 25kmh or 32kmh), Class 2 throttle only or throttle with pedal assist up to a set speed (usually 25kmh or 32kmh), and high speed Class 3 up to a set level (usually 45kmh 28mph).
The Gadis is a value priced active step-thru from E-Joe, a company that has been selling folding electric bikes and some other city models for the past several years. The first thing that jumped out and caught my attention when I saw it in my friend Sam’s shop in Fullerton, CA was the unique triple-tube […]
Rad Power Bikes has rapidly grown their business from a crowd funded single-product offering to include a cargo bike and a mini fat folding bike in just a couple of short years! But it all started with the RadRover… This classic fat tire electric bike offers some of the best value I’ve seen on the […]
The Sturmvogel has a name that I don’t quite understand but the design and performance are clear. It’s an electric bike that blends in because the motor and battery are integrated, it would look good under a man or woman… or anyone in between, and it comes in four sizes so mounting and dismounting doesn’t […]
The SmartMotion Pacer delivers a lot of value and performance for a pretty reasonable price and it impressed me with a several creative new features such as LED strips along the downtube and rack supports. These, in addition to more standard integrated LED lights and a rear light that activates when you pull the right […]
VoltBike is a leader in low cost electric bikes, I visited their headquarters near Vancouver Canada in 2015 and learned more about their online sales business… shipping to Canada and the US for a flat $70. If you don’t live near a bike shop but want an efficient city ebike or something a little more […]
The highly anticipated, industry disrupting affordable speed pedelec from Juiced Bikes has finally arrived. The CrossCurrent is a $1,500 electric bike that can go ~28 mph if you are willing to pedal with some gusto… Or you can get the optional trigger throttle and struggle to hit higher speeds while draining the battery more quickly. […]
The Liberty Trike is a truly liberating electric bicycle designed for people who want improved stability, weight capacity and comfort over more traditional two wheeled bicycles. Adding to the mobility aspects of a trike, you get electric throttle power here so climbing, hauling and simply going further is less of a challenge. I have been […]
The Stromer ST1 is a speed pedelec, 28 mph capable, electric bike with race-like qualities and performance parts. It comes in limited edition metallic blue and only 399 units were produced. You get premium fenders with a custom rack for hauling gear, powerful hydraulic disc brakes, integrated lights (the front is aimable and puts out […]
The Valano ION is built around a somewhat dated design where the battery pack fits into a rear rack vs. being integrated into the downtube like the e-Joe Epik, EG Vienna, VoltBike Urban or a whole slew of other models. This makes it rear heavy and more prone to tipping but provides easy access to […]
Virtue Cycles produces a range of affordable bicycles with two electrified variants called the Gondoliere Plus and Schoolbus Plus. The Pedalist by contrast, only comes with electric power because it’s significantly larger and heavier than the two cargo bikes. This thing weighs in at ~175 lbs without the battery (which adds another 10 lbs or […]
