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).
Update! The Faraday Porteur S and Cortland S moved from $2,799 to $2,499 in 2017 and the review listing price here has been updated to reflect that. When Faraday launched its original Porteur through Kickstarter in mid 2012 I was inspired by the custom design and “active” interpretation of what an ebike could be. The […]
The Step-Thru Comfort Cruiser II is a second generation build of one of Pedego’s base model electric bikes introduced for 2015. It’s very affordable at just over $2k (with the smallest battery and no fenders) but you still get a lot of quality parts and an excellent warranty. The Classic Comfort Cruiser was designed with […]
The Focus Aventura Impulse Speed 1.0 has a long name… and a long list of premium features. Focus and Kalkhoff are both brands that are part of Derby Cycle Werke out of Germany. They are trusted, popular companies offering premium frames, components and drive systems that reached the US in 2014 at select shops. Now […]
The Evo City joins three similar “urban” models from Easy Motion 2015 lineup designed for comfort and utility. Each one relies on the same efficient drive system, beautiful downtube-integrated battery pack and clever minimal display. They’re great electric bikes with solid warranties, excellent safety features (fenders, chain guards, reflectors and lights) and nice rear carry […]
The Felt VERZAe delivers comfort and utility at a reasonable price (considering it uses the high-end Bosch drive system). Compared with its sister bike, the SPORTe Step-Thru, it’s heavier and less stiff but also easier to approach and much more feature rich; delivering lights, fenders and a sturdy rear rack. Though, to be fair you […]
This review is for the 2015 model Evo City Wave from Emotion, you can see the latest version on this page which costs slightly more and has a larger battery and more powerful motor. The Easy Motion Evo City Wave is a well balanced, feature-packed electric bike that delivers pedal assist and throttle on demand […]
The e-Joe Koda originated from the e-Joe One prototype in 2013 and I was given a chance to test ride it in 2014. Thankfully, a lot has changed since then! Almost everything is better with this finalized design and I was really impressed with the power, feature set and relative low price point being offered. […]
The Specialized Turbo is the most affordable model in the Specialized electric bicycle lineup (as of 2015 when this review was published) which also includes the Turbo X and Turbo S. With the standard Turbo you get a beautiful purpose built frame in one of four sizes, a powerful but silent gearless rear hub motor […]
The Evo Street is part of Easy Motion’s “Urban” lineup offering dynamo powered lights, full length fenders and a rear rack with built in bungee cords. It’s a great platform for commuting and priced at ~$3k you really get a lot of bang for your buck. I see it as an upgrade for the Evo […]
For 2015, Pedego improved its Classic Interceptor model in several key ways. The LCD display panel and button pad were combined into one main interface to create a cleaner cockpit, a second frame size dubbed the “Miniceptor” with smaller 24″ wheels was added and an optional magnesium wheelset was introduced for managing heavier loads (up […]
