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 EVO 27.5 Jumper is one of my favorite electric bike models from Easy Motion because it’s zippy, nimble and comfortable off-road or around town. I used to own the NEO Jumper (from 2013/2014) and am very impressed with the upgrades that were made for the newer model. It’s modest 350 watt hub motor can […]
The Oahu 500 EX is a high-step cruiser style electric bike that offers a slightly larger frame size (with longer reach) than the step-thru EG Maui 500 EX. Aside from color options (black and white for the Oahu vs. blue and white for the Maui) the bikes are largely the same and offer a “his […]
The Maui 500 EX is a low-step cruiser style electric bike that expands on the original EG Maui by adding power and speed (40% more speed in fact). It’s better balanced and stiffer because the battery is mounted to the downtube instead of a rear rack and while it does cost $500 more than the […]
The Trail Viper is a folding fat-tire electric bike that combines portability with fun. It’s a “go anywhere” platform that benefits from smaller diameter wheels in two ways… they’re smaller and thus easier to store but also offer a mechanical advantage to the motor and your legs when pedaling. The custom 17″ frame feels surprisingly […]
The Sand Viper is an electric fat bike from SSR Motorsports (known for designing gas powered scooters and motorcycles) that’s feature rich and value priced. The first iteration of this model offered a modest 350 watt motor that was decent for paved rides and hard packed trails but somewhat limited on actual sand… It just […]
The All-Track E100 has been updated and renamed as the E-Lux Tahoe starting in 2016. For the full review on that model and all of the improvements (including bottle cage bosses!) visit the written review here that also has a video. E-Lux is a relatively new electric bike company based in Southern California near Huntington […]
The Sonders Ebike (formerly the Storm Electric Bike) is an ultra-affordable fat tire ebike that was launched through Indiegogo in February of 2015. The name change was a result of conflict with ProdecoTech which offers two Storm electric bike models of their own including the Storm 500. The Sondors, still named for it’s creator “Storm […]
The OHM Sport XS750 15 is a hard core urban style electric bike with the potential to work well as a touring or trekking platform. I think of it more as an urban platform than a road or city bike because it’s got a burly front shock and large balloon tires… almost like OHM took […]
The Mando Footloose is mixed bag for me, the concept of a series hybrid electric bicycle is very novel (one where you pedal to charge the battery and the system itself is all electric) but in practice it’s just not that fun. For some riders who want a consistent resistance akin to an exercise bike […]
The Kalkhoff Tasman Classic Impulse 8 has a very long name and equally lengthly list of features. This bike is awesome… and pretty. It comes in three frame sizes so you can truly dial in fit and with a range of 60 to 100+ miles (they estimate 130) it’s incredibly capable. From the integrated carry […]
