Best electric bikes | 15 top-rated ebikes for every type of rider

The best electric bike for you will depend on the type of riding you want to do, so in this guide we’ll cover the whole range of different electric bike types and recommend some of the best we’ve tested.

Electric bikes – or ebikes as they’re commonly known – are bicycles with an electric motor and battery that provides assistance as you pedal.

There are many benefits to riding an electric bike. Electric bikes make riding up hills easier and will enable most riders to travel at a higher speed over longer distances without arriving at their destination covered in sweat.

Despite common misconceptions, you can still ride an electric bike for fitness. Electric bike laws limit the power of an ebike’s motor, so you still need to pedal – there’s no twist-and-go throttle here.

There is an electric bike for every type of riding. Electric folding bikes and electric hybrid bikes are great choices for cycling to work, the best electric mountain bikes will help you get to the top of the next trail so you can enjoy more descending and the best electric road bikes and electric gravel bikes will enable you to take on longer adventures.

Making sense of how an electric bike works and how to choose the right one for you is a daunting task. Luckily for you, BikeRadar’s team of expert testers have put in hundreds of hours riding more than 175 electric bikes across all categories.

Our testing is 100 per cent editorially independent, so you can always trust our recommendations.

In this in-depth buyer’s guide to choosing the best electric bike for any rider, we’ll talk you through the things you need to consider for each category of ebike. We also highlight the best bikes we have reviewed, as selected by BikeRadar’s expert team of tech editors, for each type of ebike, with links to our detailed buyer’s guide for each category.

We also have a general buyer’s guide to electric bike tech at the bottom of this article that answers common questions. For even more information, take a look at our ebike FAQs.

There’s a lot to cover here, so use the links below to skip to the section you need, or read on for every detail.

Best electric hybrid bikes

Like a non-assisted hybrid bike, electric hybrid bikes feature an upright riding position, flat bars and stable handling. They’re often the least expensive entry point into ebikes.

With lots of mounting points for accessories such as pannier bags and mudguards, electric hybrids are great if you’re planning to commute to work by bike, ride around town or want to go for leisurely rides on bike trails or through parks.

Electric hybrid bikes can be quite heavy because they tend to use less sophisticated motor systems and the bikes are built for robustness. This is worth bearing in mind if you need to carry them up stairs.

Below is a selection of four of the very best electric hybrid bikes as tested by our senior road technical editor, Warren Rossiter. For more recommendations, check out our full round-up of the best electric hybrid bikes.

Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0

• £2,600 / €2,999 / $3,500 as tested
• Pros: Well-tuned power delivery; low weight
• Cons: Lower-torque motor means you have to put in more work

Specialized makes two electric hybrid bike ranges. Whereas the standard Turbo Vado is a heavy-duty ebike, the Vado SL uses a less powerful motor with 35Nm of torque. This reduces the weight to under 15kg, but the flip side is that you have less assistance than with the Turbo Vado, which could be a problem on hills.

The other advantage of the lower output is clean looks, with the concealed battery giving a sporty appearance. Specialized fits lights to all models and includes mudguards and a luggage rack on pricier models.

• Read our full Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 review

Canyon Pathlite:ON 5

• £2,499 / €2,699, as tested
• Pros: Great handling and confident off-road
• Cons: Heavy versus its rivals

The Canyon Pathlite:ON 5 is a powerful electric hybrid bike that handles and rides commendably. Our testing found the Canyon’s 100km claimed range to be true, but there’s no denying the bike is heavy at 23.5kg.

Where the Pathlite:ON 5 truly stands out is off the tarmac, where it rivals electric mountain bikes with confidence-inspiring chunky tyres and a shock-absorbing suspension fork.

• Read our full Canyon Pathlite:ON 5 review

Tern Quick Haul P9

• £3,100 / $3,299 / AU$4995 as tested
• Pros: Great fun to ride and versatile
• Cons: Official add-ons are fairly pricey

The Tern Quick Haul P9 looks like a cargo bike at first glance, but its compact design means it isn’t much longer than a typical electric hybrid.

With the option to fit a huge array of useful add-on accessories both front and back, our tester described the Quick Haul P9 as a “genuinely viable car replacement”.

• Read our full Tern Quick Haul P9 review

Best electric folding bikes

If you want to cycle to work or are just pressed for space to store your ride, a compact electric folding bike could be the answer.

Folding ebikes often have the battery hidden in their frames, or they may come with a removable battery to make carrying them on and off public transport a bit easier.

A removable battery also means you can take it somewhere where it’s easier to charge (at your desk, for example, if you use the bike to ride to work).

But the extra weight of the motor and battery means carrying a folding ebike on and off public transport, and up and down stairs, will be harder. The available range can be quite limited in some models too.

For more product recommendations, check out our round-up of the best folding electric bikes.

Brompton Electric

• £2,725 as tested
• Pros: Very compact fold; smooth power delivery
• Cons: Quite heavy; two pieces to carry

A front-hub motor adds electric power to the classic Brompton folding bike, giving you a range of around 40km. The battery sits in a separate pack, which can be removed from the bike for carrying.

Since we tested the Brompton Electric, the standard bike has been redesignated the C Line Explore. It’s been joined by the P Line, which uses lighter frame materials and components to chop almost 2kg off the C Line’s 17.4kg claimed weight.

• Read our full Brompton Electric review

GoCycle G4

• £3,999 as tested
• Pros: Larger wheels ride more smoothly; stylish design
• Cons: Expensive; doesn’t fold as small as some ebikes

While pricey, the GoCycle G4 is a folder, commuter and electric bike in one. The ride and handling are far more assured than most folding bikes on- and off-road, thanks to the meaty tyres and larger wheels.

The bike folds in half at its centre, making it easier to roll than to carry and the removable battery in the front of the frame is accessed via the fold. At over 17kg, it’s quite heavy though.

• Read our full GoCycle G4 review 

MiRider One GB3

• £2,495 as tested
• Pros: Very compact
• Cons: Price has increased significantly from the original bike

The MiRider One GB3 is an upgrade from the original model we tested a few years ago. Unfortunately, that’s resulted in a significant price hike, but the ebike is still a compact, nippy city commuter.

The belt drive is cleaner and lower-maintenance than a chain, there’s good adjustability, and built-in rear suspension and wide tyres add comfort.

The GB3 design has three speeds, adding flexibility over the singlespeed predecessor, and you can change gear while stationary. We achieved a range of up to 50km.

• Read our full MiRider One GB3 review 

Best electric mountain bikes

An electric mountain bike will get you to the top quicker, particularly on technical, steeper climbs, and with more energy to enjoy the descents. Plus, getting up the ups more easily will give you extra range to explore further.

Recent improvements in eMTB performance mean handling is approaching that of the best mountain bikes without a motor, providing heaps of flat-out riding fun.

But, nevertheless, the extra weight can make handling more tricky on particularly technical sections, so it’s a good idea to ease off a bit until you’ve got the feel of the bike

This is a small selection of the best electric mountain bikes we have tested, as selected by our expert team of mountain bike tech editors, Alex Evans, Robin Weaver and Tom Marvin.

Vitus E-Sommet VRX

• £5,499 as tested
• Pros: Quality spec; great geometry and suspension
• Cons: Awkward cable routing and bottle placement

The Vitus E-Sommet adds a powerful Shimano EP8 motor and large-capacity battery to Vitus’ enduro platform. It rolls on a 29in front and 27.5in rear wheel mullet build and is impressively specced for its price, with a 170mm RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork, a Super Deluxe Select+ RT shock and Shimano’s XT groupset.

The E-Sommet descends and climbs impressively, with both comfort and great grip, making it fun, engaging and highly capable.

• Read our full Vitus E-Sommet VRX review

Marin Rift Zone E2

• £5,895 / $6,299 / €6,899 as tested
• Pros: Lively; great spec
• Cons: Slightly over-geared; less powerful motor than its competitors

The Marin Rift Zone E2 is a classy, comfortable full-suspension electric mountain bike with 140mm travel. It can take you beyond its trail riding mandate, handling more technical descents well.

The Rift Zone ebike is well specced for its price, although the Shimano EP801 motor’s 85Nm torque is a little less than competitors. We’d have preferred a smaller chainring than the 38t fitted for easier climbing.

• Read our full Marin Rift Zone E2 review

Whyte E-160 RSX

• £7,999 as tested
• Pros: Calm and composed handling; hides its weight well
• Cons: Some chain slap; seat tube too slack for optimal climbing

The Whyte E-160 RSX is a well-equipped enduro bike, with its battery mounted below the Bosch motor to lower its centre of gravity.

Whyte says the full down tube this allows improves torsional rigidity as well. Lower-spec E-160s are available in both 29in and ‘mullet’ form, so you can pick your preferred wheel configuration, although this top-spec model is 29in only.

Despite its 26kg-plus weight, we found the low centre of gravity made for impressive downhill performance, although we’d have liked to see a slightly steeper seat tube for better climbing.

• Read our full Whyte E-160 RSX review

Best electric road bikes

If you enjoy road cycling, but want a bit of help to keep your speed up or to get you up hills, an electric road bike could be the right choice for you.

Most e-road bikes use lightweight motor systems that provide less power than the motors used on electric hybrid or mountain bikes. This means they’re typically a bit lighter too, with the very lightest models tipping the scales at around 11kg.

However, with many road riders achieving speeds on the flat of 15mph or above, you may feel you’re carrying dead weight around, with the motor cutting out at that top-assisted speed, although assistance can continue to 20mph, or even in some cases 28mph in much of the USA.

Below are three of the very best electric road bikes senior road technical editor Warren Rossiter has tested to date.

BMC Roadmachine AMP One

• £7,600 / €7,999 as tested
• Pros: Smooth ride; compact motor; impressive range
• Cons: Tyres may need a swap-out for colder, wetter conditions

The BMC Roadmachine AMP One doesn’t look much different from its non-assisted sibling; it’s only the slightly expanded down tube, hiding a 350Wh battery, that shows there’s extra assistance. The Mahle X20 motor is so compact it hides between the largest cassette sprocket and the disc rotor.

The ride feels like the non-assisted Roadmachine as well, despite the 12kg weight. Range is impressive, heading up to 160km, depending on the conditions. We’d swap out the tyres for winter use though.

• Read our full BMC Roadmachine AMP One review

Scott Addict eRide Premium

• £8,349 / $9,299 as tested
• Pros: Great looks; top-spec build; lovely handling
• Cons: Non-removable battery

The Scott Addict eRide Premium has similar geometry to the Scott Addict RC Disc and the same carbon frame. The result is a possible sub-11kg build powered by the consistent ebikemotion rear-hub motor.

Neatly concealed in the down tube, the battery managed 100km and 2,000m elevation in testing. The 2022 version of the bike has been renamed as the Scott Addict eRide Ultimate.

• Read our full Scott Addict eRide Premium review

Cannondale SuperSix EVO Neo 2

• £5,000 / $6,500 as tested
• Pros: Great handling and impressive range
• Cons: The tyres would benefit from an upgrade

The Cannondale SuperSix EVO Neo 2 is yet another electric road bike modelled on an acclaimed unassisted bike, the Cannondale SuperSix EVO. The Mahle ebikemotion motor-equipped Neo 2 blends a racer’s looks and crispness with fantastic range.

• Read our full Cannondale SuperSix EVO Neo 2 review 

Best electric gravel bikes

Electric gravel bikes mix the racy ride position and range of an electric road bike with a tamed-down version of the off-road capability of an eMTB – the same winning combination that makes the best gravel bikes so popular.

Electric gravel bikes may feature more powerful motors than e-road bikes, with some even including the same motors seen on electric mountain bikes. They also tend to feature lots of useful mounts for accessories and tons of tyre clearance for chunky gravel tyres, making them a very versatile option.

This is a selection of the very best electric gravel bikes, once again ridden, reviewed and rated by our senior technical editor, Warren Rossiter.

GT Grade Amp

• £2,900 / €3,200 as tested
• Pros: Great build; motor system; responsive ride quality
• Cons: Quite a firm ride

The GT Grade Amp features an aluminium frameset and is powered by the Mahle ebikemotion rear-hub motor system. The geometry is the same as the non-powered GT Grade Carbon, which also scored well on test.

The frame is a little too stiff on rough terrain, but the 42mm WTB Resolute gravel tyres help soak up any big bumps.

Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 1 Lefty

• £8,000 / $9,500 / €8,999 as tested
• Pros: Hugely competent off-road; heaps of fun
• Cons: A dropper post would make sense for a bike of this ilk (and price)

Offering 30mm of suspension front and rear, the Topstone Neo is a tremendously comfortable and capable gravel bike that is loads of fun to ride on singletrack trails.

The top-tier SRAM eTap AXS mullet gearing gives ample range for steep climbs and the Bosch motor has loads of power on tap.

If you’re after a slightly less punchy electric gravel bike, the Mahle ebikemotion-powered Topstone Neo SL could be worth a look.

• Read our full Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 1 Lefty review

Giant Revolt E+

• £4,999 / AU$7,999 as tested
• Pros: 53mm tyre clearance; 85Nm torque
• Cons: 18kg weight; expensive

The Giant Revolt E+ is powered by a Shimano EP8 motor, the same unit as used in many of the best electric mountain bikes. It gives an impressive 85Nm of torque to help you ride steep climbs, despite the bike’s chunky 18kg weight.

The 500Wh battery powers not only the motor but the Shimano GRX shifting, which enables you to control the power level from the gear shift levers. It also gives plenty of range and we got up to 120km on a charge.

• Read our full Giant Revolt E+ review

What to look for when buying an electric bike

Electric bike motor positions explained

Electric bike motors are located in one of three places: in the middle of the bike, in the rear hub or in the front hub.

Many systems will have mid-mounted motors that sit at the bottom bracket and power the ebike through the chain. It’s a good position for the motor because it puts the extra mass low down and centrally in the frame where it won’t affect the bike’s stability and handling.

The rear-wheel hub is also a popular place to put the motor. Again, it’s low down and since a lot of the rider’s weight is on the back wheel, handling and road grip are not too adversely affected by the extra weight and power.

Finally, the motor may be in the front hub. It’s a slightly trickier position because the motor unit can affect steering and generally there’s not as much weight on the front wheel, so grip may be impacted. It’s often used for folding ebikes and sometimes for hybrids.

As well as ready-built ebikes, you can buy kits to convert a non-assisted bike to an ebike. There are kits that use a motor in each of these positions. We’ve got a round-up of the most popular ebike conversion kits.

Electric bike batteries explained

An electric bike will be powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Like the batteries in other electric vehicles, they’re used for their low weight and performance, along with rapid recharging – typically charging to full capacity in a few hours.

In general, the more expensive the ebike, the larger the battery capacity, so the mileage you can get between charges increases.

There’s a range of battery shapes, sizes and positions. Bolted to the top of the down tube is a popular option and some hybrids have the battery positioned below a rear luggage rack. Some ebikes will have their batteries hidden within the down tube or sometimes the seat tube, making for a more elegant (and invariably more expensive) solution.

Bottle-cage batteries are another way to disguise the battery and are often used for a back-up battery to increase range.

The batteries themselves can normally be charged from a standard wall plug, either in situ on the bike via a port or with the battery itself removed from the bike. It’s very common to see removable battery packs that are secured with a key.

Electric bike range explained

How far you can ride before your battery gives up is unlikely to be an issue for most ebike riders – it’s more a question of how often you can ride before you need to recharge it.

Range is very dependent on your riding style, and where and how you ride, as well as being dependent on the battery capacity. Some ebikes will have multiple batteries that might eke out 100 miles or more from a charge, whereas others, particularly folding ebikes designed for easier carrying and folding and for shorter city rides, may have a range of 20 miles or less.

There will be multiple assistance levels that you can tailor to your needs and select between as you ride. Select an eco or low assist mode and you will need to put in more effort, but your battery will last longer.

On the other hand, a higher assist setting is useful to get you up hills and to accelerate more easily in stop-start conditions, but will drain your battery significantly faster.

You can swap between modes as you ride and can usually switch the motor off entirely to conserve battery. With most systems there won’t be any additional drag when the motor is not in use, although you still have the extra weight of the motor and battery.

Sensors

To control the motor’s output, an ebike will have a range of sensors. First, there’ll be a speed sensor, so that assistance cuts out at the legal maximum speed.

To match the assistance level to your pedalling input and make sure that an ebike won’t run away with you, there’ll be cadence and torque sensors too.

More sophisticated systems may add more sensors. The Giant Trance E + 1 electric mountain bike, for example, uses five sensors in all to control its output in Smart Assist mode.

There’ll be some sort of display of battery and assistance level, along with buttons to select the assistance mode. The display is often a bar-mounted LED unit that might also give you speed, distance and range info.

More minimalist displays are often used on racier road ebikes though, with the front of the top tube being a popular position. Some may work via a cycling computer.

Many ebikes will also come with a companion smartphone app. Functionality varies, but more sophisticated apps will give you battery status info, enable you to tailor assistance levels and may include some GPS-based route planning and navigation, as well as the option to share your ride records.