The best electric bikes are a good way to commute to and from the office. While they might be a bit heavier than a standard bike, the weight of a quality eBike comes in the form of a motor and batteries, making it almost unnoticeable when working.
Introducing a battery pack and motor means that the effort you put into the motor is significantly less. More often than not, eBikes have different modes, which means you’re asking the motor to do more or less as you cycle through them. The majority have four modes - Eco, Touring, Sport and Boost. Eco requires the least amount of power from the motor, and Boost the most.
For your eBike to be considered legal in the UK, the motor must be limited to 250 Watts of maximum output and for you to receive no electrical assistance above 15.5mph. This is true whether you're commuting, riding a road eBike or hitting the trails on an electric mountain bike. You can go faster than 15.5mph on an eBike if you pedal harder or downhill – this is not illegal as the motor is not taking you above this speed. Your pedal power has.
Editor's Choice
• Best fully equipped budget eBike - Cannondale Treadwell Neo 2 EQ 2022
• Best front suspension commuter eBike - Raleigh Motus Cross Bar Derailleur 2023
• Best hub drive hybrid eBike - Trek FX+ 2 Electric Hybrid Bike 2023
• Best crank-driven hybrid eBike - Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 EQ Electric Hybrid Bike 2023
• Best step-through hybrid eBike - Specialized Turbo Como SL 4.0 Electric Hybrid Bike 2022
• Best folding eBike - Brompton C Line Explore Mid Bar Electric Folding Bike
• Best city eBike - Cannondale Adventure Neo 3.1 EQ Electric Hybrid Bike 2023
The eBike market at this price point is saturated with all kinds of good bikes. We will see bikes with disc brakes, and most bikes at this point should be hydraulic disc brakes, which offer superior stopping power with better modulation on the brakes. Many of these bikes will also have internal batteries, which means the bike’s silhouette is similar to a ‘normal’ bike. This helps it to fit in with those around it and doesn’t seem as appealing to half-inch to wanton thieves.
The Best Commuter eBikes
Best fully equipped budget eBike
www.tredz.co.uk
If you’re wondering what the EQ stands for in the name, it stands for ‘equipped’. This means that the bike comes with mudguards, front and rear lights and a front basket to help you carry objects just as laptop bags, etc. The rear hub motor is discreet and powerful, allowing the rider to toggle between modes with buttons on the handlebars.
Pros
- Fully equipped
- Handy cargo basket
- Dropped top tube for easy on and off
Cons
- Even for an eBike, 18.18kg is heavy
Best front suspension commuter eBike
www.tredz.co.uk
A powerful crank motor means that hills are flattened, and power is instant with plenty of torque, so you don’t even realise if you’re carrying extra weight like a bike seat or a backpack with your work clothes and laptop. The motor is a powerful-yet-light Bosch Active Line Motor with an equally impressive 400Wh battery pack, rounded off with a Bosch Purion display showing everything you need to know - range, battery life and what mode you’re in.
Pros
- Strong battery back and motor
- Equipped with mudguards, carry racks, and lights
- Front suspension for added comfort
Cons
- 24.2kg is hefty
Best hub drive hybrid eBike
www.trekbikes.com
Flat bars for added comfort on this Trek FX+, with Trek’s own Alpha Gold Aluminium frame with internal cabling to keep everything nice and neat. Utilising Shimano’s Altus gearing gives you a durable and reliable gear shift with hydraulic Promax disc brakes giving reliable stopping power in all conditions.
Pros
- Fully equipped
- Shimano Altus Gears
- Powerful hydraulic disc brakes
Cons
- Internal cabling requires higher maintenance fees
Best crank-driven hybrid eBike
www.sigmasports.com
Flat bars add comfort to your ride, with a more upright position and feel much more stable as they’re often wider. You control the modes of this bike with a button on the top tube which, like the rest of the frame, is constructed from a premium lightweight E5 aluminium frame. Internal cabling adds to the clean look but is harder to maintain.
Pros
- Fully equipped with mudguards, lights and a kickstand
- Solid and small crank-mounted motor
- Well recognised brand
Cons
- Maintenance costs could be high due to internal cabling
Best step-through hybrid eBike
www.cyclesuk.com
We love this design. The dropped top tube makes for easy on and off if you carry anything like a child seat on your rear pannier rack. Also, the front basket is ample for you to have bits of shopping home, and it all looks fuss-free with internal cabling. An excellent design for a city bike by Specialized and with a sturdy small but powerful motor, it's likely all you need.
Pros
- Looks great
- Easy on and off
- Made for the city
Cons
- Maintenance costs could be high due to internal cabling
Best folding eBike
www.tredz.co.uk
Brompton and its folding bikes have long been the folding bike of choice. The design of the bike recognises that concealing a battery in the frame or on the bike might not work, so theirs is kept in a removable bag on the front of the bike. The motor is in the front hub instead of the rear hub.
Pros
- Keeps its simple foldable design
- Compact design is easy to store
- Up to 45 miles of range
Cons
- At a minimum of 20 miles, it has the lowest range on this list
Best city eBike
www.cyclesuk.com
A super classy low-step frame to finish with the Cannondale Adventure Neo 3.1 EQ – and we know what EQ means from earlier in the article, fully equipped. A nine-speed Shimano Altus groupset, robust and reliable Bosch Active Line motor will flatten hills and have you around town, no sweat. With up to 120km of range for a big 400Wh battery, this Adventure Neo on its Kenda tyres and 650b wheels for better handling, is a brilliant buy.
Pros
- Fully equipped
- Powerful crank-mounted motor
- Large battery pack
Cons
- Internal cabling increases maintenance costs
FAQs
How are electric bikes charged?
You can charge an eBike by simply plugging its battery into a power source. This is easier with a removable battery, but for ones without, you can still plug them in. All eBikes come with chargers alongside your purchase.
Are electric bikes waterproof?
For the most part, yes. They're not built to be completely submerged, so try not to swerve into a lake, but they can handle rain and puddles with no bother. You can clean easily too, but be sure to keep the charging cable connection covered and secured.