Electric bikes, the next step in 2022 is here

If you’re going to buy a bike this year, make it an electric bike. Yes, they’re more expensive than the equivalent non-electric version but the benefits are so worth it.

Getting up hills is unbelievably easy, as is cycling into a headwind. All the worst things about regular cycling are solved by an electric bike. Except getting wet in the rain, of course.

Although electricity and water don’t mix, you can ride an electric bike when it’s raining, and it won’t be harmed by a downpour if you leave it locked up outdoors. The electronics are designed to be water resistant.

Considering that most journeys – in the UK at least – are only a few miles long, it’s possible to swap the car for an e-bike. Not only is that good for the environment but it’s great exercise and tremendous fun. https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.496.0_en.html#goog_14337777860 seconds of 14 minutes, 18 secondsVolume 0% 

You can ask your employer if you can buy an e-bike on the or  . This can knock off a big chunk of the cost. For example, it could take a £1,500 model down to £1,000. And that’s cheaper than even a Zone 1-2 annual Travelcard in London.

Is an electric bike worth the money?

Most definitely. Electric bikes make it easy to cover longer distances than you can on an ordinary bike, and you can easily cycle up hills even if you’re unfit.

Electric bikes are for everyone, no matter your age or fitness level.

Every electric bike offers a variety of assistance modes – including pedal power only – so you can choose how much effort to put in. Feeling lazy? Use maximum motor power and barely pedal at all.

Electric bikes are legal in most countries and – contrary to popular belief – really do help you to get fit.

Where is a good place to buy an electric bike?

You can buy electric bikes from many bike shops these days, including  in the UK. Often you’ll be able to test ride one – some companies will even loan you a bike for a day or two so you can really try them out.

In some cases, you can only buy direct from the manufacturer. Do consider how you’d return the bike if there was a problem. This is why it can be inconvenient to buy from China. You might save a lot of money initially, but if something goes wrong, it can be prohibitively expensive to return it. The alternative is to wait for replacement parts to arrive from the manufacturer, but you’ll have to fit them yourself or pay a local bike repair shop to do it.

You do get what you pay for with e-bikes. So, if you can afford more than around £800 / $1000, it’s wise to do so. Even at this price, it’s almost impossible to find one which doesn’t have  some compromises in component quality.

You might consider that a lot of money, but those entry-level models are cheap compared to top-end electric bikes which can cost several thousand pounds. An electric bike typically costs between £300 / $350 and £1000 / $1200 more than the equivalent regular bike.

Best electric bikes: reviewed & ranked

1

VanMoof S3 – Best Overall

• Pros
  • Automatic gears
  • Built-in lock & alarm
  • GPS tracking
• Cons
  • Too big for short riders
  • No suspension
• $1998

So long as you don’t need your bike to fold or have suspension, the VanMoof S3 is hard to beat.

The automatic gears, powerful motor and good range make the S3 a great electric bike.

The price is much more affordable than the S2 was, yet no corners have been cut: you get a built-in alarm and tracking system, LED lights and mudguards as standard – plus a three-year warranty.

If you’re under 170cm (5ft7), buy the X3 instead as the S3 is a surprisingly large bike.

Read our full VanMoof S3 review2

Specialized Turbo Vado SL (2021)

• Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Excellent ride quality
  • Choice of frame size
• Cons
  • Expensive
• From $3350

Although expensive – especially if you opt for the 5.0 rather than 4.0 – the Turbo Vado SL is every inch the premium ebike. It looks great, is much lighter than a lot of cheaper rivals and can be ridden like a normal bike without motor assistance.

It isn’t the most powerful, but as long as you don’t live in the mountains, it shouldn’t be an issue, and the ride quality is excellent.

Range is great considering the relatively small-capacity battery: the only real issue is price, with the entry level SL 4.0 starting at £2600/$3350.

Read our full Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 review3

Cowboy 3

• Pros
  • Great value
  • Built-in GPS tracker
• Cons
  • Only for taller riders
  • No gears
• $2350

The Cowboy is a very good-value electric bike. Like the VanMoof, It’s a smart, connected bike which uses an app. It shows your speed, battery level and let you control the amount of assistance from the motor, plus switch the lights on and off or even get tech support.

You get great quality components, a built-in GPS tracker, and a sensible range of 70km. If your commute is relatively short, you might only have to charge it once per week. 

There’s only one frame size and style, so it’s not exactly ideal for women, but that’s really the only disadvantage. Note that the Cowboy 3 is the latest version with a few upgraded components and – unfortunately – a higher price.

Read our full Cowboy 3 review

4

MiRider One

• Pros
  • Good value
  • Well built
  • Sensibly priced
• Cons
  • No gears
  • Relatively small range
  • No rear light
• £1395

The MiRider One is a thoughtfully designed folding bike which is well built and great to ride.

It’s more affordable than many of its rivals, yet has very few compromises. It’s relatively lightweight, built with good-quality components and is covered by a two-year UK warranty.

Mudguards and a front light are included as standard, and there’s no app to complicate things: you just unfold and ride.

MiRider uses a small-capacity battery by choice, as it keeps the weight (and cost) down. As it’s removable, you can swap in a spare to double the range. And at 1.2kg, it’s not too heavy to carry in a rucksack.

Whether or not you consider it a compromise, it’s worth noting that there are no gears, which makes it harder to ride – especially up hills – if the battery runs out. But if you’re careful to ensure it doesn’t, it isn’t a problem.

Read our full MiRider One (2021) review5

Volt Pulse

• Pros
  • Comfortable
  • Powerful motor
  • Choice of frame size
• Cons
  • Heavy
  • No GPS or theft tracking
• £1949

Volt’s Pulse has been around for ages, but has had an update for 2021. One of the big changes is that the battery now slots into the frame, making it much neater.

The price includes the mudguards, lights, kickstand and built-in Dutch-style lock, but unlike the cheaper Cowboy 3 and similarly priced VanMoof S3, there’s no GPS, Bluetooth and embedded SIM for tracking it.

If that doesn’t worry you, then the Pulse is a great choice. Just bear in mind it’s a big, heavy bike: this is great for touring around, but not if you have to regularly lift it up steps or onto public transport.

Read our full Volt Pulse (2021) review6

Gocycle GX – Best Folding Electric Bike

• Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Three gears
  • Excellent build quality
• Cons
  • Expensive
• $3299

The GX is a fantastic, well-designed electric bike. It looks good, rides great and folds up small. It has three gears, sturdy build and a powerful motor, plus tyres which give a more comfortable ride than you might expect.

Although it has an app, you don’t need it and can ride without it.

Ultimately, the main problem is the high price. If you can’t stretch to it, then look at the Furo X Max, MiRider One or even the budget Fiido L3.

Read our full Gocycle GX review7

Raleigh Array

• Pros
  • Appealing design
  • Good range
• Cons
  • Big & heavy
  • No built-in security measures
• Not available in the US

The Array is Raleigh’s entry-level electric bike. You can pick between three different frame styles, including a ‘shopper’-style step-through model. And each comes in three frame sizes to suit wide variety of riders.

The classic looks are certainly a highlight, and there are seven gears to help when you’re pulling away from a standstill, as well as on hills. But the powerful motor makes light work of those and the removable battery has a range of up to 60 miles. That, as with all e-bikes, varies a lot depending on many factors.

The price includes lights, a kick-stand and mudguards, but there’s nothing in the way of security: no lock and no tracking tech. 

However, if you’re able to keep it locked up securely and don’t have to leave it, say, on your local high street or at a railway station regularly, that may not be an issue for you.

Read our full Raleigh Array e-bike review8

FuroSystems Furo X Max

• Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Folds up
  • Good range
• Cons
  • Not as cheap as some rivals
• £1999 (around $2500)

Whether FuroSystems set out to make a better bike than the electrified Brompton or a cheaper option than the GoCycle, it doesn’t really matter.

It’s a brilliant folding electric bike, and is also among the lightest at only 15kg. It’s an absolute joy to ride.

It has nine gears, allowing you to carry on riding when the 378Wh battery runs out, and 20in all-terrain tyres are a nice touch too. The removable battery is great, too, as you can charge it without taking your bike into your home.

Read our full FuroSystems Furo X Max review9

Fiido L3

• Pros
  • Impressive range
  • Plenty of torque
  • Affordable
• Cons
  • Heavy
• $999

The L3 is a fold-up city bike but one which has a huge-capacity battery. Some people will dislike that this makes it unnecessarily heavy, while others – maybe cycle couriers – will appreciate that it will allow them to get around all day without running out of juice.

It’s a budget bike, but that battery and the fact it’s a 48V system will be more than enough to persuade you that it’s the best choice over other foldable models here.

Read our full Fiido L3 review

10

Carrera Vengeance E

• Pros
  • Good value
  • UK warranty
  • Improved display
• Cons
  • Some entry-level components
  • Limited range
• £1099

Built to a budget, the Vengeance E nevertheless offers a good overall specification, with a Suntour HESC system that uses a torque sensor rather than inferior cadence sensors.

The range of up to 40 miles is fine at this price, and unlike Chinese imports, you can take the Vengeance E to your local Halfords to get it repaired should anything break.

The cheap-looking control panel from the 2019 model has been upgraded to Suntour’s compact OLED model now and, aside from the slightly noisy motor, it’s great value compared to many electric mountain bikes.

Read our full Carrera Vengeance E review11

Eskute Voyager

• Pros
  • Bafang motor
  • Great value
• Cons
  • Heavy
  • Jerky power delivery
• $1300

If you’re not convinced by the Carrera Vengeance E, or you don’t live in the UK and therefore can’t buy one, the Eskute Voyager is another hard-tail mountain bike to consider.

It uses a 48V system and has its 10Ah battery neatly installed into the frame. It’s removable for easy charging, though.

The fork and some other components are unbranded and not the best quality, but this leaves room in the budget for a decent Bafang motor.

At this price, it’s great value for those wanting an electric bike for some off-road fun.

Read our full Eskute Voyager review12

Fiido M1

• Pros
  • Great fun to ride off road
• Cons
  • Heavy
  • Limited warranty support
• $1199.99

Most folding bikes are designed for commuting, but not the Fiido M1. If the tyres and suspension don’t give the game away, it’s for off-road riding.

Unlike cheap Chinese folding bikes we’ve tested, the M1 is sturdily built and feels sure-footed at speed, both on and off road.

Battery life is pretty good, but the 25kg weight and those wide tyres mean you’re not going to enjoy riding it under pure pedal power – especially if you have to cycle up any hills.

However, our main concern is that there’s limited warranty support should any components fail: Fiido doesn’t have a repair centre in Europe yet.

Read our full Fiido M1 review

Electric bike buying guide

When choosing a bike you should first decide what type you want. All types are available including road, hybrid (touring / commuting), mountain, folding, shopper / step-through.

Here are the key things to look for:

• Frame size
• Weight
• Sensor type – torque or cadence
• Gears
• Claimed range
• Warranty terms

Some of those are fairly self-explanatory, but it’s worth briefly covering them all.

Don’t expect there will always be a choice of frame size. Some of the bikes reviewed here come in one size, and it may be too big – or small – for you.

For weight, bear in mind that that e-bikes can be heavy, and therefore harder to ride with no assistance from the motor than a normal bike. Weight can also be an issue if you have to carry your bike up flights of stairs. But there are lightweight options at around 15-16kg – the heaviest e-bikes can weigh upwards of 25kg.

You should also consider warranty and longevity. An e-bike may be cheap, but if a component fails you don’t want to have to pay to send the whole thing overseas for repair. Worse still, if you can’t get replacement parts at all, your bike may cease to work at all.

Some come with a thumb throttle so you can increase the assistance instantly, but under UK law this is not allowed. Bike which meet current regulations come with no throttle at all and the motor just senses when you’re pedalling.

Special brake levers are installed on some e-bikes. These detect when you apply the brakes and cut power to the motor.

There are laws in the UK covering electric bikes, and you can read more about which electric bikes are legal to use on the road.

Bikes that conform must have a motor outputting 250 watts or less (peak power can be higher) and must not operate the motor over 15.5mph. Also, you have to be 14 or older to ride one.

Similarly, it’s worth getting a branded battery (Panasonic, Samsung, Sony etc) or at least checking if you can buy replacement batteries. Lithium-ion packs can be recharged between 800 and 1000 times, which could mean a three-year lifespan if you commute to and from work. And batteries will lose their capacity over time, meaning the bike’s assisted range will decrease as the battery ages.

A removable battery means you can take it indoors to charge: handy if you don’t have a mains socket in your shed or wherever you keep your bike.

If you do buy a bike, you might be interested in our recommendations for the best bike locks and bike helmets.Tags: 

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