by To join the e-bike gang, you used to have to spend a lot of money. While high-end versions will always exist—a Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo mountain bike can set you back $12,000—there are now some relatively reasonable choices that weren’t accessible only two years ago. However, because low pricing may often indicate bad quality, we’ve put hundreds of the finest e-bikes to the test over weeks or months to ensure they won’t let you down with poor build quality or faulty electronics. To saturate the market, there are other manufacturers that offer an the cheapest electric bike.
Hub Motors Save Cost
Instead of a mid-drive motor, every e-bike here has a hub motor. Hub motors (the original industry term and the less expensive of the two) can be found on the front or, more typically, the back wheel. Because their weight is focused at the front or back of the bike, they don’t allow for the same natural mobility as today’s more popular mid-drive engines. A mid-drive motor, on the other hand, has a low weight and is centered over the bottom bracket, resulting in greater control and a more balanced ride experience, similar to that of a traditional bike.
Cheaper E-Bike Components
Typically, the less expensive the bike, the less expensive the parts. However, this does not imply that you will be going around in a rattling tin can. It simply means that the bike’s designers considered where they might incorporate lower-cost parts without jeopardizing safety while investing in the most important features, like hydraulic disc brakes, good tires, and a dependable e-system. And just because the electrical components on these bikes don’t have a well-known brand name on them, such as Bosch or Shimano, doesn’t imply they’re not capable. To keep the price low and allow for higher-quality parts elsewhere, Aventon built its e-bike system for the Pace 350 rather than purchasing a full one from someone else.
E-Bike Battery Range and Integration
Most bikes at this price point don’t disguise their batteries very well. Except for the Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 1, which stows the battery beneath the seat tube, most have theirs affixed to the top and integrated into the down tube. You shouldn’t expect to be able to ride these throughout the state. The longest range on this list is 50 miles, however, most range between 30 and 35 miles. Before you buy, check sure the bike’s battery range matches your everyday demands.
How We Tested These Cheaper E-Bikes
Most of these bikes were used for their intended purposes by our team of expert testers for many hours and miles. We’ve ridden them as commuting bikes to and from work, stocked up on groceries and beer, tried their passenger-hauling capabilities, ridden them on slick terrain to see how they handle and depleted their batteries to see how long they survive on a single charge. We also added a few that we haven’t tried yet, based on our previous experience in similar models, knowledge of their parts, interviews with industry experts, and evaluations from consumers. We compared each bike’s performance, pricing, comfort, handling, value, dependability, fun, and overall e-factor to create this list of bikes that will best suit the needs of anybody wishing to add a little pedal assistance to their journey.
