With sales booming, the range of e-bikes on the market is wider than ever. Which you should you buy? You won’t go far wrong with one of these...

E-bikes come in all bike varieties. Hybrids are common for a couple of reasons. One is that hybrids work well as everyday transport, which e-bikes are often used for. The other is that, when you’ve got 250 Watts of extra energy – the equivalent of a decent club cyclist adding their effort to yours – it doesn’t matter if the bike has chunky tyres, is less aerodynamic or heavier. You’ll still power up hills and cruise into headwinds.

All e-bikes that are road legal in the UK have the same limits: no more than 250W of sustained power assistance; and a maximum assisted speed of 25kph (15.5mph). So spending more doesn’t buy you faster or more powerful e-bike as such. It may buy you a motor with more torque, which helps with hillclimbing and heavy loads. It may buy you a bigger battery with more range. And, of course, it may simply buy you a better bike.

Expect to spend at least £1,000 (before Cyclescheme savings) for an e-hybrid and twice that for an electric-assist version of a more specialist bike. A good quality motor, battery, and controls don’t come cheap. Bear in mind that although the purchase price may look high, running costs are low. You can recharge an e-bike battery for pennies. While you will need to replace the battery eventually (say, in three years) e-biking remains excellent value compared to driving or public transport.

Here’s a cross section of ten e-bikes that are, in their own way, great buys.

Decathlon Electric City Bike Elops 900

French sports superstore Decathlon sells good value bikes in general – and this entry-level e-bike is no exception. That’s why it makes the list: it’s inexpensive and it works. At 35Nm, the rear wheel hub motor has relatively low torque. It’s better at taking you up moderate hills than steep ones, especially when you factor in the 7-speed drivetrain’s high 42/28 bottom gear. The rack-fitting battery has a capacity of 417Wh, which should give you 25 miles of assisted pedalling even if you exclusively use highest of the three power modes. Aside from the largely superfluous suspension fork, the Elops 900 is well equipped for urban commuting (lights, guards, rack, kickstand). It’s also offered in a step-through frame version.

Tenways CGO600

Specifically aimed at city cyclists, the Tenways CGO600 is low-maintenance and lightweight (15kg) electric singlespeed. Unassisted singlespeeds are the preserve of athletic cyclists, who are happy to stamp on the pedals to scale hills or get away from the traffic lights. Anyone can do that on this e-bike thanks to the rear hub motor and instant-pickup pedal sensors. The battery is hidden in the down tube. It’s small at 252Wh, which keeps the weight down but limits range; you’re unlikely to get the quoted maximum range of 43 miles per charge. The bike’s belt drive and hydraulic disc brakes require minimal maintenance and aren’t affected by rain. It comes with lights; mudguards are optional (£49). There’s a simple handlebar display but if you want more riding information there’s a free Tenways smartphone app.

Mycle Cargo 

Electric cargo bikes can easily transport two small children, a supermarket shop, or other heavy loads. Mycycle’s Cargo will carry up to 125kg on its rear rack, and with a 65Nm torque rear hub motor you’ll be able to pedal that load up hills easily. Smaller 20-inch wheels keep the load’s centre of gravity low for balance, while low-pressure 3-inch wide tyres isolate it (and you) from bumps and provide excellent braking traction. The bike comes with useful equipment like a twin-leg stand, mudguards, lights, and foot/cargo  rests, and there’s a host of extras available: baskets, childseats, a passenger handle, even a second battery to boost the assisted range up to as much as 120km (75 miles). These all bump the price but it remains very good value.

Ribble Endurance AL e Sport

Ribble’s e-bikes don’t look much like e-bikes because they’re powered by Mahle’s SmartBike Systems X35+ electrics, with a rear hub motor that’s concealed by the cassette and a smaller (250Wh) battery hidden in the down tube. They ride differently too, thanks to a low overall weight and lack of pedalling drag when riding unassisted. On a road bike, this means you can comfortably pedal at over 15mph on the flat and eke out the range by using the assistance on the hills. The control is a simple illuminated button on the top tube, although there’s an informative Ebikemotion phone app available. The Endurance AL e Sport is otherwise the nice road bike it looks to be, with an aluminium frame, carbon fork, 2x10 Shimano Tiagra drivetrain, and hydraulic discs. If you’re an ageing roadie who primarily wants help on the hills, this is the kind of e-bike you should test ride. 

Islabikes eJoni

Like the Ribble, the eJoni is a lightweight e-bike powered by a Mahle rear hub motor and a concealed 250Wh battery. It’s aimed at older riders or those with mobility issues, having a step-through frame, really low gears, and a comfortably upright riding position. Range will typically be 30-40 miles per charge, assuming you’re toggling through the different assistance levels rather than leaving it on maximum all the time. The e-bike controls are handlebar mounted but, like Mahle’s top tube controller, only provide minimal information via coloured LEDs. Get the optional Pulsar One display (£100) if you want riding metrics. The eJoni is commuting ready as it comes with a rear rack, mudguards, and lights that run off the main battery. Despite this equipment, the motor and battery, it tips the scales at just 15kg.

Cube Kathmandu Hybrid One 500 

German giant Cube has a huge range of e-bikes. Counting specifications, frame designs and colour options there are 36 different versions of the Kathmandu Hybrid alone. All of them are heavy-duty e-bikes, with a hefty weight (25kg) that’s more than offset by a high-torque Bosch Performance CX 4 mid-motor (85Nm!) and a big down-tube battery (625Wh!). Whatever the hill, whatever the load, this e-bike will cruise up it. It’s well equipped both for recreational cycling and commuting. There’s a strong, integral rear rack, mudguards, lights, and a kickstand. Decent hydraulic disc brakes will easily stop this high-mass bike, while its 55mm wide tyres will tackle gravel tracks and dirt roads as well as city streets. The suspension fork and seatpost are unexceptional but will keep you comfortably in control if you hit an unseen pothole in the dark.

Brompton Electric C-Line Urban

The iconic British folding bike is now available with electric assistance. It’s the same super-compact size as the unpowered version so you can take it almost anywhere; only aeroplanes are out of bounds due to the bike’s 300Wh battery. This battery sits in a front bag with 1.5L of additional storage; a 20L City Bag is also available (£135). The clever thing about both battery bags is that the carrier block they fit to doubles as the electrical connection – and it’s quick release. This makes it easier to lift the folded Brompton Electric, as you can heft the 3kg (or heavier) battery bag in your free hand. While the battery doesn’t have a huge range – the quoted 70km is optimistic – that doesn’t matter for a bike that can go by bus, train, car or taxi. The battery powers a front hub motor, chosen because it doesn’t interfere with the Brompton Electric’s ace card: its fold.

Gocycle G4

The Gocycle doesn’t fold as small as the Brompton but it’ll nevertheless fit in a train’s end-of-carriage luggage rack. It offers a better ride. Much of that is due to the fact it has larger (20in versus 16in) wheels shod with wider tyres, making potholes and road irregularities less alarming. Like the Brompton Electric it uses a front hub motor powered by a 300Wh battery; range is about same. Where it differs more is as a bike. The frameset employs a monoblade carbon fork and single-sided rear wheel attachment – handy if you puncture as the tyre can be removed in situ. The chain runs inside the bike’s suspension-equipped rear swingarm, keeping you and the bike clean. Hydraulic disc brakes provide excellent stopping for a folding bike, while the gearing is a 3-speed hub. Mudguards and lights now come as standard; a front pannier is available (£150).

Trek Powerfly 7 Equipped

As the name says, Trek’s hardtail e-MTB comes equipped with a rear rack, mudguards, and lights, enabling it to do double duty as a commuter and an off-road bike. You wouldn’t normally want commuting paraphernalia on a mountain bike or off-road tyres or an air-sprung 120mm suspension fork on a ride-to-work bike due to dead weight and/or drag. When the bike is 25kg and is powered by an 85Nm torque Bosch Performance Line CX mid-motor and a big 625Wh battery it doesn’t matter: just give it some juice! The Powerfly will get you to work as quickly as any other e-bike because the speed cutoff is the same, yet it will also take you up – and down – challenging singletrack trails at the weekend. This is a proper mountain bike with contemporary off-road geometry, not a glorified hybrid.

Tern GSD S10 LR G2 £4,900

Tern’s GSD (‘Get Stuff Done’) was one of the first compact e-cargo bikes. Easy to live with and store, taking up less space than a conventional bike because it has 20-inch wheels and partly folds, the GSD will nevertheless carry two kids, an adult passenger, or some seriously heavy cargo. It’s more expensive that the Mycle Cargo it likely inspired as it uses a more efficient Bosch Performance CX mid-motor (as with the Mycle, a range-extending second battery is an option). The bicycle components are higher specification too: 1x10 Shimano Deore is a wider-range, more dependable drivetrain, while the four-piston Magura hydraulic brakes would stop a motorbike. The GSD comes with a sturdy stand, guards, and lights, and the rear rack is an integral part of the frame. Various bags, racks and passenger accessories available; the Storm Shield canopy to protect child passengers from the elements is particularly striking. Car replacement? Yes.