5 best electric bikes for commuting and outdoors adventures, tested
Electric bikes, also known as e-bikes, pedelecs or power-assisted bikes, are having a moment. Whether it’s for an easier daily commute, or an enjoyable way to explore the great outdoors on weekends, more of us are opting for e-bikes to power our rides, and it’s not hard to see why. And before you ask, riding an electric bike isn’t cheating. You can still get in a good workout, according to research, despite the motorised pedal assist.
They’re becoming increasingly popular with cyclists of all ages and fitness levels. In the Netherlands, electric bikes make up over 40% of all bike sales and in China, there are over 300 million electric bikes on the roads.
In the past, they were bulky, inconvenient and pricey but thanks to tech advancements, today's e-bikes, such as our editor's new favourite Raleigh Trace E-Bike, are lightweight, aesthetically pleasing and more powerful than ever, with more battery life and less charging time. Essentially, they allow you to ride faster and further without tiring out your legs or arriving at your destination dripping in sweat.
Plus, they’re one of the least environmentally impactful ways of getting around, allowing you to do your bit for the planet and reduce your carbon footprint.
If you’re looking for a bike to take you on adventures, the Good Housekeeping Institute has tested some of the market-leading models to find the top performers. Here are their favourites at a glance, but keep scrolling for the detailed reviews.
What is an electric bike?
In simple terms, an e-bike is much like an ordinary cycle, except it uses a battery-powered motor to complement your own pedalling.
You can usually also adjust the amount of assistance you get from the motor. If you’re feeling energetic or want the battery to last longer, you can choose an eco setting and start pedalling. If you want to get somewhere without breaking a sweat, then you can crank up the boost and take things easy.
How we test
The Good Housekeeping Institute sent a range of electric bikes to a panel of experienced e-bike users. They used the bikes for commuting and leisure purposes, assessing them on performance, ease of use and design, as well as reviewing the instructions provided.
Testers rode each bike on a range of surfaces, including tarmac, potholed ground and paths with dirt and gravel, as well as taking them up and down steep hills. They considered battery charge time, gear changing, manoeuvrability and how responsive the brakes were, and also noted the range and distribution of gears and the comfort of the saddle and handlebars over different terrains.
Below are the bikes that impressed us the most — happy cycling!
LS Step-Through
Score: 95/100
It’s great to see a walk-assist feature on this fairly weighty machine – it makes it much easier to wheel around when you’re not actually riding it. Although we did sometimes find it a little unwieldy when riding in slower traffic, it's sturdy and well-built with amazing braking performance.
Thankfully, the battery can be removed for charging so you won’t need to lug it inside your home. For added security, there’s a fob to activate the electronics, plus a Dutch-style lock on the rear wheel. A built-in luggage rack, mudguards and lights make it excellent value
Motus Grand Tour Hub Gear Low Step (46cm)
Score: 95/100
This fantastic step-through design (making it easier to get on and off) comes with a quality Bosch mid-mounted motor. We found it a joy to ride on a range of surfaces, including gravel paths. The hub gears are smooth and easy to use – and there’s no clunky chain system to knock out of place as you pedal. Handy features include a fold-out stand, a covered chainset and rear luggage rack.
The motor was super quiet and those hydraulic disc brakes did a fine job of bringing it to a halt. It’s relatively heavy, so that range of up to 100 miles is impressive. One thing we would change is the saddle – our testers found it slightly uncomfortable.
£1650.00 at e-bikesdirect.co.uk
Carrera Impel IM-2
Score: 94/100
We loved the comfortable saddle and plush ride of this model. It will tackle anything from roads through to smoother bridleways, making it a wonderfully versatile machine. You can swap between three levels of motor assistance depending on how energetic you feel, and there’s an LCD display for data such as your speed and the remaining charge level.
On the downside, we found the mechanical disc brakes not quite as powerful as hydraulic ones, and it would have been nice to have somewhere to keep a water bottle. It can be fitted with a luggage rack and mudguards though, making it a practical buy.
Brompton Electric C-Line Urban
Score: 82/100
This one is a great choice if you’re limited on storage space or wish to take your bike on the train or in a car. With practice, you can have it folded in around 20 seconds.
Unusually for an e-bike, the motor is in the front wheel, while the battery sits in a holder at the front and can easily be removed for charging. We loved the upright riding position and smaller wheels, which make it really nimble. It’s expensive but comes with lights and mudguards, and you can tailor the assistance so you hardly know it’s there.
Supreme RT Hybrid Pro 500
Score: 79/100
Head to the continent and you’ll see step-through bikes like this everywhere. That frame design makes it really easy to get on or off, while features such as the covered chain and hub gears mean you won’t have to worry about getting oil on your clothes.
Suspension forks, hydraulic brakes and fat tyres make for a plush, safe ride. We found it surprisingly easy to manoeuvre, but the display did seem to over-estimate the battery life. Although it came with a European-type plug and mostly German instructions, it didn’t take too long to figure out how things worked.
£2599.00 at electricbikesales.co.uk
Why trust the Good Housekeeping Institute?
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test thousands of products every year to find the very best on the market. We put each and every one through rigorous testing, both in real-world and lab conditions.
For this test, we recruited a panel of experienced electric bike users to try the bikes out on the roads and provide honest feedback on whether they're worth the investment.
Our former fitness testing manager, Yanar Alkayat, then analysed all the results and scored according to the key priorities, such as design, comfort and performance, to help you find the very best e-bike for your needs.
Why choose an electric bike?
For a start, they’re great fun – there’s nothing quite like zipping up a hill on one to feel like you’re a Tour de France champion! They can also be a great way to enjoy cycling with a faster, fitter partner without worrying whether you’ll be able to keep up.
If you enjoy exploring, an e-bike will let you go further afield than your legs alone can take you. Many designs are as happy on tracks and trails as they are on tarmac. With a rear luggage rack or a basket up front, you could find your e-bike makes a great alternative to the car on shopping trips too.
Things to consider
Weight: There’s no getting away from it, motors and batteries include a lot of metal, so an e-bike will always be heavier than the equivalent non-electric model – some can be almost three times heavier than an ordinary hybrid.
If you need to take your bike up steps or want to stick it in the back of a car to take on holiday, it could be worth looking at a lighter folding model.
Some of the lightest racer-style e-bikes tip the scales around 12kg but can cost a fortune, while a “Dutch-style” step-through design can be a hefty 25kg or more. The average weight is around 20kg.
Battery: You’ll need to be able to charge up the battery from time to time, so make sure you can either remove it to top it up indoors or have a garage or outside charging point if the power pack is fixed to the frame.
To get the best performance out of the battery, make sure you use the bike regularly – batteries are expensive items and don’t take kindly to being left to run flat for weeks or months on end.
The size of the battery can dictate the range of the bike, so if you only need the bike for local journeys there’s not much point buying a bike with a huge power pack that will take you 100 miles.
Range: Around 30 to 50 miles of range will be ample for most riders, but bear in mind that if you zip around on the highest power setting you can burn through even a fully charged battery in as little as 20 miles – and we know from bitter experience, it’s not much fun trying to get a heavy e-bike home on leg power alone.
Costs: Even with today’s sky-high energy prices, it costs just pennies to charge the battery – less than it does to boil a kettle. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of a yearly service – you’ll find a heavy e-bike will go through things like brake pads and tyres quicker. But however many miles you rack up over a year, you’re still likely to be quids in over the cost of running a car.
Key features to look out for
Types of motor: Many designs have it built into the rear or front wheel where it is activated by a sensor that detects when you are pedalling; others have a mid-mounted motor down at the pedals.
Assistance levels: Most e-bikes offer a range of settings from power-sipping eco through to full-on max boost modes that will put a huge grin on your face. Whichever mode you choose, the assistance has to cut out at 15.5mph to stay legal.
Walk mode: It’s not available on every e-bike but walk mode can be a very handy feature – press a button or lever and the motor will push the bike along at low speed rather than you having to shove all that bulk on your own. It’s fantastic if you use the bike for shopping and must manoeuvre it through a busy area on foot.
Types of electric bike
As with ordinary bikes, there are a huge range of designs, so you can find one suited to your needs. Step-through models aren’t just for female riders but they are fantastic if you want to ride while wearing a dress or find it hard to lift your leg over the frame.
Folding e-bikes are perfect if your journey involves another form of transport such as a train or tram – plus you have the security benefits of being able to bring it into your home or workplace.
There are even e-bikes that look just like racing bikes, if you fancy giving the local peloton a run for their money on a Sunday morning!
The laws around electric bikes
Under UK law, the motor can only kick in while you're pedalling and it must switch off when you hit 15.5mph. Riders must be over the age of 14. As with a standard bike, you’ll need to use lights and reflectors if riding in the dark.
Third-party insurance isn’t a legal requirement but it can be a good idea to join an organisation such as Cycling UK to take advantage of their cover, just in case you are ever involved in an accident.
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