Regardless, we were pretty impressed with the Meta Power TR, and we think it's a great value. We researched the latest and greatest e-MTB models and purchased 6 to test and compare side-by-side. In fact, it might have THE widest selection. Kurt Gensheimer is a bike industry veteran and freelance writer. The Trek Rail 9.7 is a 150mm travel 29er with modern geometry. A powerful throttle lets you blast up to 20 mph, or engaging the pedal assist can take you even faster to 28 mph. Those are a lot of nice parts! When it comes to all-wheel-drive electric bikes, the $3,299 Ariel Rider Grizzly is one of my favorites. The most common type is Class 1, or pedal assist, bikes that have motor units activated by pedaling and are limited to lower speeds. The Levo is powerful, and the geometry lends itself well to scrambling up just about any climb while remaining very maneuverable. The Commencal Meta Power TR Ride was not far behind with a 630Wh battery and the new Shimano EP8 motor. Due to the Levo's adjustable geometry, however, this may not always be the case as its handling can be altered so dramatically. Check out my detailed first ride experience on the Tern HSD here. It uses two high-power motors one in each wheel to offer speeds in the mid 30s and acceleration that will get you there in the blink of an eye. The RadRunner is truly one of those do-anything e-bikes because it has so many uses. Additionally, the highly adjustable geometry allows the rider to dramatically alter the bike's character and handling to suit their style, terrain, and preferences. The bike rolls on narrow tires for that efficient city ride, while still packing in a 500W motor. Again, the flip-chips were a nice feature to dial in the geometry to your preferences, and we generally found the high setting to be better for climbing and everyday trail riding. Updated for the 2022 model year, it looks nearly identical to the previous version but has several notable changes, including the highly adjustable geometry debuted on the Stumpjumper EVO, mixed wheel sizes, and the new Turbo Full Power 2.2 motor. Each drive system also has a smartphone app intended to allow the user to fine-tune the motor's support settings, create custom settings, monitor battery charge and health, and a lot more. After moving to Tahoe, Jeremy continued his obsession with riding. We scrutinized every aspect of each e-bike's performance. Check out my full in-depth review of the Lectric XP 2.0 here, or the step-through version here. Then again, it could be the ticket for the rider who still wants to push some watts of their own and is seeking a more agile, playful, and "normal" feeling ride. That new e-bike offers some great riding at under 800 bucks. I love the $3,299 Priority Current electric bike so much that it has become one of my daily riders. It came as no surprise that it was one of the top performers in our range test and our tester rode the Levo 33.1 miles and just over 5,000 vertical feet during our standardized testing. A powerful motor, excellent range, and a highly capable and versatile ride keep the Turbo Levo at the top of our list of the best electric mountain bikes. It also has awesome-looking cast wheels that remove the issue of spoke maintenance, plus add to the cool stance. Most of the options in this price category make too many sacrifices in quality or longevity to earn a spot on this list as one of the best. With roughly half the power output and torque of the full-power models, it makes you work a fair bit harder on the climbs. Privacy | Cookies | Terms. We've literally put in thousands of riding miles in the saddle. The bike should last a long time with modest upkeep, and its a definite winner for anyone thats low on space. When we finished, we recorded the distance and vertical gain that each model could complete and easily and objectively determined our winner. The Specialized Turbo Levo SL was a bit of an outlier in this metric. There are many places in the U.S. where you can legally and responsibly ride e-MTBs and take it from us; they are a heck of a lot of fun. For an e-bike, the new Levo SL is impressively lightweight thanks to their new SL 1.1 motor and a smaller 320Wh battery. Again, the new Turbo Levo SL falls into a different category than the other bikes in this review. These bikes are capable of carrying some serious speed uphill, changing the climbing dynamic with a much faster pace, often tossing finesse out the window in favor of power and momentum. There are both step-over and step-through frames available. The top tube-mounted display unit is also pretty cool, but we found its location difficult to see, and perhaps it was a little over-complicated for our taste. First, its pretty hard to produce a quality e-bike and sell it for under $1k. The YT Decoy 29 is s uper versatile model that won't hold you back on the descents. While it is impressive that they've managed to squeeze 900Wh of battery into the frame, the resulting bulge at the bottom of the downtube reduces clearance quite noticeably. And with a 28 mph (45 km/h) top speed plus a huge 706 Wh battery to ride all day, the performance matches the build. And, while we love the Maxxis Minion DHR II and Assegai tire combination, the EXO+ and EXO casings, respectively, are not quite beefy enough to handle the weight and charge-ability of the Spectral:ON. One of the coolest features though is the passenger package that adds a rear bench seat, wheel skirt and foot pegs so you can carry a second rider on back. The beautiful color display also adds to the bikes charm, as do the powerful headlight and frame-integrated tail light. The dot matrix display is considered odd by some, by others prize its minimalism. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. If youre spending this much, youll want to ensure youre buying from a reputable company with top-notch products and service. Its incredibly customizable to the point where youre virtually guaranteed to be able to create a truly one-of-a-kind electric bike if you wish. The new SL 1.1 motor puts out a maximum of 35Nm of torque and 240 Watts of power. The internally geared rear hub combined with a Gates belt drive system and powerful hydraulic disc brakes make this a very nice e-bike for the price. That means the Roadster V2 is best for someone who enjoys cycling and simply wants an assist motor to help them go faster and farther. The real treat though is getting to select the custom paint on every surface of the bike, plus your own rim colors, trim colors, and tire options. Overall though, the Specialized still proved to be the test team's favorite for its enhanced versatility through adjustable geometry, well-rounded performance, and very impressive range and efficiency. The $1,199 Aventon Soltera is a beautiful city bike that offers some of the best quality fabrication that Ive seen in this price range or even in higher price ranges. Check out my complete review of the RadRunner 2 here. builds its electric bikes in the US from the ground up. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. The Trek Rail 9.7 wasn't the most agile bike in the test, but it still performed well on the climbs. Our testing regime puts each bike through a multi-point performance analysis to rate its performance as a true mountain bike and its ability as an e-bike. It doesnt slouch on components either. It uses Greyps own in-house developed 700 Wh battery combined with a mid-drive motor to offer a hardtail trekking e-bike. Both have easy-to-reach controls and a digital display mounted by the stem on the handlebar, but the E7000 digital display lacks the color-coded output settings found on the Commencal display. We tested full suspension all-mountain/trail bike models with relatively similar amounts of suspension travel, geometry, and wheel/tire size. You can check out my complete review of the Rad Power Bikes RadMission here. At the same time, it's very stable with enough travel to confidently handle just about anything most people would consider riding down without feeling like a handful in mellower terrain. Even with just one battery, the high capacity of 1,008 Wh makes these some of the biggest batteries in the e-bike industry. It simply adds even more utility and turns an adventure bike into an adventure/hauling bike. The YT Decoy 29 Core 4 is a very competent climber. In addition to the awesome bike design, the built-in tech is what really opens peoples eyes. Thats enough for 50 miles (80 km) of range on throttle-only riding or closer to 100 miles (160 km) of range with pedal assist. The heavy weight of these bikes gives them incredible traction, keeping them planted on the ground, and compression dampening/climbing switches can be left wide open to enjoy the added traction benefits of active rear suspension. Specialized recently introduced the Specialized Turbo Levo SL Comp, a line-blurring e-bike that splits the difference between the non-powered Stumpjumper and the full-power Levo. But it makes it so much fun to pedal thanks to a torque sensor-based pedal assist that provides natural feeling assistance up to a fast 28 mph top speed. These are the most impressive folding e-bikes Ive ever seen. This e-bike is easily worth another $500 more than the price tag, if not more. Not only is it comfortable, but it is highly maneuverable with responsive handling for tackling whatever you may encounter on the trail. The HSD uses small 20 wheels and includes a folding stem, making it nice and compact. It is important to note that adding a motor, battery, controls, wiring, and sensors to a mountain bike creates additional potential for these components to have issues or fail altogether. All of the different drive units do this in relatively the same way, although subtle differences in their power output make them all feel slightly different. Theres a single battery option that starts at $2,299, but the dual battery option doubles the range up to a maximum of 100 miles. We don't feel the apps are necessary for using any of these e-MTB's, but those with an affinity for technology or personalizing your ride may be inclined to use them. In addition, the bike includes other premium components such as hydraulic disc brakes, an oil suspension fork, built in LED lights, included fenders, a strong rear rack and an easy-to-read LCD display. It may be one of the least expensive electric mountain bikes we've tested, but the Meta Power TR Ride is a great bike that is a blast to ride. Got feedback? The recently-unveiled Lectric XP LITE is likely the latest king of bang-for-your-buck electric bikes. More. We recommend doing some research about warranty coverage and buying from a knowledgeable local dealer whenever possible to ensure that you will be taken care of if problems should arise. The Commencal Meta Power TR Team scored relatively well in this metric, with a small digital display mounted by the stem. It even comes with footpegs pre-installed so you can carry a passenger with you. The head cups allow you to change the head tube angle a full degree at a time between 65.5 and 63.5-degrees while the flip chips adjust the bottom bracket height by 7mm between the high and low positions. The frame even comes in both a step-over and step-through variant to offer both styles. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support. Between the fast 28 mph speed, comfortable ride with front suspension, nimble yet thick three-inch tires, and the powerful 800W peak-rated motor, the bike combines high performance with an awesome price. Combined with a relatively low bottom bracket height means that bottoming out on the skid plate may occur in some situations. That said, there are probably some great customizable features of the display that we didn't fully examine. While a lighter bike with less power output is the whole point of the Levo SL, it might not be the e-bike experience that many riders are looking for. If you want to upgrade to more power and a nicer set of components, the $1,695 700 Series is worth a look. See my full review of the JackRabbit here. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. Theres a lot to like about the Biktrix Moto electric moped. Lastly, VanMoof employs some awesome anti-theft features, such as a built-in kick lock and find my iPhone integration from Apple to help locate the e-bike if it goes missing. What you will find is modest power combined with urban-centric features. VanMoof is known for making elegant and techie e-bikes that are designed for commuters and urban navigators. With a geometry that is nearly identical to the Stumpjumper along with the reduced weight, the Levo SL is more nimble and handles a lot more like a normal trail bike than any other e-MTB we've tested. That said, it has a comfortable geometry and quick handling. CSC Ebikes was born out of CSC Motorcycles, a company with several decades of two-wheeler experience. Modern electric mountain bikes like the Trek Rail 9.7 perform very well on the descents. The only downside is that the bike is quite heavy at 36 kg (79 lb). But Im including it in the $2k-$3k category because youre going to want to add a couple of important accessories to this one. Specialized is no longer winning the battery size wars (for now), but the Turbo Levo Comp is still very competitive with its 700Wh battery. Check out my full review of the GoCycle G4i+ here. Check out my full first ride on the various Serial 1 e-bike models here. The new Shimano EP8 motor works well and is a particularly nice spec on the least expensive build in the range. The adjustable geometry is a real highlight, giving the rider the ability to set the bike up in six distinct configurations through adjustable head cups and flip chips in the chainstays. CSC paired it with a big battery, quality suspension, hydraulic brakes, built-in lighting, and more to create a high performance and high-quality adventure e-bike. Accessories aside, the RadRover 6 Plus is an awesome ride and packs in some real value. The build of the Comp alloy model we tested is mostly great for the price and contributes to its overall performance. In this case, it straddles the line between an electric bike and an electric scooter. Its purely designed for the city, though that hasnt stopped me from abusing it off road either, testing its impressive ruggedness. When it comes to fast, powerful electric mopeds on a budget, its hard to compete with the $2,399 Ariel Rider X-Class. Serial 1 even goes above and beyond with their own custom weight bearing fenders that also happen to be functional racks (both in the front and rear), their own custom designed lights that throw serious illumination up front and give you great rear visibility from dropout-mounted lights, and theres even a glovebox in the bike! Plus, I love that double center kickstand for creating an ultra-stable parking platform. Like all of Serial 1s e-bikes, its got a great design and ridability. Its actually a high quality, high performance electric bike regardless of the badging. Yes, tires are an inexpensive upgrade, but it should come with something a little beefier, in our opinion. This bike is surprisingly nimble and lively given its weight, yet it remains super stable and confidence-inspiring at higher speeds and in steeper terrain. The 2021 Trek Rail 9.7 comes with a 625Wh battery. We rode the Decoy 29 for over 24 miles and 4,000+ vertical feet on multiple singletrack test rides and finished with gas in the tank. The speed will vary from 15-20 mph depending on which country you buy the bike in, but the performance is only part of the equation. In the market for the best new e-bike? The $2,295 Ride1Up Prodigy has brought new meaning to the phrase low-cost mid-drive electric bike. Again, it worked better than expected, but concessions were clearly made to keep the price down. Theres a reason why Porsche bought this e-bike company its simply one of the best. We subjected each bike to numerous individual tests to rate performance and compare them to each other. Plus you can capture all of your ride footage on the bike instead of bringing along a Go-Pro camera. There are some things that you give up with this model, such as that the fenders arent included free. It's not the most aggressive bike, but it's easily the best handling and normal feeling of the bunch. The bike is truly a high-end offering by itself, but the embedded tech makes it a rarity in any category. The 300W motor gets the little runabout up to 20 mph (32 km/h). Over the years, we've tested a variety of different electric bikes, including the best budget e-bikes, and our full review of the top electric bikes, giving us a broad spectrum of electric biking products to gain knowledge from. Its quick up to the 20 mph top speed and offers a ton of uses. With full suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, and a built-in rear rack/fenders, there are a lot of nice parts on the Scorpion X. We weren't too surprised by this and were actually relatively impressed, given the battery's smaller size. This is perhaps the lowest-cost mid-drive electric bicycle that still offers a true torque sensor, powerful performance, and long range riding. Below youll find some of the top e-bikes weve hand-tested for every price range, current as of July 2022. The e-MTB pedal-assist motor is typically built around the bottom bracket and provides varying levels of pedaling "support" directly into the drivetrain while the cranks are turning. The color screen and leather accents on the seat and bar ends add to the classy look too! Check out my full review of this incredibly powerful e-bike here. It uses the same motor as the CSC FT1000MD we featured above (the Bafang M620 mid-drive), but cranks up the current to provide closer to 1,500W of power. Plus it comes in four color options. The high-capacity battery and powerful motor also make for sprightly acceleration and longer than average rides, so youll have enough power to ride all day. Check out our full review of the Tern GSD here. However, this isn't always the case as the Commencal Meta Power TR Ride costs less and performs nearly as well as its more expensive competition. It's also pretty heavy at 53+ lbs, and it can feel like a bit of a handful at lower speeds and in tight spots on both the climbs and descents. And its also a pedal-assist e-bike, meaning you dont have a throttle for the days when you feel lazy. The Decoy's powerful Shimano EP8 motor is one factor, but its dialed trail riding geometry is another. The quick folding and light, compact design of the e-bike is the real winner here. Should come stock with tougher casing tires. While it's still no drop in the bucket, it is pretty affordable compared to mainstream brands, especially with rising prices. We didn't go easy on them. We know. The Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy returns to our electric mountain bike test and claims the top step on the podium for the fourth year in a row. These types of e-bikes resemble modern mountain bikes, but they have significant battery packs and small motor units integrated onto and into the frame design. The biggest benefit of the JackRabbit is that it is so simple that the lack of frills keeps the weight down to just 23 lb (10.5 kg)! Most drive unit systems offer several support settings that provide pedal assistance that amplifies the user's input to varying degrees. The bike rolls on 20 moto-style wheels and comes with nice parts including hydraulic disc brakes, a bench seat, dual suspension, and a big moto-style headlight. All trademarks property of their respective owners The FREY EX Pro not only features high-end parts like a RockShox Lyric fork and Magura MT5e hydraulic brakes, but it even comes with dual batteries so you can ride farther and stay on the trails longer. The most important metric for mountain e-bikes is downhill performance comprising 35% of the total score. The Cafe Cruiser, as its name suggests, is part cruiser bike, part fast motorbike. Our tester rode the Canyon for 38.5 miles with 5,292 feet of elevation gain/loss. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. Im also a fan of the built-in lights and included fenders, not to mention the integrated high-capacity battery that disappears in the frame. Check out my full review of the Ride1Up Prodigy here. With just 320Wh of battery storage capacity, the Turbo Levo SL has the shortest distance range of all the tested models. Joshua Hutchens has spent decades in the bike industry. Jeremy authored Mountain Bike Tahoe, published in 2017. Its not particularly fast at just 18 mph.