When I'm not reading, writing, and editing, I enjoy hiking, bike touring, and trying new foods in Queens, where I live. Follow me on Twitter fedira. We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. We Tested 5 Electric Bikes. Here's What We Found. By Lauren F. Published December 13, Updated September 22, One of our e-bike testers on the course.
Consumer Reports. Electric Bikes: The Basics. More on Cycling. Is an E-Bike Right for You? Best Bike Helmets of the Year. The Health Benefits of Biking to Work. How We Tested. Hill Climb We timed each bike as it climbed a short, steep hill.
Gears: 7 Motor: Hub Seat type: Cruiser saddle. Headlight: No Battery amp-hours: 8. It has three levels of assistance and a twist-style shifter to change among the seven gears. These features make this bike a very good hill climber, with or without the pedal assist turned on. A bike shop can generally add fenders and lights for an additional charge.
Buy at: Local bike shops. Gears: 21 Motor: Hub Seat type: Sport. Headlight: Yes Battery amp-hours: 7. We believe that a good-quality basic bike should have disc brakes, which perform better than rim brakes—especially in the rain. And unless you want to ride only very flat terrain and not travel very far, the bike should have multiple gears: They make it easier to go up hills and help you get up to speed, and let you go farther without spinning your legs like a hamster on a wheel.
We have included increasingly popular e-bikes, but do note that e-bikes come in a wide range of styles as well—any genre of bicycle can be boosted by a rechargeable battery pack and a motor that helps propel you along. Read our focused e-bike guide. In terms of your buying decision, e-bike or not, you want to think about the kind of riding you do and on which sort of terrain.
We break down which bike is right for each application. An e-bike, or electric bike, has a battery and a motor. Electric bikes can have hub motors that drive the rear or front wheel, or the motor can reside within the crank, meaning it helps you turn the pedals directly, rather than turning one of the wheels. Hub motors, especially at the front wheel, can affect steering.
One advantage to most e-bikes is that both safety and convenience features can be more easily baked in. For instance, lights are sometimes available right from the factory with wiring neatly integrated into the frame.
Conveniently, both front and rear lights are usually powered by the main battery, unlike with a conventional bicycle, where each light requires recharging on its own—which can be easy to forget to do, especially after a tiring ride. Thanks to the electric assist an e-bike provides, adding features like fenders, racks, and panniers can be an easy decision, without worrying whether your leg strength can keep pace with your ambitions.
Further, this makes a bicycle more inviting as alternative transportation because it is easier to carry cargo, such as groceries or work gear. How heavy? They can easily weigh 50 to 60 pounds, compared with about 17 to 30 pounds for a conventional bike, depending on the type.
If you plan to use a car-mounted rack to take an e-bike to the local path or park, we recommend using a receiver-mounted rack on the back of your vehicle rather than a roof rack. Hoisting the weight of an e-bike overhead can hurt you or damage your car if you lose control while lifting it to the top of the vehicle , whereas racks that are mounted to a receiver hitch at below-bumper height make this process easier and far less hazardous.
Pros: Electric bikes are enabling more people to ride, making them especially inviting if you live anywhere with hills imposing a serious challenge in getting from point A to point B. You need to beware buying online from a brand that just appeared overnight. Unload by reversing this process, using your legs to lift and not your back. Want it to go even more smoothly? Remove the battery from the bike first and stow it in your car.
Comfort Bikes These are for leisurely, recreational riding on pavement and smooth dirt paths. They include high handlebars, some have shock absorbers in the seat or fork or both , and they frequently have wider seats and meatier grips for your hands. Pros: Creature comforts include an upright riding position and a softer ride. But comfort bikes can be relatively heavy, so you want yours with gears that allow easier uphill pedaling. Comfort bikes often cost less than other types. Cons: Because of weight, as well as the riding position, slow-speed maneuvering can be difficult, and comfort bikes might make for hard pedaling on hilly terrain.
Shop Comfort Bikes on Amazon. Road Bikes and Gravel Bikes These bikes are for riders who want to go fast or log serious mileage, including multiday touring. The stealth benefit of not being in a Tour de France crouch is comfort, as well as a broader range of where you can ride, has led to gravel bike sales eclipsing those of traditional, skinny-tired road bikes. Pros: Avid cyclists and tourers want the relatively light weight, aerodynamics, and performance characteristics these bikes offer.
Cons: Some riders might not feel comfortable bending that low, even with the somewhat higher handlebars and relaxed geometry of a gravel bike. Shop Road Bikes on Amazon. Mountain Bikes These are designed to stand up to abusive, rugged trails. They have wide, knobby tires; a narrow or moderate-width saddle; and flat or riser handlebars.
Cons: Heavier than road and fitness bikes. Not as well-suited for road riding. Full Suspension Electric Bike Reviews Fat Electric Bike Reviews Folding Electric Bike Reviews Light Electric Bike Reviews Electric Cargo Bike Reviews Womens Electric Bike Reviews Electric Bike Kit Reviews High Speed Electric Bike Reviews Hybrid Electric Bike Reviews Electric Trike Reviews Electric Road Bike Reviews Cross Country Electric Bike Reviews Hardtail Electric Mountain Bike Reviews Touring Electric Bike Reviews Recumbent Electric Bike Reviews Utility Electric Bike Reviews Minibike Electric Bike Reviews Trail Electric Mountain Bike Reviews Electric Box Bike Reviews Compact Electric Bike Reviews Electric Gravel Bike Reviews 7.
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