First, the shifter cables are once again routed internally, and now the brake cables are as well—an unexpectedly high-end touch in an entry-level bike. Running the shifter or brake cables inside the frame tubes protects the cables from damage in much the same way that cable housing does, only better. A belt-drive bike that has an easy-to-use internally geared rear hub means less maintenance and no grease on your work clothes. You have to assemble it yourself though (or pay someone else to). But getting on our step-thru frame electric bike is very gentle and elegant.
While we’re sure there’s going to be lots of opinions and questions about why this or that bike didn’t land on our list, these are the 14 e-bikes we’re most excited about right now. This is not a comprehensive list, nor were we able to consider each and every e-bike use case, but we do think all the bikes on this list are a good representation of what’s out there right now. They say the best e-bike is the one you’re most excited to ride, and we couldn’t agree more. Payload capacity, it is a terrific option for the hunter or angler who wants to bring home dinner, and with a 768Wh battery, it has the range to go where the game is. We dismissed Batch Bicycles’ Fitness Bicycle because it uses a freewheel cogset rather than a cassette.
But that’s the entry level because we’re focused on value, and we wanna build the best bike we can for as low as possible. And we’ve determined that that price of about 229, 199 is the best we can do from the quality we wanna stand behind, to provide the value back to the customer. If you’re more of a price-oriented shopper, I would definitely say go with Schwinn, it’s a great option. Also schwinn ebike the name, it’s classic, it speaks to us, it’s Americana. So I have nothing bad to say about it, I would say $150 range if you’re okay with that two and a half to three and a half star, Schwinn cruisers are a great option. Several years ago, California cyclists adapted the word “cruiser” to their world of sandy beaches, and enjoyed riding old
balloon-tired bikes along the ocean’s edge.
Every e-bike here uses a hub motor rather than a mid-drive motor. Hub motors (the original industry standard and more affordable of the two) can be located on either the front or, more commonly, the rear wheel. They typically don’t allow for the same natural maneuverability as today’s increasingly more common mid-drive motors because their weight is concentrated at the front or rear of the bike. In contrast, a mid-drive motor’s weight is low and centered over the bottom bracket, resulting in better control and a more balanced ride feel, much like a traditional bike.
Its combination of Class 3 speed, step-thru and traditional frame designs as well as an off-road configuration makes it ideal for high performance on a budget. The motor alone is something we could wax poetic on for pages, but the bike doesn’t stop there. High-level componentry is found throughout the bike from the SRAM hydraulic brakes, SRAM NX 11-speed drivetrain, and the generous 710Wh battery powering the bike (on the 4.0 model we tested).. The 750W brushless hub motor is more powerful than we see on some folding e-bikes.
It features a 750W brushless hub motor that can turn 90Nm of torque, making it suitable to riding steep hills, whether paved or not. The 110mm-travel suspension fork improves control on bumpy terrain and the 7-speed Shimano drivetrain helps both uphill and down. Hydraulic disc brakes offer terrific power even on steep downhills and Chaoyang 26 x 4-in.
The headlight on our test bike was strong enough for city use—I’d supplement it with our commuter headlight pick if I were taking it on dark suburban bike paths, say—but it had a strobe-y effect that I found distracting. Other than that, the Continuum Onyx was sturdy, comfortable, and fun to ride around town. Now, with that said, schwinn ebike Schwinn also does offer independent bike shop beach cruisers. Now, these are gonna be even more expensive, they’re a little bit more high end. I’d say it might be more money than you need to spend on a beach cruiser, typically for the IBD models, but again, it’s up to you if you like that name, or if the bike speaks to you.
We hadn’t really ever asked the question, “How do you make a cruiser even easier to ride? ” but that’s exactly what the Blix Sol Eclipse does for riders. This is a very full-featured commuter with great lines, a powerful motor, front suspension and includes a commute-ready package with fenders, lights and rear rack. Not only does it roll well, but it stops well too. We tested both the step-through and high-step versions of the RadCity Plus’ frame and in both brake tests the RadCity was among the top performers in bikes we’ve ever tested. The NUTT hydraulic disk brakes with 180mm rotors perform very well and seem like the right spec choice.