A few months ago, Graham Hill (the founder of the site you're reading this on) asked me for some help in choosing an electric bike. I wanted to help, but I knew that my knowledge of electric bikes was limited - there are so many models, with progress being made all the time in battery tech and power electronics - so I pointed him to someone who I knew was a real expert: Court Rye, the e-bike demigod behind ElectricBikeReview.com. But Graham's question also made me realize that he certainly wasn't the only one trying to figure out if an electric bicycle was right for him, what were the pros and cons, and if it did make sense, where to begin and which models to have a look at first.
With competitive price and timely delivery, Seven Running sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
This led to the interview below, where Court generously shares the e-bike wisdom that comes from having reviewed 300+ models since he started covering the space in 2012 (prolific guy!).
Why Buy an Electric Bike?
Well, electric bicycles offer the same great benefits as traditional bicycles including cost savings (no licensing or insurance required), improved well-being, and connection with community.
The real advantage to ebikes in my view is efficiency in climbing hills or fighting the wind combined with better range. If you experience knee pain or exercise-induced asthma, for example, electric bikes can breath new life into the sport of cycling. They might convince your friend or significant other to join you on the trails more often or they might enable you to commute to work in extreme heat without perspiring so much. I've owned cars and mopeds before and neither felt as safe or refreshing as cycling along community paths, away from traffic.
Electric bikes remove many of the roadblocks and challenges that people face with traditional pedal-powered cycles but they aren't perfect. They can be expensive, complex, and heavy which is a real pain if the battery runs out halfway.
Which E-Bike Conversion Kits Are Best?
Since the early days of electric bikes in the United States (starting in 1999 with the EV Global Motors Ebike from Lee Iacocca) frame styles and drive characteristics have really proliferated.
Niedring/Drentwett / Getty Images
In addition to simple DIY kits there are also systems like the Ridekick Power Trailer now which add ebike performance in addition to storage utility! This system in particular is even easier than installing a kit and can be easily shared between family members and friends using regular bikes or recumbents as a platform.
© Court Rye
What E-Bikes Are Good for New Riders?
Today it is possible to dive head first into electric bikes or dip your toe in for a little taste. In some towns you can even rent electric bike to get a better feel for them... Rocket Electrics in Austin Texas for example, offers foodie tours and also has a multi-day SXSW and F1 race week package for people who want to dodge traffic and get an up close view of the city. For the purest experience, purpose built ebikes are the way to go (bikes that were designed and sold as being electric, not converted later). They are lighter, tougher and more capable than ever. Whether you need a folding bike to stow in your loft or take on a plane, a tandem to rent and ride with your friend on vacation or a downhill bomber for free riding on mountain trails (no need for a chairlift!) there is definitely an ebike out there that's fully capable.
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Do E-Bikes Have Drawbacks?
Obviously, I'm a huge fan of the technology and it's true that the breadth of products has grown thanks in large part to widespread acceptance in Asia and Europe but there are some things ebikes still struggle with.
If you're a purist mountain biker who is barely accepted on hiking paths to begin with, ebikes may seem like a threat. In much the same way that snowboards used to be outlawed at ski resorts like Vail Colorado in the 80's ebikes are still in their early days. Eventually snowboarding became mainstream and Burton helped to gain mass acceptance by launching a viral initiative challenging holdout resorts. These days, Deer Valley Utah remains a "ski-only" resort but you can snowboard pretty much everywhere else and I feel like that will become the case with ebikes as well. Once the technology becomes better understood and appreciated it won't feel so threatening to some. I think traditional bikes are awesome frankly and I still own one for silent, light weight cruising.
To be honest, I mostly use it on wet and snowy days or when parking overnight in high-crime areas where theft or vandalism could be a risk. That said, I recently picked up bicycle insurance and am feeling a lot more comfortable from a theft and liability standpoint. To sum up the cons of electric bikes: they tend to be heavier, louder and almost always more expensive than traditional bicycles.
Kathryn Donohew Photography / Getty Images
What Are the Types of Electric Bikes?
Having reviewed over 300 electric bikes to date, taking photos and shooting video for each and posting back at my site ElectricBikeReview.com these are the primary "use cases" I've identified to help people navigate the space: Cargo Hauling, Relaxed Cruising, Trail Riding, Mountain Biking, Downhill, Neighborhood Use, Kid Hauling and Grocery Getting, Road Bike, Sand and Snow (Fat Tire), Tandem, Touring or Trekking, Traveling (Folding) and Urban Commuting.
It feels like there's a bike out there for any occasion, some have very small wheels and are designed to be easy to pick up and carry onto trains and busses (or even airplanes if the battery is under 300 watt hours) while other models are almost like mopeds or motorcycles with 100+ mile range capability and regenerative braking.
© Court Rye
There are so many types of light electric vehicles now that I actually started a second website called ElectricRideReview.com to cover electric motorcycles, skateboards and kick scooters.
What Are the Price Ranges?
As far as traditional ebikes, prices really vary and can be shocking at first... so brace for impact! The low end starts around $1,000 but a recent crowd funding campaign generated a lot of attention by offering a bare bones $700 model (it was sold as $500 + ~$200 shipping).
My feeling is that $1,500 is the lowest level worth exploring right now. I've seen too many unhappy customers who purchased online and are now struggling to fix a throttle mechanism or find a replacement battery pack because the cells they got were of very low quality. There have even been some fires when cheap batteries were damaged and didn't have an electronic management system in place to prevent overload. At the upper echelons of the ebike world there are products selling for $50k+ but those are almost like art.
For ~$4,000 you can get a high quality, Euro-proven, German engineered product with two years of comprehensive warranty support. Bikes like this offer intuitive controls, integrated dynamo lights, fenders and racks and an overall beautiful aesthetic.
© Court Rye
Bikes in this premium class range up to $7,000 for pro-level components and while that may shock some people, it's actually not far off from pro-level pedal-powered bicycles.
© Court Rye
Now let's go back to the middle-range and dig a bit deeper into costs. The first electric bike I purchased was $2,500 and it saved me $2,000 in parking alone over the first year (I was working downtown Austin, TX where parking is very expensive).
In YouTube comments I regularly see people upset by the perceived high price of electric bikes, claiming that a used car would be cheaper... I think they often fail to recognize the high price of car repairs, preventative maintenance like oil changes, insurance, licensing and parking. Cars and ebikes are not investments, they are tools or toys that depreciate with use, their true value is highly dependent on the environment and task at hand or entertainment preferences of the owner.
So for example, if you live on a highway and commute 20 miles to work each day an ebike might not be a great tool. To that I say, consider renting an apartment near your job and buying an ebike!
Life changes aside, let's do a quick hypothetical costing example, if you took all of the car maintenance stuff away for a moment and just looked at a $3k brand new car vs. a $3k brand new ebike and left gas at $2 per gallon... an average electric bike gets ~20 miles per charge and cost less than $0.15 to fill (even using Hawaii's scale-tipping $0.37 per kilowatt-hour rates). So let's say that your car gets 30 miles per gallon and a gallon is $2 and your bike gets 20 miles per charge and a charge is $0.15, the bike is way cheaper right? But that's not the whole story. A premium electric bike battery costs anywhere from $500 to $800 to replace and lasts 1,000+ charges so let's treat this like a fuel cost and divide $500/1,000 charges... we get $0.50. So we add the $0.15 charge cost to the $0.50 battery use cost and get $0.65.
Basically, electric bikes are about three times less expensive to operate than cars from a current fuel cost perspective. Beyond user operating expense they also cost less in terms of negative externalities because they don't create localized pollution. Ebikes are awesome but so are cars and even when self-driving electric cars replace the costs of ownership and reduce pollution, there will still be enormous value in cycling... and why not have an assisted cycle?
It's like comparing a mechanical typewriter where you forcefully push the keys down to modern laptop that can be operated much easier, faster, in more environments and it will save your work digitally! Maybe some people would claim that the sheer muscular joy of old fashioned typewriting and the ever-present danger of a misspelling will always hold a place in their hearts... and good for them, it's not really an issue and with ebikes or traditional bikes, we can still ride together and have fun!
Want more information on Electric Mountain Bikes? Feel free to contact us.
How Far Can You Go on a Charge?
A good rule of thumb here is to divide watt hours by 20. So electric bike batteries have voltage and amp hours and a typical pack right now in the US is 36 volts of power with 10 amp hours of capacity for 360 watt hours total. If we divide 360 by 20 we get 18 miles. Given variation between throttle only electric bikes and pedal assist that 18 is really a floor that can go up as riders contribute pedal-power to the system or different drive systems are leveraged.
For example, mid-drive electric bikes can benefit from driving the rear cassette and gears to empower the motor for improved efficiency. In the same way that you would want to shift down when climbing (instead of standing up and working extra hard), so too does the motor and these mid-drive systems offer that flexibility because they pull the bicycle chain along with you. I've seen some electric bikes with that same "360 watt hour" battery capacity reach 50+ miles per charge on a low level of assistance (equivalent to half of the rider's pedal power output). That's pretty amazing to me.
Solskin / Getty Images
Are E-Bikes Faster Than Regular Bikes?
Not really, most low-speed electric bikes won't go over 20 miles per hour under motor power alone. You can always pedal faster than that or drop a steep hill but federal regulation limits this top speed in exchange for classification as a "bicycle". Some recent compromises have been made whereby pedal-assist electric bikes may reach ~28 miles per hour assisted but only if the rider is pedaling rigorously. A similar class of electric bikes called "speed pedelecs" exists in Europe and have become popular for commuters.
Take note however that efficiency drops off significantly as riders gain speed as a result of drag. That is "forces acting opposite to the relative motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding fluid" or in this case air. The power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of its velocity while "air drag" is approximately proportional to the square of velocity.
In short, as you go beyond 15 mph on an ebike, drag really starts to cut into the range you can achieve so speed comes at a high price!
Can I Do DIY Maintenance on My Electric Bike?
This is a great question! When it comes to electric bikes I usually recommend that people buy locally if possible. This is because the bike will be assembled properly, following specific torque ratings on screws and such, and will be fit to the rider for improved comfort.
In the bike industry, many shops that sell both traditional and electric will tell me that ebikes see 10 times the use. This is based on customer feedback and tuneups that they provide. People just ride electric bicycles more, and further, and faster! Some of that wear can be serviced by the end user but when it comes to throttles, batteries and computer systems things can get tricky.
Electric bikes marry mechanical systems with software and electrical complexities. There is a reason that Apple calls their tech support "Geniuses", right? Advanced knowledge and a specific toolset are required to truly maintain electric bikes as well, in my opinion. The most basic bikes that do not offer torque sensing pedal assist, LCD display readouts or frame-routed cables may be self-serviceable or simply disposable given their lower price point but the more purpose-built offerings really benefit from that professional touch and often times have locked computers with special diagnostic tools much like automobiles.
What Bikes Do You Recommend for E-Bike Newbies?
I spend a lot of time answering one-off questions back in the Electric Bike Review Community Forums where people share their budget, height, weight, intended use and style preference. Feel free to jump on over and ask for yourself! Alternatively, I've put together a "Top 10" list with recommendations for value and performance models ranging from Cruisers to Kits. Bikes that I've actually purchased for myself over the years include the Pedego City Commuter, Easy Motion Neo Jumper (now replaced by the Evo Jumper) and the Haibike XDURO FS RX 27.5 but I've been eyeing the new Specialized Turbo X and Felt Outfitter which are remarkable because both companies are long standing purists that focus on performance and racing specs. Seeing them put out electric bikes is a real vote of confidence for the space.
© Court Rye
Any Closing Thoughts?
I think electric bikes are remarkable because they compliment the human body and mind while connecting us with others.
If you'd like to learn more on the topic feel free to download my ebook called "A Practical Guide to Electric Bikes" on Amazon Kindle. The book includes photos, videos and a deeper look into topics like motor design so you can better understand the trade offs between hub motors like I had on my Pedego or mid drives like I had on my Haibike. Feel free to drop me a line anytime and ride safe out there!
Buying a new bike involves many decisions. 27.5” or 29”? Shimano or SRAM? RockShox or Fox? Trail or Enduro? However, if you’re thinking of buying a new bike this year, then there’s a bigger question you need to ask yourself. Should my next bike be an eMTB?
The eMTB market has enjoyed exponential growth over the last five years. However, it’s fair to say that the first generation of eMTBs had limited appeal to trail or enduro enthusiasts. The game has changed. You can now purchase an eMTB that weighs under 17 kg, about the same as some of the heavier enduro bikes around. Hopefully, you’re already well informed and perhaps you’ve already scratched an E-curious itch with our sister magazine E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine? If not, your understandable misconceptions of eMTBs as clumsy, fragile and heavy need a refresh. If you think eMTBs are just for the overweight and lazy, you should chat with racing legends like Jerome Clementz and Fabian Barel or even the new-school shredders like Olly Wilkins and Sam Pilgrim. They’re all having a blast on their eMTBs.
Just look at the social media feeds of pro mountain bikers – eMTBs are being used for everything from towing kids’ trailers to throwing backflips.
However, you have to consider how much technology you want on your bike. Some eMTBs push integration to the max, while others keep it low key.
Our editorial team enjoys both mountain bikes and eMTBs, with both together expanding the variety and unlimited potential of our sport. With ENDURO and E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazines existing in harmony, we have no need for bias or ulterior motive to promote one over the other, we simply want to make sure you are on the best bikes for your needs. Even amongst our ride-mad editorial team with access to both options, we have some riders that choose to ride eMTBs, some who choose analog bikes for their personal riding and some that do both. The advantages of eMTBs are clear: you will ride more, cover more ground and squeeze in more descending over a shorter amount of time. However, some of our team still enjoy earning their turns and thrive on the simple pleasure of getting around on leg power alone. When it comes to eMTB versus mountain bike, there is no perfect choice for everyone, but for everyone, there is a perfect choice.
Our lives are saturated with electronics, whether it’s at homes, in our offices, or even our cars. Some of us love the connectivity, while some of us ride to disconnect.
“I like to incorporate after work rides or lunch rides in my daily routine. They give me my daily dose of nature and keep me fit. With my analog bike this was possible three to four times a week, and, to be honest, I don’t ride much in the winter with my non-motorised trail bike. With an eMTB, riding every day, all year long is no issue anymore. Best of all: the eMTB doubles downhill time and halves the uphill time on the fire roads.”
„While I love testing eMTBs with the team, I’m not ready to hang up my enduro bike just yet. In a perverse way I actually quite enjoy slogging up hills. During our weekly dads’ enduro rides, trying to hold a conversation while killing ourselves on the climb is part of the tradition. Call me weird if you like, but just like backcountry skiing, the extra effort I put in on the climbs makes the descents all the sweeter. I love eMTBs, but I couldn’t be without my regular mountain bike.“
„I’m totally into new stuff and I love the latest gadgets. I have no problem with electronic products like SRAM AXS and totally enjoy riding an eMTB whenever there’s the chance. However, I’ve always seen it as a totally different sport, almost like comparing mountain biking with road cycling. However, times are changing. With bikes like the Levo SL offering the same handling on the downhills, this won’t be a deciding factor anymore. However, as I don’t mind the physical challenge, appreciate the simplicity and all my friends are still riding analog bikes, I’ll stick with a classic enduro bike for now.“
„I used to spend every weekend at the race track – either competing in downhill or enduro. But times have changed. Today I enjoy spending (riding) time with my family or catching some fresh air during busy days in the office. To me, an eMTB pushes the limits of time, motivation and strength after a long day at work and opens up many new possibilities. It’s the ultimate versatile weapon.“
„Don’t get me wrong, ebikes are rad! I love powering up techy climbs and wheel-spinning through uphill corners in turbo. However, the versatility of my enduro bike is also hard to beat. I can ride it on downhill tracks, compete in races all over the country and also take it on monster days in the backcountry. Therefore, if I could only have one bike, it would be my pedal-powered enduro. If I were offered a free eMTB to ride in addition to my enduro bike, I’d say yes right away! However, buying one is a different story. Ebikes are pricey and currently way out of my budget.“
„I go biking for one reason: having fun! With the Levo SL, I get the same trail performance on the downhills with the added benefit of some extra power on the uphills. Here in the alpine mountains, all the uphills are super steep and the compact motor makes life way easier without overpowering the character of the bike. I wouldn’t buy a classic eMTB as I find them too heavy and cumbersome, but the Levo SL bridges the gap perfectly and would be my personal go-to choice – the only reason I don’t own one yet is the price.“
Going full gnar! eMTBs aren’t just for touring, they are capable of everything an analog mountain bike can do, if you dare!
eMTBs don’t have a throttle, they add additional power as you pedal up to a maximum speed of 25 km/h (in Europe). Modern eMTBs mostly use the same components as regular bikes, and most modern motors (see our motor group test) offer resistance free pedaling above the 25 km/h motor cut off. Currently there are three main categories of eMTBs. Power eMTBs that boast huge torque and power. The SUVs of the biking world, Power eMTBs are heavy and clumsy off road but will push you up any hill without complaining. Then we have All-round eMTBs which still offer ample power packaged in a lighter 20–25 kg bike that offers balanced performance up- and downhill. Most mountain bikers will most enjoy the new Light eMTB category, which offers non-motorised bike handling and agility, made possible with a smaller battery and lower levels of assistance. All-round eMTBs are perfect for riders wanting to enjoy long rides and take on challenging uphills, while Light eMTBs are better suited to riders who prioritise the downhill and want to ride with people who don’t own eMTBs. All categories of eMTB offer enough range to accommodate the general riding (think 2 hour rides) that we enjoy. If you want to learn more about eMTBs you should check out our eMTB buyers guide.
eMTB’s have evolved rapidly and now you really can have it all, both up- and downhill. Hard-hitting bikes like the Specialized Turbo Kenevo Expert and Whyte E-180 RS V1 can handle even the toughest downhill tracks, while featherweight bikes like the Specialized Levo SL boast agile handling and can go toe-to-toe with the best trail bikes, as our group test has shown. We pitted a Specialized Levo SL against 15 of the best bikes in our 2020 trail bike group test and in the end, many of the test team were left scratching their heads as to why we would buy a bike without a motor. If you are planning a big bike purchase this year, the decision has certainly got a lot harder.
To understand if an eMTB is the best bike for you, you need to consider how you ride, who you ride with and what you want from your riding. To help guide you, we have created a list of reasons why an eMTB may be the optimum choice for your next bike, and equally why it may not be the best fit for your riding.
It’s a fact. An eMTB makes riding more accessible. With an eMTB your ride frequency and distances will increase. An eMTB will open up new routes, help you explore new trails and also act as a motivation boost. If you’re tired after a long day at work, it’s easier to get out of the house knowing that the motor will help you up the climbs.
Aside from being really good fun, you will also find you use the eMTB for commuting, as a family tool, as an SUV and will ride more frequently when the weather isn’t as great. Having a motor opens up limitless new potential that non-motorised bikes can’t equal.
There is a saying in the bike world that the perfect number of bikes is N+1, where N is the number of bikes that you currently own. If you are lucky enough to have enough expendable cash to invest in an additional bike, then buy an eMTB.
In the early days of their development, eMTBs did suffer from dubious handling, with a high centre of gravity and awkward geometries. Now, with sublime balance, stable handling and agile responses, eMTBs shred. While the tightest switchbacks may still be a little more difficult on a heavier eMTB, almost everywhere else the low centre of gravity will make the eMTB feel safer and more stable.
Buying an eMTB won’t make you fat. If anything, the power to quickly escape into the hills will see you riding far more, enjoying more trails and putting in more kilometres each week. Yes, an eMTB takes some of the load from our leg muscles, reducing the power output needed to conquer steep slopes, but it also switches us from anaerobic to aerobic exercise. While we may not build the same lean muscle mass in our legs, the potentially longer and more aerobic activity is excellent for building stamina and burning fat. Also, the higher total weight of the bike results in a greater upper body workout when shredding trails. If you want to know if eMTBing is cheating, you can check out our in-depth test
Leisure time is shortening and we all face a constant struggle for fitness. Sometimes it’s impossible to squeeze in the required 2–3 rides a week to keep strong. If you’re the sort of rider who lives for the descents, but often falls off the back of the pack on the climbs or has even started avoiding group rides, an eMTB will level the playing field. You’ll be able to have all the fun, without the frustration of trying to keep up with your fitter buddies.
In a family unit, an eMTB is as useful as a grandparent with ninja babysitting skills. An eMTB will allow you to share the load of parenthood, offering a fast escape if you need time for yourself or as a mule to transport all the paraphernalia you need for family rides out. Combined with the latest kids’ seats and bike trailers, an eMTB will give you more options to ride together as a family. For inspiration, check out our three generation ride where we bridge the generation gap, or when we spent a weekend in Münsingen with the family.
If you have a young family, an eMTB will become as indispensable as a helpful grandparent
If your riding crew is warming to the idea of eMTBs but you already know that your rides would be more fun on an eMTB, then you could be the trendsetter. In the early days you could help your group by carrying the spares, cameras and snacks, but soon you will find that after having a little go on your bike, your buddies will start to appreciate how an eMTB may benefit their own riding lives.
While for some of us climbing is just a means to an end to get your downhill kicks, and if so an eMTB will rock your world. However, if you enjoy the relaxed pace of a long gentle climb, or the achievement of reaching a summit under your own steam, why make it faster, or easier? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to take your time and going for quality over quantity.
An eMTB is more expensive than an equivalently specified mountain bike. Motors and batteries add significantly to the cost. If you shop carefully, a good mountain bike can be bought for €2,500, whereas even the most basic eMTB will need you to spend at least €4,000 (ideally more) to get something without any compromising flaws. With their added complexity, an eMTB will require more regular servicing and the increased torque will consume drivetrain parts faster compared to an un-motorised bike ridden the same distance.
If the thought of Di2 and AXS electronic drivetrains fills you with dread, an eMTB is not for you. There’s nothing wrong with a purist approach. It’s like driving a Porsche 911 G-model from the 80s and a time when there was no ABS or other electronic driving aids. You might not be as fast as with a new one, but the raw, purist driving experience is incomparable.
While they may feel relatively weightless on the trail, the same cannot be said for transporting an eMTB. If you normally transport your bikes on top of your car, have to carry your bike up stairs to your flat, or have to frequently lift your bikes, the excess weight of an eMTB will become a pain. For those who take frequent cycling trips overseas there is still no good way to fly with an eMTB battery and innovative solutions still need to be found.
Yes, you read that correctly. Many people will say that your eMTB will take you to places where your mountain bike cannot. However, if you and your buddies are hardcore mountain enthusiasts who regularly shoulder your bikes over obstructions on the climbs, or hike challenging mountain passes, then a 20kg + All-round eMTB will not make your life easier. The latest Light eMTBs do make carrying possible, but it is still harder work than a non-motorised bike. If you regularly need to carry your bike or cross styles and fences, an eMTB may not be for you.
No we’re not talking about trail access. It’s easy to estimate the range of your ebike when commuting on tarmac, but things get a little more complex when riding offroad. The range you can eke out of your ebike’s battery is dictated by many factors, including terrain type, wind, weight, support mode used, the amount of climbing and more. While most eMTBs are easily capable of 30-50 km rides offroad, if your Sunday outings involve longer 3–4 hour rides, then using an eMTB will require carrying another battery. Multi-day bikepacking trips also become a lot more complex. Worrying about the battery capacity can go against the very reason you ride.
If you’re a ‘wash it and chuck it in the shed’ kind of rider, looking for maximum fun with minimal maintenance, you need to think carefully before you invest in a new eMTB. While the components of an eMTB are no less reliable than a non-motorised bike, the complete system is more complex with a motor, wires and battery. As such, it will inevitably need extra servicing. The increased torque of an eMTB also puts increased load on the drivetrain, accelerating wear. You will likely ride an eMTB more and further, meaning your bike upkeep costs will go up.
What good is the best bike, if you have nobody to ride with? Ultimately, this is the factor that may shape your decision the most. With an eMTB, you will ride further, enjoy more descents in the same amount of time and fly up the climbs. However, if your friends don’t have eMTBs, you will be on your own. Or, instead, you will be soft-pedalling on your group rides while your mates cough up their lungs trying to keep up. Mountain biking is a social activity and to fully enjoy an eMTB or mountain bike, you need buddies. If your regular riding group is growing E-curious, then maybe it’s the perfect time to be a trendsetter in your group and start a revolution. If your friends already have eMTBs, then what are you waiting for?
Bikes mean different things to different people. For some, a bike is merely a tool, a way of moving around. For others, a bike is a cherished member of the family, loved and cared for as well as the family dog. We’ve all lusted after bikes we’ve seen online, channelling our inner child to imagine the amazing adventures we could share together. For some, an eMTB will represent a passport to endless explorations, to more trails and fun. To others they will lack the beautiful simplicity of an un-motorised mountain bike. Buying a new bike will always be an emotional decision. However if you’re a riding enthusiast who’s been sitting on the fence, waiting until eMTBs could offer downhill fun to match their uphill superiority, then yes, now is the perfect time to invest. Ultimately, there is no ‘best’ solution, just the one that’s right for you. If you think that your next bike will be an eMTB, there is no better place to start than our eMTB buyer’s guide.
Like our analog bikes, an eMTB is another tool that can be used to help us explore new places in our pursuit to ride the best trails with our friends. If you’re considering buying an eMTB but are worried that it will ruin your fun on technical trails, have no fear. EMTBs are now amazing on the descents, open up endless new possibilities and will get you riding more. However, if you feel you’re a purist at heart and prefer the simplicity and achievement of going places under your own steam, then that’s perfectly alright too.
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