Best electric bikes for 2021

M

This is the best electric bike motor and display combination we tested at our lab.

The motor is quiet and provides fast acceleration. It also delivers power smoothly and gives brilliant support on flat terrain, and also on tough hills. The display is clear, even in bright conditions and is very easy to use.

If you opt for a bike with a large 500Wh battery you’ll get almost 40 miles of electrical assistance on the flat, if you use the highest assistance setting. You can extend the range further if you lower the level of assistance. On steep hills, you’ll still be able to ride for a little under 16 miles with full assistance.

A bike with a smaller battery, 400Wh and 300Wh batteries are common, will mean that you can’t ride as far with assistance, 33 miles and 25 miles respectively, on the flat.

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M

This is the best all-round electric bike motor that we’ve tested, but paired with a slightly inferior display and control unit.

When paired with a 500Wh battery, you’ll get 40 miles of riding on the flat on the maximum power setting. That drops to 16 miles on a steep gradient. You can buy this motor with 300Wh, and 400Wh batteries too, which will reduce the range of the bike, but you’ll still get the same smooth riding.

The motor accelerates exceptionally well, is one of the quietest we’ve tested and is brilliant at supporting your riding on flat roads or hilly terrain.

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M

This motor will take you almost 43 miles on the flat and a little over 13 on a steep hill, when paired with a 400Wh battery.

It’s a good, quiet, motor and very smooth with its power delivery. It also accelerates you quickly and without jerkiness up to top speed.

The display is the best we’ve tested. It has four assistance levels, provides clear information and is very easy to use.

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M

This motor will power you for 65 miles on the flat and an impressive 21 miles on a steep hill, assuming you opt for a bike that also comes with a 500Wh battery. Smaller batteries will reduce the range.

The motor accelerates you very smoothly and quickly up to top speed and it really comes into its own when powering you up either gentle slopes or steeper climbs. The delivery of power isn’t as smooth as some other motors, particularly on flat terrain, but in general this is a high quality motor that you won’t be disappointed with.

The display has three assistance levels, but we didn’t find it as clear or easy to use as other displays that are available.

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M

The Shimano Steps E5000 is a good electric bike motor, that’s relatively quiet and provides good electrical support, its range is particularly good on flat roads. But it struggles more than the very best on hills.

The SC-E6100 display is also clear and easy to use. It provides three differing levels of assistance.

With a 500Wh battery you’ll get a whopping 70 miles of riding on the flat on the highest power setting. That drops to 56 miles for a 400Wh battery and 42 miles for a 300Wh battery. On the hills the range isn’t quite as extensive, but you still get almost 18 miles on full assistance from the 500Wh battery.

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M

If you buy a bike with a 500Wh battery you’ll get 64 miles of support on the flat on the highest power setting (51 miles and 38.5 miles, respectively, if opting for a 400Wh or 300Wh battery).

It’s a high quality motor with incredibly smooth delivery of power to the pedals during acceleration, which is sharp and crisp. The motor is also quiet.

It’s not quite as good on steep hills, and the motor does have a tendency to noticeably jump in and out as it reaches top speed (causing a bit of a yo-yo effect), which contributes to the motor not getting one of the highest test scores.

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M

This is a good quality motor that’s paired with a clear and easy to use display that has four assistance levels.

The efficient motor gives an extensive range from a 400Wh battery of over 50 miles, which is impressive. You’ll also have almost 16 miles of assistance on the highest power setting on steep hills, too.

The acceleration of the motor is exceptionally quick, responsive and smooth.

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M

The range of this motor and battery combination isn’t as extensive as some, but could be extended to as much as 54 miles with a 500Wh battery. The range is much shorter on steep hills, less than 10 miles on full assistance on a steep gradient.

It’s a good motor with no major flaws. The consistency and smoothness of the power delivery is a particular strength of this motor, it’s also quiet.

We liked the display, which has four assistance levels. It’s visible in bright conditions and it’s clear and easy to use.

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M

You can find this rear hub motor in some of the most popular electric bikes you can buy.

The range from a 400Wh battery is extensive on the flat, and you’ll get 15 miles on the highest setting on a steep hill, too. The motor also accelerates a bike promptly and smoothly up to the maximum speed.

It’s when the motor gets up to top speed where the problems with this motor lie. It tends to abruptly cut off the power, which leads to a bit of a yo-yo effect as the motor cuts in and out when you’re cruising at 15.5mph. The best motors manage this top speed cut off a little more smoothly.

The motor is also a little noisier than most.

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M

The display isn’t as slick as many alternatives. It’s large, a little clunky and not as easy to use, or as easy to see in bright conditions as the best on the market.

The motor is good though, delivering smooth power to the pedals on flat or hilly terrain.

From a 500Wh battery you’ll get a quite disappointing 40 miles of range on the highest setting on a flat road. On a steep hill you can ride for 15 miles on full assistance.

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