10 Best Electric Bikes of 2023 Tested by GearLab

An electric bike can put a little more oomph in your pedal and help you get around town or the trails faster while still allowing you to move your legs and get as much of a workout as you choose. We have purchased and tested over 80 electric bikes, from budget bikes, commuters, and folding models, to top-of-the-line electric mountain bikes with all the newest features. Whatever your interest in electric bikes, we have information, huffy trail runner advice, and recommendations to help you choose the best fit for your needs, lifestyle, and budget. Commuter bikes are purpose-built and can potentially replace cars for some riders. They often have quick power output and may operate at higher speeds to keep up with city traffic. Depending on your commute length, you may want to look for a commuter bike with a larger battery to boost the range you can travel.

He partners with a number of local frame builders making handcrafted steel and even a few carbon bikes under the Hampsten name. Although it is a men’s frame, there are many women who choose men’s frame mountain bikes. The frame design incorporates the characteristics of a hardtail mountain bike, with a shock fork in the middle to reduce impact without making the ride too difficult. The plastic pedals on the women’s mountain bike are easily damaged. It includes ATB resin mountain bike pedals that are lightweight and tough enough to be difficult to break.

But as a bicycle expert, it is not particularly recommended to do so, but if you think about it from a practical point of view, this kind of purchase is on the larger size of the bike, it is also desirable. Mountain biking requires multi-section mountain tires, and the huffy cruiser’s multi-section mountain tires are ideal for hilly, wooded riding, with a good grip on soft dirt or scattered tree branches. Alloy linear tension brakes are not the best option, but if you have the money, replace them with front and rear disc brakes. The Huffy Trail Runner 26 is durable enough to last up to ten years with proper care, and it’s a great fitness bike, unlike aluminum frames, which deform when bumped.

Most headlights mount to a part of the steering axis, which allows the light to follow the bike’s trajectory. Potential buyers should also consider the bike’s weight; 84 lbs is more than most bike racks will carry, and hoisting it into a truck isn’t easy. Another problem with this and all Moped-style bikes is that they pedal poorly if you run out of battery or are just trying to extend the range. We ran out of juice a mile from GearLab, and it became a very memorable mile. That said, not only does it score higher than its closest competition, the Super73 S2, it’s about half the price.

In 1949, Huffman Manufacturing produced its first children’s bike and basically invented training wheels, adopting the tricycle technology that dated from the 1860s. The brand became Huffy in 1953 and it would go on to develop other cycling breakthroughs, including some certifiably kooky ideas such as the Radio Bike, which was actually a radio with a bicycle built around it. Regularly, Huffy pioneered new models of bicycles, though it was often similar bikes made by competitors that became better known.

These are more affordable, easier to maintain, and do not add as much wear and tear to bike components. However, their single-gear ratio makes them less efficient, and it’s more difficult to change or repair tires. Mid-drive motors are located in the bike’s center, usually around the pedal crank, and deliver power to the wheel through the chain. They’re usually pricier but also more refined, using the bike’s gears to maximize efficiency, and they better balance the weight of the motor.