Thanks to the lightness of the combined motor and battery unit integrated into the downtube, it’s possible to ride without any assist and requires no maintenance (our favorite part). There’s no throttle and no gears, but the hub motor can achieve speeds up to 20 mph with the help of pedal power and five different modes. Since this is a single-speed, riding this bike does take some work. It takes a second for the cadence sensor to kick in the motor, and this can be especially hard if you’re starting on an uphill from a standstill.
Just like the Specialized Levo, the AM1000 is a mixed-wheel bike. The similarities continue with the Frey’s 160mm front and rear suspension, slack 65-degree headtube angle, and integrated dropper seatpost. In truth, it’s a bit more like a light-duty electric dirt bike you can pedal. If Tesla or Lucid got into the electric bike game, this would be the bar they were trying to reach. The Ride bike ($7,495) is a unique carbon fiber frame with fully automatic shifting, thanks to the rare Enviolo SP AutomatIQ.
With a few minor improvements to the user interface, it could definitely be one of our top picks. Now the kids are able to ride longer distances to go to their different activities and actually prefer it over getting a ride in the car. And they still do reach for their traditional bikes for shorter rides and rides with friends. The ET Cycle F1000 is great for beach riding and people who aren’t interested in getting a workout.
For context, a 150-pound person can get by with a 500W electric bike equipped with a 36V 15 Ah battery for personal commuting use on moderate terrain. And wow — a 100-mile range and a darkness-banishing mongoose bmx light that never (well at least until the bike does) runs out of batteries! Throw some panniers on the rack and a front roll on the handlebars — the Juggernaut Duo is ready.
While a folding frame doesn’t make sense for a high-performance bike, it’s a major asset in the commuter and cargo categories. On this list, the ET Cycle F1000 is a comfortable folding cargo bike with a step-through frame. The vast majority of electric bikes are powered by either a rear hub motor or a mid-drive motor.
However, for everyday commutes to the office or grocery store, it’s a bonafide vehicle replacement. For $1,000, the Coston offers the basics as well as a sturdy ride. It even has frame lighting, which is a nifty feature absent in all our other test bikes and increases your ability to be noticed by motorists at night.