Whether you’re ditching the car by cycling to work or want an easier ride to the top of trails, an electric bike can offer many of the benefits of a non-assisted bike, with motorised power on tap when you need it.
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Electric bike technology has advanced at a pace in recent years and you can now find pretty much any type of bike with a motor. We have guides to the best electric road bikes, best electric gravel bikes and best electric mountain bikes.
In this general guide to electric bikes, we’ll explain exactly what an ebike is, how an electric bike works, how to ride an ebike and answer some of the key questions you may have before buying. You skip to the different sections by hitting the links below:
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An electric bike, or ebike, is a bicycle equipped with an electric bike motor to assist you when you’re pedalling. The motor will get its power from a rechargeable battery mounted on the bike.
To classify as an ebike, the motor has to help you rather than propel you on its own. As a result, you need to pedal to get that assistance. How much power the motor delivers is regulated based on how hard you are pedalling and the level of support you have selected.
Electric bike systems offer a number of modes to choose from, allowing you to balance the amount of power supplied through the pedals with range and battery life.
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Electric bike laws on how much help the motor can provide, and the speed at which assistance cuts out, vary around the world. But in general the motor is limited to 250 watts output and must cut out when your speed reaches 25kph/15.5mph, except in the USA where it can continue to work up to 20mph.
You can go faster than that, of course, but only under your own effort – the bike’s motor will no longer provide assistance.
According to the Department for Transport (in the UK), for a bike to be classified as an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC), it must have pedals used to propel it, and meet the following requirements.
It must show either:
It must also show either:
Its electric motor:
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An electric bike will typically have a motor housed either centrally on the bike (often referred to as a mid-drive motor, powered through the cranks) or on the front or rear hub.
Whereas a hub-based motor will push the wheel around directly, an axle-mounted motor will work through the ebike’s chain and gears.
When you pedal, a torque sensor will measure how much effort you are putting in and match that to the motor’s power output.
The idea is that the motor won’t completely take over; instead, you should get consistent power delivery that won’t send the bike lurching forward.
Marc Marshall / Bosch
Therefore, one of many benefits of riding an electric bike is you still have to press on the pedals and get exercise. Riding an electric bike for fitness is eminently possible.
Power comes from the battery, which might be mounted on the outside of the frame or hidden within it.
Many batteries can be removed for charging, although others need to be charged on the bike. If that’s the case, you need to have somewhere to park the bike near a power socket.
There will be a controller for the motor, usually mounted on the handlebar or integrated within the frame, that lets you decide how much assistance you want, and to keep an eye on the battery level. Some will include a screen with navigation and other functions too.
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Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha, Specialized, Mahle, FSA and Fazua all make popular ebike motors. Specifications can vary significantly and the type of motor found on a bike will depend on its price and the type of riding intended.
For example, an electric road bike is more likely to favour a lightweight system with smooth power delivery, whereas a motor on a high-spec electric mountain bike is likely to offer more torque for off-road capability.
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An electric bike will usually have between three and five levels of assistance, selected via its controller.
These can give you anything from a gentle push to lots of power for tackling steep off-road climbs, depending on the specifications of the bike’s motor.
Some will also have a ‘boost’ button, which you can use to increase the power output for short bursts of additional power.
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Many bikes also offer a walk-assist mode, to make it easier to push when you’re off the bike.
You can change between assistance levels as you ride and there’s usually the option to switch the motor off completely and ride under pedal power alone.
Many ebike motors are designed to be drag-free when switched off, but there is still the additional weight to overcome.
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Electric bikes are heavier than non-assisted bikes and there’s a wide variation in the weight of ebike motors and batteries.
The lightest systems come in at less than 4kg and are typically found on electric road bikes, but most systems weigh around 6 to 8kg – and sometimes more.
The additional mounting points and frame reinforcement required on an electric bike can add some extra weight, too.
The weight of your system will depend partly on budget, but also the intended use of the bike.
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Bikes that require lots of power, for example, an electric cargo bike or e-MTB, are more likely to have a heavier motor and battery package.
An electric road bike requires less assistance and will prioritise lighter weight.
The latest e-road bikes are near-indistinguishable from non-motorised bikes, thanks to the sleek, integrated design of the motor and battery.
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The extra weight associated with electric bikes is worth bearing in mind if you need to lift or carry your machine anywhere.
If that’s the case, consider how much extra weight you can comfortably handle.
However, for day-to-day riding, the benefits of having a motor should trump any extra weight, particularly when it comes to climbing… unless you run out of battery.
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Riding an electric bike is pretty much like riding a non-motorised bike of the same type.
You switch on the motor, select the assistance level you want using the controller, and then pedal. The motor will make initial acceleration much easier and then help you keep up to speed, particularly when you need to climb a hill.
However, because of the extra weight from the motor and battery, an electric bike may handle a bit more sluggishly than a non-assisted bike.
It may also have wider tyres to carry the extra weight and provide more grip, and it will usually have disc brakes because there’s more mass to slow down and stop.
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Batteries on electric bikes can give you a range of anything from 20 to 100 miles or more on a full charge, depending on their capacity (measured in watt-hours and abbreviated to Wh). Batteries are expensive, so an ebike with a longer range will, in general, cost more.
You’ll usually get a battery-level indicator, while some control systems will give you an estimated range as you ride or regulate the power output to let you achieve your planned ride distance.
Some ebikes let you plug in a second battery, which might fit in a bottle cage, to up range. You can also lower the assistance level during a ride to help conserve the battery and extend the bike’s range.
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While many brands will offer an estimated range for a particular model of bike, and it is possible to gauge a bike’s theoretical range based on its motor power and battery capacity, ultimately it depends on the level of assistance you’re using and the terrain.
Fully recharging the battery from the mains can take anything from around three hours up to nine hours, or more depending on the model, charger and battery capacity.
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We’ve got a separate guide to electric bike types, but you can find almost any kind of bike with a motor.
The most common types of electric bikes are hybrids and mountain bikes.
The best electric hybrid bikes have flat bars and chunky, puncture-resistant tyres, useful for biking to work, shopping and more leisurely rides.
They may also have mudguards (or the eyelets to add full-length mudguards), a rack and lights, and sometimes have a step-through frame design to make it easier to hop on and off the bike.
Electric mountain bikes normally have a beefy motor with a high torque output to help you get up loose off-road climbs and over obstacles. Once you get to the top, the motor can be turned off to enjoy the downhill ride.
There’s also a growing number of electric road bikes. With drop handlebars, they’re designed to ride fast and are usually relatively lightweight (as far as electric bikes go), to help with handling and hill climbing.
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There’s an increasing number of electric gravel bikes, too. With wider tyres to enable you to ride off-road with confidence and drop handlebars for road speed, e-gravel bikes are designed to offer the versatility to really broaden your riding.
The best electric folding bikes will be designed for versatility and compact size. They can be folded up to take on public transport or for easier storage at home/work, so they could be the best bike for commuting for many people.
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There are also electric cargo bikes, designed to carry loads for deliveries around town and other day-to-day tasks where they can replace a car or van.
Whichever electric bike you choose, we suggest you read our guides to electric bike insurance and electric bike maintenance to look after what’s likely to be a sizeable investment.
In short, if you want a helping hand on your ride, you can find an electric bike to suit your needs.
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Yes, you can convert a bike into an ebike. There are an increasing number of electric bike conversion kits available, which enable you to add a motor to a non-assisted bike.
These kits are often a more affordable way to electrify your riding, compared to buying a whole new electric bike.
Electric bike conversion kits will include a motor as well as a battery to power it. They will also have controls so you adjust the power output on the motor. The controls often mount to the handlebar of a bike.
Conversion kits tend to come with sensors to detect speed and the level of power input required to ensure the motor matches your needs.
One of the most popular ebike conversion kits in the UK is the Swytch kit, which uses a hub-mounted motor.
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Other kits use ‘mid-drive’ motors but some of these kits are compatible only with specific bottom bracket standards.
Electric bikes are growing quickly in popularity, so having answered the fundamental question what is an ebike?, the next subject to consider is, what are the benefits of adding a motor to your pedal power?
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Whether you’re new to cycling or are already a regular rider, there are a number of reasons why you might want to try an electric bike, from health and fitness through to financial and environmental benefits.
From riding to work, to fast-tracking your route to the top of mountain bike trails, here are 14 benefits of riding an electric bike.
Robert Smith
Despite what some may believe, you can ride an electric bike for fitness.
The effort required to keep yourself moving may be less than on a non-assisted bike, but you’ll still be turning the pedals and putting in a significant amount of the energy required to move yourself along.
Studies have suggested that ebike riders’ hearts can be working at more than 90 per cent the level of riders of non-assisted bikes, but riders may perceive less effort.
Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah monitored the heart rates of seasoned mountain bikers riding ebikes and bikes without motors.
The participants on e-MTBs reached 94 per cent of the average heart rate they did when riding purely pedal-powered on a 10-kilometre test circuit. This effort placed them in training zone four.
The same scientists concluded that riding an electric hybrid bike to work brought most of the benefits of commuting. Riders on ebikes averaged 89 per cent of the mean beats per minute they recorded riding without a motor.
In a similar BikeRadar test, 2021 National Hill Climb Champion Tom Bell hit 198bpm, close to his maximum heart rate of 208bpm, riding an electric mountain bike on his favourite off-road test loop.
Bell says: “You can still push as hard as you like on an ebike, you just have added assistance.
“So, although it can be used to make climbing and riding in general easier if you want to back off, it’s also possible to put in a lot of effort but just go faster for that effort.”
The exercise will strengthen your muscles and up the efficiency of your cardiovascular system, so you’ll be able to do more off the bike and feel fresher too.
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One of the major benefits of electric bikes cited by their users is the ability to keep pace with faster riders. It makes riding in a group more enjoyable, because less fit riders don’t feel they’re holding fitter ones back. It’s also good for family rides, where abilities may differ.
That also makes them a social form of exercise, meaning you can chat with your friends as you ride.
For those who ride adaptive bikes, it’s a good way to get out and get fit with less exertion and frustration.
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Many cyclists struggle on hills, and even if you’re a climbing ace, your speed is likely to drop below 15mph on many climbs. That means the motor will cut in and provide assistance, with the amount dependent on the level of support you’ve selected.
Once you’ve crested a climb, you’ll be fresher too, so you’re less likely to want to stop to recoup and more likely to press on.
Robert Smith
An ebike will enable you to ride faster, regardless of your fitness level. That’s down to quicker acceleration and faster hill climbing.
Electric bike laws dictate that a bike’s motor will cut out once you ride over 25kph/15.5mph in most countries (although that increases to 20mph in the USA), so you might find you’re riding unassisted if you’re already quite fit and riding a performance machine, particularly if you’re riding an electric road bike.
But even so, unless you ride somewhere absolutely pan flat, your speed is likely to increase overall.
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An ebike – particularly the best electric gravel bikes – should enable you to ride further too.
An analysis of health and transport data from seven European cities found ebike riders took longer trips than cyclists without motors. Therefore, ebikers gained a similar amount of fitness gains to pedal-powered cyclists.
Range varies hugely between bikes, but you have the option of fitting a second battery to extend it. This enables you to take in places further afield, while the assistance will help you get up climbs and into terrain that you might not have been able to reach before.
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An ebike motor will help you get up to speed from a standstill, cutting in to help you accelerate faster and with less effort. That means it’s easier and less stressful to keep in the traffic flow at junctions and lights.
You’ll ride cooler, as your effort level can be less thanks to the motor. If you’re commuting, that means you’ll arrive at work less hot than if you were riding a non-assisted bike.
Extra assistance means less strain on your muscles and joints, particularly since the motor will give you most support on hills and accelerations, when most effort is needed. That means you should need less recovery time and you’ll be fresher for another ride.
It’s helpful if you’re just getting into cycling, too, and maybe haven’t yet developed the muscles and beginner’s cycling skills you need to move fluently on the bike.
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Your heart will be less stressed riding an ebike than a normal bike.
The motor helps smooth out the periods of harder exertion, but you’ll still get an aerobic workout from riding. Evidence from a Norwegian scientific paper backs this up.
Any form of cycling, or indeed any form of exercise, has big benefits for your mental health.
British Cycling quotes five mental health benefits of cycling, including reduced anxiety and stress, and greater happiness. It says exercising outdoors delivers these benefits better than in a gym.
You should sleep better too, thanks to the anxiety-busting effect of cycling, along with the exercise and fresh air.
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For short-to-medium length journeys, an ebike is more efficient and less expensive than using a car. You don’t need to tax an ebike to ride it, and although it might be a good idea to buy electric bike insurance, this will be far cheaper than car insurance.
The cost per mile is also tiny relative to a car and for urban trips an ebike is often faster. Plus, it’s non-polluting, so it’s better for the environment.
If you need to get to the shops for a top-up, an ebike may get you there faster than a car journey, and there’s not the hassle of finding and perhaps having to pay for parking. Once you’ve shopped, the motor helps with carrying the extra weight of your purchases home.
An ebike journey is cheaper than public transport as well, and it’s point to point, so you probably won’t need to walk as far at either end of your trip.
For example, according to ebike maker Volt, owning one of its Metro ebikes is about £10 a day cheaper than a one-day Transport for London Travelcard for Zones 1-3.
While you still have to maintain an ebike, the costs of repairing one will be far lower than keeping a car running day to day.
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If you’re tight on space (who isn’t?), the best folding electric bikes pack down into small packages that you can store under the stairs or in a cupboard.
Even a non-folding electric hybrid bike will be a lot easier to find a space for than a car, if you live somewhere without off-street parking.
Most ebikes are heavier than their non-assisted counterparts, which is worth bearing in mind if you have to carry it up any stairs.
There’s a significant price premium for an ebike over a normal bike, due to the extra cost of the motor and battery.
But you can reduce that by buying your electric bike using the Cycle to Work scheme, which has now been extended to include purchases over the £1,000 mark.
Buying an ebike using Cycle to Work is tax efficient, because you make monthly payments over several years by salary sacrifice, reducing your gross pay and hence the tax and National Insurance you pay. At the end of the plan period, you can re-lease the ebike for a further period, pay its market value or return it.
If you live in Scotland, you can also take advantage of a scheme funded by Transport Scotland with the Energy Saving Trust. This offers an interest-free loan of up to £6,000 to buy an ebike.
If you can’t afford a dedicated ebike, it may be worth investigating whether an electric bike conversion kit is right for you.
The best electric bikes are a quiet way to get around, enabling you to relax and enjoy your surroundings.
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There’s usually a faint whirr as you accelerate or when climbing hills; the rest of the time, an ebike makes little noise, so there’s no noise pollution or atmospheric pollution.