Guide

Electric Bike or Assisted Pedaling: Which to buy

The electric bike – also called an e-bike – is becoming a real mass phenomenon! These vehicles are practical, light, easy to maintain, and at low cost: in short, as mentioned by the New York Times, ” Tesla too cheap “! And it really is so, because these pedal-assisted bikes can really make a difference in the city or on the way home.

In this article, we will guide you through the discovery of electric bikes, studying their characteristics and the main features to which you will have to pay the most attention. Later, we will guide you to purchase the electric bike that suits your needs and your budget, recommending the best e-bikes for quality/price ratio!

Electric Bike: What is it and how to choose it

If we wanted to define an electric bike in a few words, it would be enough to say that it is a very simple and normal bicycle, but with a battery installed on it that allows it to move without the need for pedaling. The rechargeable battery powers an electric motor that turns the wheels, and that can push an e-bike even more than 25 km/h (which is by law the maximum speed).

In reality, the question is slightly more complicated, and they exist in many different variations and features that can often be controlled even with a bike app. This is why it is not appropriate to talk about the ” best electric bike “, and each of you will have to choose the model that best suits your needs. Here are some tips on how to choose your smart bike:

  • The ” type ” of bicycles: as you know, bicycles have different shapes, sizes, weights, and frames depending on the type of use they are to be used. If used in the city you will have to give preference to a small, light bike (perhaps a folding one), but if you have to do the shopping, then look at the rear rack. Instead, opt for large and wide wheels if you want to go hiking in the mountains.
  • Assisted pedaling: all electric bikes are equipped with pedal assistance and thanks to your pedaling. They allow you to recharge the battery and thus increase your autonomy. But there are two types of pedal assistance: a ” realistic ” with an effort sensor that simulates pedaling (for cycling enthusiasts), and one instead with which to pedal always without effort.
  • Where will you go? Apart from the type of bike, your choice must also be conditioned by the length of the route and consequently by the autonomy that your electric bike will have to allow you to make the necessary routes and then return home. It is true, bad that goes ” you ride “, but if you have to do it every time, then a bike with assisted pedaling would not make much sense!

By following these three simple tips you can surely make a smart purchase that is within your reach. But before we see the best electric bikes to buy that we have selected for you, let’s go into even more detail and see what their main features are!

Electric Bike: Main features

In this paragraph, we will devote ourselves to analyzing all the most important components of an electric bike, dwelling on the main features and the most important aspects to consider before buying.

The common element of each electric bike is an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery. Assisted pedaling allows the engine to be activated to boost the bicycle. The thrust must stop when you stop pedaling or when you reach the maximum speed of 25 km/h, with a maximum power (expressed in Watts) of 250W.

FRAME

The element that immediately catches the eye of an electric bike is its frame, often slightly different from that of a simple bicycle. It is designed to accommodate one or more batteries and, usually, to be folded back on itself.

Obviously, a lot of changes depending on the type of frame – as specified in the previous paragraph – which varies depending on the use: city routes, mountain tours, cycling, etc.

Depending on the materials and the quality of the electric bike, the weight can be very low, and it is generally preferable to choose a bicycle with weight even much lower than 30Kg. The ideal would be to stay below 23 kg for maximum versatility.

ELECTRIC MOTOR

No less important is the choice of the electric motor: it can have different functions and is usually connected with a small ” on-board computer ” to signal speed, remaining autonomy, and much more. Some bikes are even connected to a smartphone app with even more advanced features like calorie counting or kilometers driven.

There are generally two types of electric motors: brushed (with brushes) with alternating current, and the most modern – because they are less bulky and lighter – brushless (brushless) with direct current. Moreover, brushless motors are preferred for their lower maintenance requirements.

Finally, keep in mind that there are ” programmable ” electric motors that can manage acceleration in a personalized way or not. Some enginesย have only one speed (acceleration increases – up to its maximum – while pedaling). On others, you can select a speed (as if you had gears) to control acceleration.

BATTERY

Finally, the last main component of an electric bike is the battery: its discharge decides the power and autonomy of the bicycle and is one of the fundamental components of which to know the characteristics before buying.

Their capacity is expressed in Ampere-hour (Ah) and, just like for your smartphone, the more ” capacious ” it is, the more it will allow greater autonomy.

Generally, we recommend a capacity of at least 6-8 Ah to guarantee an autonomy of around 40 Km and fast recharge times (on average 3-4 hours). But even here it is important that you choose according to your needs since obviously more battery also means more weight and more space.


The best selling electric bikes

Soon we will show you the bikes with assisted pedaling, in our opinion, the best to buy. First though, here are the 10 best-selling electric bikesย currently on Amazon. But be careful, the fact that they are the most sold does not mean that they are the best to buy in terms of functionality, reliability or value for money.

Bestseller No. 1
WINDONE E2 Electric Bike for Adults, Full Suspension, 48V13Ah Removable Battery, Up to 28MPH & 46.6 Miles (PAS), 750W Ebike with All-Terrain 4.0" Fat Tires, Cruise Control, UL Certified, Moped E-Bike
  • ใ€Ride the wind,Chase your dreamsใ€‘WINDONE is committed to creating...
  • ใ€750W Powerful Motorใ€‘What kind of riding will you do? Casual or off-road? E2...
  • ใ€624Wh Removable Batteryใ€‘The E2 ebike has 48V/13Ah high quality lockable...
  • ใ€4 Ride Modes for Your Needsใ€‘If you know about e-bikes, you will know that...
  • ใ€Comfortable Riding Experienceใ€‘E2 electric bike is dedicated to providing...
Bestseller No. 2
VARUN Electric Bike for Adults - 500W Electric Bicycle Up to 40 Miles, Removable Battery, 7-Speed, and Shock Absorber, Stylish 26" Ebike Suitable for Commuting
  • ๐ˆ๐†๐๐ˆ๐“๐„ ๐˜๐Ž๐”๐‘ ๐‰๐Ž๐”๐‘๐๐„๐˜:With a...
  • ๐‹๐Ž๐๐†-๐ƒ๐ˆ๐’๐“๐€๐๐‚๐„...
  • ๐—ฆ๐—”๐—™๐—˜๐—ง๐—ฌ ๐—ฃ๐—ฅ๐—ข๐—ง๐—˜๐—–๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก: A robust...
  • ๐…๐€๐Œ๐ˆ๐‹๐˜-๐…๐‘๐ˆ๐„๐๐ƒ๐‹๐˜...
  • ๐‘๐„๐€๐ƒ๐˜ ๐…๐Ž๐‘ ๐˜๐Ž๐”๐‘ ๐‰๐Ž๐”๐‘๐๐„๐˜:...
Bestseller No. 3
Funhang Electric Bike for Adults, 26'' 1000W Peak Ebike, Up to 50 Miles 21.7MPH Electric Mountain Bike with 48V 374.4WH Removable Battery, Adjustable Stem, Fenders, Lockable Suspension Fork, 21-Speed
  • 500W HIGH PERFORMANCE MOTOR: This electric bike features a 500W powerful motor...
  • REMOVABLE HIGH CAPACITY BATTERY: Powered by a 48V 374.4Wh IPX5 waterproof li-ion...
  • RELIABLE AND COMFORTABLE EBIKE: This electric bicycle is suitable for 5.3-6.1ft...
  • 5 DIVERSE WORKING MODES: Throttle Mode: Use throttle to increase power while...
  • PROFESSIONAL AFTER-SALES SERVICE: Funhang ebikes for adults arrive 85%...
Bestseller No. 4
VARUN Electric Bike - Peak 750W Folding Ebike for Adults Up to 40 Miles 20MPH, 48V Removable Lithium-Battery, Stylish 20" Foldable Electric Bicycle Commuter for Women & Men
  • ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ž๐ซ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐Œ๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๏ผ†...
  • ๐’๐ฆ๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐‘๐ข๐๐ž๐ฌ & ๐‚๐จ๐ฆ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ:...
  • ๐‹๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฐ๐ž๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐Œ๐ž๐ญ๐š๐ฅ...
  • ๐…๐จ๐ฅ๐๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ž ๐‚๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ง๐ข๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž๏ผš...
  • ๐ˆ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐‘๐ข๐๐ž, ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐œ๐ค...
Bestseller No. 5
VARUN Electric Bike - Foldable Ebikes for Adults Peak 750W Motor๏ผŒFolding Electric Bikes with 48V Removable Battery๏ผŒ Up to 20+ MPH & 50 Mile Range, 21-Speed Gears & Dual Hydraulic Suspension
  • ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ,...
  • ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐— ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜€...
  • ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด-๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฅ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ,...
  • ๐—ฉ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ,...
  • ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜† & ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜,...
Bestseller No. 6
Funhang Electric Bike for Adults, Peak 1000W Ebike, 25MPH 60Miles Electric Mountain Bike, 26" Fat Tire Adult Electric Bicycle with 48V 13AH Battery, Rear Rack, 7 Speed, Front Suspension, Turn Signal
  • 1000W PEAK BRUSHLESS MOTOR: Funhang EB-S1 fat tire electric bike for adults...
  • LARGE CAPACITY BATTERY AND LONG RANGE: With 48V 13AH IPX5 waterproof Li-ion...
  • RELIABLE SAFETY SYSTEM: 26" electric mountain bike adopts a lockable suspension...
  • STURDY FRAME AND HEAVY-DUTY REAR RACK: 26 inch fat tire ebike is constructed...
  • 5 RIDING MODES AND 7-SPEED GEARS: 1. Throttle Mode: Twist the throttle to power...
Bestseller No. 7
Tuttio Soleil01 Electric-Dirt-Bike for Teens Adults, 14"/12" Fat Tire 2000W Electric-Motorcycle with 48V 21AH Battery Ebike 37MPH Hydraulic Brakes Mountain Off-Road EBike Fit Age 13+
  • Unmatched Power and Endurance: The TUTTIO Soleil 01 is equipped with a robust...
  • Long-lasting Battery: With a massive 48V 21AH lithium battery, provides up to 43...
  • All-Terrain Dominance: Built for adventure, This electric bike with a 14-inch...
  • Full Suspension System: The front wheel is equipped with a state-of-the-art...
  • Hydraulic Brakes: The TUTTIO Soleil 01 features hydraulic brakes for responsive...
21%Bestseller No. 8
Riding'times 1500W Electric Bike for Adults Full Suspension, Long Seat Dirt Bike with 20" Fat Tire, Max 28/31MPH & 37-150 Miles, 15.6/20.4/31.2AH Battery, Moped Style Ebike for Snow, Mountains, Road
  • ๐Ÿšฒ ใ€Electric Bike Under $3000 with Full Suspension, Long Seat, and the...
  • ๐Ÿšฒใ€Upgraded 1500W Brushless Hub Motor and 7-Speed Gear Systemใ€‘ The 1500W...
  • ๐Ÿšฒใ€75 Miles Long Rangeใ€‘ It can travel up to 40 miles per charge in...
  • ๐Ÿšฒใ€3 Riding Modesใ€‘Electric bike, pedal-assist bike, and regular bike. With...
  • 5โญใ€Top Quality, Top Serviceใ€‘ 90% pre-assembled with clear video, and we...
Bestseller No. 9
Razor MX350 Dirt Rocket Electric Motocross Off-Road Bike for Age 13+, Up to 30 Minutes Continuous Ride Time, 12" Air-Filled Tires, Hand-Operated Rear Brake, Twist Grip Throttle, Chain-Driven Motor
  • Authentic motocross frame geometry, the MX350 scales down the dirt bike to size...
  • High-torque, rear-wheel chain-drive delivers increased power and traction
  • Powers riders at speeds of up to 14 mph (22 km/h) with up to 30 minutes of...
  • Features adjustable-angle, riser-style handlebars, spoked wheels with 12โ€...
  • Electrical system certified compliant with UL2272 by ACT Lab LLC, an accredited...
11%Bestseller No. 10
Ridstar Electric Bike for Adults Q20, 2000/1500W, 37/30MPH,52V 40AH,48V/20AH E-Bike,30-180 Miles Electric Motorcycle, 20" Fat Tire Dirt Bike, UL2849 All Terrain for Mountains, Snow, Sand, Road
  • Unique Style & Exciting Sports Adventure: Discover an adult electric bike with a...
  • Peak 1500 W Brushless Hub Motor: The peak 1500 W brushless hub motor offers...
  • Impressive 50 Mile Range: Achieve up to 25-30 miles per charge in electric-only...
  • Full Suspension & Hydraulic Dual Brakes: Smooth ride with 5-level suspension &...
  • Features & Accessories: This electric mountain bike offers convenient features...

Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.

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