Finding an electric bike that is right for you will generally come down to your budget. E-bikes can be very expensive and filtering through the ever growing list of electric bikes on the market is becoming a tougher job by the day. So we’ve compiled this list of some of the best electric bikes for the money that are available today. There are cheap options, top of the line options and just about everything in between, but they all have a focus – each electric bike will provide what we think is the best value for money within their category. We’ve kept this fairly open in regards to types of bicycles so expect mountain bikes, city bikes, road bikes and more. So without further ado let’s start the list of the best value electric bikes in 2018 with the cheaper end of the scale.
Contents
Our Top 3 Picks
Table could not be displayed.
Best Cheap Electric Bike
The words “cheap” and “electric bike” don’t usually go together too well. If you’re not paying much for an e-bike then the chances are that you’ll be getting a rather poor bicycle that won’t be worth the price for the minimal performance increase or will simply not be reliable. In addition to this you can’t expect much from a cheap electric bike, they will generally lack the features and the quality of the higher priced e-bikes on the market. However, there are a few electric bicycles that we consider cheap and think are worth your money. Here’s our favorite.
Ancheer Electric Mountain Bike
Ancheer are slowly becoming one of the companies to watch for producing some of the best budget electric bikes on the market, in addition to other products such as kick scooters. For example they make one of the best folding electric bikes on the market.
The Ancheer Electric Mountain bike is one of the cheapest electrics bikes that money can buy. Despite this it’s made using 100% aluminum alloy frame with the front fork being made from a carbon steel for additional strength. The wheels are 26 inch in diameter and are made from a double aluminum alloy. All this premium construction leads to a very solid build that can comfortably survive a crash or two. The wheels are supported with shock absorbers that greatly help smooth the ride and any bumps that you’ll face when riding off road.
The Ancheer comes with a 21 speed transmission system for when you’re riding manually or in assistive mode. The power comes from a 36V 8AH lithium ion battery and the bike uses a 250W brushless motor. They both work very well together with the battery life being more than enough for many miles on hilly terrain. Expect around 10-15 miles on half a charge of hilly terrain. This is obviously very dependant on the rider, the mode and the terrain. The motor does a good job of making riding easier and it makes hills an absolute breeze. The battery can be charged in 3 – 6 depending on how much is needed.
There are multiple modes of riding that can be used. The first is completely manual, the next is assistive and the final is completely electric. These can be chosen from the small control system on the handle bars. This is very simple and the provided functionality is plenty sufficient.
The gear system and the brakes both work exactly as you’d expect and both do their jobs just fine.
Overall, this is one of the best e-bikes for the money. It’s much cheaper than a lot of the competition and gives up very little in terms of quality and reliability. Whilst it certainly isn’t a match for some of the more expensive options it’s definitely a good beginners electric bike and should work just fine for people that don’t need the best of the best. In addition to this, Ancheer have a reputation for having incredibly good customer service and there are several reports of them having replaced parts and fixed problems quickly and generally for free.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Best Affordable Electric Bike
A step up from the cheap category we’ve got the affordable category. This is where a bit more quality is in place for only a little extra cost.
Cyclamatic Power Plus CX1 Electric Mountain Bike
The Cyclamatic Power Plus CX1 is an electric mountain bike like the offering from Ancheer but comes in at about an extra 100 dollars.
The CX1 is built from a completely steel frame which manages to make the entire bike very strong. Despite this there have been precautions taken to keep the total weight low and they have done a decent job as the entire steel bike and battery system only weighs 63 lbs (28.6 kg). What really stands out with the cyclamatic, though, is the attention to detail with the build. The mudguards are good quality, and there isn’t any cheap plastics used around them. The finish on the connections that have been welded are very good. They’re very precise and creates a strong final product. They look smooth and you can tell there has been care taken in not creating any sharp or uneven edges. All this also creates a very nice looking bike.
The CX1 is also very easy to use. There is a 250W brushless motor that assists the rider whenever they start pedaling. This can be adjusted with the control panel on the handle bars. There are three pedal assist levels – low, medium and high. In addition to this it also has a 21 gear system. This is a quick change Shimano system that is very often seen on premium bikes and allows for much easier and controllable inclines.
Powering the 250W motor is a 36V 8.8AH removable lithium ion battery. It can be fully charged in 4 – 6 hours and can provide a range of around 25 – 30 miles. This is obviously dependant on the rider, conditions, terrain and the assistance settings but you should expect at least 25 miles on a full charge.
In addition to the already mentioned features, this bike is also fully weather proofed so can be ridden in rain or shine. It is also fitted with a padded seat, front suspension and has 26 inch Kenda tires that help to make a surprisingly comfortable ride.
Overall, if you’re looking for a solid all round electric bike that is super simple to use and cost much less than $1,000 then the Cyclamatic CX1 is one of the best value electric bikes you can buy right now.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Read More:
Best Electric Scooters for Kids
Best Mid-Range Electric Bike
Whilst the jump in price from the last section to this is a bit more than the previous jump, we’re now getting into the normal territory you’d usually expect to pay for a good e-bike.
Cyrusher Fat Tire Electric Mountain Bike
The Cyrusher Fat Tire Electric Mountain Bike is without a doubt one of the best electric bikes for the money. It’s a good looking, well built bike with chunky, striking tires and comes in a range of colors.
We’ll start with the electrical side of this bike first, as that’s the most impressive. The Cyrusher uses a 500 W brushless motor, giving it twice the power of the previous two bikes. It also has a removable battery that is fully waterproof and made by Samsung. It’s rated at 48V and has 10.4 Ah of storage. It’s a lithium ion battery that’s made to look like a water bottle for sleek and subtle aesthetics. This battery is also said to be able to manage over 500 recharge cycles. All of this means that you can easily reach a range of 30-35 miles on a single charge. It also is said to reach speeds of 25 miles per hour, even over rough terrain. The speed and performance is controlled by three working modes. These are: twist throttle, power assisted and manual pedal only. The twist throttle works like a moped would, giving the bike all the power it needs without the need for manual pedaling. The power assisted mode will automatically assist the user when needed and the manual pedaling mode allows the bike to act as a normal bike.
We’ve seen that this thing can get up to some speed, but can it handle that pace and stop as well as it speeds up? Luckily it can. The 4 inch wide fat tires will give you plenty of traction on any surface, whether it’s loose gravel, sand or even snow. In addition to this there is a full suspension system to give you the best possible ride. The braking is controlled by dual disk brakes which work very well.
It also boasts a Shimano shifter that makes switching gear easy and consistent. It only has seven speeds which might be an issue for some but we think it’s just fine considering the versatility of the motor.
The bike is generally pretty well built and put together. There is a small amount of assembly required at which point you’ll see why this can’t quite compete with other, more expensive bikes, but generally the build is absolutely fine for this price range.
Overall, you’ll be getting a lot of bike if you decide to buy a Cyrusher Fat Tire. It has great performance, looks fantastic and is well worth the money.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Best Top of the Line Electric Bike
The top of the line e-bikes will sometimes cost multiple thousands of dollars. We’ve found one that we think fits the category but its price hovers around three thousand.
Pedego City Commuter Classic
Pedego is one of the better known brands of electric bicycles on the market. They have a good range of great bikes, all of which have different variations of battery and motor that which means you can choose which one suits you best.
The City Commuter is a classic take on the e-bike. It’s perfect for the city and for the morning commute, providing a very comfortable and feature packed commuting option. We’ve recently looked at the best electric scooters for commuting which could be an alternative worth exploring.
There are four different version of the City Commuter that are available. A 36V 10Ah, a 36V 15Ah, a 48V 10Ah and a 48V 15Ah model. Each of these are priced accordingly and we think they’re all worth the money with the best value actually being the lowest power of them all. The thinking behind that is that this bike is ideal for commuting which tends to be on uniform, even surfaces. However, if you’re living somewhere like San Francisco then we’d recommend one of the 48V models to help you out with the hills.
Samsung provide the batter which has a three year limited warranty and will likely give you a range of around 35 miles. This is controlled by a twist throttle and five levels of pedal assist to give the rider maximum versatility and a more natural riding experience. There is also an LCD display to keep track of your ride which has a USB charging port for your mobile phone and other devices.
The City Commuter is also very lightweight and built to a very high standard. It has top of the line disk brakes for powerful and reliable braking. It boasts self sealing tubes and kevlar belted tires to help prevent flat tires.It has a quick release handlebar for the perfect fit and improved storage. There are quality fenders with mud flaps that help keep you clean and dry on any day with less than ideal weather and even includes a full cover over the chain guard to help protect your clothing.
Overall, if you’re looking for a premium bike for commuting to and from work then the Pedego City Commuter Classic is one of the best options you have. It has all the luxuries you need to make sure your commute is as painless and enjoyable as possible whilst also not costing far less many other options. The ability to choose a more or less powerful version is also great for people wanting to save even more money that don’t mind having to pedal just that little bit more.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Top Rated Electric Bike
This was close to making it to the top of the line spot so we thought we’d add another category to accommodate it. This is one of (if not the) highest rated electric bicycles on Amazon. (Only counting bikes with over 10 reviews).
DJ Bikes Electric Mountain Bike
DJ Bikes is a small Canadian based family company that is home to some very good electric bikes. The DJ Bikes Mountain Bike is one of the highest rated electric bikes on Amazon for good reason.
The build quality and quality of the chosen components of the bike are some of the best around. It uses a Bafang 500W brushless motor to power the bike which is itself powered by a removable Samsung lithium 48V 13Ah battery with a key lock. This gives a (legal) top speed of 20 miles per hour and is said to give over 40 miles range.
The frame is made from stainless aluminum which makes the whole thing very light at 57 lbs (26 kg) despite the large battery. In addition to this it has a Shimano 7 gear transmission system, Tektro disk brakes and a Top Gun fork suspension system.
The DJ Bikes mountain bike also features a very nice LCD display that has a battery meter, clock, speed, odometer and the assistance level.
DJ Bikes also offer a 1 year warranty and free shipping on everything.
Check the latest price of on Amazon.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a first time e-biker then we’d recommend sticking to spending around $1,000 or less. Luckily two of the bikes we’ve listed today come in at less than $1,000. If you’re a more experienced rider or just want a better option then the remaining e-bikes that we’ve listen are perfectly suitable and will offer the highest quality for the lower price.
If you’re looking for a mountain bike and have a decent budget then we’d highly recommend the DJ Bikes mountain bike. Likewise, if you’re looking for an electric bike for commuting the Pedego is a perfect option.
Whichever you end up choosing from this list you won’t be disappointed. We’ve made sure we’ve chosen reliable bikes with good performance, backed by good companies. But most importantly we’ve chosen the best value e-bikes we could find. If you have any questions or queries then feel free to comment below or connect with us on our Facebook.
Read More on AltRiders
I purchased the Ancheer “Inexpensive Chinese Electric Bike” you summary was right on. I now have 380 miles on this bike with no issues. I did ha e to do some minor tweaks to the shift system but not a real problem. Videos on Youtubemade it an easy task for this 72 year old to do. This bike using peddle assist give me the exercises I need without exerting myself as I only have one lung and could not ride a regular bike. I ride at 10 miles an hour for 1 hour or more with ease. I can say I love this bike and would definitely recommend it. There are nice videos on YouTube just do a search on Ancheer. You’ll be impressed. Don’t be a couch potato…. ride electric it’s fun.
bookmarked!!, I really like your web site!