Electric mountain bikes can make you detonate quickly and quickly push you up the mountain, allowing you to enjoy the fun of descent. You can also focus on climbing to the steepest and most technical slopes you can find, or by grinning at close range to get longer and faster. The ability to cover the ground quickly means that you can go out and explore places you wouldn’t otherwise consider.
These bikes also allow you to ride in ways that are not normally possible, and as the design becomes more refined, their handling increasingly rivals that of traditional mountain bikes.
For more information on what to look for when buying eMTB, please read the buyer’s guide at the bottom of this article. Otherwise, please check our electric bike type guide to choose the bike that suits you.
This is the best electric mountain bike selected by the BikeRadar test team. You can also visit our full archive of electric bike reviews.
Marin launched the Alpine Trail E at the end of 2020, which is the first full suspension electric mountain bike of the California brand. Fortunately, what is worth looking forward to is that Alpine Trail E is a powerful, fun and comfortable eMTB that has been carefully thought out to provide cost-effective specifications (top shock absorbers, Shimano transmission systems and brand components).
You get an aluminum frame with a 150mm stroke with a striking descending profile, and Shimano’s new EP8 motor provides the power.
The Alpine Trail E2 is home to all kinds of trails and meets Marin’s promise that bicycles will bring you a smile.
Redesigned in March 2020, Canyon Spectral: ON’s main frame is now made of carbon with alloy rear triangles instead of all alloys, and its 504Wh battery is now inside. Like its predecessor, it has the size of a fishing wheel, with a front wheel of 29 inches and a rear wheel of 27.5 inches. On this CF 7.0 model, the rear wheel stroke is 150mm, and the RockShox Deluxe Select shock absorber is powered by Shimano Steps E8000 motor, through Shimano XT 12-speed manipulator
The electric motor provides enough power for steep climbs, and the feeling of fast riding is more interesting than pedaling.
We also tested the top specification, £6,499 Spectral: ON CF 9.0. Its components are better, but we think there is no other reason to choose it over 7.0.
Giant’s Trance E+1 is powered by Yamaha SyncDrive motor. Its 500Wh battery can provide enough cruising range. It has five fixed-level auxiliary functions, but the intelligent auxiliary mode left us a particularly deep impression. The motor is in this mode. The power varies with your riding style. It provides power when climbing, and releases when cruising or descending on flat ground.
The rest of the specifications are classified on the second-tier models, including Shimano Deore XT powertrain and brakes and Fox suspension. Trance E + 1 Pro weighs more than 24 kg, but the weight is too heavy.
We also got the best electric road, hybrid and folding bike guide reviewed by the BikeRadar test team.
Lapierre’s 160mm stroke overvoltage GLP2, which focuses on endurance racing, has undergone a design update. It takes advantage of the fourth-generation Bosch Performance CX motor, and has a newer geometry, shorter chain and longer front end .
A 500Wh external battery is installed under the electric motor to achieve good weight distribution, while the handling combines fast response and stability.
The Santa Cruz Bullit name dates back to 1998, but the redesigned bike is a far cry from the original bike-Bullit is now a 170mm touring eMTB with a carbon fiber frame and hybrid wheel diameter. During the test, the bike’s climbing ability left the deepest impression-Shimano EP8 motor makes you uphill feel unstoppable to a certain extent.
Bullit is also very capable when going downhill, especially on faster and more erratic trails, but slower, tighter and steeper sections require more attention.
There are four models in the series. The Bullit CC R using Shimano’s Steps E7000 motor starts at £6,899 / US$7,499 / 7,699 Euros, and the highest price rises to £10,499 / US$11,499 / 11,699 Euros. The range Bullit CC X01 RSV is featured here.
The 140mm front and rear E-Escarpe uses the same Shimano Steps motor system as the Vitus E-Sommet, as well as the top drawer Fox 36 Factory front fork, 12-speed Shimano XTR drivetrain and sturdy Maxxis Assegai front tires. On the latest eMTB, Vitus comes with an external battery, and its Brand-X dropper column is a universal product, but the remaining specifications are the top drawer.
However, the huge 51-tooth sprocket on the cassette is too large for an electric bicycle, and it is difficult to rotate under control.
Both Nico Vouilloz and Yannick Pontal have won the electric bike competition on Lapierre Overvolt GLP 2 Elite, which is designed for the emerging field of car assisted racing. The value of the carbon fiber frame is better than some of its competitors, and on the track, Overvolt is agile and eager to please.
Relatively speaking, the relatively small battery limit range is relative to competitors, and the front end may be difficult to control the climb.
Merida uses the same carbon fiber alloy frame on the eOne-Forty as the longer tail eOne-Sixty, but the 133mm travel impact makes the installation kit steeper and increases the angle of the head tube and seat tube. Shimano The Steps E8000 motor is equipped with a 504Wh battery integrated in the down tube, which can provide sufficient power and endurance.
It is very agile on flowing trails, but the short suspension and front-end geometry make it tense during steep descents.
Although Crafty will never be described as lively, weighing only 25.1 kg in our tests and having a long wheelbase, it is very sturdy, feels super stable when riding fast, and has excellent cornering grip. Although taller, more aggressive riders will like Crafty because of its ability to handle technical terrain smoothly, smaller or timid riders may find it difficult to twist the bike and ride dynamically.
We rated Turbo Levo’s frame as one of the best currently, with its excellent geometry and a riding feel close to a scooter; we also like Spesh’s smooth 2.1 motor, although its torque is not as good as the competition.
However, we were disappointed with the selection of parts, unstable brakes and wet tires, which prevented Turbo Levo from scoring higher.
Although the first-generation eMTB tended to be trail-oriented with a travel distance of about 150 mm, the scope of mountain biking subjects now covered is wider and wider. These include super-large models designed for downhill use, including Specialized Turbo Kenovo and Cannondale Moterra Neo; at the other end, there are lighters, such as Specialized Turbo Levo SL and Lapierre eZesty, which use lighters: similar to electric bicycles. Lower power motor and smaller battery. This can reduce the weight of the bicycle and increase its agility on heavier machines.
You will find 29-inch or 27.5-inch eMTB wheels, but in the case of “Mulyu Jian”, the front wheels are 29 inches and the rear wheels are 27.5 inches. This provides good stability at the front, while the smaller rear wheels provide better flexibility. For example, Canyon Spectral: ON and Vitus E-Escarpe.
Most eMTBs are full suspension bicycles, but you can also find electric hardtails for off-road purposes, such as Canyon Grand Canyon: ON and Kinesis Rise.
Popular choices for eMTB motors are Bosch, Shimano Steps and Yamaha, while Fazua’s lightweight motors are increasingly appearing on weight-conscious bicycles. The Bosch Performance Line CX motor can provide 600W of peak power and 75Nm of torque for easy climbing. With a natural driving feeling and good battery management capabilities, the battery life of the system is impressive.
Shimano’s Steps system is still a popular choice, although it has begun to show its era, with lower power output and torque than new competitors. Its smaller battery also provides you with a smaller range, but it still has the advantages of light weight, compact design and the ability to adjust output power.
However, Shimano recently introduced a new EP8 motor. This increases the torque to 85Nm, while reducing the weight of about 200g, reducing the pedaling resistance, increasing the range and lowering the Q factor. New electric mountain bikes are becoming more and more popular.
At the same time, Giant uses Yamaha Syncdrive Pro motors on its eMTB. Its Smart Assist mode uses an array of six sensors, including a gradient sensor, to calculate how much power to provide in a given situation.
Fazua motor system is a popular choice for road electric bicycles, and it can also be found on eMTBs such as Lapierre eZesty recently. It is lighter, has less power and has a smaller battery.
This means that you usually need to pay more pedaling force, but this will reduce the weight of the bike to a level closer to that of a self-propelled model. In addition, you can completely remove the battery or ride the bicycle without the battery.
Specialized has its own motor unit, which is suitable for most electric bicycles. Its Turbo Levo SL cross-country bike uses a low-torque SL 1.1 electric motor and a 320Wh battery, which reduces assistance and reduces weight.
In order to get you up the mountain, generate enough power and provide enough driving distance, most electric mountain bikes have a battery power of about 500Wh to 700Wh.
The internal battery in the down tube ensures clean wiring, but there are also eMTBs with external batteries. These generally reduce weight, and in models such as Lapierre Overvolt, this means that the batteries can be placed lower and more concentrated.
However, as mentioned above, eMTBs with small capacity batteries below 250Wh have appeared. They trade within a more limited range to achieve a lighter weight and the potential for improved handling.
Paul has been riding bicycles since he was a teenager and has written articles about bicycle technology for nearly five years. He was caught in the mud before gravel was invented, and he rode his bike through the South Downs, along the muddy path through the Chilterns. He also dabbled in cross-country mountain biking before returning to descending bikes.
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