No matter where you live, you’ve probably seen an e-bike gliding past your car window. They look a lot like traditional bikes with pedals and chains, but you might notice the drivers don’t have to pedal to maintain speed. Electric bicycles bring you all the fun of riding on two wheels with a bit more power and speed to get you farther, faster.
Even before the Covid pandemic hit, e-bikes were becoming increasingly popular. Dutch e-bike manufacturer VanMoof “reported as early as [April 2020] its sales had already risen since the COVID-19 pandemic began.” While some feared the pandemic would slow the sales of e-bikes because of their relatively high price tag. However, today, e-bike sales only continue to skyrocket.
Why? For one, you can cover more miles, more efficiency on an e-bike than riding a pedal bicycle. Prices of e-bikes are becoming more affordable. Also, now that many work commutes have changed and more people are working from home, an e-bike can replace more short car rides such as for in-town errands and dropping kids off at school. What’s more, e-bikes are better for the environment, cheaper than buying gas, and seriously fun to ride.
There are several popular e-bike brands on the market with new ones popping up all the time. It can be difficult to know which company and which bike is right for you. We’re taking out some of the guesswork, so you can start researching your new e-bike with these five brands you can trust.
Rad Power Bikes
Mike Radenbaugh was just a kid when he first started experimenting with building an electric powered bike. By the time he was in high school in 2007, he was riding his own e-bike to and from school. Today, he and Rad bikes co-founder Ty Collins, head the award-winning, and biggest, e-bike brand in North America, Rad Power Bikes.
Rad Power Bikes has built a reputation as an industry leader thanks to quality bikes, competitive pricing, and unparalleled know-how. They are an exclusive e-bike retailer so all their products – including an impressive line of accessories – are concentrated on electric bikes exclusively.
With 12 different models ranging from $999 to $1,999, they have bikes to suit every need. Whether you’re looking for an e-bike to run errands around town, hoping to replace a congested commute, or looking for something to cart kids back and forth to school, there is a Rad Power Bike that can help.
Their comprehensive website features tons of information to help you decide if an e-bike is right for you. You’ll love the e-bike finder quiz and their convenient model comparison tool. You’ll get lost browsing their library of blog posts and articles about the industry and their products. You’ll have a hard time not popping a Rad bike in your shopping cart.
Rad Power Bikes offer free test riding at one of their showrooms as well as a mobile option. Rad Power Bikes are also available to rent at locations across the United States and Europe.
Aventon
Aventon is both the manufacturer and retailer of all their e-bikes therefore, they can offer you top quality bikes at reasonable prices. While their bikes are made in Aventon-owned factories in China, they are further assembled and inspected in the U.S.
Shopping for an e-bike on Aventon is easy and convenient. They have several different models you can shop by price, speed, range, size, or frame. Their comparison tool helps you to see the different features of each model side by side. Most of their bikes are designed to go about 40 miles on a full charge.
Unlike some of its competitors, Aventon e-bikes have hidden controller (within the bike’s frame) in all their models to keep hardware protected and the finish looking clean. They offer class II and class III bikes, designed to go fast. They also stick frames in multiple sizes and have a mobile app for added convenience.
You can test drive an Aventon e-bike for free at any of their retail locations in the U.S. If you can’t find a retailer near you, their customer service is attentive, knowledgeable, and always ready to provide whatever assistance you need.
Trek
Trek bikes began when founders Dick Burke and Bevil Hogg pivoted from selling other brands’ manufactured bikes to selling their own custom-built, high-end bikes made in the United States. They weren’t necessarily looking to compete with the popular Schwinn brand, nor high end European retailers. They were fulfilling the need for something in between — moderately priced, quality bikes. Since 1976, Trek has steadily grown into one of the premier bike companies in the world.
It’s only natural that as the demand for electric bikes increased, Trek found a way to add e-bikes to their already impressive line of products. Because of the size of the Trek corporation, you’ll find over 40 different types of e-bikes in their inventory.
They carry popular brands like Allant, Domane and Vail Go! They have options with mid-drive motors or rear hub motors, ones for city commutes or mountain rides. If choosing a Trek e-bike, you’ll benefit form their decades of biking business.
The Trek website is easy to navigate and has everything beginners need to know to get started, as well as more detailed articles and tools for more serious bikers. Their handy range calculator allows you to play with the distance you plan to ride, the terrain, and other factors like speed that could affect battery life to help find the best bike for your needs.
Under the Trek’s website resources, you have access to all kinds of helpful information like a buyer’s guide, FAQs, how-tos, and even information on safety. Prices for Trek e-bikes start a bit higher than some competitors, but you can be sure you’re getting a high-quality bike that will last. You can also try any of their e-bikes in stock at your local retail store.
Juiced Bikes
Juiced Bikes is a direct-to-consumer company designed to cut middle men from supply chains to offer you great bikes at great prices. Juiced began as a lithium-ion battery importer before moving into e-bikes exclusively. It is this focus on battery and battery know-how that sets Juiced bikes apart from other e-bikes manufacturers.
Juiced Bikes is one of the only e-bike brands to use a high capacity 52-Volt battery across their entire line of bikes. This means you can ride for longer distances, at faster speeds, and with more power than other e-bikes. It also means the life of the battery is generally longer than those with smaller voltages.
Juiced Bikes has 11 different models from which to choose. These 11 are grouped into four main categories: fat-tire bikes, moped-style step through bikes, adventure e-bikes, and commuter e-bikes. Whether you are looking to replace a car for in-town riding, looking to go off-road, or want something in between, you’ll find a bike at Juice Bikes.
The professionals at Juice Bikes are eager to help you find your bike with an intuitive website to get you started. They offer free shipping on all e-bikes, often run deals like refer-a-friend (for a discount), and have an active blog with news, videos, and support.
Cyrusher
Although the word Cyrusher is a blend of “cycling” and “rusher,” this company offers more than just e-bikes. Cyrusher is on a mission to bring consumers a line of personal mobility products to fit every lifestyle. The company is based in China but has grown its brand to become internationally recognized. Started in 2014, they now have fulfillment centers throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States.
Cyrusher offers 7 models of e-bikes; six are fat tired bikes and one is a hybrid mountain and road bike. They pride themselves on continuing to push boundaries and are consistently developing new and exciting products. They have a fairly robust catalog of videos to help you better understand the capabilities and features of each of their bikes.
The technology within Cyrusher e-bikes is fully customizable and programmable so you can optimize your ride and set your safety settings based on your preferences.
Many Cyrusher products require some assembly but their assembly guides are detailed and easy to follow. All bikes come with a 2-year warranty. They do offer returns on new and unused e-bikes within 30 days. All U.S. orders ship from within the United States and arrive between 4 and 7 days for the order date.
You Can’t Go Wrong With Any of These Electric Bike Makers
Choosing an e-bike doesn’t have to be a complex or stressful experience. Although there are now many different brands available, these five have risen to the top because of their quality standards, ease of buying, helpful and intuitive website experience, and passion for bringing you some of the most fun and efficient products available.