E-bikes have evolved rapidly over the last few years, morphing from ungainly (and in many cases unsightly) contraptions into much more refined electric machines. There's still plenty of room for improvement, but it does seem like many of the initial issues, things like limited battery capacity, awkward controls, and odd geometry, have been figured out.
E-bikes remain a contentious topic, especially in North America, but I'm not going to delve too deeply into that here. The purpose of this guide is to explain the difference between the various options on the market, and hopefully make it easier to decide which one makes the most sense for your riding style.
Of course, there's also always the option of buying a regular, non-motorized mountain bike – going that route is much less expensive, and you won't ever need to worry about your battery dying in the middle of a ride. For riders interested in going down that path, we've put together a helpful guide to help explain the various options.
Let's start with the absolute basics – what exactly is an eMTB? At its core, it's a mountain bike with an electric motor that provides pedaling assistance, and a battery to run the motor.
There are three different classes of e-bike, but we're only focusing on Class 1 bikes, ones without a throttle and which only output power if the rider is pedaling. These bikes are also limited to 20 mph; you can certainly go faster than that, but the motor won't be providing any help above that speed.
Battery capacity: Battery capacity is measured in watt hours (Wh), and varies depending on the type of bike, ranging from around 320 Wh all the way up to 1000 Wh. The greater the capacity the longer the range, although those bigger batteries do come with a weight penalty.
Torque: Torque refers to how much assistance the bike will provide when you're pushing on the pedals. (There's more to it than that, but that's the extra-simplified version). A bike with a motor that provides more torque will require the rider to exert less force on the pedals when climbing a steep hill compared to one with lower torque. Mid-power eMTBs typically have motors with 35 – 60 Nm of torque, while the motors on full-power eMTB's put out 85 – 100 Nm of torque.
Types of Electric Mountain Bikes
Full Power eMTB
Full power eMTBs have the most powerful motors, largest batteries, and as a result they also have the highest overall weights, typically in the neighborhood of 50 pounds.
All of that power makes it possible to climb up features that would be impossible on a regular bike, which can lead to an entirely different riding experience. This style of eMTB is great for spinning up fireroads to get to a rowdy descent, but they're also a blast when it comes to getting up technical climbs.
The overall ride experience is different than regular mountain biking – bunnyhopping and making sudden quick maneuvers is more difficult due to the higher weight (lifting the bike up onto a bike rack can be challenging too), but the flipside is that this style of eMTB feels the most stable, especially while cornering.
The bigger batteries also allow for a longer run time at full power, increasing the distance that you can travel at the highest level of assistance.
Examples: Specialized Levo, Trek Rail, Yeti 160E
Mid-Power eMTB
The mid-power eMTB category has grown rapidly over the last couple of years, thanks to improved battery technology and new motors that make it possible to create bikes that weigh around 40 pounds. The 10 pound weight difference between these bikes and their full-powered counterparts is very noticeable, and riding one feels much more like a regular bike when descending.
The typical power output ranges from 35 Nm to 60 Nm depending on the motor, which means this style of bike doesn't surge up the hill the same way the full-power options can. There assistance is still noticeable, it's just more subtle, closer to a gentle yet steady push rather than a hard shove up a hill.
In order to keep the total weight down, the standard battery capacity of a mid-power eMTB is typically somewhere around 350 Wh, which does limit the maximum range compared to the bigger options with 750 Wh or more capacity. Several of the available models do offer the option of a range extender, an external battery that can be slid into the water bottle cage to eke out even more run time.
Examples: Orbea Rise, Trek Fuel EX-e, Scott Lumen
Things to consider when shopping for an eMTB
What are your friends riding?
Unless all of your rides are going to be solitary affairs, it's a good idea to consider what your style of eMTB your closest riding buddies are on. It turns out, full power and mid-power eMTBS don't mix that well together on a group ride – the riders with all the power will constantly need to wait for the mid-power riders, or at the very least drop down into a mode that offers less assistance.
It's obviously not the end of the world, but if you end up with the same style of eMTB as your closest riding partners it'll make ride logistics a whole lot easier.
What type of ride experience are you looking for?
Do you want a bike that can act as a replacement for a shuttle vehicle, one that makes it possible to knock out the most vertical in the shortest amount of time? The full power route is the way to go.
If you're looking for something that's easier to handle, the mid-powered eMTB is a more mild-mannered option that can still knock out a solid amount of climbing in a short amount of time.
Features to Keep in Mind
Battery size: bigger is better, up to a point. These days, batteries in the 700 - 750 Wh range seem to sit in the sweet spot for full power eMTBs, giving riders the ability to get out on long, multi-hour rides without incurring as much of a weight penalty as the 900 Wh options.
Cockpit controls: There are a wide variety of cockpit displays, some that look like they'd be better suited to the inside of a spaceship, and others that are much more minimalist. Personally, I like the smaller, less obtrusive options – Specialized does a good job with integrating their display into the top tube, as does Crestline with the way they've integrated Bosch's Kiox display.
Key components: On an eMTB, powerful brakes and tough tires should take top priority. Splurging for an extra fancy shock isn't typically worth it, at least in my experience - I've found that the extra weight of the bike can make middle-of-the-road suspension feel excellent. Going with an aluminum frame will help save money at the cost of additional weight, although don't forget that there's a motor to take off some of the sting.
Maintenance: Unfortunately, e-bike motors aren't that easy to service at home. When something goes wrong it's typically time for a visit to a bike shop, so it's not a bad idea to consider what type of dealer network is available for the motor in the bike you're looking at.
There you have it - a quick primer on what to look for in an eMTB in 2023. Jumping into this world requires a substantial investment, even for the most budget-oriented models, which makes gathering as much information and trying as many options as you can before making a purchase even more important. If the cheapest e-bikes are still too expensive for you, don't worry - regular mountain bikes are a lot more affordable and just as much fun.
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March 05, 2023
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What Type of eMTB Should You Buy in 2023? - Pinkbike.com
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