Best Ebikes

I love bikes.

I especially love electric bikes.

So, how do you know which one is right for you?

I've spent years testing electric bikes for Wired,

and I've come up with the best choices

for every type of rider.

[upbeat music]

Even before the COVID 19 pandemic,

Americans made billions of car trips that were under a mile.

Imagine if we substituted just a fraction of those dull,

annoying errands, with a fun, breezy bike trip in the sun.

I have a couple of picks for almost every rider,

and sadly, a few caveats.

Just like in 2020, stock might be limited

and hard to find.

A global pandemic and a recently expired exemption

on e-bikes tariffs have complicated the global supply chain.

So if you like one in this video

that has a price you can afford, I suggest jumping on it.

If price is no object and you already like cycling

you'll probably love the specialized Turbo VADO SL

which stands for super light.

The Turbo VADO has a hybrid frame with some characteristics

of a road bike and some have a mountain bike.

You can ride it on both trails and roads,

for commuting, and for weekend rides with friends.

Specialized, integrated,

the tiny custom motor and battery into the frame,

which means it doesn't look like an e-bike.

It's also incredibly light.

At 33 pounds, I can pick it up and put it in my bike shed.

If price is an object,

Propellla's direct-to-consumer 7-Speed

is my top pick for the most affordable commuter bike.

It costs $1,300, but it has pretty high-quality components

for such an affordable bike.

It has a reliable Samsung battery and Shimano disc brakes.

Propella updates their bikes every few months too,

and they'll ship directly to your house.

Interested in a cargo bike?

I have a few options for decently priced commuters,

like the Batch e-bike and the VanMoof.

But what if you need to do more things

with your bike than just merrily jaunt off to work?

Rad Power's Radrunner is a solid, useful

and decently priced utility bike.

Rad Power's based in Seattle

and they have their own quality control lab

to test their custom drive train.

That's how they get their price so low.

No matter which bike I try to recommend,

almost everyone I know here in Portland gets one of these.

It has a comfortable, upright frame

and big, fat, custom Kenda tires

to support a lot of weight on the rear rack.

120 pounds is a lot.

That's a couple of preschoolers,

or a semi dainty, adult human.

My personal favorite bike and the bike I recommend

for most parents or anyone who wants a reliable cargo bike

is the Tern GSD S00 LX.

Most parents I know are semi-scared

to put their kids on an e-bike.

It's a lot of weight to manage safely.

But Tern uses the super powerful Bosch Cargo Line motor,

and a continuous Enviolo shifter.

It shifts gears instantly from inside a hub,

so I can pedal smoothly up even really steep hills.

It has a really low center of gravity,

so I don't worry about tipping over.

And I can fit two preschoolers on the padded rear rack.

Even three, as I saw yesterday,

while I was out and about.

Tern also has the best accessories.

I really like their bags and padded seats,

and their Clubhouse Plus is the best cover

I've used yet to protect my little ones

from the rain in the winter.

And finally, folding bikes,

which are a great option

if you have limited space for storage in a small apartment.

The most affordable option that we've tried and liked

is the Lectric XP Step-Thru.

For an affordable bike, at around $900,

it has a powerful 500-watt motor,

fat comfy tires,

and a lot of integrated accessories like lights and fenders.

If space is a real issue,

you can't go wrong with a classic Brompton.

It's by far the lightest and smallest folding bike here,

and the easiest one to commute and travel with.

But for the most powerful and natural feeling ride,

I'm going to have to stick with a Tern Vektron S10,

which has, you guessed it,

a Bosch drive train.

It's bigger than the Brompton,

but the ride is much smoother and more powerful.

It still feels like a bike.

The built-in display is more convenient

than mounting a phone and using an app,

as you'd have to do on a Go Cycle.

So if you've ever dreamed of riding around

with ease on an e-bike, there's no better time to get one.

There are tons of them out there just waiting to be ridden.