While electric bikes have been popular for many years in the cycling hubs of mainland Europe and East Asia, people in the UK have only recently woken up to the charms of a little motorised assistance when cycling. Commuters in big cities, in particular, can benefit from an e-bike, as they offer a fast, reliable and sweat-free route to work, avoiding both the crush and delays of public transport and the physical demands of regular cycling. If you want to go faster than that, then you're on your own. Still, the motor makes a big difference: the effort required to power an e-bike is no more than walking, which makes it the ideal way to travel further and faster without melting in a pool of sweat. How to buy the best electric bike for you What kind of electric bike should I buy? Folding bikes save on space at home and are generally lighter than hybrid bikes, but sacrifice some range, so are generally only suitable for shorter commutes if you don't want to charge them every day. If you can find the room, the bigger wheels and stiffer frames of hybrid bikes prove more comfortable to ride and usually have a bigger battery and motor, so can also be used for long weekend rides as well as short-hop commuting. They are heavier though, and can be very, very expensive. Other electric bike options include mountain bikes and road bikes. The former are growing in popularity as riders can power up the hills before flying back down them with the motor turned off, meaning their day on the trails involves more fun and less graft — and even riders with middling fitness levels can cover much bigger distances off-road. Incidentally, both road and MTB e-bikes are now a regular sight in the bike rental shops of more mountainous areas such as the French Alps, as they allow even novice riders to accompany experienced riders up the steepest hills and tackle longer rides without getting left behind. How much do I need to spend? Folding bikes are a little cheaper, but will still set you back £1,000 to £2,000, and if fancy an electric MTB or road bike, expect to shell out upwards of £2,000. What features should I look out for? Shimano and Bosch are the two main manufacturers of mid-drive motors across a range of e-bike brands, with both offering quality and reliability, while some e-bike manufacturers will use in-house designs. Most bikes will allow you to choose how much assistance the motor provides with a handlebar-mounted control, with more assistance making it easier to pedal, albeit at the expense of battery life. The range of an e-bike is vital, as they can be a bit of a handful to ride without assistance due to their increased weight. You should be looking for a range of at least 40-50 miles from a hybrid or road bike, and ideally significantly with lower levels of motor assistance. Folding bikes generally have a lower range of between 20 and 50 miles. One thing that all electric bikes have in common is their weight: all current models are significantly heavier than their human-powered equivalents. An e-bike with a basic speed or cadence sensor will detect when you are cycling and provide a fixed level of assistance based on what you have set with the controls. A torque sensor detects how hard you are pedalling and provides a range of assistance based on that, even within the overall level you set. The torque approach amplifies your effort and results in a smoother, more natural-feeling ride, avoiding any jerky movements when the motor suddenly kicks in, which does happen with speed sensors. However, the fixed level of assistance provided by a speed sensor can make things easier when riding up hills, and bikes with speed sensors are usually cheaper. What extra features should I look out for? Check how large and clear the display of the e-bike handlebar computer is and what information it shoes. The best electric bikes to buy from £500 to £4,250 1. Carrera Crossfuse: The best electric bike for commuting Price when reviewed: £1,600 With its mammoth 80-mile range, wide handlebars, front suspension, disc brakes and 700c wheels, the Crossfuse is the perfect e-bike for cruising to and from the office. One charge a week will be more than enough for most people, with the Crossfuse reaching the 70-mile mark comfortably even if you opt for more assistance than the lowest Eco mode. Key specs — Weight: 23. Emu has thrown in all the things you need for commuting — lights powered by the battery, mudguards and even a pannier rack. The GoCycle 3 is a one-of-a-kind e-bike with several ingenious features that separate it from everything else on offer. Assistance comes from a hidden motor that drives the front wheel, while you power the back wheel yourself through the pedals. This two-wheel drive approach evens out the weight of the Gocycle to make for a smooth and comfortable ride. The long dashboard display provides all the info on your battery life and gears which can be set to change automatically and you can even adjust the assist settings on your bike via a GoCycle app. Key specs — Weight: 16. It also takes a mere two hours to charge up from empty if you have run dry. Key specs — Weight: 13. The Connect is easy to fold and unfold, though a little heavy and unwieldy if you have to carry it any further than off a train and out of a station, should the need to do so ever arise. Key specs — Weight: 18kg; Motor: Coyote; Range: Up to 20 miles; Gears: 8 6. When you want to head off-road, the Mustang Comp is there for you, with chunky 42mm-wide tyres that can run at a low pressure that have a tread designed to tackle gravel. The disc brakes also ensure you can fly down trails safe in the knowledge you can stop on a sixpence. Key specs — Weight: 18. Brompton Electric: The best folding e-bike Price when reviewed: £2,595 to £2,755 Keen to avoid ruining the stylish design of its popular folding bike, Brompton opted to tuck the battery for its e-bike into a handy rucksack that sits on the front of the bike just below the handlebars. This makes it easy to take off and carry the battery separately, which is useful in reducing the weight of the bike itself when carrying it through stations or up stairs. Fortunately, you can get that battery back by turning off the assist on the flats if you like, because the
