How to Choose the Right E-Bike

Updated Jan. 23, 2023

It seems nearly everyone wants an electric bike these days. Last year, Americans bought more e-bikes than electric cars. There are an estimated 400 brands of e-bikes selling in the U.S., all scrambling to grab a piece of this booming new market.

With so many choices, how to choose an e-bike that best fits your needs isn’t always easy. In this article we will walk you through the steps to help you select the right electric bike for you.

How Do You Plan to Use Your E-Bike?

Before looking at specific types of bikes and features, one of the first steps in how to choose an e-bike is to think about why you are buying the bike and how you intend to use it. In this sense, it’s no different from buying any other vehicle. Before buying a new car, for instance, you would ask yourself whether its primary purpose is for city commuting or highway driving. You’d want to know if this car will typically be occupied by only one or two people, or packed with a carload of children. Do you need cargo room or not?

E-bikes have many potential uses, which is why not all e-bikes look alike. An urbanite using an e-bike to commute to work will likely want a very different model of e-bike than a parent wanting an e-bike to haul children to school or the local park.

Some designs of e-bikes are better for frequent long-distance rides, ideal for those cyclists who love to bikepack and enjoy multi-day tours. On the other hand, if your primary goal with a new e-bike is recreational and you plan to ride short distances (10 miles or less) at a time, then you don’t need the same high-capacity battery or large-wattage motor as a long-distance road biker. The type of surface you plan to ride on — paved, dirt, or sand — is also a major consideration when choosing an e-bike.

So the first step is to think about how you plan to use your new e-bike. 

How Much Should You Spend to Buy an E-bike?

Everyone has a budget. While we might like to drive a Tesla or Porsche, the reality is most of us are cruising the roads in Toyotas and Fords because that is what we can afford. The same is true with e-bikes. There is a wide range of prices available, from $500 to $10,000. 

It would be a mistake, however, to shop primarily based on price. You wouldn’t go into a car dealership and say “give me the cheapest car on the lot.” Like with most other products, when it comes to e-bikes you get what you pay for. That doesn’t mean you have to buy the most expensive brands or models, but stay away from e-bikes at the extreme lower end of the price scale. While they might look and ride OK at first, they are made with lower-quality components, service and warranty work may be non-existent, and replacement parts may be impossible to find. These are often called throw-away bikes for a good reason. 

A good sweet spot for getting a quality e-bike that will give you years of good service is in the $2,000 to $4,000 range. At that price, you can buy a name-brand bike from a company that will be around when you need parts and service. There are some decent e-bikes, mainly from online sources, in the $1,500 to $2,000 range, but I would be leery of most bikes below that price point. 

Be realistic when setting your budget for buying an e-bike. If you only have $500 to spend, it’s better to wait and save more money so you can buy a better-quality bike later.

You could, of course, use your limited funds to buy a used e-bike. If you have less than $1,000 to spend, you may be better off with a good-quality, low-mileage used e-bike than with a cheaply made new one. Navigating the used e-bike market can be tricky. How old is the battery and how well has it been treated? How out-of-date is the technology? Personally, I’d be leery of buying an e-bike more than a couple of years old. Make sure it’s a quality, name-brand e-bike with service and parts readily available in your state or country.

Where Should I Buy an E-bike?

E-bike buyers have two main choices when buying an e-bike: Buy online or through a local bike shop. There are pros and cons to each approach. 

For most consumers, and especially first-time e-bike buyers, I strongly recommend buying through a local bike shop. That’s not because bike shop e-bikes are necessarily always better quality than online models. If you know what you’re looking for, you can buy some excellent e-bikes online. Rather, local bike shops provide many other advantages, even if in many cases their prices are higher than what you might pay for an online e-bike. 

Benefits of Buying an E-bike through a Local Bike Shop:

• Local bike shop staff will answer your questions and help you choose the right e-bike.
• You can test-ride several models of e-bikes to find the one you like the best. This is important! What you may initially think you want may change once you test-ride several models.
• Getting the proper fit on your e-bike is important for riding comfort, performance, and safety. Bike shop staff will ensure the bike is correctly fitted to you. 
• You will leave the store with a fully-assembled and properly adjusted e-bike that works right from day one. Do you really want to unbox a partially assembled bike at home and finish the assembly yourself? That is what happens with most online e-bikes. 
• If you need warranty work or a tune-up, or a part breaks, your local bike shop is there to provide parts and service.
• While e-bikes sold through local bike shops aren’t necessarily always of superior quality to online bikes, it is also true that you are less likely to get stuck with a low-quality e-bike when you buy through a local store. It’s not good for the shop or the customer for them to sell e-bikes that won’t perform well or prove unreliable. For this reason, local stores tend to sell e-bikes in the average-to-premium quality range. 

Now let me add an important caveat: Not all local bike shops are good sources for buying an e-bike. Many local stores specialize in road (racing-style) bikes or mountain bikes. While they may carry a limited number of e-bikes, it’s not their niche. These bike shops cater more to cycling enthusiasts than to typical consumers looking for fun and recreation.

Even worse, some of these shop owners may not even like e-bikes. There is bias against e-bikes (and e-bike consumers) among many in the traditional cycling community. This is slowly changing as e-bikes become more mainstream, but it is still a problem. 

Your absolute best bet is to seek out a local bike shop that specializes in e-bikes or sells only e-bikes. They will better understand you and your needs and offer a good choice of e-bike brands or models. If your town doesn’t have such a store, look in nearby larger cities. I drove an hour from my home to buy e-bikes for my wife and me from a shop that specialized in e-bikes. It was well worth it. 

That’s not to say buying online doesn’t have its benefits too. No local store, no matter how large, can carry the variety of e-bikes available to you online. Sometimes you just can’t find exactly what you want locally. While I generally buy through shops, I made an exception last year when my wife wanted to buy an electric trike, a three-wheel version of an e-bike. Local shops had only a limited selection. Kathy couldn’t find the features she wanted at any of the local stores. Instead, we found exactly what we needed from an online e-trike store that sold brand-name trikes and was based in the U.S., where we live. It arrived at our house in a large box, fully assembled and with a charged battery. All we had to do was uncrate it, adjust the handlebars, and start riding. We’re pleased with the trike and the company’s customer service. 

Buying online is generally cheaper. You lose all of the benefits of a local shop mentioned above, but the trade-off is you get an e-bike for a lower cost. If you are a newcomer to e-bikes or haven’t done extensive research, the risk in buying online is that you won’t know what to look for and may end up with an e-bike you don’t like, that doesn’t fit you well, or doesn’t perform up to your expectations. For those of you who have done your homework and know exactly what you want, there’s no denying that shopping online will expand your choices and perhaps save you some money.

The quality of bikes sold online spans the entire spectrum, from junky, throw-away e-bikes (please don’t waste your time and money) to high-quality models. Again, don’t shop solely on price. Stick with the larger, better-known brands in the online e-bike space. While many online brands offer little or no customer service, some of the larger ones get rave reviews for providing an excellent customer experience. A few online brands partner with a network of local bike shops to provide servicing when needed.

One more bit of advice when it comes to where to buy an e-bike is to stay away from buying from big-box stores. Their employees know nothing about e-bikes and won’t be able to help you with selecting the right bike, fitting it correctly to you, or responding to questions after you buy it. Plus, while they may sell some decent-quality e-bikes, many big box retailers tend to promote low-cost e-bikes of questionable quality.

Sure, you can buy e-bikes from Best Buy, Costco, and a host of other big-box retailers, but along with online superstores like Amazon, they are in my opinion the absolute worst place to shop for e-bikes. Don’t fall for it. 

What Size and Style E-bike is Best?

E-bikes come in a dizzying variety of sizes and configurations. This is why test-riding several models before buying is such good advice. Don’t just buy the bike your neighbor or friend rides, because your needs may differ. 

The majority of e-bike riders are in the age 50-plus category. With that in mind, here are some considerations when deciding how to choose an e-bike:

• Look for a low-step design: Also called step-through, low-step frame designs are much easier to mount and dismount, especially for senior adults and shorter riders. In the old days, this would have been referred to as a “girl’s bike” but no longer. Both men and women now ride step-through bikes. I am over-65 and both of my e-bikes (one is never enough!) have a step-through design. I also find it is safer since you can dismount in a hurry when necessary and won’t run the risk of losing your balance and falling when trying to get your leg over a high bar.
• Get the proper frame size: E-bikes come in wheel sizes ranging from 16 to 29 inches, with 20, 24, and 26-inch wheels being the most common. If you are shorter or prefer a smaller bike that is easier to handle, then you might prefer a 20-inch model. Taller riders will generally want a bike in the 26 to 29-inch range.
• Tire width (and tread) are important: Road (racing) bikes come with skinny, slick tires for higher performance, but that’s not the best choice for most e-bike riders. Instead, look for wider tires with lower air pressure that will provide for a safer and softer ride. You don’t necessarily have to buy a fat-tire bike with 4-inch wide tires, but for comfort look for tires of 2.5-inch widths and wider.Fat-tire bikes are growing in popularity with senior adults. They offer lower performance (speed) and are heavier, but fat tires provide a smoother ride and can go almost anywhere, from paved trails to dirt roads to sandy beaches. If you plan to use your e-bike often on dirt trails, off-road, or on the beach, then make sure you get knobby thread tires, not tires with smooth threads.

   

• Look for a comfortable seat: One of the main complaints of bike riders is saddle soreness. A good bike seat won’t necessarily eliminate that problem but it can help. If comfort is your priority, look for wider, cushioned bike seats. It’s not unusual for bike owners to have to try two or more seats before finding the one that’s just right for them.Before replacing the seat on your new bike, however, let me offer this challenge: Ride your bike regularly (several times per week if possible) for a minimum of 30 days before shopping for a new seat. You may be surprised how well your posterior can adapt to cycling and how quickly the pain will subside. Give it a try before wasting money on a new seat.
• Don’t fixate on motor wattage: Many new buyers focus too much on buying a bike with the largest-possible motor, as measured by wattage. Most e-bikes come with motors ranging from 250 to 750 watts. If you are an average-sized person interested primarily in recreational riding on relatively flat roads and trails, you don’t need a 750-watt motor. On a good-quality e-bike, even the smallest wattage motor will do just fine. On the other hand, if you are heavy, live in a hilly area, or plan to regularly haul a trailer or heavy cargo with your e-bike, then a 750-watt motor is what you want. Do not buy any e-bike with a motor larger than 750 watts. They are illegal to ride on nearly all trails, sidewalks, and park paths throughout the United States and many other nations. Bikes with motors larger than 750 watts are supposed to be licensed like a moped or scooter and driven only in the streets.
   
• Buy the right battery size: As with the e-bike motor, you don’t necessarily need to pay more for a high-powered battery. It depends on how you ride. Going back to my previous example, if you are an average senior adult, or recreational rider who doesn’t plan to ride more than 20 miles per day and usually rides on smooth, relatively flat surfaces, even the smaller size e-bike batteries will do just fine. People buy larger batteries because they deliver more power and longer range. Just be aware that larger batteries can add several hundred dollars to the price of your e-bike and additional weight.Personally, this is one area where I like to upgrade when buying an e-bike, but your style of riding may be different than mine. While most of my rides are shorter, I do occasionally like to do 20 to 40-mile rides, and on rare occasions even longer. More powerful batteries can often provide a range of 40 to 60 miles per charge, depending on your weight, the hilliness of the terrain where you ride, and how much you pedal primarily on your own versus using higher levels of pedal assist or a throttle. No two e-bike riders are the same, but don’t rush into thinking you necessarily must have the largest size battery. Consider your riding preferences first.

Want to dig deeper and learn more about electric bikes? Buy our book written especially for senior adults who are new to the e-bike market: “E-Bikes – Putting the FUN Back into Cycling (and Life) at any Age.”

Why Buy an E-bike?

E-bike riders often describe their experience as life-changing. These amazing bikes are so enjoyable to ride that there’s even an expression in the industry called “the e-bike grin.” It refers to the smile on the face of first-time riders when they first discover the power and joy of riding an e-bike. 

E-bikes aren’t just fun to ride. They can significantly improve your health and well-being. An e-bike can provide much-needed exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. New e-bike riders have been known to feel more fit and energetic or to lose weight they couldn’t seem to lose any other way. People of all ages with joint pain and other health challenges often find e-bike riding is one of the few physical activities they can still pursue.

The benefits go well beyond physical fitness. Riding a bike is proven to improve mental well-being and alertness. Some studies suggest that regular bike riding can delay or prevent dementia. There’s also the social component. Riding through your neighborhood means you’ll be waving at neighbors and stopping to talk. You can also join group rides and take e-bike tours.

E-bikes can also save a family money and can make a good replacement for a family’s second car. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city or region with a good network of safe cycling infrastructure, then e-bikes may eliminate your need for owning a car altogether.

Cycling in general, including e-bikes, also is better for the environment. They consume far fewer natural resources to produce and to operate. 

Riding an e-bike is a great way to explore new places. I rarely travel long distances without carrying my e-bike with me. You can find scenic bike trails to ride in all 50 states, as well as in Canada, Europe, and many other international destinations. If you are flying to your destination or cannot carry your e-bike with you, rental e-bikes are often available along trails and in popular tourist destinations. 

If you haven’t yet experienced the thrill of riding an e-bike, now is a great time to start shopping. Before long, you too will be wearing that famous e-bike grin.

You might also like: “How to Choose a Senior-Friendly Bicycle”

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What makes the perfect e-bike for you? What are your “must have” features? What do you love most about e-biking or your own e-bike? Got comments or questions? Post them in the Comments section below. We love to hear from readers!