Best budget electric mountain bike: Power-up your ride without breaking the bank – MBR

With the best cheap electric mountain bikes starting at around £3k, you don’t need to spend the earth to discover the joy of assisted trail riding.

The best budget electric mountain bikes are more popular than ever before; they take the effort out of big climbs, and allow you to ride further, faster, or just pack more into your lunch break. And while you can spend an absolute fortune on an electric mountain bike, there are some good quality lower priced options out there. We’ve tried and tested most of the following, so you know you’re getting a great bike that’s up to the job.

What’s the lowest price point you should consider? Whilst you can probably buy something called an ‘electric mountain bike’ for under $1500 or £1,000, chances are it wouldn’t really be suitable or capable of doing some proper mountain biking. And it’s not worth the risk trying to go too cheap, as the extra weight, power and speed of an e-bike means that you can’t make compromises when it comes to strength of the frame and components, or the power and quality of the brakes.

How much to spend? You’ve got to draw the line somewhere. And for the purposes of this guide, we’re going to come out and state that any electric mountain bike worth getting must have a mid-drive motor. For proper mountain biking, we’d always recommend a full-suspension bike, but a hardtail will be fine if all you want to do is cruise around on some dirt tracks and forest paths. For a full-suspension e-bike, £3,000 is the real starting point for something worth spending your heard-earned on.

Affordable electric enduro rig

Wheel size: 29in f/27.5in r | Frame: Alloy, 170mm travel | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Motor: Shimano STEPS E7000 | Battery: Shimano E8035 504Wh

Pros:

• Mismatched mullet wheels (29in front, 27.5in rear) and plenty of suspension travel.
• Progressive angles and top tube reach makes for an aggressive handling gravity-centric e-bike.
• Excellent suspension performance and capable spec such as premium quality Maxxis tyres.

Cons:

• Some riders may fall between sizes.
• Internally routed cables via proprietary headset is faffy and impairs dropper actuation.
• Possibly too much bike for milder trails and riders.

With progressive sizing and geometry, the E-Sommet VRX closely mirrors the shape and fit of the best analogue enduro bikes. And with the addition of a 504Wh battery you won’t need to worry if the chairlift or shuttle isn’t running. With the extra weight comes extra stability, so you may want to consider downsizing to gain a more dynamic ride. Consider also the terrain that’s typical for you – the Vitus feels more at home on big-mountain terrain than mellow singletrack.

Read our full review of the Vitus E-Sommet VRX

Decathlon E-ST Stilus 29in Electric Mountain Bike

Bargain full-sus e-bike with excellent Bosch motor

Wheel Size: 29in | Frame: Alloy, 130mm travel | Frame sizes: M, L, XL | Motor: Bosch | Battery: Bosch PowerTube 500Wh

Pros:

• Bosch motor with pokey 65Nm torque and 500Wh battery.
• Air sprung suspension adjusts easily to different rider weights.
• 10-speed Shimano drivetrain and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes

Cons:

• Old-school geometry with short reach.
• Very long chainstays reduce manoeuvrability.
• Narrow handlebar and lightly treaded tyres.

With a decent alloy frame, Shimano components and a Bosch motor, Decathlon’s Stilus is impressive value for money. As such it would make a great starter e-bike for anyone venturing off-road for leisure rides. The suspension components, weight and geometry are not geared towards aggressive mountain biking on rough/steep terrain though.

Click here for the deal at Decathlon

Fun and capable eMTB from Halfords

Wheel Size: 29in | Frame: Alloy, 140mm travel | Frame sizes: 18in, 20in, 22in | Motor: Shimano STEPS E7000 | Battery: Shimano STEPS BT-8010 504Wh

Pros:

• Good suspension fork and shock, works well with easy-to-setup suspension design.
• Shimano STEPS E7000 motor is a nice little runner with discreet bar control and display.
• Still a great handling fun bike with wide-range gearing to take you anywhere.

Cons

• Looks a bit dated and the 2.8in Plus tyres don’t work so well on UK trails.
• Slightly old school geometry, main issue being mediocre standover and dropper post insertion.
• Underpowered brakes pretty much need upgrading straight away.

Fundamentally, the Voodoo Zobop is a good bike. It’s not pioneering in any way, and a couple of parts do let it down badly, but the truth is in the trail riding, and the Zobop is a blast to ride. To really stand out in an increasingly competitive market, it needs to have brakes worthy of a screamingly good descender. So, if you can pick one up in the Halfords sales, or get hold of one via its Cycle To Work Scheme, and upgrade the brakes, we’re fairly certain you won’t regret it.

Read our full review of the Voodoo Zobop E-Shimano

Giant Stance E+ 2

Ideal for upgrading and XC mile-munching

Wheel size: 29in | Frame: Alloy, 120mm travel | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Motor: Giant SyncDrive Sport | Battery: Giant EnergyPak Smart 500Wh

Pros:

• Integrated battery in down tube (yay bottle bosses!)
• Available in loads of real-world bike shops so easier to deal with any teething issues.
• Good contact points and large rotor disc brakes.

Cons:

• Undergunned for some riders, with a modest 120mm travel (albeit with a 130mm travel fork).
• Geometry is slightly old fashioned, as is the lack of a dropper seatpost.
• Long chainstays won’t suit shorter riders.

Giant’s Stance E +2 comes with the Syncdrive Sport motor boasting a decent 70Nm of torque for conquering steep climbs. The alloy frame is nicely made and pleasingly swoopy, but the travel is modest at only 120mm rear and 130mm front. This means it’s better suited to trail centre loops and smoother singletrack than rough enduro or downhill tracks.

Decathlon Stilus E-AM

Supermarket enduro e-bike

Wheel size: 29in | Frame: Alloy, 130mm travel | Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL | Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX 85Nm | Battery: Bosch Powertube 625Wh

Pros

• Proper Bosch Performance Line CX motor and generous 625Wh battery
• Great value for money
• 150mm travel and 29in wheels should cope with most proper mountain biking

Cons

• Narrow 760mm handlebar.
• Short dropper post.
• No geometry info online.

A new model for Decathlon, the Stilus E-AM looks more contemporary and capable than previous e-bikes from the French sports superstore. There’s a superb Bosch motor and battery, but the handling and performance of the frame is a bit of an unknown until we can get our hands on one.

Covers ground effectively yet still blasts flowing singletrack

Wheel size: 29in | Frame: Alloy, 130mm travel | Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL | Motor: Shimano STEPS EP8 | Battery: Shimano STEPS 630Wh

Pros

• 29in wheels works well to overcome modest 130mm of travel.
• Shimano STEPS EP8 motor is a rela highlight at this price point.
• Looks as killer as all the much more expensive Canyon models!

Cons

• There will always be the ‘gamble’ of buying an e-bike via direct sales in the eventuality of any issues.
• Conservative geometry for such an otherwise modern machine.
• Some overly XC finishing kit and the RockShox Recon forks aren’t the stiffest.

The 2.6in Schwalbe Hans Dampf/Nobby Nic combo on the Neuron:ON brings something we weren’t expecting to the e-bike experience… speed. So whether it’s rolling along a relatively flat section of singletrack or just hammering along blacktop to get to the trailhead, the Neuron:ON is incredibly fast and holds speed better than any other e-bike we’ve tested. So if your typical trail ride doesn’t consist of fire road climbs followed by downhill tracks this is the bike for you. Best of all, you can still rail the descents. The Canyon Neuron:ON is way more stable and surefooted than a non e-bike with the same angles, travel and specification. In fact, with the pedal assistance to overcome the additional weight on the climbs, the extra mass in the frame is a bonus to the handling as it makes the suspension that much more effective, so even the hard compound tyres won’t hold you back on the fun stuff.

Read our full review of the Canyon Neuron:ON 7.0

Great value for a carbon frame, Bosch motor and big battery

Wheel size: 27.5in (XS, S)/29in (M, L, XL) | Frame: Carbon, 140mm travel | Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL | Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX | Battery: Bosch PowerTube 625Wh

Pros

• Bosch Performance Line CX motor combined with 12-speed drivetrain opens upe very trail.
• 140mm suspension travel and 29in wheels make this pretty much a classic trail bike that happens to be electric.
• Good suspension feel and is impressively fun to ride.

Cons

• Relatively long chainstays may not suit you – especially if you’re not tall.
• Well-thought out and sensible spec yes, but it does all add up to a hefty overall bike.
• Own-brand finishing kit won’t appeal to brand snobs.

Read our full review of the Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC TM 625

What to look for in the best budget electric bike

Should I buy a hardtail e-bike?

Electric hardtails are fine for general mixed riding at a casual level (gravel roads, towpaths etc), but there’s no getting over the fact that they are rather uncomfortable to ride on proper MTB trails. You get really quite battered by the back end in your feet and your back and you will probably suffer quite a few rear punctures. One of the whole points and joys of riding the best mountain bike models with pedal assist is covering loads of miles with minimum discomfort. Hardtails just don’t quite cut it.

What is a mid-drive electric mountain bike?

All the best electric mountain bikes come with a mid-drive. This refers to the motor being mounted in the middle of the bike and assisting the cranks, rather than being mounted in the hubs and assisting the wheels. Hub-motors don’t work well for mountain biking because they add lots of weight to the wheels, which in turn leads to sluggish handling and a harsh, uncomfortable ride.

What should I expect from an electric mountain bike for £3,000?

Staying within this full-suspension remit, you’ll currently do well to keep the price tag below £3,000. Well, without ending up with a ropey old off-brand eMTB  – probably with a hub motor and assorted awful components – that doesn’t really bear thinking about.

The good news is that there are now a few good mid-drive full-suspension e-bikes available around the £3,000 -£4,000 mark. And although the direct sales mail order brands still dominate, there are more proper bike shop bike brands making more affordable  eMTBs.

There are however still a two things to look out for with such entry-level electric mountain bikes: cost-cutting specs and poor geometry.

Examples of corners being cut to hit the price point include: no dropper post, skinny leg suspension forks and budget-end brakes. To be frank, there will be nothing that isn’t budget OEM stuff but these items listed are the biggest problems to look out for because they have the biggest negative impact on your ride experience and also cost the most money to upgrade.

Having said that, one great thing about eMTBs is how they reveal how excellent most bike componentry works on the trail. Entry-level kit generally works fine, it’s just heavier and doesn’t look as swish. Neither of which really matters here.

Geometry however, is not upgradeable. You’re stuck with it. No matter how tempting a deal is, don’t get an eMTB that is out of date in terms of its dimensions. Geometry numbers to look out for: head angle, chainstay length and standover. The latter two dimensions are especially important if you’re a shorter rider. Find out what numbers to look for and why they’re important with our comprehensive guide to mountain bike geometry.

Similarly, you may find all sorts of deals on eMTBs with relatively modest amounts of travel. We’d be very wary of getting an eMTB with less than 140mm of travel. E-bikes take a lot of (ab)use and also give a lot back straight back into the componentry. With bikes this heavy, that can cover ground at such speed (uphill, downhill and along-hill!), the componentry takes a hammering. A hammering that perhaps 120mm of travel isn’t quite cut out for.

Should I wait to buy an electric mountain bike?

No.

As we’ve said before, you could be having the best time of your whole bike riding life right now. Don’t wait. Time is precious.

On a less dramatic note, although still rapid, the rate of technological advancement isn’t as crazy quick as it was a couple of years ago. We often hear people saying that they’re going to wait to buy an e-bike until the market has matured. The thing is, this isn’t like the early days of full-suspension bikes for example. E-bikes are never going to stop advancing fast with their tech. Not having an e-bike now because of what will be available in a few years is a bit like not having an iPhone until the iPhone 6 came out. Sure, the iPhone 6 was better than the iPhone 1, but you just missed out on years of… you know, actually having an iPhone. Equally prices are only going one way – up. So if you can get hold of one now, then don’t procrastinate or you’ll likely pay the penalty later.