Picking The Right E-Bike For Christmas

Are you thinking of getting an ebike for yourself, or maybe as a gift for someone for Christmas? If you are this post should cover all the things you should think about before buying one so you get the right e-bike for the right person. No brands or stores will be mentioned here as this is not a promo for anyone, it is an article with some good old-fashioned advice…

Do You/They NEED an E-bike?

This might sound like an odd thing to question given that we are an e-bike site, but it’s something you really need to think about. The truth is e-bikes cost a lot of money no matter what model/type/brand you buy. If you spend the same amount on a normal bike as the same e-bike type you would get a SUGNIFGANTLY better bike. A better brand and a better quality of bike overall. So if you don’t need the “e-factor” of the e-bike maybe consider getting a normal one instead.

What Type of E-Bike Do You/They Need?

There are many different types and styles of e-bikes out there and it really depends on what the person plans to do with an e-bike. The main types are…

• Folding – Perfect for road commutes or people with small storage space
• E-MTB – These are essentially mountain bikes with motors attached. Perfect for those less active or still want to have fun on the gravel
• E-Road Bikes – These are for the speed chasers and those who want to go further and ride longer than others thanks to the motor.
• Other – If none of those main types don’t tick the right boxes look around our store or ask any questions you want in the comments or Contact Us Page.

What Power Do You Need?

The key thing to know here is that more power often means more torque which means it will get you up steeper hills. While the UK law says it can only have a 250W motor you can always limit the power yourself and make sure it doesn’t go any faster than 15.5 MPH. That way you get all the extra power, but stay “mostly” within the law. But to be honest, most people will still love their e-bike if it’s 250W, it’s just it won’t be good for larger, heavier riders.

How Much Should You Spend?

Again, this all depends on the type and what you plan to do with your e-bike. The best advice we can give you here is to only go for e-bike you NEED not the e-bike you want or think someone would want. You don’t need a £5K specialist eMTB with a mid-drive if you don’t plan to send it downhills in mountain bike parks, you don’t need fat tyres if you plan to only commute on the road with it and you definitely don’t need more than 250w of power if your planned daily commute is mostly flat roads. Cheaper mountain bikes with price ranges of less than a £1000 are not bad bikes at all and could be perfectly capable of what you need them for. When it comes to e-bikes the higher the price, the more you will be able to do with them is the main advice to follow.

If you have any questions about buying an e-bike or riding one do let us know in the comments below, or get in touch with us via the Contact Us page. While we have covered the basics of what to think about we are sure some people will have more questions and we are happy to answer them.