Tips for buying your urban electric bike in 2022
Keys to choosing the best urban electric bicycle for getting around the city
When we think about buying an urban electric bike in 2022 we have to take into account some key factors to avoid making a mistake, that’s why in Biciclasica we have decided to create this small guide to help you find the perfect urban electric bike for you.
If you read on you will get a very clear idea of the three major types of urban electric bikes currently on the market and which one is best for you.
At Biciclasica we have been selling bikes, components and accessories for touring bikes online for more than ten years and we are the number one online store for classic bikes in Europe.
That’s why we wanted to thoroughly analyze the main electric touring bikes on the market to make sure we give you the advice you need. We are confident that we can help you choose the right urban electric bike for you.
From our analysis we have extracted three main groups of urban electric bicycles that will help you to perfectly understand the current offer of city ebikes.
Oversized electric bicycles
The first group are what we have decided to call “oversized electric bikes“. They are bicycles from major world manufacturers, created by well-known brands and with all the guarantees, but which are nevertheless too expensive, too heavy and too equipped for the use of an urban cyclist.
We’ll explain it in more detail later, but the problem with urban electric bicycles from brands such as Specialized, Riese & Muller or Scott is that they weigh more than 30 kilosThe price of these products exceeds 4,500€ and they are designed with components that are very good, but that are not adapted to the realities of urban bike users (and which, in addition, make the cost and maintenance very expensive)..
Electric bicycles Made in China
The second group – which we have called electric bicycles made in China – is made up of new automotive or sports brands and franchises. They are urban bikes that try to adapt more to reality: with a much lower price range (from less than 1,000 € to about 2,000 €), but with a rather poor design, inadequate components and a reliability at least questionable. We will discuss them in more detail below with some concrete examples.
Specific electric bicycles for urban use
The third group includes urban electric bicycles that really make sense. With a suitable weight and price, they are manufactured by established brands, with an urban character and with components designed for the reality and the day-to-day life of a city cyclist.
They are bicycles designed for what you need, without oversizing their components, to favor a normal price range and minimum maintenance, but also a great riding experience thanks to a suitable weight and design.
In this category we have great exponents such as the electric Capri Berlin. An urban electric bicycle under 1,700 €, with the guarantee of a manufacturer that has been in the market for more than a decade and with a very smart design designed to move around the city and for the daily life of urban cyclists.
Returning to the three categories of urban electric bikes, we go into more detail one by one, with some examples of models to illustrate each group of bikes and make it easier for you.
Oversized “urban” electric bicycles
The first thing we would like to recommend is that you avoid electric bike models that are clearly oversized, unless you have very specific needs.
We have found a lot of exceptional bikes, with incredible performance and mind-blowing features, but which, in reality, are more designed to go on a hundred-kilometer cycling tour than for your day-to-day life in the city.
This is very common among the world’s leading bicycle brands and we have seen it in models such as the Specialize Turbo Tero, the Riese & Muller Roaster Touring or the Scott Axis eRIDE Evo.
These types of bikes are all of undoubted quality, but in our opinion they are not well thought out for urban use.
They are heavy (they usually weigh around 30 kilos), expensive (you will not find them for less than 3,000 € or 4,000 €) and generally do not have the option of removing the battery, because it is integrated into the frame.
Both its motors (over 600W!) and its batteries (designed to last more than 150 kilometers) are designed for extreme uses, which have little to do with the reality of the urban cyclist.
Too powerful, too heavy and too complicated, they have disc brakes and components that face the bike in a clear way and are designed more for touring than for the city. Let’s say it’s a bit like buying a Ferrari to drive around town.
Urban electric bicycles from new manufacturers
This type of bicycles have very adjusted prices, but the lack of previous experience or the little exigency of the same in terms of design penalizes them and plays very much against them. In addition, they make the mistake of trying to imitate the durability of the battery of the bicycles of the previous category, a completely unnecessary extra kilometers that results in huge, very heavy and aesthetically very unattractive batteries.
They are usually batteries that are incorporated into the rear rack in a somewhat clumsy manner and that attract attention, for the worse, because of their size.
In addition, the wiring is usually not very careful and both components and assemblies are usually “made in China”. This group includes models from brands such as Lithium or franchises such as Norauto.
The urban electric bikes you really need
In the latter group we find Electric bicycles very functional and with a careful design, designed for the urban cyclist and that do not prioritize extreme power. (after all, it is not a bike designed to climb a mountain pass).and a range of more than 80 kilometers.
Considering that the average distance of a car trip in the city is less than 5 kilometers, a battery range of 30 to 40 kilometers on your urban electric bicycle will be more than enough.
Take a look at our catalog and ask us if you do not decide on a particular model.
