Electric bikes (aka e-bikes) have become somewhat of a hit within the cycling industry. It’s estimated that around 60,000 were sold in the UK alone in 2020.
If you are considering your next bicycle purchase to be one of the electric variety, it’s important you think about the range, and which would best suit your everyday needs.
What is the Range of an E-Bike?
The range of an e-bike is how far the bicycle can travel on one charge. This will therefore determine the length of your rides, and how far from home you’d like to travel before your battery dies.
It’s important to keep in mind the fact that the motor settings used will determine either a greater or lesser range. For example, a bikes farthest range will be calculated using the ‘eco’ mode, not the ‘sport’ mode.
Therefore, if you were hoping to whiz around at top speed and still get the best possible range from your electric bike, you’ll be in for a shock.
How Far Will a 1000w E-Bike Go?
A 1000w e-bike will arguably go anywhere between around 20 to 60 miles. This massively depends on the type of terrain that the bike is being ridden along.
Additionally, the style of electric bike will also impact the range. This is because a lighter and more aerodynamic bike (such as a road e-bike) will travel further using less energy.
On the other hand, a heavier mountain bike style electric bike will have a lower range, as it’s less aerodynamic, heavier, and also normally ridden on tougher terrain.
Longest Range Electric Bikes [Top 5]
E-Bike with Best Range
1. Raleigh Centros Tour – 128 Miles
Range: 128 Miles
Available in: UK and Ireland
Battery Size: 500Wh
Bike Type: Hybrid
Weight: 26kg
Cost: £2,700.00 / €3,300.00
First up from Raleigh, a British bike company based in Nottingham, is the Centros Tour. This hybrid electric bike offers a very impressive 128 mile range – more than enough for riding to and from work for a week on one charge.
This bike comes in two different styles to suit the riders needs. There’s the option of either a classic crossbar geometry or a low step, to help ease the mounting process. This is a really strong option for those who may lack a little flexibility, or are slightly older.
The Centros Tour also comes equipped with an easy to use settings screen. There’s a Bosch Active Line Plus motor, and Bosch Power Tube 500Wh battery – both are very reliable and of the highest quality.
In addition to the above, there are also many useful accessories that come with both Centros Tour options, including mudguards, pannier racks, and a kick stand.
2. Trek Allant+ 9 Stagger – 124 Miles
Range: 124 Miles
Available in: UK and Europe
Battery Size: 625 Wh
Bike Type: Hybrid
Weight: M – 23.40 kg
Cost: £5,000 / €5.199,00
The Allant+9 Stagger from Trek is a wonderfully comfortable step through hybrid option. It’s ideal for those wanting a leisure bike to enjoy, or alternatively something a little more comfortable to commute on with the added support of a motor.
Although maybe not the most streamlined due to its more upright riding style, this hybrid offers an impressive range of up to 124 miles. Therefore from one full charge you may be able to do a full weeks worth of commuting. Impressive or what?
This bike benefits from being fitted with a fully engaged long life battery that provides an impressive range of up to 124 miles on one full charge. It also looks sleek and fits with the bikes design. There’s also a Bosch Performance Line motor.
This bike is available to purchase is sizes S to L, and comes complete with disc brakes as well as many optional accessories such as mudguards, pannier racks, and lights.
Best Electric Gravel Bike for Distance
3. Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon Lefty 3 – 109 Miles
Range: 109 Miles
Available in: UK, USA, Europe and Australia
Battery Size: 500Wh
Bike Type: Gravel
Weight: Around 18kg
Cost: £5,600 / €6,099 / $ 6,300
Moving onto a pure gravel electric machine, this quirky yet stylish offering from Cannondale will fulfil all of your gravel riding needs. It has an impressive range of up to 109 miles!
Straight from the off, you’ll notice that the Topstone Neo features the iconic lefty fork (30mm travel), a common design feature with many Cannondale off road bikes. You may also notice the bike is fitted with 650b wheels to help support the use of bigger tyres.
In addition to this, the Cannondale E-bike benefits from having a reliable Bosch Performance Line CX motor, as well as a Bosch PowerTube 500Wh, which is best positioned in the down tube.
Looks wise, you’d be hard pushed to find a more interesting electric gravel bike – from its edgy paint job to its fun, stand out features!
4. S-Works Turbo Creo SL – 80 Miles
Range: 80 Miles (plus 40 Mile range extender which is included)
Available in: UK, USA, Europe, and Australia
Battery Size: 320Wh
Bike Type: Road
Weight: Around 12kg
Cost: £11,500.00 / €13,000.00 / $ 14,750.00
This beautiful machine from Specialized is a little on the pricer side, to put it mildly! However, it is a solid option for those of you who love road riding, but maybe want to get a little fitter, or ride further than a conventional bike will allow for.
Aesthetically, the lightweight carbon fiber Turbo Creo SL looks just as streamline and attractive as your average road or gravel bike. This is thanks to the neatly integrated 320Wh battery, which is positioned within the down tube.
The range of this particular bike is a rather impressive 80 miles, or up to 120 miles with the added help of the range extender. This allows you to go much father than the vast majority of e-bikes on the market.
There’s also an LED display on the top tube, and bluetooth for your smartphone to control the bikes power modes and settings with ease.
Fat E-Bike with Best Range
5. RadRhino 6 Plus Electric Fat Bike – 42 Miles
Range: 42 Miles
Available in: UK, USA and Europe
Battery Size: 672 Wh
Bike Type: Fat bike
Weight: 33.3kg
Cost: €1,999 / $ 1,999
Last but not least, no list could be complete without a solid electric fat bike option. The RadRhino 6 Plus may not have as great a range as those above, a fat bike (which is heavier and more robust) it would never be able to top a lightweight road bike.
As this is a heavier bike, with off road capabilities thanks to the wider tyres, the type of riding the range includes can be more versatile. What’s not to love about that!
There’s a semi integrated battery to keep the aesthetics neat and sleek. The battery is also easy to remove for charging purposes, which makes overnight charging for commuters much easier.
Overall, although the range is lower on this electric bike compared to the others in the list, it’s the most affordable and arguably the most versatile. Therefore for the price, the range is pretty impressive.
How Can I Increase the Range on My Electric Bike?
If you’d like to increase the range on your electric bike, we’d strongly suggest that you use the ‘eco’ setting.
Most e-bikes will have this option, which allows for a more economical use of the battery. It will mean that you’ll travel at a slower pace, however the range will be greatly improved.
This is because in the fastest setting, pedal assisted motors use a lot of battery. Therefore you won’t reach optimum range.
Additionally, the type of terrain that you are riding on will affect the range. For example, riding uphill will require more energy from the battery, thus decreasing range.
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