Best Electric Mountain Bikes for 2021

Before we get to the best electric mountain bikes let’s take a look at some history. For years cycling was a tight clique.

It wasn’t easy to break into socially and the physical requirements only made it more difficult. Suffering was the expectation and there were rules. Lots of them.

In many ways, the culture of mountain biking is an expression of disdain for the traditional road bike culture. Road bike culture was smooth legs, stiff upper lips, and red wine so mountain bike culture was different. The opposite in many ways, it was grungy, fueled by beer, and cobbled together from what was available.

The clique still existed though. It was a different clique but over time its rules grew and entry was no easier. Suffering was still expected and the riding was no less physical.

In recent years something else came along. The rise of eBikes.

Ebikes open the door to anyone who wants to give cycling a try. Why should suffering be the norm? Isn’t cycling about fun?

The old rules existed as a barrier to people getting on bikes and are there really anything better than more people on bikes?

Ebikes make it easier to start riding, they extend the distance, and up the average speed. That doesn’t mean they change cycling. The best eBikes add to the basics of cycling, they don’t fundamentally change cycling.

In the electric mountain bike category, the idea is to take mountain biking and just give a little extra help. You still work hard and experience all the satisfaction that comes with that hard work, but there’s an invisible hand on your back. The motor is there to add a little extra to every pedal stroke, not take away the pedal strokes.

Just like regular mountain bikes, there is a huge range of specialties for electric mountain bikes. There are different wheel sizes, different motor options, and different designed uses.

At the end of the day, whatever kind of bike you end up with it doesn’t have to feel locked in. An electric mountain bike could be a reasonable commuter bike or it could be the ultimate weekend shred machine. Whatever you want to do with your bike here are a few of the best options available.

 

A potent Cannondale and SRAM 12 speed all-mountain option.

• Price: $5,800
• Drive System: Bosch Performance CX
• Internal Battery Size: 500Wh
• Wheel Size: 27.5” for SM and 29” for other sizes
• Frame Material: Carbon Front Triangle, SmartForm C1 Alloy Swingarm

The Cannondale Moterra Neo 3 is part of a four-bike lineup in the Cannondale range. The Moterra is not the only electric mountain bike from Cannondale but represents an all-mountain entry. All-mountain bikes are bikes that are a bit beefier for handling bigger hits and faster descents but still able to climb.

The Moterra sports 160mm of travel at both ends using a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork at the front and the RockShox Deluxe Select R at the rear. The travel remains the same between all the Moterra Neo models except for the SE model which gains 20mm for 180mm of travel total.

The SRAM branding continues into an EAGLE SX drivetrain. The Eagle SX represents SRAMs lowest model with 12 speeds. It makes sense as the Moterra Neo 3 is the lowest model in the Moterra lineup but don’t count that as a strike against anything. Eagle SX is a capable groupset that is affordable and gives up very little, except a bit of weight.

One piece that isn’t a bargain is the motor system that the Moterra lineup uses. It’s a top-of-the-line Bosch Performance CX system. There’s 85Nm of torque available along with 340% of pedaling support up to 20mph. Higher models in the Moterra lineup get the 625Wh battery while the Moterra 3 makes do with the 500Wh option.

Four frame sizes are available ranging from SM to XL.  Cannondale makes sure that whatever size you choose the ride will be the same. Larger frames use a 29″ wheel while the smallest frame uses a 27.5″ wheel.

Cannondale also addresses suspension geometry with its Proportional Response Suspension design. Each size gets size-specific shock links and mounting points so that performance is never compromised.

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An aluminum ripper for the gnarliest descents.

• Price: $6,295
• Drive System: Bosch Performance CX
• Internal Battery Size: 625Wh
• Wheel Size: 29” front 27.5” rear
• Frame Material: Aluminum

Sometimes electric bikes take the form of adding power to a standard bike. Go a bit farther, climb the steep hills, and keep your speed up on the flats with a little help from a battery. There’s another option though. Instead of adding to an existing design, the new technology of electric bikes can transform what’s possible. The Niner WFO E9 represents a transformation.

Downhill bikes are bikes designed for going as fast as possible down steep hills. Beefy components and plush suspensions make it possible to tackle whatever comes your way and do it at speed. There’s no real consideration for weight and its effect on climbing because no one pedals them up the hill. Take the lift up the mountain, or a shuttle vehicle, and bomb down the mountain then do it again. This specialized use is a place where electric bike technology can do more than just add to what exists. Instead, it can change what’s possible and that’s what the Niner WFO E9 does.

With help from an electric motor, it suddenly becomes possible to take a heavy downhill bike and pedal back up the hill. With a bit of technology in the form of a Gen 4 Bosch Performance line CX motor, the Niner WFO E9 can keep its downhill cred but add versatility. The innovation doesn’t stop with the addition of a motor on this bike. There’s also a “mullet” wheel setup.

The front 29″ wheel makes rolling over obstacles easier while the smaller 27.5″ rear wheel helps maneuverability. It’s a good choice for a bike that is downhill focused but expects to see more use.

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A more affordable take on an early lightweight champion.

• Price: $7,999
• Drive System: Shimano STEP E8000
• Internal Battery Size: 504Wh
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Carbon

If you close your eyes and picture a mountain bike it’s most likely you are picturing a trail bike. Trail bikes have a design optimized for a bit of everything. If you want to descend, they might not be a downhill bike but they have the capability. Flip the coin and they have a geometry that makes extended pedaling possible. The builds are strong enough to handle some hits but not so overbuilt that it’s impossible to haul them up a hill.

Pivot took their Mach 5.5 trail bike and made it more. The Pivot Shuttle adds what makes sense and nothing more. Weight increased by about 20lbs but it’s still on the lighter end of electric mountain bike design and there’s lots of added capability. The front fork is a Fox 36 160mm unit that remains unchanged between the Mach 5.5 and the Shuttle. In the rear is a DW-Link design that represents a version of the four-bar suspension found on some of the earliest full suspension mountain bikes. Travel remains at 140mm but valving is custom to the Shuttle so as to handle the extra weight of the Shimano STEP battery system.

If not for the immediately obvious move to a 29″ wheel the two bikes are somewhat hard to tell apart with a quick glance. That is, of course, the idea and Pivot even goes so far as to claim that the Shuttle design works with the drive system turned off. A system that works with or without battery assist means that there’s no limit to what you can tackle. Keep the assist turned off most of the time and you never need to worry about range. If you need a bit of help on a steep hill it’s a button press away.

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Made in Canada aluminum frame that is great on hairpin turns and fast, flowing, trails.

• Price: $5,799
• Drive System: Shimano STEP E8000
• Internal Battery Size: 504Wh
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Aluminum

The Devinci DC 29″ NX is one of those bikes designed to do it all. It’s not going to be a downhill monster but with 160mm of suspension travel, it can take some hits. Where it really sinks into its all-mountain credentials though is the geometry.

The geometry of a frame is what determines how a bike feels. Devinci plays up the slack headtube and steep seat tube angle but what does that mean? The headtube angle of a bike is essentially a measurement of how far out the front wheel is. Push it way out and the bike is super stable but slow to turn. Meanwhile, the angle of the seat tube is a measurement of where the rider sits in relation to the wheels and the bottom bracket. If the seat tube angle is small the rider sits further back on the bike. It’s harder to pedal but more stable going downhill.

The Devinci DC 29″ NX keeps a relatively short wheelbase of 1,234 mm, for a size L, which makes for an agile, turn-able bike. They combine that with a 74.5-degree seat tube angle that puts the rider close to the center of the bike. This makes it easy to pedal and well balanced for typical trail descents and ascents. Then finally the head tube angle of 66 degrees is a nice balance of stability and responsiveness. Put it all together with a 29″-wheel and 11 speed Shimano drivetrain and you get what is almost the definition of a modern, do anything, trail bike.

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A wide range 10-speed drivetrain and a powerful Shimano motor pair up for a powerful all-mountain contender.

• Price: $4,499.99
• Drive System: Shimano STEP E8000
• Internal Battery Size: 504Wh
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Aluminum

Shimano STEPS is the Japanese brand’s response to Bosch’s dominance of the electric bike market. As is typical for Shimano they weren’t the first to respond to the demand for electric bikes. They are on the scene now though and the STEP, or Shimano Total Electric Power System, is a system you will see on a lot of bikes. The Haro Shift I/O 5 is one of those bikes. It also happens to be another all-mountain option. This is a popular segment and if you are a consumer looking for something in this segment there are a lot of options.

One of the ways that Haro sets the Shift I/O 5 apart from the crowd is with the choice of 27.5″ wheels. They aren’t the only all-mountain bike to make this choice but it’s worth considering which direction you want to go. 27.5″ vs 29″ is a classic matchup with no right answers. Mac vs PC, Chevy vs Ford, SRAM vs Shimano, etc… you get the idea. There’s no right answer but some people prefer one vs the other.

A larger wheel is a heavier wheel. A heavier wheel takes more energy to spin up but it also holds that energy more efficiently. For tighter, more technical, riding with lots of speeding up and slowing down a lighter wheel makes more sense. On the other hand, if you can sustain speed the larger wheel will require less input to stay at speed. The larger wheel also rolls over obstacles with less difficulty which also helps it hold speed.

If you like the idea of a 27.5″ all-mountain bike the Haro Shift I/O 5 is a good choice. It sports the very common Shimano drive system, a Shimano 1×10 Deore drivetrain, and an 11-46 cassette. Braking gets handled by hydraulic Tektro 4 piston calipers.

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An aluminum ripper for the gnarliest descents.

• Price: $5,499
• Drive System: Shimano STEP E7000
• Internal Battery Size: 500Wh
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Carbon

The Norco Sight VLT is a bike that trends towards a longer, and more stable design. Travel on the RockShox front and rear suspension is a modest 160mm front and 150mm rear but the geometry lets a rider take on bigger features. There’s the capability on tap that punches higher than you would expect.

Norco claims one of the things that makes that possible is their Ride Aligned™ Bike Setup Guide. When designing bikes, a company has to test, and design, for a wide variety of rider weights who ride differently in different environments. Norco has taken that data and packaged it in an app. Spend some time taking advantage of a helping hand from the experts to tune your suspension for your body and your riding style. The idea is to end up with a centered, and tailored weight distribution. If that sounds like high attention to detail, it is and it doesn’t end with setup assistance.

Electric mountain bikes are different than unassisted mountain bikes and Norco acknowledges that. There are five models in the Sight VLT lineup. The C3 represents the lowest model in the lineup featuring a carbon frame. Whichever model you choose though each of the five models integrates electric-specific components. The wheels, forks, and brakes were all chosen with the weight and needs of electric mountain bikes in mind.

If you really want to rack up the miles Norco also offers a 360Wh range extender. The main battery is a 500Wh unit so an extra 360Wh doesn’t quite double the range but is still significant. If you choose to add it the investment comes to around $800 and it installs easily on the inside of the downtube.

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A next-generation drivetrain and a lightweight battery for a barely-there electric push.

• Price: $6,499
• Drive System: Shimano EP8-RS
• Internal Battery Size: 360Wh
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Carbon

Electric mountain bikes are an exercise in balance with each company putting its unique spin on that balance. The question is always how much weight do you add in exchange for extra battery power and bigger motors. How much do you ask of the rider vs how much support is available from the bike? For the Orbea Rise, the answer is to keep things light and rider support low. The result is a bike that feels like a traditional mountain bike while still providing 60 Nm of max torque.

The Orbea Rise is available in four build versions. The M20 is the least expensive option and carries with it the Shimano SLX groupset. SLX is a 12-speed groupset with possible 1x or 2x configurations. On the Orbea Rise, it’s a 1×12 setup with a 32-tooth front crankset and a 10-51 rear cassette. Like almost all modern mountain bikes it carries hydraulic disc brakes. The front fork is a Fox 34 Float Performance 140 with 140mm of travel. The rear shock, also a Fox product, the Fox Float DPS Performance also with 140mm of travel.

If you were to go for the more expensive version of the Orbea Rise what you get is an upgraded, carbon, crankset. Along with the upgraded carbon crank, the primary upgrades are a move to the XTR groupset and upgraded wheels. Whatever version you go with there’s no integrated display included.

It’s designed to be an all-around trail bike. If you don’t really know what kind of mountain bike you want a trail bike is probably what you are imagining a mountain bike is. It will go most places and do most things expected of an electric mountain bike.

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A long and low enduro-focused Orbea with lots of power on tap when you need it.

• Price: $6,299
• Drive System: Bosch Performance CX Cruise
• Internal Battery Size: 625Wh
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Carbon front triangle. Aluminum Rear Triangle

There’s already an Orbea on this list of the best electric mountain bikes but I’m featuring a second. The differences in the trail, all-mountain, and enduro-focused bikes can be so small as to be imperceptible. There’s always going to be standout details but for most people, any of those categories is going to be more, or less, the same experience.

The Orbea rise is one of those standout bikes that draw a real distinction. It’s light and minimally assisted. The Orbea Rise is a more mainstream enduro-focused bike. The price is almost the same between the two M20 versions of the respective models. With that in mind, it’s worth considering which way you want to go with your riding.

If you feel like you want some real assist muscle on tap then the Orbea Wild FS is a great choice. There are a staggering 10 available models in the Wild FS lineup. Not only that but if you want to further customize your bike Orbea has options to swap components and choose custom colors. In this list, we took a look at the M20 model.

The Orbea Wild FS M20 starts with a Bosch Performance CX Cruise motor good for up to 85Nm of torque. There’s a sporty 340% pedal-assist good for hauling you up the biggest hills and a 625Wh Bosch powertube for the longest days. Paired with the electronics there’s a Shimano XT 1×12 drivetrain and a Sunrace 11-51 cassette. Wheels are 29″ in diameter with a 30mm width and stock tires are 2.6″ wide. Whatever you want to throw at the Orbea Wild FS electric mountain bike it’s not going to let you down.

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If you want to get off-road on the weekend and commute during the week.

• Price: $2,999.95
• Drive System: Bosch Active Line Plus
• Internal Battery Size: 400Wh
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Aluminum

Rules exist as an opportunity to break them. Down below where I talk about the main features of eMTB I say that electric mountain bikes should have full suspension. The Cannondale Tesoro Neo X 3 Remixte does not have full suspension but I included it anyway. It’s not, strictly speaking, a mountain bike though so perhaps I didn’t break my own rule.

If you’ve read through the description of each bike on this list and none of them felt quite right the Tesoro Neo X 3 Remixte might be the bike for you.

The idea of what a mountain bike is for can be a bit muddled if you are newly investigating the idea of owning one. Take cars as an example. Consider a more extreme mountain bike as something like a short wheelbase Jeep. They have a design meant to handle the most extreme off-roading. If you knew nothing about cars and were considering something that could be an occasional off-road companion you might start at the Jeep. With nothing else available that might work but there are other options. If you want something to sometimes take out in the countryside and get off-road a bit but spend the rest of the time in the city a good option is an SUV. Consider the Cannondale Tesoro Neo X 3 Remixte as the SUV of the electric mountain bike world.

It’s not meant to handle the most extreme you can throw at it. Instead with 29″ tubeless-ready wheels, front suspension, and 2.25″ semi-knobby tires, it can handle some off-road and some on-road. You could easily commute with it all week long then use the included rack to do a bit of bike-packing on the weekend. It’s here in this list as a counterpoint in case what you really want is something less extreme that can still get out of the city.

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GravityCoalition.com

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Depending on your view of the situation one of the best parts of being a cyclist is that there is always new stuff to get.  You started with the bike but that’s not where things stop. Now that you’ve got yourself set with an awesome electric mountain bike it’s a good time to think about the pieces that don’t come with the bike.

Before you start an excursion, you want to make sure you are ready to handle whatever the trail might throw in your direction. Your electric mountain bike lets you go longer and ride harder but it’s still a bike. Like other bikes, it doesn’t come with everything you need to get started.

The most basic place to start is with the tires. Most modern mountain bikes, electric or not, use tubeless tire technology. That means instead of a wheel with a tube and a tire, things look more like the tire on a car. There’s no tube and the tire seals directly to the wheel. The advantage is more traction, a more comfortable ride, and better puncture protection. Really all the advantages come down to running a lower tire pressure.

If a tire has a tube inside then there’s a limit to how low of pressure is possible to run. If the tire is too low the wheel will puncture the tube inside of the tire. Without the tube to get in the way you can run truly minimal tire pressure.

Less pressure means more space for the tire to absorb bumps and a wider contact patch for more traction.

It also means there’s less resistance against sharp objects for less chance of punctures. It’s an amazing system but setting up tubeless wheels requires a few tools and tricks you might not remember from bikes of years past.

Almost all tubeless rims need a layer of tubeless rim tape.

The rims on bike wheels, even tubeless-ready options, are rarely sealed. Each spot that the spoke penetrates the wheel is a spot that air has the opportunity to leak out. Tubeless rim tape also helps with the tire fitting to the wheel. Manufacturing for rims and tires isn’t exact so depending on the combination things can be loose. The rim tape will pick up any extra space to tighten up the fit.

Some electric mountain bikes will come with wheels already taped. If so that’s great but they might not and it’s always a good idea to keep some extra rim tape on hand.

When setting up tubeless tires the tire should seal to the rim without adding sealant. If it doesn’t do that, adding sealant will only mean wasted sealant and frustration. Any time I’ve ever had problems with a tire not sealing it’s been because the rim tape has failed.

Air gets past the tape somewhere and it won’t quite seal. Making sure you have some extra tape on hand means no last-minute stress if you find yourself changing a tire late at night before a ride.

There are a lot of choices for tubeless rim tape on the market and I’ve never had one that was so awful it wouldn’t work at all. Some are better than others though and its little details that make them easier to install. Punching the hole through the tape for the valve stem is an easy place to make a mistake. Get it wrong and the time and materials you just used to tape the rim were a waste. Muc Off is just translucent enough that you can see the hole to punch the hole accurately.

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The tubeless tire sealant is the magic sauce that makes tubeless tires even better. The real advantages of day-to-day riding come from the reduced tire pressure with tubeless but there’s more. There’s not much that’s less fun than a flat tire on a ride.

The first time you come home from a ride and notice sealant on your bike you might even want to do a little dance. It means you had a flat and never even knew it. I’m not going to say that’s the norm but with a quality sealant, it can happen.

Most shops tend to use Stans Sealant. It’s cheap and it’s easy to buy in bulk. It’s not the best sealant out there but it works.

If you have your wheels worked on by a shop, they typically add Stans. Months later when the sealant needs replacing Orange Seal is a good option because it plays nice with Stans Sealant.

There’s no reason to dismount the tire and make sure it’s clean inside. If there’s a bit of extra sealant left there’s no problem with using Orange Sealant.

That leads to the question of why not just use Stans? Orange Seal lasts longer before it dries up and when it does dry up you won’t find big balls of dried sealant inside of your tires. It also claims to seal up to 1/4″ cuts and is environmentally friendly.  Flats still happen but good sealant helps.

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This is one of those purchases that you will not ever regret. Instead, you will wonder why you didn’t buy it sooner.

You are getting a new electric mountain bike with tubeless wheels, just buy it now. When setting up tubeless wheels the best order of operations is to start by getting the tire seated on the wheel without any sealant. If you have any issues with the tubeless tape, a bent rim, or a defective tire, it’s better to set things up without the mess of sealant.

Once you’ve gotten the tire correctly mounted and it’s holding air, it’s time to add sealant. There’s a good amount of advice out there saying to pour the sealant into the tire by partially removing it from the wheel. Instead, remove the valve core, with the included tool, and inject the sealant through the valve stem.

There’s no mess and the measurements on the side of the syringe let you measure how much sealant to add. Save money by purchasing the sealant in bulk and just add what you need when you need to.

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One of the more common issues with setting up tubeless tires is getting a good seal at the valve stem. It often requires cranking down on the valve stem nut with a wrench. The whole process feels scary every time and I’ve scratched my fair share of rims with the side of a large pair of pliers. It’s a simple problem and an equally simple solution.

All you need is a bit of grip without too much leverage. The Vanice valve nut gives just that little extra needed grip without so much leverage that you risk damaging the rim. Put it on when setting up the tires as tubeless and save a scratched rim or frustration with sealing.

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There are tons of tubeless valves on the market and at some level, they all work.

What makes the Muc Off option better?

It’s the small details. Often the cheap valve stems on the market are poorly machined with rough threads.

It might seem like a small thing but when it’s already a hassle to get the valve stem nut on badly machined threads makes it even worse. There’s an attention to detail from Muc Off that you find in all the parts they make. Beyond quality machining, there’s also a hex key slot to further help with tightening the valve stem against the rim.

Oh, and don’t forget the colors. You spent a lot of money on a very nice electric mountain bike. Might as well match up all the little details.

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The last thing you need to get the tubeless tires on your new electric mountain bike ready for riding is a pump. If you’ve already got a few bikes in your stable you might already have a pump. Even if that’s the case, chances are good that if you are new to mountain biking you don’t have a pump for tubeless tires.

Once you’ve laid down a good bed of tubeless rim tape and installed the valve stems it’s time to pump up the tires. Every now and then a tire rim combination fits together so beautifully that just a regular pump will work to inflate them the first time. It’s pretty rare though. Normally what happens is you need a bunch of air to flow quickly into the tire.

With a high enough airflow rate, you can overcome any leaks and get the tire to pop into place. Shops use an air compressor to make things easier but for the home mechanic that doesn’t normally make much sense. The price difference might be minimal but the noise makes an air compressor best avoided at home.

Instead, use a blaster pump with an air canister. Pump up the canister then release all the air at once.

The Joe Blow take on this idea is one of the best on the market. Joe Blow has been making quality home bike pumps for as long as I’ve been riding. They have the experience and their combination of ease of use and price makes them the best tubeless pump I’ve tested.

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There is a never-ending list of things I could add when it comes to accessories for even the best electric mountain bikes. The idea here is to get you started. Tires come needing tubeless setup and the only other you need right away is a set of pedals.

Like many things related to mountain bikes, there is an endless debate about flat or clipless pedals that you, confusingly, clip into. If you are just starting on your mountain biking journey, flat pedals are a good place to start. You can ride without special shoes and it’s easier to put a foot down when things get a little too hectic.

Just like Santa Cruz bikes, Crankbrothers is a brand that started in a garage in the late 90’s in California. They’ve been building quality components primarily for mountain bikes for over 20 years and they know what they are doing. The Stamp 3 represents a middle model in their Stamp flat pedal lineup.

Crankbrothers is one of the pioneers in size-specific pedals.

The Stamp pedals are available in both small and large. The Small is the size meant for those with shoe sizes between 5 and 10. Along with the size-specific nature of their pedals, Crankbrothers is also a strong proponent of a convex pedal shape.

The shape helps lock the foot into position on the pedals. Coupled with an aggressive pin pattern it can also make adjusting your foot difficult. The Stamp 3 is a pedal that works well for whatever kind of mountain biking you might be doing. The design pairs the signature convex shape with a less aggressive pin pattern. It’s enough to keep you locked in when you need to be but still allow easy adjustment of your foot placement with needed.

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When you start down the path of purchasing an electric mountain bike it’s a good idea to think about what you are actually looking for. There are tons of options for electric mountain bikes but there are also tons of options for bikes in general. How does one define a mountain bike?

The most obvious thing is that mountain bikes do not have drop bars.

In more recent history there has been a rise in drop bar off-road bikes. Call them what you will, gravel bikes or cyclocross bikes, they are not mountain bikes. Now the truth is that drop bar mountain bikes do exist, though not in large numbers, I’m drawing the line somewhere and this is the place.

The other differentiator is suspension. There are tons of hardtail mountain bikes that only feature front suspension. Not only that but mountain bikes started largely as bikes that featured no suspension.

Over the years, technology got better and suspension became standard for the front. There is a die-hard group of people who still prefer a hardtail mountain bike. There is also a huge range of electric bikes, of all kinds, that use front suspension only.

In this lineup, we looked only at full suspension.

Bikes with suspensions on the front and the rear exist to tackle the biggest bumps and take on anything. The reason for this has to do with both the inherent difference with electric bikes as well as the rise of gravel bikes.

Suspension is heavy so on a traditional mountain bike some people prefer to reduce the weight and stick to only front suspension. With an electric mountain bike weight is much less of an issue. There are still reasons why it’s nice to keep the weight as low as possible, even on an electric mountain bike, but the advantages are worth the weight. With the helping hand of an electric motor getting a heavier bike up a hill isn’t really an issue, might as well add the capability of full suspension.

Another reason why I’ve looked to full suspension electric mountain bikes is the rise of gravel bikes. In years past if you wanted a bike you had to make a choice, did you want a bike designed for the road, or not? As gravel bikes became a force in the market there was suddenly the choice of a bike that would work for both.

Some gravel bikes have suspension and some do not but whatever design they take they are not suitable for technical off-road riding.

Gravel bikes are great for roads that aren’t paved and flowy single track but start throwing in big obstacles and you will want a mountain bike. Mountain bikes also have a longer, lower, suspension geometry that creates stability. So while there are certainly options for less than full suspension electric mountain bikes they aren’t the most capable. There’s overlap with gravel bikes and electric gravel bikes should be able to handle anything you want to take on.

Sometimes electric mountain bikes will list a range but sometimes they won’t. Even if they do it’s not a number you can reliably count on. If you are starting the search for a bike it might seem like an obvious detail to know. How far will the battery in my electric mountain bike carry me? Why isn’t it an easy-to-find and reliable number?

There are two easy ways to think about it. Everyone has an idea of how distance traveled corresponds to the distance traveled in a car. If you speed around all the time the fuel consumption is more rapid. In the same way, spend a majority of a tank of gas with the accelerator on the floor heading up steep mountain passes and you will run out of fuel quickly. Now apply that to your body.

There’s nothing for free and like an internal combustion engine, your body needs fuel to expend energy.

Instead of gasoline, your body uses food. The harder you work the more tired you are and the more fuel you need. For a car, it’s very easy to refuel. Stop at a gas station and put more fuel in the tank.

The system for your body is a little more complicated. While your body requires more fuel as you work harder the systems in your body fatigue and no matter how much fuel you take on you may not be able to continue.

The battery in an electric mountain bike falls somewhere between the two examples. It doesn’t fatigue over time but it’s also more complicated to add energy than just a quick gas stop. However, you want to think about it though, the more you ask about the battery the less distance you will get.

One of the coolest things about modern electric bikes is that they work together with your body. The more you pedal the less work the motor does and the longer the battery will last. On the other hand, the more time you spend climbing, and the more weight you are carrying, the less distance you can expect from the battery.

With all the variables it’s impossible for manufacturers to reliably give distance estimates. It’s nice when they do but it’s best to look for more direct comparisons and expect that distance will vary a great deal. Instead, look for battery size and motor output as points of comparison between systems.

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