Are you struggling to find a good cheap electric bike that fits your budget? A lot of top brands charge more for their names than the actual parts. Here at E-Bike Alpha Geeks, our #1 priority is finding affordable options that give you the most bang for your buck. In this guide, we share the best mid-range electric bikes on the market.
A lot can be had in this category, and we’re very familiar with the top budget brands that put out consistently good products that stand the test of time. We like to start our guides with an overview of our top picks that includes the most important specs to consider for each bike.
Below, you’ll find e-mountain, folding, fat-tire, and good ol’ standard e-bikes that are suitable for everyone from commuters to people who just want to have some fun. Also, seniors and other folks who have trouble getting up hills will find a ton of value here in our guide. Now, let’s get started with our helpful chart before we move on to the reviews of each bike.
Top 5 Mid-Range Electric Bikes
E-Bike | Description |
#1) Eahora XC100 Mountain Electric Bike |
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#2) NAKTO Cruiser Fat Tire Electric Bicycle |
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#3) Ecotric Fat Tire Portable & Folding Electric Bike |
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#4) NAKTO Camel City Electric Bicycle |
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#5) Swagtron EB5 Pro Plus Folding City & Campus Ebike |
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Best Mid-Range Electric Bike Reviews
As promised, we provided a good range of options to suit everyone’s needs. Depending on your budget, full-size e-bikes are available for an affordable price, and there are actually a couple of good budget electric mountain bikes in this price range. Once you dip down to budget e-bikes, full-size options are extremely limited.
As far as motor size in the budget realm, the highest you’ll typically find is 500W. Although, it’s important to note that the stated motor size isn’t always entirely accurate since companies will sometimes list lower wattages to make their bikes okay for general sales in countries with stricter rules. If one thing is for sure, all the bikes in this guide are very reasonably priced and give you excellent value for the money.
Let’s get rolling below with the reviews to give you a clear picture of what each bike offers along with the drawbacks to consider before making your final decision.
#1) Eahora XC100 Mountain Electric Bike
At the time of this writing, Eahora’s XC100 Plus is very competitively priced, and the company’s standard XC100 version costs about the same as Nakto’s Cruiser. The greatest advantage of this bike is that it’s a great e-mountain bike that costs much less than top brands charge. For first-time e-mountain bike owners and people on a budget, the XC100 is our top overall pick in the electric mountain bike department.
The feature we like the most in Eahora bikes is the company’s super-efficient E-PAS technology. The E-PAS system works by recharging the battery while you ride to greatly extend the range per charge. It works by sending energy back to the battery when the bike reaches speeds above 13 mph with pedal-assist (PAS) turned off or on PAS level 1. With this feature, you get massive ranges of up to 50 miles or more per charge.
Additional features that add great value to this bike are the Shimano 7-speed derailleur, front & rear mechanical disc brakes, front fork suspension, a user-friendly LCD color display on the Plus version, and the upgraded frame that lowered the overall weight of the bike to just 50 lbs. All in all, if you’re looking for a cheap e-mountain bike, look here first.
Pros
- Impressively long range per charge with Eahora’s E-PAS technology
- Front fork suspension for a smoother ride offroad and over bumpy surfaces
- The waterproof color LCD display on the Plus version clearly shows all the most important figures
- Super lightweight compared to other e-mountain bikes
- Mechanical disc brakes rather than V-brakes
- Choose between full-electric, pedal assistance, and pedal-only modes
- High max speeds of 25+mph
Cons
- The instructions aren’t the clearest
- No rear suspension
- Not the most comfortable option for city commuters
#2) NAKTO Cruiser Fat Tire Electric Bicycle
Finding a full-size fat-tire electric bike for an affordable price is no easy task, and this model by Nakto is currently the best available. Nakto is one of our favorite budget e-bike brands with excellent customer service marks and a good range of budget e-bikes to suit everyone’s needs. For this reason, we included two of their top models in this guide.
Nakto’s Cruiser is a great all-around e-bike for men & women that’s built to tackle most terrains with its fat tires. Fat tires are good for city dwellers who want to avoid the pain of riding over potholes or other bumpy surfaces. While we do love small folding e-bikes for the sake of convenience, you get a much smoother and more comfortable ride with a fat-tire electric bike.
As for the Cruiser’s features, there’s a lot to like about this bike for the price. Several features we like outside of the tires are the mechanical disc brakes, good shock absorption, a quick 4-hour charging time, max speeds up to 30 mph, and the option to use full-electric mode without the need to pedal at all. Overall, this bike and Nakto’s Camel deliver the most comfortable rides of the five models in our guide.
Pros
- The LCD panel and user-friendly controls make this bike very beginner-friendly
- One of the smoothest rides you’ll find from a mid-range electric bike
- One of the only fat-tire full-size electric bikes in this price range
- A good choice for city dwellers and people living in NYC who want a bike that cruises over potholes and uneven surfaces
- Holds up well over gravel and offroad conditions
- Full-electric mode allows for completely unassisted riding
- Easily upgradeable
- 4″ fat fires
Cons
- No front fork or rear suspension
- Too heavy for some people
- The handlebars might feel too low to you
#3) Ecotric Fat Tire Portable & Folding Electric Bike
Now, let’s enter the folding e-bike realm. This unique model by Ecotric blends the advantages of owning a fat-tire e-bike with the conveniences of a folding bike. With this model, you get a comfortable e-bike that rides over bumpy surfaces well, yet it’s small enough to fold up to put in the back of an SUV or inside a trunk depending on your car.
Of the five models in this guide, this bike features the only 500W motor with more than enough to juice to power this little beast up and over hills. Additionally, we love to see that this bike offers an 18 to 23-mile range on electric power only. With pedal assistance, it’s possible to get up to 40 miles or more per charge, which is quite nice considering it does have a longer charging time of 6 to 8 hours.
A couple of final notes we want to highlight are the sturdy frame on this bike that provides enough support for taller folks over 6′, and it accelerates quickly. If you’re looking for a bike that does most of the work for you, this is an excellent choice. For people who want more exercise from a bike that pushes them with pedal-assist on the lowest setting, you may find that this bike gives you more power than you want on PAS 1.
Pros
- One of the most powerful and fastest folding electric bikes for people on a budget
- Impressive acceleration from the 500W motor
- The perfect mix of convenience and power
- Suitable for taller folks outside the recommended height range by Ecotric
- Front & rear fenders to block debris/moisture from kicking up
- Climbs up hills like a champ
Cons
- The disc brakes may require adjustments upon arrival
- Folding it could be easier
- The lowest pedal-assist setting might feel too high to you
#4) NAKTO Camel City Electric Bicycle
For women and seniors who desire a comfortable ride, Nakto’s Camel is the best inexpensive electric bike of the five in our guide. The step-through frame makes the Camel the easiest to mount. Plus, the frame, seat, and pedal designs offer the most upright riding position of the bikes in this guide to avoid having to strain your back by hunching over. Essentially, this bike is an electric cruiser bike, and we all know how comfortable cruisers are.
Despite being a cruiser, the Camel takes on several hybrid bike features such as the Shimano 6-speed derailleur and some front fork shock absorption. Additional features you’ll like that make the Camel great for cruising around town to run errands are the integrated horn, included front basket, rear rack, front & rear fenders, and an LED headlight.
Lastly, you’ll love that this bike offers an unassisted electric mode to cruise around town without pedaling. In this mode, it’s possible to get up to 28 miles on a single charge. With PAS, you get up to 35 miles or more. All things considered, this bike is probably the best model for the money of the five in our guide.
Pros
- A full-size electric bike for this price is a steal
- An excellent choice for city dwellers and people living in suburban areas who want an e-bike to run errands
- Front basket and a rear rack to secure your belongings and hold your purchases
- Very beginner & senior-friendly with its simple controls and a step-through frame
- Up to 28 unassisted miles per charge
- Stands the test of time
Cons
- May require some adjustments upon arrival
- Heavier than it looks
- The basket may not sit correctly and need to be replaced
#5) Swagtron EB5 Pro Plus Folding City & Campus Ebike
The final model in our Top 5 is one of the cheapest ebikes on the market that’s worth the money. Compared to the four models above, the Swagtron EB5 is the most limited, but if it’s all you need, you’ll fork out the least amount of cash of the bikes in this guide to own it. One of the first advantages of this bike is its adjustability.
If you plan to share your bike with your family or friends and need a model that accommodates the widest height range, this bike is the one. One reason Swagtron calls this bike a “campus ebike” is that it’s perfect for students who live on campus who commute short distances between home and class. For this reason, the EB5 is also great for city dwellers who don’t have to go far from home to run errands or hang out with friends.
Lastly, let’s discuss the reasons you may want to choose this bike over the others. First, it’s the easiest bike to fold, store, and travel with of the five models in our guide. Second, the removable battery is nice for charging the battery away from the bike and to pop in a replacement battery if you run out of juice while out. Third, it weighs just 37 lbs and can support up to 264 lbs, making it the lightest e-bike in our guide.
Pros
- A lot easier to fold and pick up than the Ecotric fat tire folding bike
- Easily remove the battery and pop in a replacement when needed (quick 4 to 5-hour charging time)
- Adjustable seat and handlebars to accommodate the widest rider height range
- One of the cheapest models that’s worth owning
- Powerful enough to climb moderate hills
- Fits inside most car trunks
Cons
- V-brakes
- Minimal shock absorption with no suspension system
- Not easy to pedal or use as a regular bike if the battery dies
Bottom Line
We did our comprehensive review, and these are the five best mid-range electric bikes currently available. Eahora, Nakto, and Ecotric all have excellent customer service marks, and we trust them to stand behind their products. Of the three brands, we feel that Nakto offers the most value for the money, especially with its Cruiser and Camel models. You’d be hard-pressed to find bikes in either category for cheaper.
For folding models, we really like Ecotric’s fat-tire bike, though, the Swagtron EB5 is the most convenient and cheapest option in our guide. Depending on your needs and desires, you may find that the EB5 is all the bike you need, just know that it won’t accelerate as fast or provide the same oomph as the 500W motor on Ecotric’s bike.
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