Electric bikes are becoming more popular as a commuting option every year. With the improvements in mileage range, motor quality, recharge time, and speed, electric bikes are more ready than ever to get you from point A to point B. Since there are loads of great options on the market, we thought it would be a good idea to narrow the field a bit and show you some of our favorites. Here are our top 8 electric bikes for commuting for 2017.
Closeout pricing on the Medium frame Dash!
Obviously, if you are a daily electric bike commuter, speed is going to be important at some point. Going 28mph might seem like a crazy amount of speed to some people. Once you get used to it there really is no going back. The E3 Dash is a great option for a great price. The bike offers up to 35 miles per battery charge, so you can make it to wherever you’re going without charging up. The battery is situated on the downtube. This means you have a better center of gravity and can carry more cargo on your rear rack. The Suntour fork offers suspension with 63mm of travel for a less bumpy ride.
IZIP has done a great job on this update. They battery seems to fit a bit better than on previous models, and I love the updated geometry making for easier riding.
Another great option from IZIP. Most of the components are actually pretty similar to the Dash. There is one major design difference that draws me a little more towards the Protour: the complete integration of the downtube battery. This is one of those electric bikes where you really cannot even tell the battery is there. To some this isn’t so important, but to me it looks so much better. This bike will also take you 28mph.
The other reason I’m so excited about this particular bike is because it uses the new COBI system. COBI is an app that was recently developed to integrate GPS, speedometer, music, phone, and a lot more onto your smartphone. It is a fresh take on the cockpit you see on most electric bikes. COBI also includes a headlight and taillight and a fully automated alarm system for when you lock your bike up. On top of all that, the app is always updating, so new features can show up at anytime.
This bike has dropped over $1000 dollars since this article was first posted!
This is another great option that will take you 28mph. Bulls has opted to use a Brose motor on this bike, which is great if you have a commute that involves any hills. Coming in with 90nm of torque and 350 watts in the motor, this powerful electric bike can handle any hill you throw at it. Still having trouble getting on steep hills? The super-quiet Brose is one of the few mid-drive motors that can accommodate a dual chainring in the front. This means more gears for an easier ride. Add that to a 650 watt hour battery, and this bike is just about unbeatable.
Closeout prices on this bike!
You guessed it, another 28mph commuter bike. I love the design of this bike. I’ve mentioned before that I greatly prefer when the battery disappears into the frame as it does here. It’s also a very rigid bike. A lot of times as a commuter you end up paying for a bike that has suspension that you don’t necessarily need. To make up for any big bumps in the road, they’ve given you some pretty thick Big Ben tires coming in at 2″ wide. Raleigh really has stripped this bike down to the necessary components for a daily commute. This bike comes with the very quiet Brose motor and 10 speeds in the rear cassette which makes your ride as easy as you want it to be.
This bike $900 dollars off while they last!
This bike is for a commuter who likes to cut through some back trails to shorten the ride to work. The Xduro Trekking 4.0 is really more like a Cross bike. While you won’t want to do crazy downhill trails with it, it’ll do well on that bumpy bike path that takes 15 minutes off of your commute. The Suntour fork comes with suspension with 60mm of travel and a through axle instead of a quick release for a sturdier ride. The 27.5″ wheels provide great control on any road. Haibike also includes a full lighting system along with this bike that you can operate remotely. That means no more worrying about whether you need to replace the batteries in your headlight or taking it with you to prevent theft.
Closeout prices on this bike while they last!
Or for an upgrade, go for the Trekking S 5.0. What do you get extra? Well for one thing, you get to go 28mph. You also get an upgrade in the quality of your tires, including a nice reflective strip for improved visibility. Side visibility is a safety feature that I feel is often overlooked by a lot of companies, so it’s cool to see Haibike offering that option. You still get the front suspension, through axle, and lighting system as well. To me, it’s worth paying a little extra for the ability to go faster. Or maybe you just like red better than yellow!
Limited quantities available for almost $1000 off!
The nice thing about this bike is its versatility. Looking at it, you would probably assume mountain bike because of its full suspension, thick tires, and geometry. But most of Haibike’s can take you on streets or trails. The nice thing about buying this bike would be that you could literally take it anywhere, so if traffic is heavy you can just pull off on a trail. The FullSeven 7.0 also comes with a full lighting system and is pretty fluorescent itself, so it’s safe to ride at night. The Fox Fork and rear suspension provide an ultra-smooth ride no matter what kind of road you are on. Plus, it comes with the added benefit of a 500 watt hour battery pack, so you can minimize on having to charge up in between rides.
The Magura MT series hydraulic brakes offer great stopping power. I’d also like to point out that Haibike has offered a kickstand, which is pretty rare for a full suspension bike.
This is another new bike company that I’m very excited about. A Blix Bike company, Wallerang has designed their bikes to operate with everything you would need for a full day. Basically, they want you to be able to carry anything you’d normally want to throw in your car. As you can see above, they offer you front and rear racks for maximized storage capacity. This bike can essentially become a touring bike if you want to invest in panniers and baskets. Wallerang does offer four different models. I recommended the M.02X because of the low-step frame and the suspension in the RockShox fork. When you have a lot of gear, the last thing you want to do is throw your leg over a standard frame. The low step option makes it so you don’t have to do this. I also don’t want all my gear banging around the bags and baskets when I’m road riding. The front suspension with 80mm of travel helps minimize this.
The Shimano Steps offers you a decently powerful motor with 412 watt hours, meaning you’ll get to where you’re going faster with less charge time. Of course, they include a lighting system. The final aspect of this bike that I love is that it is relatively lightweight when compared to other electric bikes weighing in at about 46 pounds.
Our Top 8 electric bikes for commuting for 2017 offer some great options. If you want to hear more about these or other bikes, drop us a line. We can talk to you about safely commuting, maintenance, or anything else you might have questions about. Get on top of the electric bike trend! Happy riding!