Best electric gravel bikes: Get a boost riding off-road

The best electric gravel bikes offer you all the fun of gravel riding but with some extra assistance to make tackling off-road terrain that bit easier.

The best gravel bikes allow you to get off the beaten track and explore new terrain. But riding off-road can be a lot harder work than on the tarmac. Climbs are often steeper and trickier, with loose surfaces lowering traction so that out-of-saddle efforts are not practicable.

That's where electric gravel bikes come in. The motor provides enough extra assistance to allow you to tackle rides with less effort, making it possible to ride further and faster and also to tackle climbs that would have you walking without the added assistance.

The best electric bikes provide similar help on the road, but pairing the motor with a gravel bike configuration is a winning combination to take you to new places. 

Here is our pick of the best electric gravel bikes currently available, or head lower down the page for our buyer's guide to how to choose the best electric gravel bike for your needs.

Best electric gravel bikes

The Cannondale Neo Carbon Lefty 1 builds on the standard Topstone Lefty, with a carbon frame and front and rear suspension. The rear is a passive suspension system using the natural flex in the carbon layup and a thru-axle pivot in the seat stay-seat tube junction. Cannondale calls the whole system the Kingpin rear suspension system and promises up to 30mm of movement at the saddle. 

In the front is a revised version of the gravel Lefty single-leg suspension fork first introduced on the Slate gravel bike. There's 30mm of air-sprung suspension movement from the Lefty Oliver. The look is polarising but it's a system tuned for the needs of gravel riding and it works. Bear in mind that the high front end will drop a little once the suspension sag is set correctly and you're riding the bike.

The chosen power unit for the Cannondale Neo Carbon Lefty 1 is a high torque 250w Bosch Performance Line CX system. It's designed to work well even at low cadence and provide a sporty riding feel and is paired with a SRAM Force/X01 Eagle mullet drivetrain for serious off-road ability. 

If your idea of the best electric gravel bike is one that you can use on almost all occasions, from weekend bike-packing rides to urban commuting, then the Merida eSilex+ 600 could be exactly what you're looking for.

Powered by an eBikemotion X35 motor with 250Wh battery capacity, the eSilex delivers a seriously composed and comfortable ride, complemented by compact geometry and a relaxed riding position. Its aluminium frame boasts thin tubing that doesn't resonate in the same way that chunky carbon frames can, making it a much quieter and more pleasant affair to ride with the motor in full support mode.

With mounts galore for accessories, it's the kind of e-gravel bike that can wear all manner of hats when you need it to.

Specialized names its e-bike gravel models by adding Evo to the road-focused models. The actual design of the two models is similar and the geometry between the two bikes is exactly the same. 

Added to the gravel-focused models you'll find a different wheel and tyre package with wider rubber, flared handlebars and a dropper post with 50mm of travel. If you want a bike that can move between paved and off-road paths then the Specialized is a great choice.

The custom-designed motor is not a high-torque system but is rather designed for handling steep technical trails and obstacles. There's only 35Nm of torque on demand but if you're frugal, you can expect a quoted range of 80 miles (128km), which you can add around 40 per cent to by fitting a range extender bottle cage battery.

The Grail:ON CF 8 eTap is another polarizing bike. The frame utilises a unique double handlebar setup referred to as the double-decker hover bar. Instead of going down the route of suspension, with all its potential tradeoffs, Canyon chose to go with a passive system. 

The intent is still increased comfort through increased front-end compliance but it's lighter and simpler. The double bar also gives an upright riding position that suits long days covering rough ground, without the bike having a long headtube. Like the Lefty fork, it works well but its looks are polarizing.

In terms of assistance, Canyon has used a more mountain bike-focused system from Bosch called the Performance Line CX (Gen4), which delivers 85Nm of torque. The system has a focus on the smooth handling of roots, steps and stones, even in low cadence and high torque uphill situations.

The Giant Revolt e+ Pro has been built around making the riding feel natural and that's why it's so interesting. It utilises a Yamaha-developed motor that Giant has then customised by tuning the software to increase the available pedal assistance and torque output. 

Torque, cadence, slope and speed are all evaluated to understand how to ramp up assistance in a way that feels natural. Climbing a steep hill or riding across town is easily controlled with no intrusive surging in power and the like. 

The road bike-like geometry also gives the bike a racy nature and once up to speed, it's relatively easy to maintain momentum and zip to and from home.

The Vitus E Substance Carbon E Adventure Bike doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it offers an excellent all-around package at a competitive price point. Powered by a Fazua motor with a 250Wh battery and 40Nm of maximum torque, you can achieve around 400 watts of peak power in its full power mode. Don't be fooled, however, into thinking that you're getting a free ride. The Fazua motor is designed to complement your workout, not deprive you of one.

The bike comes equipped with SRAM Apex 1 gearing with a 1x setup combined with a 10-42 11-speed cassette. The 38t chainring should make climbing easier while rolling along on gravel-specific 650b wheels wrapped in 47mm wide WTB Venture TCS tyres.

If you like the sound of a hand-made carbon bike from the USA then Alchemy is the answer. Since 2008 Alchemy has been putting out work like no other. All the manufacturing for every bike happens under the roof of its Denver, Colorado-based headquarters. In-house manufacturing means customers can choose custom paint. Other perks include a crash replacement discount, a two-week money-back guarantee, free shipping and a lifetime warranty.

There are two base colour options and four choices of drivetrain: Shimano GRX, Shimano GRX di2, SRAM Force AXS and SRAM Red AXS. Also included are HED wheels, and Zipp cockpit, and no matter which build you choose you’ll find a Fazua Evation motor system and clearance for up to 45mm with 700c or 2.1in with 650b. 

At under £3,000, the Fazua-powered Boardman ADV 8.9e isn't exactly what you'd call a budget offering but it's the most affordable model on the market.

The frame uses aluminium as a nod to keeping the price contained but Boardman has still managed to include a carbon fork. The running gear consists of a Sram Apex 1x11 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes, a Boardman alloy cockpit and wheels, and a Fizik saddle.

The 38mm tyres might be better suited to cyclo-cross than gravel but they do a good enough job ironing out trail buzz and supplying grip. As an everyday commuter, the Boardman ADV 8.9e makes for a very compelling case as to why it should be considered as your next N+1 purchase.

The Ribble CGR AL e is one of the cheapest electric grave bikes on the market. There are a variety of levels available and they start well below £3,000 for a Shimano Tiagra version. As with all Ribble bikes, you can easily up-spec using its Bike Builder app to choose from a range of different components.

Ribble also sells the Gravel AL e, if you want more tyre clearance and a more gravelly geometry and spec with Shimano GRX 1x and 2x groupset options.

Whatever configuration ends up fitting your budget the Ribble CGR Al e uses the Ebikemotion X35 drive system. While the Ribble bike is a budget option this same system shows up on bikes at all price ranges and includes the same integrated downtube battery and rear hub motor as in the Ribble CGR AL e.

With the Basso Volta the idea was to take the muscle-powered Palta and add more versatility. The hand-built carbon frame gets a new layup and internal structure but retains a similar geometry. Keeping the same geometry ensures similar levels of ride feel and the motor adds a helping hand when you need it.

Keeping the bike light was a priority for Basso and the Italian Polini motor fills that need. The 250W (500W max) motor weighs in at only 2.8kg and sports one of the best power-to-weight ratios in the industry. The torque is a bit lower than the Bosch equivalent but, at 16.5kg for the whole system, it's light enough to pedal without assistance.

The Look e-765 Gravel is a capable e-bike with up to 400W of pedal assist, although geometry and tyre clearance are a little less than some electric gravel bikes. There's a quality app available for monitoring anything you can think of. Through the app, any battery system details you might want to know are available at a glance as is all the normal ride-tracking data you'd expect.

If you'd rather ride a traditional pedal-powered bike you can remove the entire drive system, as the Fazua system houses everything in a Drivepack system. Combined in a single unit you'll find an integrated motor and electronics as well as a removable battery. Simply slide the battery into place and then insert the whole unit into the downtube or swap it with a cover. With the drive system removed, there is only a small weight penalty and the now-empty cavity is perfect for whatever you want to carry.

What to look for when buying an electric gravel bike