Best electric bikes under $1,000 / £1,000: Budget options to make your ride easier
Here's our pick of the best electric bikes under $1,000 / £1,000 for commuters and off-road riders
The best electric bikes under $1,000 / £1,000 will help you with your riding without breaking the bank. For shorter rides, including commuting by bike, and for leisure riding, they'll give you a boost to get you to your destination more quickly and easily.
While the best electric bikes can have price tags that run into the thousands and the best lightweight electric bikes are, in general, even more expensive, the best electric bikes under $1,000 / £1,000 are not much more expensive than the best budget hybrid bikes without a motor.
We've got separate guides to the best electric bikes for commuting and the best budget electric bikes if you want more suggestions and don't mind spending a little more than $1,000 / £1,000.
But if that's a top limit on what you want to spend, read on for our picks of the best electric bikes under $1,000 / £1,000. Towards the bottom of the page, we've got a buyer's guide, answering your questions on how to choose the best electric bikes under $1,000 / £1,000.
Best electric bikes under $1000 in the US
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1. Schwinn EC1
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The Schwinn EC1 is a bike that will give you the joy of riding a classic cruiser but with little of the effort normally involved. Whilst the bike might not have any top-of-the-range components, it does have a 250W electric motor that offers fantastic value for money.
The bike will assist you up to 20mph in its top power mode, but if you use the motor in its eco mode, you’ll be able to get up to 45 miles of assisted riding. The bike comes with wide tyres for a plush ride on the road, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, they should handle some loose ground, should you wish to head down the bike path.
2. Hyper Bicycles E-Ride
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If you're only looking for something to ride on occasional weekends throughout the summer then you shouldn't need to demand much of your e-bike, making this sub-$800 Hyper bike from Walmart an excellent value-for-money choice.
While it doesn't come with premium components, it is a cheap and cheerful, basic e-bike that will do what you want it to if you're heading out on chilled, fairweather leisure rides.
It comes with three assistance modes - slow, medium and fast - and works with pedal-assist only, rather than having a throttle.
3. NAKTO City women's
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The NAKTO City Electric Bicycle is suitable for someone who wants a relaxed, fast and easy way of getting around town. The step-through frame makes it simple to get on and off the bike, whilst the big saddle, front suspension and wide tyres mean you’ll be cycling in comfort. The bike also comes finished with a handy kickstand and a powerful front light to keep you safe. Front and rear mudguards will keep you dry on those wetter days and a front basket and rear pannier rack allow you to carry up to 250lbs of load.
On a normal bike carrying that amount might be a chore, but not here. The bike has a plenty-powerful motor to get you from A to B with ease. The 250W of power can be applied either through pedal assistance or throttle, but the range is limited to between 20 and 25 miles if you choose the latter.
4. NAKTO Cruiser Fat Tire Electric Bike
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If a mountain bike isn’t rugged enough for you, how about an electric fat bike? For under $1,000, you can get your hands on the NAKTO Fat Tire bike. Fat bikes are great for getting you to the places most bikes can’t, like snow-covered peaks and sandy beaches. The bike has a robust steel frame, a front suspension fork, a six-speed drivetrain, disc brakes and huge 4-inch tyres, so it will handle anything you throw at it with ease. It also comes with lights pre-installed for visibility on darker rides.
Powering the bike is a whopping 300w motor, controlled by an LCD display on the handlebars. You can apply this power with one of three levels either with pedal assist or using a throttle, and you can get up to a claimed 35 miles of use out of the battery. Alternatively, if speed is your thing, you can reach speeds of around 30mph on the flat!
5. Kent Bicycle Cruiser Electric Bicycle
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A 375Wh battery gives this cruiser-style electric bike a decent range, while the disc brakes help to bring you to a stop quickly. There's a 350W motor and eight-speed Shimano shifting, which give you plenty of options to cruise along or to get up hills. It's Class 1 rating means that its speed is limited to 20mph with pedal assist only and without a throttle.
The frame is designed for low stand-over and easy on and off and the Kent bike includes fenders and a rack, so it will serve for more than just summer beach cruising, although the white tire sidewalls mark it out for laid-back fair weather riding.
6. Gotrax Traveler Electric Bicycle
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The Gotrax Traveler has a 500 watt rear hub motor that powers it quickly up to 20mph and provides plenty of assistance on a hill. There's a range of around 30 miles possible from the large capacity removeable battery, or 20 miles if you just use the throttle and don't pedal.
Seven speed Shimano gears let you choose the right one for your speed and there are three assist levels. A suspension fork helps keep things smooth. Other extras include a front light and an anti-lock system on the disc brakes.
Best electric bikes under £1,000
1. Carrera Crosscity folding bike
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If you have limited space for storing bikes in your office or need to take your bike on a train at any point, then this bike is an ideal choice for you.
The rear hub motor kicks in once you start pedalling. It has a range of up to 30 miles and can push you up to speeds of 25km/h, which should make light work of any commute.
The discreetly hidden battery has a recharge time of six hours, which will take longer than most here, but you can still fully charge it at the office before heading home again. Plus, it even has a USB port that can be used to power lights or charge your phone. The motor is controlled by a mini LED display on the handlebars which allows you to choose from three assistance levels.
At full price, the Carrera Crosscity now costs just over £1,000, although you may find that Halfords has it discounted. If £1,000 is a hard ceiling though, Halfords has other options that cost less, including a couple we've outlined below.
2. Xiaomi Mi folding electric bike
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The Xiaomi folding electric bike includes a torque sensor, making for more consistent power delivery. It comes with a removable 209Wh battery mounted in the slender frame and a 250W front hub motor. The three assistance levels are controlled via a bar-mounted LED display.
The cycle components consist of a three-speed hub gear and Tektro rim brakes. There's a neat folding mechanism that creates a fairly compact package that rests on the bottom of the seat post.
To pack the battery into a neat-looking frame, it's necessarily small and Halfords quotes a max range of 25 miles. That might be enough to cover your commute, but if you need more range you may want to look at other options. There's no option to fit mudguards or a rack either.
3. Assist hybrid electric bike
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The Halfords Assist e-bike range includes this 20-inch model as well as two larger, 26-inch wheeled electric bikes, one with a crossbar and one with a step-through frame.
This 20" model is Halfords' lowest price electric bike and comes with a removable battery with a quoted average range of 15 miles, although recharge time is said to be just 3 hours, making a top-up between uses an easy option.
There's only a single-speed drivetrain, so the Assist Hybrid is good for flat runs, but not so much if there's a hill involved. There's a walk mode to help you to push the bike around too.
4. Elops 120 E Step Over Classic
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This traditionally styled town bike from Decathlon comes with a whole host of features that make it perfect for getting about town. First and foremost, it comes with a removable battery that can power you for between 20- and 55km depending on how much assistance you choose to have.
This is all controlled by a simple console on the bars which also shows you the remaining battery life. The power is intelligently pedal-assisted, so it’ll kick in naturally when you start to cycle and switch off when you stop pedalling or come to a halt. There’s even a walk mode to help you push your bike when you need to do so.
It comes with six gears to keep you rolling both on the flat and uphill, and front and rear lights and mudguards are already installed to keep you riding during the winter months. To finish it off, 45mm tyres and a wide saddle mean you’ll be as comfortable as possible when cycling.
5. Rockrider E-ST 100 Electric Mountain Bike
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The fact you can get a hardtail electric mountain bike for less than £1,000 is quite staggering. Decathlon's Rockrider E-ST100 is a well-equipped trail bike with 100mm of front suspension travel in a Suntour fork and 2.2-inch all-terrain tyres. It comes complete with 720mm wide bars for close control on the bike, and 180mm disc brakes for impressive stopping power. Although it doesn’t come with tubeless tyres fitted, the wheels are tubeless compatible; a perfect upgrade to make to help avoid punctures.
Alongside the eight-speed gears, electrical power is delivered via pedal assistance of up to 250w of power helping you to get to the top of trails with ease. The motor, which has three power modes, automatically stops when you stop pedalling, helping to keep you in control on the downhills. If there is a bit of trail you can’t pedal up, the walk-assist feature makes sure you can walk the bike uphill more easily. The average battery life of 2.25 hours means you should get plenty of time out on the trails.
6. B'Twin Tilt 500E 20-inch Electric Folding Bike
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Decathlon has folding bike options in its range as well, including this B'Twin Tilt 500E 20" wheel folding e-bike. Decathlon quotes a range of up to 35km and a rapid fold in under 15 seconds.
The motor sits in the rear hub, helping with stability when riding and the battery can either be charged on the bike or removed to somewhere where it's easier to plug in the charger.
With six speeds, the bike should be good to tackle uphill sections of your ride and there are even mudguards, lights and a kickstand.
How to choose the best cheap electric bike
What kind of electric bike should I get?
The most important consideration when buying a new bike is what kind of riding you want to do with it.
If you’re hoping to hit the trails, perhaps a fold-up bike isn’t the one for you. Similarly, if you want to join in with long group rides, buy yourself an electric road bike, not a town bike. If you want to replace your car with a bike for your commute, you might want to consider a folding bike or a bike that comes fitted with a pannier rack and mudguards, or, at least mounting points on the bike so you can install your own.
Some bikes might also come with integrated lights pre-installed. However, this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker, as you can always invest in the best bike lights.
What do I get extra if I spend more than $1,000 / £1,000 on an electric bike?
Hitting a low price for an electric bike inevitably means compromises. The easiest way to reduce the bike's price is to use a smaller battery, as the raw materials are costly - we all know how much electric cars cost.
That in turn reduces range. It may not be a problem for you, depending on how far you want to ride and whether you can charge up between outings, but a more expensive e-bike may offer greater battery capacity and so more range.
As we mention below, there are some name-brand motor systems which have a reputation for quality. You're unlikely to find these though without spending considerably more than $1,000 / £1,000.
The bicycle components used are likely to be better quality if you spend more too. That may increase durability and also offer more gears, better tyres, a more substantial frame and potentially lower weight.
How long do electric bike batteries last?
The vast majority of electric bikes will use motors and batteries from a handful of brands, although when looking at the best electric bikes under £1,000 / $1,000 you're less likely to get a branded motor.
If your bike has a Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha/Giant, Mahle, Fazua, Specialized or Brose setup, you know you’re in good hands, which may be a reason to spend more on your electric bike. Bafang is also a well-regarded brand for less expensive electric bike motors.
Another important consideration is watt-hours (Wh) as this is a measure of the amount of power you’ll have for a period of time. It may seem complicated, but it’s simple really. If your battery is 300 watt-hours, you can either run at 300 watts for one hour, 150 watts for two hours or 75 watts for four hours.
You're unlikely to be running your motor at full power all the time, particularly if you are pedalling rather than (in the US) relying on the throttle, so you should expect more than the theoretical minimum range.
How often should I charge my electric bike?
If you’re planning on doing long rides then you should look out for bikes with larger batteries, but if you’re keeping your rides under 30 miles, most e-bikes should have enough charge, and you can easily charge your battery between rides.
Bikes normally have graded power assistance, with the most economical modes offering the least assistance, but keeping you going for the longest time. Most batteries lock to the bikes and you’ll need a key to unlock and remove them, which has the benefits of making them less likely to be stolen, easier to remove and charge up, and lighter to carry around if you need to do so.
Some electric bikes will be exclusively pedal assist - in the UK and Europe these are the only type that are legal on the roads, while in the US these are Class 1. Some, mainly in the US, might also have a throttle installed, making them Class 2. Whichever way they apply power, most have more than enough to keep you going at a decent speed, making battery range one of the most important factors when buying a new bike.
How can I keep my e-bike safe?
Once you've taken the plunge and invested in an all-new electric bike, the last thing you want to happen is for it to be stolen. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce this risk.
We have an article dedicated to advising how to prevent bike theft, but the key takeaways are to ensure you choose one of the best bike locks, ensure you know how to lock a bike correctly and shop around to compare bicycle insurance to ensure you are covered by the best bike insurance policy for your needs.
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Paul has been on two wheels since he was in his teens and he's spent much of the time since writing about bikes and the associated tech. He's a road cyclist at heart but his adventurous curiosity means Paul has been riding gravel since well before it was cool, adapting his cyclo-cross bike to ride all-day off-road epics and putting road kit to the ultimate test along the way. Paul has contributed to Cyclingnews' tech coverage for a few years, helping to maintain the freshness of our buying guides and deals content, as well as writing a number of our voucher code pages.
