The best lightweight electric bikes avoid the high weight and bulkiness that are features of many electric bikes. Instead, they will give you a ride that's not too dissimilar to a non-assisted bike, but with an added electrical power boost.
The best electric road bikes and the best lightweight electric bikes can approach the weight of many of the best road bikes, so they will often look and ride similarly. That's usually achieved by using carbon fibre for the bike frame and fitting compact, lightweight motor and battery systems. This has advantages and disadvantages.
Chief among the minuses is higher prices from the more expensive materials and components used, alongside the more limited assistance offered, both in terms of power and often range.
But in return, you'll get an e-bike that feels more sprightly and climbs and accelerates better, and that's a lot easier to carry and move around.
We've covered options for lightweight electric hybrids for commuting, lightweight folding e-bikes and lightweight road e-bikes in the guide below. Lower down the page is our buyer's guide with advice on how to choose.
Best lightweight electric bikes: Quick list
The Vado 2 has a claimed 20.3kg weight, despite a spec that's good for commuting and includes lights, mudguards and a rack.
The Brompton Electric T Line is the brand's latest model, with a titanium/carbon fibre frame that drops the weight to 14.1kg.
Ribble's CGR E is available with flat bars in both alloy and carbon versions with a claimed 13.7kg for the alloy Sportfit spec and 12kg for carbon.
In the US, the Trek Domane+ SLR is limited at 28mph, making for speedy rides. Top specs have a sub-12kg claimed weight.
Van Rysel claims a sub-14kg weight for its alloy electric road bike and a range from 60km to 120km.
The Specialized Future Shock headset provides front end damping for a smoother ride. The S-Works bike can weigh under 13kg.
This ultra-light e-road bike weighs below the 10kg mark, and features a similar spec to top road bikes.
The LeMond Prolog is a city e-bike that's light enough to carry up stairs, and is seriously good-looking.
If you want a folding bike with a very low weight, the Prodrive Electric 2.0 is a great option. It's also made using environmentally friendly materials.
Last updated 9th July 2026.
We checked that all models were still available to buy, and replaced bikes where newer models have been launched.
Best lightweight electric bikes
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Best hybrid for commuting
✅ You want long range: The battery capacity is high for an e-bike and you can add a range extender too.
✅ You want a nippy ride: The agile handling is rewarding in town.
❌ You want higher speed: The standard Turbo Vado may be a better choice, although it's a lot heavier.
❌ You want a simpler design: The Future Shock headset may be over-complicated for city riding.
Specialized's range of e-bikes falls into either its 4x You or its 2x You categories, with the Turbo Vado SL 2 in the latter. That's because Specialized uses its lighter-weight, less powerful SL 1.2 motor in the Turbo Vado SL 2. There's still a claimed 5 hours riding range though thanks to the relatively high battery capacity.
With the second generation Vado 2, Specialized has increased the commute readiness and the bike comes with mudguards, lights and a rear rack. Along with the larger battery, this does increase the weight over the previous generation though.
Specialized still includes its Future Shock 3.1 suspension headset with 20mm of travel to the handlebars, helping to increase ride comfort.
The second generation Turbo Vado SL 2 is available with both top tube and step-through frame options in either alloy or carbon, the carbon bike dropping the claimed weight to 17.9kg.
Best folder for commuters
✅ You want a very compact folder: Brompton's folding mechanism results in a very small size.
✅ You want handy carrying: The separate backpack battery makes the Brompton easier to carry than a fully integrated design.
❌ You want to save money: The Electric T Line is top of Brompton's electric range and its most expensive.
Brompton has steadily reduced the weight of its folding electric bike, while retaining the same folding mechanism, which results in a super-compact fold, with the front mounted battery pack carried separately.
But it's switched to a new rear hub motor and, with the Electric T Line, dropped the claimed weight to just over 14kg, or 11kg without the battery pack. That's thanks to a titanium main frame with a carbon fork, carbon-core seatpost, carbon handlebars and carbon saddle. You can drop the weight even further by opting for the single-speed variant, which has a 13.5kg claimed weight.
The high spec of the Electric T Line makes it expensive, but Brompton also sells the lower priced 15.6kg Electric P Line and the 17.6kg Electric C Line, which we've reviewed, as well as the 19.5kg Electric G Line, which has larger 20-inch wheels in place of Brompton's usual 16-inch wheels.
Best electric hybrid bike
✅ You want versatility: The Ribble CGR AL E has a full range of mounts and 40mm tyre clearance, so you can use it as you wish.
✅ You want stealth electrification: The internal battery and rear hub motor make for slick looks.
❌ You want off-bike charging: The internal battery can only be charged on the bike.
❌ You want more assistance: The carbon CGR E has Mahle's higher torque motor.
The third-generation Ribble CGR is available in electric versions with both a carbon and an alloy frame. Alongside the drop bar options, Ribble offers flat bar Sportfit specs. All bikes have a wide range of mounting points, so you can fit mudguards and a rack, should you wish.
The alloy bike is powered by the Mahle X30 rear hub motor system. This has an in-frame battery, so it needs to be charged on the bike and you'll need to have a power point that's accessible for where the bike is parked.
The SRAM Apex single chainring groupset offers a wide range of gears and Ribble offers a choice of saddles, including women's options, as well as pedals, accessories and a range extender.
Best drop-bar e-bike for the road
✅ You want 28mph assistance: US riders are supported by the motor up to 28mph.
✅ You want a quiet ride: TQ's motor is particularly whine-free.
❌ You want to charge off-bike: The integrated battery is non-removable.
❌ You want a lower price: All specs are expensive.
The combination of a Trek Domane endurance bike design in Trek's highest spec carbon, plus the TQ electric drivetrain, makes this bike a two-in-one endurance monster. Every time you ride it, you can take advantage of Trek Isospeed at the rear of the bike, which means extra movement in the seatpost for a road-smoothing suspension effect.
If you decide to really stretch out the miles, the lightweight frame and TQ system mean the bike is easy to pedal without any electric assist. If you want more range, you can plug in the optional 150Wh range extender, although you'll lose a water bottle cage.
The Domane+ SLR is available in road-going 2x and gravel-oriented 1x specs, to tackle whatever terrain you prefer and in the US, it's a Class 3 e-bike and limited at 28mph.
From road to trail, find your perfect match with our Trek discount codes to save on bikes and accessories.
Best budget lightweight e-road bike
✅ You want an affordable e-road bike: Decathlon offers competitive specs with low prices.
✅ You want stealth integration: The Van Rysel is another e-bike that uses a low profile Mahle hub motor with an internal battery.
❌ You want off-bike charging: Again, the battery here needs to be charged on the bike.
❌ You want a 2x set-up: The SRAM Apex build has a single chainring, although Shimano 2x options are also available.
Decathlon's Van Rysel brand offers this electric option alongside its pedal-only EDR endurance bike. It claims a sub-14kg weight for the electric version, thanks to the Mahle motor system. This spec is fitted with a SRAM Apex 12-speed groupset, but there are also Shimano options available. All have hydraulic disc brakes.
Decathlon claims a range of around 60km with heavy use of the motor assistance, or up to 120km for fitter riders. It sells the Mahle range extender battery, which fits in a bottle cage, if you want to go further on a charge.
Best drop-bar e-bike for mixed terrain
✅ You want all-terrain capability: The Creo 2's 47mm tyres provide plenty of off-road grip.
✅ You want long range: Specialized's range is good and the optional range extender makes it even better.
❌ You want lower weight: The S-Works model is quite heavy for a bike of its price.
❌ You want more assistance: The 1.2 SL motor sacrifices some output to keep weight down.
When you think about the category of high-end, lightweight electric bikes, you have to include this Specialized entry. The Turbo Creo SL only launched a few years ago, but that's a long time ago for an e-bike and the Turbo Creo 2 upgrades performance. It's more gravel-oriented than its predecessor, with 47mm tyres on carbon DT Swiss wheels.
The motor system is a custom unit unique to Specialized. It features a 320Wh integrated battery and there's also a 160Wh range extender available. Move over to the traditional bike components and you will find electronic SRAM AXS, plenty of carbon fibre, and the Specialized Future Shock suspension stem system.
You can read our first ride review of the Specialized Creo 2 for our ride experience, both on the road and off.
Best ultra-light e-road bike
✅ You want ultra-low weight: The top spec SUB10 weighs under 10kg.
✅ You want a top spec: The SUB10's spec matches many of the best road bikes.
❌ You want something more affordable: There are lower priced Endurace:ONfly options and even these weigh just over 12kg, according to Canyon.
❌ You want greater assistance: The TQ motor has a 200W/40Nm torque output that's a little lower than that of most e-bike motors.
Canyon's electric road bike, the Endurace:ONfly is available in a range of specs, with the SUB10 the premium version with a 9.86kg claimed weight. Canyon says that the sub-kilo frame weight comes from new carbon construction.
Electric assistance comes from the TQ HPR40 motor system, with a 290Wh battery housed within the down tube. Canyon has even managed to include its seat stay rear lights, a front light and a GPS tracker in the frame. Naturally, to hit the sub-10kg weight, there are top spec components: a Dura-Ace groupset, DT Swiss ERC 1100 Dicut wheels and a Fizik Antares 00 saddle, as well as Canyon's own one-piece cockpit. The SUB10 is expensive, but lower-spec models still come in at around 12kg or less.
Best for style
✅ You want a lightweight hybrid: The Lemond is about as light as e-bikes get.
✅ You want a stylish ride: It's a classy-looking city e-bike.
❌ You want more assistance: You need to work to keep up with in-town traffic.
❌ You want a lower price: The Lemond e-bike is expensive for a hybrid.
Top-of-the-line, lightweight, and carbon fibre. Those words commonly refer to the latest, greatest, top-of-the-line race-focused road bike. Instead, they describe a city bike from three-time Tour de France winner Greg Lemond. It's an integrated everything flat bar bike, that is perfect for city living.
It's easy to carry up a flight of stairs, looks amazing, and rides in a way that might make you think you haven't turned on the electric assist. That is until you turn off the electric assist and realise how much it was actually doing.
Read more about what we thought of the LeMond Bicycles Prolog e-bike in our review.
Best folding electric bike for low weight
✅ You want a low-weight folder: The Prodrive bike is impressively low in weight.
✅ You want an eco frame: The flax frame option, unlike carbon, is environmentally friendly to manufacture and fully recyclable.
❌ You want a longer range: The Prodrive e-bike cuts down weight with a more limited range.
❌ You want a more compact fold: The folded size isn't as small as the Brompton.
For light weight in a folding bike, the Prodrive bike (formerly known as the Hummingbird) takes the prize. Made either of carbon fibre or flax fibres with a trussed rear section and kitted out with lightweight components it undercuts even the best road e-bikes at 10.3kg. The rear hub motor helps with ride quality and handling too.
Of course, compromises have to be made to hit this weight and the Prodrive bike doesn't fold quite as small as the Brompton Electric, it has a more limited range, it's single-speed only and it does carry a high retail price.
How to choose the best lightweight e-bikes
If you're looking for a lightweight electric bike, here are a few things to consider.
- What type of e-bike do you want? Are you looking for a bike for city riding or longer out-of-town rides or one that's easy to store and carry on public transport?
- Where do you want to ride? Are you sticking to tarmac or do you want some off-road capability too, in which case wider tyres will be useful.
- How much assistance do you want? A more powerful motor usually means a heavier motor.
- How much range do you need? Longer range usually means a heavier e-bike, due to the larger battery. If you fit a range extender, that will add weight as well.
- How much do you want to pay? Top specs are expensive, but you can usually save a considerable sum by moving down the range, often with just a small weight penalty.
Frequently asked questions
How are lightweight e-bikes made lighter?
Many electric bikes have an alloy frame and they'll often have a heavy, high-capacity battery and a high-torque motor system.
In many cases, a lightweight electric bike will start off with a carbon fibre frame, which will be lighter than alloy. It will usually be paired with a less powerful motor system. Most electric bike motors will produce 250 watts, but what's important is the torque output. That can vary between around 30Nm to 60Nm for a lightweight e-bike.
There may be some overlap with heavier models, but the output range for non-lightweight e-bikes will typically spread from around 50Nm up to 90Nm.
A heavier bike with a higher-powered motor will draw more juice from the e-bike's battery, so that will itself usually need to be heavier. A lightweight e-bike will usually have a smaller-capacity battery. This might limit the range, depending on where and how you ride.
But if the motor is speed-limited to 25kph, many riders will be exceeding this speed on the flat and the motor will only be called into use to any extent on climbs and when accelerating, extending the available range.
Many lightweight electric bike systems, like those from Specialized, Mahle and TQ allow you to add a range extender battery if you need more range. These usually fit into a bottle cage and plug into the internal battery's charging socket. They can add around 50 per cent to the e-bike's range, although you do lose the option to carry a second water bottle and you are adding extra weight to your lightweight e-bike. Range extenders are fairly expensive as well and don't normally come with your e-bike purchase.
Are there any drawbacks to a lightweight e-bike?
With most things in life, optimising for one feature means other features get left behind. When it comes to non-electric bikes, that usually plays out as a choice between aero optimisation or lightweight. But what about electric bikes? Is there a trade-off for going lightweight?
The answer is both a yes and a no. It all depends on how you look at things. If you are expecting an American-style, Class 3 e-bike with a big battery and huge torque, you won't find it, except on very expensive models such as the Trek Domane+ SLR. As long as you set expectations that what's possible is light assist and a smaller battery, then there's no real drawback to going light.
No performance drawback doesn't completely mean no drawbacks at all though. The one big trade-off when you go lightweight is price. When it comes to bikes, powered or not, if you want a light bike, it's gonna be more expensive. Electric bikes aren't immune to this same equation.
How far can a lightweight e-bike go on a single charge?
There are a couple of factors at play here. While a standard e-bike might look like it has more power on paper, because of the lighter weight of the particular type of e-bike discussed in this guide, it can actually go a lot further than you might think. A standard e-bike might consume 15-25 Wh per mile, whereas a lighter-weight model can get down to 7-12 Wh.
Here's a breakdown of the battery power versus the distance you can go on it. Obviously, these are averages, so real-world performance will differ depending on terrain, riding style, wind conditions, and other factors:
250 Wh - You should be able to get around 20-40 miles with a battery of this size before needing to recharge. Great for commuters or those who just need a bit of additional push on the climbs.
320 Wh - Expect to get somewhere between 30-50 miles with a battery of this size. These are great for longer commutes and road riding.
400+ Wh - With these high-powered batteries, you could potentially get from 35 to 65 miles on just a single charge.
Do lightweight e-bikes ride differently to heavier models?
Lightweight electric bikes are a distinct flavour of electric bikes. They have a unique ride feel to them and as long as you understand what you can expect, you won't have any surprises.
There are some electric bikes that speed along at up to 28mph with very little rider input. These types of bikes are common in the American market. European law makes them difficult to own but they make more sense in expansive American cities. The distances travelled are longer and there's more mixing with auto traffic. It helps in this context to travel at higher speeds.
You won't find anything like that in the ultralight market, with the exception of the US-configured Trek Domane+ SLR and Specialized Turbo Creo 2. Lightweight e-bikes usually feel more like a traditional bike with the wind constantly at your back. With the Mahle motor system, you can even set it to add assistance based on heart rate. It's a much more sport-focused design that makes it easy to forget you even have an electric assist.
What are the motors used in lightweight e-bikes?
There are two main types of motor found across e-bikes: full-power motors that are heavy and deliver a lot of power, and super-light motors that are more lightweight and offer a more seamless pedal feel. With a lightweight electric bike, you're more likely to find the latter type of motor, with options from Mahle and TQ being popular choices for manufacturers.
As the aim is to save weight, motors on lightweight e-bikes typically weigh less than 2kg, but still can put out up to 50 Nm of torque. These aren't the sort of motors that will pull you up a hill with little effort; instead, they're designed to prioritise a natural riding feel, giving your legs a boost when you need it.
Motors are either located at the hub on the rear wheel or in the middle of the frame near the bottom bracket and pedals. Hub motors are usually much cheaper, are more reliable, and don't wear out your drivetrain. Mid-drive motors can be more expensive but offer better weight distribution, improving ride quality, and are much more efficient when it comes to climbing.
How do you charge a lightweight e-bike?
Another thing to consider if you're looking for the best lightweight electric bike for you is how you charge it. Many lightweight e-bikes have batteries built into the frame's down tube. This makes the e-bike look less porky but means the battery cannot be removed for charging off-the-bike.
That means that you need somewhere to store the electric bike that's near a power supply. With a removable battery system, you can take your battery to the wall socket instead.
There are exceptions to this rule. The Fazua system has a removable battery in the down tube, while range extender batteries can be taken elsewhere to charge.
How we test
Testing a bike or an electric bike means riding, first and foremost. We'll ride a bike over a range of distances and speeds and in different conditions. A reviewer will typically specialise in one type of bike, so they'll be able to compare a review bike with the competition.
We'll also look at specs and how easy a bike is to live with. For an e-bike, that will include range and charging, as well as the nuts and bolts of the bike itself.
You can find further details on our How We Test page.
