Probably the most important thing to consider when researching the best electric touring bike for you is how far you need your bike to take you every day. Be realistic about this. If you purchase a lower end electric bike, don’t be surprised when it only takes you half as far as you want to go. You can check out the best electric bikes under £1000. Think about whether or not there are going to be opportunities to charge your battery in the middle of your daily riding.
If not, it might be a good idea to buy an extra battery. You should also think about how much gear you are going to need to carry. The reason this will affect your decision is that some electric bikes don’t have the capability to mount a front rack while others do. Plan on doing a 3-day trip? You could probably get away with just a rear rack. My advice though would be to purchase an electric bike with the capability to mount a front rack as well. This way, if you decide to plan a longer trip in the future, you can simply buy a rack and be on your way instead of potentially having to buy a new bike.
The final major consideration is what type of riding you will be doing. Are you going on an off-road adventure through the mountains? You’ll want a very different electric bike than you would need if you’re riding on paved roads the whole time. Most bike tours are going to be on paved roads, but you should always research the area in detail during your planning process.
Here are the names of some best Electric Bikes
Riese & Müller Delite GT Nuvinci – Riese & Müller has built their bikes to be masters of bike touring. They are some of the only electric bikes that offer a dual battery setup. This means that you are going to be able to go double the distance without recharging. This capability is truly invaluable during a bike tour. On Bosch motors, this takes you from 500-watt hours to 1000 watt-hours. There are not any motors offering that type of battery range. Another great thing about this particular electric bike is that it comes with a Nuvinci shifter and belt drive system. This replaces a traditional derailleur, chain, and cassette.
This means there is no need to tune your DriveTrain or fix a broken chain. Nuvinci systems are virtually maintenance-free, which is great for beginning bike tourists who don’t want to spend half a day figuring out what went wrong with their DriveTrain. The final thing I love about this the Riese & Müller Delite GT Touring is the plus-size tires. If you’ve ever been on a bike for the majority of the day, you know that any little bit of cushioning can make all the difference. Riese & Müller have provided this extra cushion in their tires. These tires are also excellent for wet weather and some light off-roading if you want to take a shortcut.
Riese & Müller Charger Touring – This is a more basic model by Riese & Müller. You still can turn this into a dual-battery setup, but part of the reason I wanted to highlight this bike was to show how many different options you have when you choose this company. You can even choose to have a bike that goes 28 mph if you want to cover more ground with less effort.
This bike’s Charger Touring comes with a traditional derailleur set up if you want to save some money and feel comfortable tuning along your tour. Again, anything for a little extra comfort. This vast array of choices in how your electric touring bike is built is what makes Riese & Müller an ideal candidate for most customers. Of course, the upgrades do come at a cost, but most of them are well worth it.
Bulls Lacuba Evo E8 – Bulls electric bikes with Brose motors will always top the list for any long-distance ride. Coming in with a huge 650-watt hour battery, Brose estimates that you can take these bikes over 100 miles on one charge easily. They also have 90 nm of torque, which will pop you right up hills even when you’ve got a full rack of gear in the front and the back. Another reason I chose the Lacuba Evo E8 is because of its overall geometry.
This upright sitting positioning is ideal for bike touring because you’ll be travelling long distances & this bike takes good care of it. You’ll be much more comfortable in this position than you probably would be hunched over a road or hybrid bike. I also love how the Brose battery integrates completely into the downtube. Not only does this hide the fact that you’re getting a little extra help (if you’re self-conscious about that), but it also leaves you space to mount water bottle cages, a frame pump, or even a frame-mounted bag.
These are sometimes crucial items during a bicycle tour, and many electric bikes cannot accommodate these due to the protrusion caused by a battery. This electric bike also comes with a Gates Belt Drive system instead of a traditional drivetrain. As mentioned before, these belt drive systems can save you loads of time and frustration out on the trails.
Bulls E-stream Evo 3 27.5 Plus – I wanted to include an electric bike that would be ideal for off-road and trail bike touring, and I think the Bulls E-Stream Evo 3 27.5 Plus is it. This hardtail mountain bike would be perfect for bike tourists going out on the trails for a few days. You could conceivably go for a few days without needing to recharge the Brose 650 watt hour battery, so even if your camping in the wilderness with nowhere to recharge for 60-100 miles you would likely be fine on battery life. The Nobby Nic tires would work equally well on the road, loose dirt, gravel, fire roads, or anything of the like really. The hardtail geometry also isn’t so aggressive that it would be uncomfortable over long distances.
Of course, comfort over long distances is key during bike touring. Even though the bike does not come with a rear rack, it does have eyelets for mounting. A rear rack should allow you to carry plenty for a 3-5 day excursion.
The best electric bikes for bike touring will be the ones that you feel most comfortable on. The most important thing you can do is assess your particular needs and wants and go from there. Don’t forget that it is nice to save money, but in the end, you, want an electric bike that is going to get you where you need to go. So, now you have information about the best e-bikes, & you can make a decision based on your needs for your kind of bike touring.
