The Best Electric Mountain Bikes for Men & Women

In the last few years, eMTBs, or Electric Mountain Bikes, have become increasingly popular amongst off-road cyclists, and with good reason. They cut out a lot of the busywork of getting up high slopes in chairlifts or uphill vans for dedicated mountain bikers. And for the less experienced, or those finding trails trickier due to injury or old age, they open up new pathways that would be otherwise impossible to take on.

Electric mountain bikes are about one thing: Freedom. They not only level the playing field for amateur riders, but they also open up whole new trails to experienced riders, with powerful motors capable of taking on even the roughest terrain. Whichever bracket you fall into, you’ll be sure to find a brilliant eMTB for your next adventure in this comprehensive list. You’ll find some of the bikes we are featuring in this list to come from some of the best electric bike companies and manufacturers. 

What is the best electric mountain bike for the money?

In terms of bang for your buck, the best electric mountain bike on this list is the Cube Stereo Hybrid 160, a fantastic eMTB bike that combines a powerful Bosch motor with some of RockShox’s best components, including the Lyric Select Charger RC fork and the Deluxe Select+ rear shock. This is a great bike for newcomers taking a step up to something more powerful or for veterans looking for a reliable, all-terrain mountain eBike. If you can get it for under $5000, it’s quite a steal.

Is an electric mountain bike worth it?

Electric mountain bikes are absolutely worth the money, though their value depends on the kind of rider you are and what you want to get out of your bike. While some would argue that traditional mountain bikes are all you need, a motor can augment the mountain biking experience. This is especially true for users who are sick and tired of chairlifts and uphill vans or those who are out of shape or a little older and need a boost to help them keep up with the pack.

These bikes allow you not only to take on trails that you might once have considered beyond your fitness level but even for the most experienced of riders. They can open up new routes that were previously impossible to take on with just a bike. The added torque of a powerful engine won’t replace the need for strength and pedaling power, but it’ll help you crack into a whole new range of routes and terrain types. So if you need an extra boost or want to push your mountain biking to the limit, an eMTB is a great tool to have in your arsenal.

How fast do electric mountain bikes go?

Most eMTB bikes provide pedal assistance up to around 20mph, and then they cut off to allow gravity and momentum to do the rest of the work. Typically bikes in this range are known as class 1 and class 2 e-bikes, while class 3 eBikes go beyond the 20mph limit, sometimes up to the range of 30mph. However, for most mountain biking needs, class 1 and 2 bikes are just fine.

How do I choose an electric mountain bike?

To choose an electric mountain bike, all you have to do is think about the kind of terrain and routes you’ll be riding with it. If you’re going to be out on relaxed, flatter trails for extended periods, you’ll want a bike with a high battery capacity that’ll keep you cycling right up to sundown without getting exhausted. 

Meanwhile, if you’re hitting steep trails and mountainsides, you’ll want a powerful motor that can help you climb and sturdy brakes that can control your speed on the way down. Consider the bike’s geometry, too; you’ll want something fairly balanced for long trail rides, whereas for maximum speed while flying down slopes, you’ll be after a long-travel suspension and a super-sturdy fork.

Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference and finding a comfortable and safe bike for you to ride. Whatever kind of electric mountain bike you’re seeking, you’ll find one to suit your needs perfectly in the list below. 

An electric mountain bike built to take on all manner of terrain, the E-Core EVO EN from Bulls Bikes is a high-powered, light-framed machine with a stellar 62-mile range. The RockShox Lyric fork provides excellent downhill steering and strong control while climbing, all driven by a thumping Shimano STEPS E8000 motor. This is a great choice for steep trails and long journeys alike.

Another long-range nomad, the Reign E+ 0 Pro from Giant, is a great off-road electric mountain bike with a rapid charge time of just 2.2 hours and a whopping 99-mile range in ideal conditions. A Fox Float fork and rear shock provide the lightweight aluminum frame with excellent control. An array of user-friendly button controls make the SyncDrive Pro motor easy to configure for ride-assist and battery-saving modes.

This men’s electric mountain bike from Norco packs a Shimano STEPS E8000 motor into a light overall construction for a streamlined eMTB, perfect for taking on steep trails and rough rock faces. A single-click 12-speed SRAM GX Eagle shifter makes for an easy riding experience so you can focus on the path ahead, and in an eggshell white & RockShox red colorway, this is a great-looking bike too.

Available in sizes small to extra-large, the Cannondale Moterra Neo is a men’s electric mountain bike with a range of high-quality parts, including a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork and a respectable Bosch Performance Line CX Motor, all at a reasonable price. Though it’s not quite as powerful as some of its more expensive counterparts, this is a decent all-rounder and a good option for newcomers looking to try out an eMTB bike for the first time.

Built specifically for trail performance, the Rail 9.9 is one of Trek’s lightest electric mountain bikes, weighing in at just 49 lbs thanks to its OCLV Mountain Carbon frame. A Bosch Performance CX motor provides 250 watts of power for a 15.5 mph assist mode, and you’re getting one of RockShox’s best endure forks with the ZEB Ultimate. Overall, this is one of the best electric mountain bikes of 2021.

This compact off-road electric mountain bike from Whyte Bikes focuses on simple geometry over fancy tech, drawing all of the lines of the bike’s tubing towards its core for an ultra-low center of gravity. This makes for excellent handling, and you’ll get decent thrust from the high-torque Bosch Gen 4 motor, all powered by a 625Wh slide-in battery.

A great pick for more technical trails, the Meta Power 29 from Commencal is a performance-focused eBike with a high-torque engine designed to allow for smooth handling and ultra-reactive pedaling. A great climber, this bike can go for miles and miles thanks to its large-capacity 630Wh battery, and when it’s time to head downhill, the Fox 38 Factory fork and Fox Float X2 Factory shock will give you all of the control you need to make it home in one piece.

Available in a magma red and carbon black colorway, the Merida eONE-Sixty 9000 is a high-tech machine with a lot of great features built-in. This may not be a cheap electric mountain bike, but what you get for your money is still impressive. Merida has combined high-fidelity Fox and Shimano parts with satellite positioning functions, a clever wheel setup, and thermal cooling systems for an amazing final package. Available with a mixed carbon/aluminum or pure aluminum frame, this is a great choice for any trail rider.

Built for forward attacking and steep climbing, the Crafty R Enduro from Mondraker represents a great synchronization of parts, combining a 12-speed SRAM NX Eagle transmission with a high-fidelity Fox fork & rear shock and fat 2.6” Maxxis Minion tires, all for one very capable eMTB. A Bosch Performance Line CX motor provides all the drive you need, and a removable 625Wh battery makes the Crafty R perfect for longer rides.

There’s no need to struggle when cycling uphill when you have an eMTB bike as powerful as the Bulls Copperhead EVO AM 4. Its respectable 4.9 hour charge time gives your 625Wh battery enough juice to power the Bosch Gen4 CX motor all day long, making uphill trails an exciting challenge instead of a preliminary chore. When you’re on your way down, Shimano BR disc brakes will keep you from losing traction, and the RockShox Lyric Ultimate charger RCT3 fork gives you all the shock support you need.

This relatively cheap electric mountain bike from Canyon once again manages to retain many of the high-quality components of its more expensive cousins without skimping on power. A 504Wh battery gives it a slightly smaller range than other eBikes. However, you’ll still find a typical Shimano E8000 motor built-in here, along with a 12-speed Shimano Deore XT transmission and a decent Fox Performance fork and rear shock. For such a reasonable price, this is an excellent electric mountain bike.

Rotwild hasn’t held back with the R.X750 Ultra, throwing together some great Fox and Shimano components along with a massive 750Wh battery and a powerful Brose S-Mag motor. The 2.5” tires make this a great electric fat tire mountain bike that’ll handle well-worn trails with ease and carry you swiftly over all manner of terrain. If you’re going faster than you’d like, the Shimano XTR 9120 pad brakes will bring you to a halt in an instant, and should you want even more power from this already beastly bike. There’s also a high-torque Pro variation available.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have another lightweight electric mountain bike, the Trek E-Caliber 9.8 XT. Here, Trek has used the ultra-light OCLV Mountain Carbon frame again to shave off those extra pounds, and the sleek profile of this bike is reflected in its additional functions. The battery can be charged directly through its handlebars, and a light indicator will let you know when you’re low on power. An app can be used to configure your bike on the go, and the whole motor drive pack can be removed for when you don’t need assistance from the Fazua drive system.

Available in sizes small to extra-large, the Canyon Spectral: ON CF 9.0 is a mid-range men’s electric mountain bike that combines a Fox Factory fork and rear shock with a Shimano XTR transmission. It also features a Shimano Steps E8000 motor, all of which make for a pretty powerful machine. Once again, the battery capacity is lower here to bring the price down, but 504Wh is respectable in its own right, and together with the other components, you’ve got a bike that’s more than the sum of its parts.

Specialized has stripped down this electric downhill mountain bike to make it as streamlined as possible. An efficient 2.1 Rx Trail-tuned motor, an alloy front and rear-end, and a stiff aluminum frame make it one of the lightest electric mountain bikes on this list. The RockShox Revelation Charger RC fork is one of the best you’ll find, and the Deluxe RT rear shock is another premium addition. The 500Wh battery is removable, too, making this a great mixed-use eBike.

A clever-wheel configuration trail bike with a large-capacity 630Wh battery, the Marin Alpine Trail E2 might be pricy, but that’s only because it packs in some of the best eMTB parts on offer, combining them for a technically advanced, high-torque machine. Of particular note here are the sophisticated Shimano SLX 4-piston disc brakes, which pair with a Shimano STEPS EP8 motor for a bike that’s just as capable of slowing down as speeding up. On top of that, the Fox Float DHX2 Performance Elite suspension adds some extra shock capability that you just won’t find in cheaper bikes.

One of the cheapest electric mountain bikes you’ll find with such high-quality components, the Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 is a massive win in terms of price-balancing, with the best bang for your buck of any bike on this list. Low-cost doesn’t mean you have to compromise; here, you’ve got an excellent RockShox fork and rear shock, a competent 12-speed NX Eagle transmission, and powerful Bosch Performance CX motor packing in 250 watts of power. The battery, for once, hasn’t been skimped on either and is just as big as those found in much more expensive eBikes, with a fantastic 625Wh capacity.

Another affordable electric mountain bike, the Powerfly 4, is a creature of compromise built more for casual use than extreme trail riding. Trek has opted for a 10-speed Shimano Deore transmission. Although decent isn’t really ideal for rough terrain trekking, the lack of a proper rear shock also makes it difficult to recommend over its similarly-priced competitors. However, if you’re looking for something to try out trail riding with, this isn’t a bad choice, as it has a good walk-assist mode and an integrated battery, which can be easily removed when you want to go manual for a change.

Getting back to the more technical bikes on offer, the Bulls E-Stream EVO AM 4 is a big step up from the cheaper bikes on this list and is the best electric mountain bike for those wanting to go on long-distance journeys. The E-Stream packs a massive 750Wh battery, allowing its Brose S Mag motor to give you a boost for a whopping 150 miles before needing another charge. And for such a huge battery, a 6.5 hour charge time is fairly rapid, making this a perfect choice for frequent riders.

A great mid-range option that marries performance parts with user-friendly features, the Canyon Spectral: ON CF 8 is a variation of the 8.0, this time with a slightly bigger 630Wh battery and a more powerful Shimano EP8 motor, which is a bit of a step up from the E8000 in terms of overall performance. The fork and rear shock are still Fox Performance components, and you’ll find the same Shimano XT 4-Piston brakes here as in the 8.0 model too.

The Turbo Levo SL Comp is an upgrade of Specialized’s Turbo Levo, and it’s also one of the priciest bikes on this list. However, this is for a good reason as this Stumpjumper-style bike is one of the best eMTBs of 2021, with a custom-tuned suspension, balanced M5 Premium aluminum frame, and Guide R hydraulic disc brakes. It’s all topped off with a brilliant Fox Rhythm 34 fork and Fox Float DPS Performance rear shock. The battery is a little small here, but that’s because this bike is made for veterans who want to put the custom SL 1.1 motor to use sporadically, adding some serious punch when needed on uphill climbs.

Another top-of-the-range option with a price tag to match, the Santa Cruz Bullit combines RockShox’s best fork and rear shock with Shimano’s powerful DU-EP800 drive unit includes their EP8 motor. This bike is made to take you beyond the range of any chairlift or mountain road, with thick 38mm DoubleDown tires made to land heavy jumps and cover some serious air. The chassis’ carbon construction makes the Bullit extremely sturdy, and ultimately this means you can barrel down a mountainside on it with complete confidence in its construction.

Available to pre-order for 2022, the Ride1Up Prodigy is a future-forwards electric fat tire mountain bike with a rapid 28mph motor assist mode that elevates its ‘budget’ construction to a whole new level. Its excellent speed is matched with a streamlined chassis and a Hydroformed 6061 aluminum fork. This isn’t a full suspension electric mountain bike, but it’s the next best thing for a low, low price.

The Rad Power Bikes RadRover 5 is one of our old favorites, an electric fat tire mountain bike with a decent 45+ mile range and a powerful 750-watt motor. This plucky assisted bike comes with a 7-speed Shimano Acera transmission and a sturdy RST suspension fork built to carry you over rough terrain. A twist grip throttle means it’s easy to operate, and five pedal-assist levels make it adaptable to any environment.

To finish off, we have another great all-rounder from Bulls in the Adventure EVO AM 27.5. This electric mountain bike includes a high-capacity 625Wh battery for long rides, plus a 20mph ride assist function for cruising to your destination or gaining elevation on lower trails before you engage in a rapid descent. The Fox Factory 36 Float fork and Float 3-position DPS shock are both respectable components, and the 12-speed Shimano SLX transmission makes for a bike that can handle any type of terrain admirably.

ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE COMPARISON

Use the handy table below to compare all of the electric mountain bikes featured in this buying guide.