Electric Mountain Bikes Guide
What are electric mountain bikes?
Electric mountain bikes provide a boost that lets riders explore new areas and flatten out even the toughest climbs. eMTBs come tricked out with a compact motor, rechargeable battery, and quality components that can handle the extra adventure.
Dive into this guide to find out more about the advantages of eMTBs and get to know some specific eMTBs that stand out from the crowd.
Top reasons to ride an electric mountain bike
Ride more trails in less time
Electric MTBs take the sting out of climbs so you can reach the summit faster and smash more descents than ever before. Having those extra watts means you can keep up with stronger riders and complete more laps in the bike park, forest, or wherever you love to ride.
Take on more epic adventures
Your trail map just got bigger— eMTBs carry you to remote spots on the mountain that were previously out of reach, and in record time too so you won’t run out of daylight. Pedal assistance allows you to climb higher and ride farther and when going down the mountain, the bike handles just as naturally as a standard MTB.
Ditch the shuttle vehicle and enjoy the climbs
Skip the queue for the chairlift or shuttle to bring you higher up the slopes and savor the additional time spent putting rubber to the trail. Electric mountain bikes transform climbing into one of the favorite parts of the day when you can soak up nature and recon your ride.
Best electric mountain bike features
Here are some of the best electric mountain bike features that make these models so fast and fun. Keep on reading to take a look.
Multiple levels of assist
Riders can toggle through between different levels of pedal-assist depending on how much power they need. The most popular motors from brands like Bosch, Shimano, and Giant feature between three to five riding modes that respond to how hard a rider is pedaling. Some models have an additional walk mode to help out on ramps or while pushing off the bike.
Enough juice for epic rides
Explore new routes without worrying about running out of battery life thanks to the high-capacity batteries tucked neatly inside the downtube. This technology gets better and more affordable every year with current eMTBs rocking batteries that typically range between 500Wh to 900Wh so you can spend more time adventuring and less time charging.
Tons of ride data
Never before have mountain bikers had so many customizable settings and as much ride information at their fingertips. Whether it’s via the bike’s internal controls or an accompanying smartphone app, riders can track rides, monitor battery life, adjust settings, and so much more all at the touch of a button.
Real time pressure monitoring
New suspension and tire technologies like RockShox AirWiz and FOX E-Live Valve allow riders to observe their pressure data in real-time and make adjustments on the fly via a smartphone app. Take the guesswork out of tuning your suspension and optimize performance.
Best Electric Mountain Bikes
Trek Electric Mountain Bikes
One of the biggest names in the game, American brand Trek has an extensive catalog of electric mountain bikes that ranges from speedy XC models to downhill beasts. These quality models rely on Bosch drive units and feature Trek’s exclusive Removable Integrated Battery (RIB) system.
Trek E-Caliber
The E-Caliber is the ebike version of Trek’s Supercaliber, an XC mountain bike that has numerous World Championships and Olympic Games medals under its belt, perfect for lighter terrain.
Trek Powerfly
Available in hardtail and full-suspension specs, the Powerfly is a versatile trail bike with a 120mm front fork, 29” tires, and a Bosch Performance Line CX motor.
Trek Fuel EXe
The all-new Fuel EXe shows that eMTBS can be lightweight, too. Its innovative TQ Pin-Ring motor saves weight and provides tons of horsepower— there’s 150mm of travel up front and 140mm in the rear.
Trek Rail
The Rail is a long-travel enduro eMTB designed to dominate descents. Its powerful motor gets you up to the summit and the 160mm fork and 150mm rear shock float over the gnarliest trails.
Giant Electric Mountain Bikes
As the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, Giant makes some of the best eMTBs on the market thanks to their in-house production and powerful SyncDrive motors they developed in partnership with Yamaha.
Giant Talon E+
This versatile hardtail rocks 100mm of front suspension travel and a SyncDrive Core motor to unlock fun across the entire mountain.
Giant Trance E+
The Trail E+ is an electric trail mountain bike designed to traverse a wide range of routes. It features playful and aggressive geometry and runs on the SyncDrive Pro motor.
Giant Stance E+
This 130mm/120mm model delivers XC geometry with full suspension specs that are ready for the rough stuff, powered by a Giant SyncDrive Sport motor.
Giant Reign E+
The Reign E+ is Giant’s hardest-hitting enduro model that boasts a SyncDrive Pro motor and long-travel full suspension.
Yeti Electric Mountain Bikes
Yeti 160E
The 160E comes ready to jump into electric enduro racing. It’s outfitted with a Shimano EP8 motor and 170mm front and 160mm rear suspension for serious descending prowess.
Kona Electric Mountain Bikes
Kona specializes in mountain bikes and has leveraged their expertise to create the Remote and El Kahuna, two epic eMTBs that are available in a wide range of options to suit your needs. From full-sus downhill models to all-rounder trail bikes and a burly commuter, Kona’s got you covered.
Kona Remote
The brand’s full-suspension eMTB that’s available with 160mm or 130mm of travel depending on how far you want to send it.
Kona El Kahuna
El Kahuna hardtail features a semi-integrated battery and feels at home on lighter trails— there’s a SUV model that’s perfect for camping or commuting, too.
Orbea Electric Mountain Bikes
Born from the steep mountains and rainy trails of the Basque Country, the Orbea brand knows a thing or two about rugged eMTBs that are up to the challenge. They offer a wide range of models beyond just electric mountain bikes, but the full-sus Rise and Wild are two of our favorites.
