Spring is a great time to start commuting – or to start commuting more. Don’t feel fit enough? An e-bike is all you need. You don’t have to spend a fortune

E-bikes are more expensive than conventional bikes, other things being equal, because the manufacturing budget has to cover a motor, battery and electronics as well as the basic bike. Most e-bikes from big-name brands now start at more than £2,000.

There are e-bikes available for less than £1,000, especially on the likes of Amazon and eBay, but they’re generally too compromised for year-round commuting. Cheaper bike parts and electrics will likely be less reliable and need more frequent attention. Yet the after-sales support will probably be worse than an e-bike bought from your local shop or a UK-based online store. Additionally, there may be problems with the battery or the e-bike itself may not be road legal in the UK.

There is some middle ground, however. Spend between £1,000 and £2,000 and you can get a commuter-proof e-bike from a reputable brand. It will likely have an effective rear hub motor, a reliable and reasonable-capacity battery, bike components that are at least fair quality, and possibly useful equipment like lights, rack and mudguards. You’ll be saving money anyway by getting your e-bike through Cyclescheme, so don’t be fixated on the lowest possible RRP: work out what you’ll actually pay.

EBCO Street 2 £1,199

EBCO’s Street 2 isn’t a folder but a quirky, compact city bike whose 20in wheels make it nippy around town and somewhat easier to store. Unlike some small wheelers, it’s untroubled by potholes and rough tracks thanks to chunky, 2.4in tyres. A 360Wh battery is hidden in the frame, safe from weather or theft. The Bafang H400 rear hub motor has enough torque (40Nm), given the range of the 7-speed Shimano Altus drivetrain, to power you up 20% gradients. Clark’s Clout hydraulic disc brakes are excellent budget stoppers, while mudguards, kickstand, rear rack and integral lights make it commuter ready.

Planet X Envoy Electric Bike £1,299.99

On offer for just £1,099 at time of writing, this hybrid e-bike is already good value at RRP. It’s powered by a Bafang rear hub motor like the EBCO Street 2 but here the internal frame battery is a bit larger (418Wh), which will mean a longer range. The drivetrain is unusually good for an entry-level e-bike: 9-speed Shimano CUES with a wide-range 11-46 cassette. The brakes are Tektro hydraulic discs that will be reliable in all weathers, and the Envoy is fully equipped with integral lights, mudguards, rear rack and kickstand. Its 50mm-wide WTB tyres will cope with bad roads and better-quality off-road tracks.

Raleigh Stow-E-Way Folding Electric Bike £1,399

With a folded size of 88x80x44cm and a fairly hefty weight of 20kg, this is no Brompton Electric. On the other hand, it’s far cheaper and still small enough to take on trains without restriction. Its TranzX rear hub motor is powered by a relatively small (250Wh) external battery, which is well positioned for weight distribution. While the range is lower, that’s less of problem with a folding bike as you’re more likely to be doing shorter hops. The Stow-E-Way’s V-brakes are OK but lack the bite of hydraulic discs. It’s well equipped, coming with integral lights, mudguards, rack and kickstand.

Engwe LE20 £1,699

The only e-cargo bike here and the only bike in this list with a mid-drive motor, this is a potential family car replacement and not just a commuter. With a load limit of 200kg, it could carry sacks of cement from the DIY store, never mind a week’s groceries or two small children (in optional child seats). The motor has a nominal torque rating of 100Nm and is powered by a huge (922Wh) battery – and you can add a second if the claimed range of 180km isn’t enough. The 20in wheels have 3in-wide tyres, which will help isolate any big loads from bumps, and it comes with all the usual commuting accessories. At time of writing, it was on offer for £1,449.

Tenways CGO600 £1,599

Some e-bikes don’t look like e-bikes; this is one of them. The Tenways CGO600 is a minimalist singlespeed city bike with a belt drive instead of an oily chain. Conventional singlespeed bikes require a lot of rider effort. The CGO600 is an e-bike, however, and its Mivice rear hub motor has three power levels to give you a helping hand on hills. It (and you) will still struggle in properly hilly cities like Sheffield, but it’ll dispatch the gentler gradients of, say, London easily enough. Like the Raleigh’s, the battery is small at 250Wh so it’s best suited to urban rides rather countryside rambles. On the plus side, that keeps the weight down to about 16kg. At time of writing it was on offer for £1,199.

Marin Stinson E ST £1,599

The Stinson E is a wide-tyre, cruiser-style e-bike with a upright riding position and an unusually shallow seat tube angle, which takes more of your bodyweight off your hands and also makes it easier to get a foot down at junctions. The letters ST denote its step-through frame; a version with a top tube is also available. It’s powered by a 40Nm Bafang rear hub motor and a 340Wh battery, which is hidden in the down tube. The gearing is 1x8 Shimano Altus with a reasonable range, while the brakes are mechanical discs. It comes with a kickstand but you’ll need to add mudguards and a rear rack.

Eovolt Morning 16 Origins Folding Electric Bike £1,799.99

Measuring 75x58x42cm and weighing 16.5kg, Eovolt’s 16in-wheel folder is significantly smaller and lighter than Raleigh’s cheaper Stow-E-Way. Like the Raleigh it has a rear hub motor and a small (230Wh) battery – in this case hidden in the seatpost – but power is delivered via a torque sensor rather than a cadence sensor. This is particularly helpful when setting off from junctions. Although the wheels are small, wide tyres provide comfort and bad road capability. Having more rubber in contact with the road also lets you get the most from the bike’s powerful hydraulic discs. It’s equipped with integral lights, mudguards, kickstand a rear rack. The latter is fairly low to the ground so suits a trunk bag better than panniers.

Estarli E28.X £1,895

Estarli’s E28.X is a minimalist, belt-drive city e-bike in the same mould as the Tenways above. It’s available with a step-through frame as well as with a top tube, however, and both models have an automatic 2-speed hub gear. This shifts into the higher gear when you go faster and, since you’ll be in the lower gear when climbing, also makes hills easier. The Bafang rear hub motor is powered by a larger battery: a 360Wh unit that should take you about half again as far. As well as being more expensive, it’s heavier: approximately 19kg. That does include integral lights, mudguards and a kickstand. (You’ll need to add your own rear rack.)

MiRider 24 Compact Step-Through Electric Bike £1,995

This 24in-wheel e-bike partly folds: the handlebar drops down beside the front wheel, you can lower the saddle and the pedals fold up. That’s not enough to travel as luggage on a train but the slim profile makes it easier to store indoors. Although it has a singlespeed drivetrain, the motor has five assistance levels and 45Nm of torque; MiRider reckons it will get you up 25% gradients. It’s also quick off the mark from junctions, as a thumb-button throttle enables power delivery as soon as you start turning the pedals. It comes with integral lights, mudguards and a kickstand, and dedicated front and rear racks are available, carrying 10kg and 25kg respectively. It weighs 21kg.

Van Rysel Electrical Assistance Road Bike E-EDR AF 105 2x11S £1,999.99

It’s unusual to see an e-road bike at this price but Decathlon’s bikes are always good value, and this one is no exception. With a Shimano 105 drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, a carbon fibre fork and good-quality, tubeless-compatible wheels, it tips the scales at just 14kg. The Mahle rear hub motor is lightweight and efficient. Some e-bike motors feel like stirring treacle when you’re pedalling without electric assistance; the Mahle motor has negligible drag. That means you can ride this Van Rysel like a normal bike and save the assistance for the hills if you want to maximise the range of its modest, 250Wh battery. A range-extender second battery can also be added.