Best electric bikes under £3,000 2023 – best of the bunch for under £3k | electric bike reviews, buying advice and news

by Rebecca Bland Jan 27 2023

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Best electric bikes under £3,000 2023 – best of the bunch for under £3k — Raleigh Trace.JPG, by Richard Peace

From cargo bikes to folders: the best electric bikes under £3,000

While £3,000 might not buy the top-end of electric bikes like it maybe used to, you can still get a lot of bike for your money at this price point. From electric mountain bikes to premium folders, you’ve got a lot to choose from, with several from our overall guide to the best electric bikes featuring.

You will start to see some decent mid-drive motor offerings for this sort of money, and expect hydraulic disc brakes and mid-level components as standard. Folders tend to be lighter, while urban and hybrid models will usually look sleeker than cheaper counterparts.

We think this list proves you don’t need to spend an absolute fortune to get a good electric bike, and while £3,000 certainly isn’t a sum to sniff at, with many bikes now available on Cycle to Work schemes, you can save quite a bit off the marked price to make it an even better value investment.

Best electric bikes under £3,000

Electric cargo bikes

1. Mycle Cargo – from £1,999 (best cargo e-bike)

One of the newest offerings from British company, Mycle, the Cargo represents great value at £1,999 for the 60km range battery option and £2,499 for the 120km version. It’s a longtail by design and Mycle sells a variety of accessories to make it a great option for carrying kids or other loads up to 215kg.

It’s a big and heavy bike, and you do get Shimano 7-speed gearing with mechanical disc brakes - but the benefit to this is the parts are cheaper to replace. The rear-hub motor provides more than enough power to get up steep hills (up to 12 or 13%) so don’t feel put off by the fact it’s not a mid-drive if you live in a hilly area.

For more detail, read our review of the Mycle Cargo.

Electric folding bikes

2. MiRider GB3 - £2,495 (best overall folder)

The latest addition to the MiRider lineup, the GB3 is an improvement on the MiRider One thanks to the new gearbox, belt drive, a new display and hydraulic disc brakes to name a few upgrades. What it does retain, however, is the same folding mid-frame design that we loved on its predecessor.

It’s not the lightest folding bike in the world, but the performance is first-rate thanks to the Bafang hub-motor. Our reviewer managed to get 35 hilly miles from one charge of the 252Wh battery, but there’s room for more on flatter terrain.

For more detail, read our review of the MiRider GB3.

3. FLIT-16 – £2,499 (best lightweight folder)

The FLIT-16 Commuter Edition is an exceptional folding bike, weighing in at 15kg, which is towards the lighter end of the electric folding bike scale. What really impressed us was the fact that the weight saving hasn’t compromised the performance of the bike.

It’s powered by a Bafang rear hub motor which really takes the stings out of climbs. While it's single-speed, it can get up hills better than you might think. If you want one you’ll currently have to sign up to a wait list, but if they do become available again soon, it’s certainly one to consider for commuting or leisure rides.

For more detail, read our review of the FLIT-16.

Electric trekking and leisure bikes

4. Neomouv Adonis 2 - £2,360 (best trekking e-bike)

Highly versatile and practical, the Neomouv Adonis 2 comes with a powerful mid-drive motor (providing up to 80Nm of torque), and a price tag that is really rather appealing. It might not be the most attractive bike in the history of design, but its build quality is second to none.

Our reviewer noted the brilliance of the motor on hills, and there was very little noticable cut-out around the 15.5mph assistance liimit. They also managed a range of 40 miles on hilly terrain. So if you can look past the weight of the frame, you’ll find a great value trekking bike on offer.

For more detail, read our review of the Neomouv Adonis 2.

Electric urban and city bikes

5. Raleigh Trace - £2,199 (best urban e-bike)

Touted as Raleigh’s lightest e-bike yet, the Trace is a sporty take on an urban do-it-all e-bike. Want something for the coffee run or commute through town? Or something to ride at the weekends and take the pressure off a bit with a spot of electric assistance? Raleigh have it nailed here.

There’s plenty of frame mounting for bags, built-in lights, mudguards and a rear rack, all making it an ideal urban utility machine. Using the MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ rear hub motor and a 250Wh internal battery, it’s smooth and takes the sting out of the hills. For just over £2k it’s hard to go wrong.

For more detail, read our review of the Raleigh Trace.

6. VanMoof S3 – £2,248 (best integrated features)

While they’re still available (VanMoof are currently selling off the last of the S3 and X3s to make way for the S5 and X5 models), it would be remiss of us not to include one of the most iconic urban e-bikes of the last five years.

From the built-in lock and alarm system to the automatic electronic shifting, it’s incredibly high-tech and carefully designed for the urban environment. It’s practical, with built-in lights, mudguards, and the option of added racks, making it the ideal runaround or commuting bike for the city. The only negative is the volume of proprietary tech, which can be an issue for DIY repairs.

For more detail, read our review of the VanMoof S3.

7. Islabikes E-Janis - £2,699 (best step-through city e-bike)

Perhaps more well-known for their children’s bikes (albeit, not electric), Islabikes has come up with the E-Janis, a step-through city e-bike which uses the MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ motor and battery unit. It’s advertised with a range of 40-50 miles, which our reviewer found to be accurate after testing it around Bath.

The upright riding position lends itself to more urban riding, not necessarily steep countryside hills where the motor lacks the torque to be ridden comfortably. Instead of top tube controls like many brands employ with the X35+ system, Islabikes provide an iWoc Trio handlebar mounted controller to switch between the assistance levels.

For more detail, read our review of the Islabikes E-Janis.

Electric road and gravel bikes

8. Cairn BRAVe - £2,359 (best overall gravel e-bike)

Is it a gravel bike? Or a rigid mountain bike? While off.road.cc reviewed the drop bar version in 2021, currently you can only buy (or should we say pre-order) the flat bar version. It still comes with a Shimano Steps E7000 mid-drive motor and Shimano 630Wh battery, as well as the mountain bike inspired geometry, just with different bars.

off.road.cc’s reviewer really liked the battery range and the bike’s technical ability, particularly downhill, which is something some gravel bikes struggle with. But Cairn’s USP is that they build and design their e-bikes to be ridden on British gravel, not Californian dusty compacted roads, so it’s built to handle stuff like the South Downs.

For more detail, read our review of the Cairn BRAVe 1.0 Drop Bar.

9. Ribble Endurance AL e - £2,399 (best electric road bike)

With the popular MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ motor and battery, the Ribble Endurance AL e takes an already established road bike frame and adapts it to be a super smooth and lightweight electric road bike. The hub driven motor provides just enough kick to take the edge off without taking over the ride, although it can feel a little bit weighty when you ride above the assistance limit.

It’s an all around well-balanced e-bike, feeling planted in corners and on descents, and has the potential to allow riders to choose hillier or longer routes with the added assistance in your back pocket. The motor provides 40Nm of torque so it’s well-equipped for all but the steepest hills. road.cc reviewed the Shimano 105 version, but if you don’t want to spend that much there are cheaper groupset options.

For more detail, read our review of the Ribble Endurance AL e Enthusiast Shimano 105.

10. Ribble CGR AL e – £2,699 (best drop-bar gravel e-bike)

Again using the MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ motor and battery combination, the Ribble CGR AL e sticks to tried and tested methods to get the most out of their electric gravel bike. At first glance it doesn’t look dissimilar to the unassisted version, but this one will enable you to ride further, possibly faster, and maybe with more of a smile on your face.

The discreet electrification of the bike means the assistance level is controlled by a single button in the top tube, which may or may not work for everyone. And no it doesn’t have as much torque as a mid-drive motor, but the CGR AL e is more about getting people to ride where and how they want rather than being race or performance oriented. And for just over £2,500, it’s a pretty good price.

For more detail, read the off.road.cc review of the Ribble CGR AL e (SRAM Apex 1x 650b).

Electric mountain bikes

11. Volt Alpine - £2,199 (best hub-motor e-MTB)

If you can’t stretch your funds to a mid-drive, the Volt Alpine is a solid hub motor alternative to a more gnarly electric mountain bike. It’s a hardtail, but versatile enough to be a decent tourer if you added some racks and bags.

If you wanted a more hardcore commuter, just add some mudguards and lights and it’ll take whatever weather you throw at it. A 504Wh battery means you’ll get some decent range out of it - our tester predicted at least 40 miles from one charge, and that was in demanding off-road conditions.

For more detail, read our review of the Volt Alpine.

12. Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500 (2021) – £2,499 (best leisure e-MTB)

Although it’s not designed for seriously technical riding, the Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance is still vastly capable as a more leisure oriented electric mountain bike. Think towpaths, forest roads, and coastal bike trails.

Its modest coil-sprung forks only provide 100mm of travel, and it’s quite a heavy bike. It does, however, come with an impressive Bosch Performance Line mid-drive motor, a rarity at this price point for electric mountain bikes. Alongside this, the 500Wh battery (hence the name) offered a very comfortable 40-50 miles over difficult terrain, with up to 80 suggested if you are very careful with the assistance.

For more detail, read our review of the Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500 (2021).

How to choose the best electric bike under £3,000

Which electric bike is worth buying?

This depends entirely on what you’re looking to buy an electric bike for. Buying an electric mountain bike for a three-mile flat commute by road is overkill, and would likely cost you more than if you bought something more fit for purpose. It also depends what your budget is. This guide is geared towards e-bikes under the £3,000 mark, but if you can stretch that or want to see what else we recommend, give our other buyer’s guides a scan.

What kind of drive systems are common on electric bikes under £3,000?

Never mind the category of e-bike, you’re more likely to see hub driven motors at this price, with a few mid-drive bikes sneaking in under the £3,000 mark. Although £3,000 is still a lot of money, hub motors are generally speaking cheaper to produce and thus go on cheaper bikes than mid-drive motors do. In the current market, £3,000 is not home to the top-end of e-bikes, as it used to, and although there are plenty of fantastic value bikes to be bought at this price, they’re not typically range-toppers.

What kind of components can I expect on an e-bike under £3,000?

Hydraulic disc brakes are usually a good bet at this sort of price, across most if not all categories of e-bikes. Aluminium frames will also still reign supreme at this level. Gearing wise, this depends on the type of e-bike but you’ll start to see some belt driven urban options, and in some cases, things like internal gearboxes like on the MiRider GB3.

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Best electric bikes under £3,000 2023 – best of the bunch for under £3k