Best electric hybrid bikes 2022

by Rebecca Bland Oct 24 2022

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Best electric hybrid bikes 2022 – bikes for the urban environment and beyond — Dallingridge Malvern.JPG, by Richard Peace

From pavement to towpath, our selection of the best electric hybrid bikes

The best electric hybrid bikes are practical, comfortable and easy to ride. This makes them a popular choice for… well, pretty much anybody really. From commuting to exploring with your family, there’s a hybrid bike for everyone - which is why they also feature prominently in our broader guide to the best electric bikes.

So what is an electric hybrid bike? They’re typically seen as flat bar bikes that are great for riding on the road with a little bit of off-road thrown in. Think canal towpaths, well-maintained bridleways, or, let’s be honest, even just country lanes in the winter months need something with a chunkier tyre than a road bike will offer.

They make great commuters as they’re sturdy and versatile, we even had a few make our best electric commuter bikes list. Equally, they’re great for leisure rides and are the perfect bike to ride with the whole family in tow.

1. Ribble Hybrid AL e – £2,299 (best overall)

The Ribble Hybrid AL e is a firm favourite at ebiketips. It’s based on the unassisted Hybrid AL frame, which is incredibly stylish and the addition of the motor and battery are barely noticeable. It’s not just beautiful to look at, however, as the motor is surprisingly powerful on hills and provides reliable assistance.

You can also choose to spend an extra £100 and purchase the ‘Fully Loaded’ edition, which includes a paint-matched rear rack, perfect for carrying panniers on. The Hybrid AL e is one of our top picks for electric hybrids because of its versatility and value for money.

For more detail, read our review of the Ribble Hybrid AL e.

2. Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500 – £2,499 (best for more serious off-road)

If you’re after a bike that’s able to tackle some more serious trails than the canal towpath while still performing well on the road, then we present to you the Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500. With 100mm of front fork travel, and a mid-drive Bosch motor (with 65Nm of torque), it’s a capable and fun bike to ride.

The newer 2022 version has a slightly lower slung top tube, which makes it easier to get on and ride. Hydraulic disc brakes make it a great choice if you’re planning on riding in the wet, and the price is pretty good too for a mid-drive option.

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

3. Volt Regent – £2,499 (best step-through hybrid)

Now featuring a central Bafang motor, the Volt Regent is an ultra-comfortable bike with everything you need for ‘get on, turn on and go’ e-biking. From a rear rack, mudguards, and integrated lights, it’s got everything you need to get riding.

It’s a quiet yet zippy e-bike and offers a silky smooth ride, with Suntour forks and an estimated range of up to 70 miles with a 504Wh battery. Our review model used a Shimano STEPS motor but Volt has slowly made the change to Bafang over the last year or two.

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

4. Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Exc 750 – £3,599 (best hybrid tourer)

Available as either a step-through or crossbar model, the Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Exc now comes with a 750Wh battery (and has been relabelled Exc 750 accordingly) for even more range compared to when we reviewed the model. It’s designed as a touring bike, with hybrid capabilities, and includes a rear rack as standard and a complete max carrying weight of 135kg.

Reviewer Richard described it as an “excellent workhorse of an e-bike”, and while the price may have risen since we last rode it, the spec has too, which goes some way to justifying the increase.

For more detail, read our review of the Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Exc 625.

5. Gazelle Grenoble C7+ HMB – £2,499 (best urban hybrid)

Elegant, sophisticated, luxurious to ride and great value, the Gazelle Grenoble looks like it’s only designed for the well-paved streets, but it’s more versatile than it first appears. There’s the option to choose between a 400Wh or 500Wh battery (depending on how much range you desire), and it comes well-equipped with a Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive motor.

Rounding things off, there’s a generously padded seat, an enclosed chain, full mudguards and suspension in the seat post and front fork - plus a built-in Axa lock to immobilise the wheels.

For more detail, read our review of the Gazelle Grenoble C7+ HMB.

6. Dallingridge Malvern – £1,349 (best value hybrid)

The Dallingridge Malvern punches well above its price tag, with the only noticeable omission being integrated lights. That being said, it’s got a rear rack, mudguards and a kickstand to make it ready to ride. Our tester Richard estimated a range of about 30 miles even over hilly terrain and a moderate carrying load, but on flatter terrain you can expect more.

Overall, we found the Malvern to be a great value hybrid e-bike with a decent sized battery and reasonably well performing rear-hub motor. Richard even tested it on 25% inclines and it survived. There are other bikes at this price in the Dallingridge range, but this is the sportier, hybrid option.

For more detail, read our review of the Dallingridge Malvern.

7. Neomouv Adonis 2 – £2,349 (best own-brand motor powered hybrid)

Neomouv’s take on a trekking bike, the Adonis 2 is built for hybrid operations with a Neoassist mid-drive motor. The torque rating on this is 80Nm, only just short of the top of the range Bosch equivalent. So for under £3,000, you’re already seeing great value.

It performed strongly in our hill climb test, and reviewer Richard was impressed with how it glided up even a 25% hill. He also found a range of about 40 miles on hilly terrain, so anywhere flatter and you can expect far more.

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

8. Tenways CGO800S – £1,899 (best single-speed hybrid)

Although it comes with one of the smaller motors we’ve tested, the Tenways CGO800S is impressive in its “bike-like torque sensing power,” as tester Richard put it. It comes with five power assist levels, but is single-speed and can tackle hills up to about 10%. So if you live in a flattish area, it’s ideal.

The front suspension tackles cobbles and towpaths with ease, and it comes ready to ride with all the accessories you’d want from a hybrid: rear rack, kickstand and mudguards. The belt drive means no more oil on your legs, and less maintenance – which is always a win in our books.

For more detail, read our review of the Tenways CGO800S.

9. Riverside 540e - £2,199 (best value sub £2,500 hybrid)

Formerly under the B’Twin name, Decathlon has since made Riverside a standalone brand for bikes like this (leisure and touring bikes). It’s slightly more expensive than when we reviewed it, but it still represents pretty good value for what you get. It comes with a mid-drive Shimano Steps E6100 motor which provides up to 60Nm of torque, something our tester Dave highlighted in his review.

“Paired with the excellent 10-speed Shimano Deore transmission on this bike, it made mincemeat of my benchmark climb (1.5km at 5% average with a 12% section) and I breezed up to the top somewhere near the middle of the 11-36 tooth cassette.”

It will handle steeper stuff than that, but other than being great at hill climbing, it provides a comfortable and enjoyable ride, with the option of being more utility focussed with mounting points for racks and mudguards.

For more detail, read our review of the Riverside 540e.

10. Marin Sausalito E2 – £2,595 (best commuter hybrid)

Powered by the Shimano STEPS E6100 mid-drive motor and an accompanying 418Wh battery, the Marin Sausalito E2 is a great choice for those who want to ride a multi-terrain commute. It comes equipped with 47mm WTB Horizon tyres, which are technically ‘road’ tyres, but the extra width will provide some reassurance on well-maintained towpaths, for example.

Our reviewer managed 51 miles out of one charge, which is quite impressive considering the routes taken were not pan flat. For a mid-drive hybrid, it’s pretty good value, and with a full complement of Shimano equipment (STEPS motor and 11-speed Deore groupset), it’s bound to be reliable too.

For more detail, read our review of the Marin Sausalito E2.

How to choose from the best electric hybrid bikes

What is the difference between an electric hybrid bike and an electric bike?

An electric hybrid bike is one that’s designed for road and some light off-road use. Generally, it’ll be a flat bar bike with wider than average tyres to take some of the strain on towpaths and well-maintained bridleways. You shouldn’t expect them to be capable on proper bike trails, and they won’t be the fastest on the roads, but people look at hybrids as a sort of do-it-all bike that can be used year-round. If you’re not entirely sure what kind of electric bike will suit your needs best, take a look at our beginner's guide, Electric bikes: everything you need to know.

You’ll likely see a mixture of mid-drive and hub-drive motors on offer, with the latter generally being slightly cheaper. Internal hub gears or a more conventional derailleur setup is also a choice you’ll have to make on purchasing one. The former is better for someone who doesn’t want to do as much maintenance – same with belt drives versus chains.

What are the best uses for electric hybrid bikes?

Electric hybrid bikes make some of the best electric commuter bikes. Why? Quite simply, they’re hardy bikes, able to be ridden all-year-round with ease. The wider tyres and utility accessories you’ll normally find on these type of bikes (think, lights, mudguards, rack) make them attractive for people who want to get from A to B without much fuss.

That’s not to say they don’t make great leisure bikes, though. They often come with large capacity batteries, offering plenty of range. And those with mid-drive motors really can help you tackle some of the steeper hills you may have been avoiding, boosting your confidence to perhaps ride further than you normally would. If you want to look at a broader range of electric bikes, read our guide to the best electric bikes.

Explore the complete archive of electric bike reviews on ebiketips.

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