Best electric touring bikes 2023 – e-bikes for longer rides and multi-day trips

by Rebecca Bland Sep 25 2023

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Best electric touring bikes 2023 – e-bikes for longer rides and multi-day trips — Riese and Muller UBN Five Touring driveside.jpg, by Richard Peace

Go the distance with the best electric touring bikes

Whether you want to ride a multi-day epic off-road adventure, or complete something like LEJOG, an electric touring bike may well fit the bill. To be classed as a touring bike, we look for reasonable battery range, a comfortable geometry, and adaptability. This means mounting points for racks and/or frame bags, the ability to fit mudguards, and in some cases, a kick stand.

There are tourers for both on and off-road, with off-road e-bikes tending to have front suspension as a minimum, wide, chunky tyres and a mid-drive motor. For on-road tourers, lighter frames with wide gears and comfortable geometries rule.

Some electric touring bikes even have the option to mount two batteries, which can be very helpful for multi-day rides - although this will significantly add to the cost. You can however get a decent e-touring bike for a couple of grand, so don’t feel you need to break the bank to go on an adventure.

If you’re not sure an electric touring bike is for you, have a read of our guide to the best electric bikes for more of an overall taste of what’s out there.

Best electric touring bikes

1. Riese & Muller Superdelite Mountain Rohloff - £9,339 (best full-suspension e-tourer)

One for those with very deep pockets, the Riese & Muller Superdelite Moutain Rohloff is nevertheless pretty much ideal for off-road adventures. Given the Superdelite name because it runs dual batteries (giving it a total of 1,125Wh capacity), there’s plenty of mileage to be had on this machine.

It weighs 28.7kg so it’s not the lightest of bikes, but it does have the option of a rear rack for carrying extra loads. However, at over £9k this is obviously a big investment. But, if you’re serious about adventuring off-road, this is one of if not the best you’ll get from a very reputable brand.

For more detail, read our review of the Riese & Muller Superdelite Mountain Rohloff.

2. Dallingridge Malvern - £1,349 (best under £1,500)

A great value option for those who don’t want to splash too much cash, the Dallingridge Malvern is the firm’s take on a trekking e-bike. It was described as a “good all round e-bike that won’t break the bank” by our reviewer, thanks to the mid-level componentry and adaptable frame.

The frame design suits riders who prefer a slightly sportier riding position, but is only available in one size (18”), albeit with some adjustment for a range of rider heights. It comes equipped with a rear pannier rack and mudguards so you can carry plenty of bags, the only obvious omission is hardwired lights – although many riders have favoured removable lights anyway.

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

3. Riese and Muller UBN 5 Touring - £4,909 (best lightweight e-tourer)

A powerful and lightweight e-bike, at first glance it looks more like a commuter than anything you’d want to ride for mile after mile. However, its sub-20kg weight and Fazua Ride 60 motor system mean it’s adaptable enough for both. It’s not quite as powerful as heavier mid-drives from Bosch and Shimano, but if you don’t want to carry too much luggage, it will work nicely.

Ordering directly from Riese & Muller gives you options a plenty to spec it with your choice of handlebars, gearing and racks, depending what you need for your riding. It’s not cheap, but it's certainly a decent option if the overall weight of the bike is important to you.

For more detail, read our review of the Riese & Muller UBN 5 Touring.

4. Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0 - £3,250 (best under £3,500)

If you’re after a comfortable yet powerful option for touring, then the Turbo Vado 4.0 is a workhorse that’s still fun to ride. It uses a Specialized 2.0 mid-drive motor, which produces up to 70Nm of torque. Our reviewer managed 70 miles in turbo mode, albeit with some pedalling of his own when on the flats.

He described it as a bike that, “could easily be used for local bikepacking adventures just as well as the commute or jobs around town.” It’s able to carry up to 27kg on the rear rack, and the front suspension provides comfort if you take it off-road. We wouldn’t recommend proper trail riding, but the canal towpath and that sort of level is more than doable.

For more detail, read our review of the Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0.

5. Canyon Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV - £5,249 (best e-SUV tourer)

SUV style e-bikes are becoming more popular, taking inspiration from their four-wheeled counterparts. The idea is that this type of bike, although hefty, is the only bike you’ll need. An SUV style e-bike can carry loads, weave through traffic, and also head off-road. The Canyon Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV is one of the best examples we’ve seen.

It features a powerful Bosch mid-drive motor, ABS and electronic shifting. This is the most expensive in the Pathlite:ON range, so if you’re not that bothered about having the best of the best, there are also cheaper options available which will prove just as capable for the most part.

For more detail, read our review of the Canyon Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV.

6. Neomouv Adonis 2 - £2,349 (best mid-drive under £2,500)

With a decent spec and a proprietary mid-drive motor for under £2,500, the Neomouv Adonis 2 is strikingly good value. You can choose between a 522Wh battery, which our reviewer managed around 40 hilly miles on, or a larger 630Wh option for the price we’ve listed above.

It’s a newer motor - as in, not as well-known a brand - but we found it to perform brilliantly. The bike also comes with a 27kg rated rear rack - and in touring every kilogram counts, so the more carrying capacity the better.

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

7. Moustache Samedi 27 Xroad 3 Open - £3,699 (best step-through tourer)

With a 625Wh battery and Bosch Performance Line mid-drive motor, there’s not a lot stopping this bike from being a full touring machine. The low step-through frame design means it’s highly accessible for a wider variety of riders, while balancing urban practicality with more rugged capabilities.

It’s suitable for on or off-road excursions, although we wouldn’t recommend any serious trail riding – it's more for leisurely towpaths or fire roads. For extra comfort, Moustache has equipped the Samedi 27 Xroad 3 Open with a suspension seatpost and 80mm of travel in the forks. We last reviewed it in 2021, but although it’s had updates since then, it’s kept its distinct shape.

For more detail, read our review of the Moustache Samedi 27 Xroad 3 Open.

8. Kalkhoff Entice 5B Move - £4,099 (best mid-range tourer)

The Kalkhoff Entice is one of the more off-road oriented electric touring bikes in this list. Its built around the Bosch Performance Line mid-drive motor with a 625Wh Powertube battery for plenty of mileage on or off-road.

This is quite an adaptable touring e-bike, with plenty of thoughtful features like the integrated battery design and sleek cable integration on the handlebars. There’s even a choice of frame designs - diamond or step-through - alongside an array of frame sizes. In terms of touring capabilities, wide tyres and suspension forks make off-road adventuring more enticing.

For more detail, read our review of the Kalkhoff Entice 5B Move.

9. Merida e.BIG Tour 400 EQ - £3,500 (best Shimano powered e-tourer)

We last reviewed the e.BIG Tour 400 EQ back in 2019, but the price hasn’t moved much since then. What has, however, is the spec. It now comes with a Shimano EP8 motor with 85Nm of torque compared to the E7000 and 60Nm previously on offer, plus a 630Wh battery compared to the old 500Wh one.

Our reviewer, Dave, found the charge port to be a little niggly, but otherwise felt that, “it doesn’t have any major foibles and it’s equally at home cruising through the city or tackling some reasonably tough terrain.”

For more detail, read our review of the Merida e.BIG Tour 400 EQ.

10. BMC 257 AMP AL TWO - £4,750 (best looking e-tourer)

A really nice example of an e-bike that’s ideal for both urban and touring applications is the BMC 257 AMP AL TWO.

Beyond looking sleek and aesthetically pleasing, its a thoughtfully put together e-bike that masks much of its utility. The rear rack is part of the mudguard and rated to carry 20kg. It’s powered by a Bosch mid-drive which you can barely tell is there from far enough away, and the range is rather good – our reviewer believes there is potential for 100 miles from one charge.

For more detail, read our review of the BMC 257 AMP AL TWO.

How to choose the best electric touring bike

Which electric bike is best for touring?

The best electric bike for touring depends on your needs and budget. If you want to ride off-road, then look for something with a mid-drive motor and wide tyres as well as some suspension for comfort. The more torque the better if you’re planning on riding steep stuff, but if you’re happy riding along country lanes and on the road, then you may prioritise other things like mudguards and lights.

You can get quite a bit of e-bike for your money these days, so there’s nothing to say that you can’t get a suitable touring companion for under £3,000. However, as with most things, the more you spend the better the quality of the bike.

What kind of motors are on electric touring bikes?

As you’ll see from our list above, mid-drive motors are more common than hub-driven ones on electric touring bikes. The more luggage and weight you’re carrying, the better it is to have a motor in the centre of the bike, directly linked to the pedals. That’s not to say that hub-drive motors don’t have their place, if you pack light and stay away from steep hills then you should be fine.

How much luggage can electric touring bikes carry?

This depends on a couple of things. Firstly, the weight rating of the pannier rack (if the bike has one). The usual limit you’ll see is about 25kg, and you can balance that between two pannier bags and a potential rack bag.

The other alternative is a through-frame bag. Many tourers come with mounting points on various parts of the frame like the forks so you can mount luggage using bolts, but there is always the option of ‘bikepacking bags’ which are often attached using velcro or other non-permanent fasteners.

What battery range can I get on an electric touring bike?

This depends on the battery capacity, the type of riding you’re doing and the weight you’re carrying. The easier the terrain, and the less power assistance you use, the longer your battery will last. Similarly, if you carry a heavy load and ride up a lot of hills, you’ll see your battery range disappear much more quickly. For touring, we would recommend a bike that can hold dual batteries ideally, or to at least carry a spare so you can swap them out without needing to recharge mid-ride.

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Rebecca Bland

Rebecca has been writing about e-bikes for four years, after a typically ill-timed career change pre-pandemic. She's been riding bikes since she can remember, and fell back in love with them after realising it was faster, cheaper, and more fun than getting the bus to work. Nowadays she enjoys all kinds of bikes, from road to eMTB and is training her border collie pup to become a trail dog.

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