Electric touring bikes can really make longer rides more accessible. Whether you’re looking at doing a multi-day epic, a challenge like Land's End to John O'Groats, or even just extending your usual rides a bit further, a tourer could be just what you need. We class a touring bike as something with good battery range, adaptability via racks and/or bike bags, mudguards, or mounts to fit them, and with a comfortable geometry suitable for all-day riding.
You can buy tourers designed for on- and off-road riding, and many off-road tourers will have front suspension as a minimum. You’ll also often find wider, knobbly tyres to tackle the terrain and a mid-drive motor to boot. For those sticking to tarmac, you may want to favour e-bikes with lighter frames. In both cases, you'll most likely want a wide range of gears and comfortable endurance-oriented geometry.
If you’re really gunning for the multi-day adventure idea, some tourers come with the option to mount dual batteries. This does add significantly to the overall cost, but should mean fewer stops on the road. You can pick up a decent e-tourer for a couple of grand, with some even priced below that mark.
If you’re not entirely sure an electric touring bike is the one for you, have a read of our guide to the best electric bikes to get a better taste of what else is out there.
Best electric touring bikes 2024
- Best for off-road touring – Riese & Muller Superdelite Mountain Rohloff | Buy for £9,339 from Electric Bike Sales
- Best budget tourer – Dallingridge Malvern | Buy for £1,349 from E-Bikes Direct
- Best e-SUV e-tourer – Canyon Pathlite:ON SUV | Buy for £3,449 from Canyon
- Best of the rest
- FAQs
How we chose
Best for off-road touring: Riese & Muller Superdelite Mountain Rohloff - £9,339
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. Nevertheless, if you’re serious about adventuring off-road, this is as good as you'll find.
For more detail, read our review of the Riese & Muller Superdelite Mountain Rohloff.
Best budget e-tourer: Dallingridge Malvern - £1,349
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. With a rear hub motor and narrower tyres, it's not built for serious off-road riding, but it was described as a, “good all round e-bike that won’t break the bank” by our reviewer, Richard, 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 favour removable lights anyway.
For more detail, read our review of the Dallingridge Malvern.
Best e-SUV e-tourer: Canyon Pathlite:ON SUV - £4,649
The original model that we reviewed, the Canyon Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV, is unfortunately consigned to the outlet section of the Canyon catalogue - but in its place is the Pathlite:ON 8 SUV (and some cheaper options, as well).
It comes with a very similar design (if not the same frame) as the 9 LTD SUV, is just as capable when it comes to luggage carrying and uses Bosch’s Performance Line CX mid-drive motor. It’s well-equipped to handle the rough stuff, but is equally as at home in the city.
For more detail, read our review of the Canyon Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV.
Best of the rest
Riese & Muller Charger4 Vario - £5,419
With a big battery (750Wh) and powerful Bosch Performance Line CX drive system, the Riese & Muller Charger4 GT Vario is built for longer rides and big adventures. It also utilises a suspension seat post and suspension forks – of course, all of this makes the bike heavy, but if you’re not planning on running out of battery (although who plans that?), then it shouldn’t be a problem.
You can stash your luggage on the included rear pannier rack, and there’s a kickstand, mudguards and lights built in for your travels, too. It does come at a price, but there are options either side of this budget in the Charger4 range to choose from depending on what your ideal specification is.
For more detail, read our review of the Riese & Muller Charger4 Vario.
Specialized Turbo Vado 4 - £3,250
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, Stu, managed 70 miles in turbo mode, albeit with significant 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.
Neomouv Adonis 2 - £2,349
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, from 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.
Merida e.BIG Tour 400 EQ - £3,250
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.
Kalkhoff Entice 5B Move - £4,099
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.
Moustache Samedi 27 Xroad 3 Open – £3,699
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.
Riese & Muller UBN 5 Touring - £4,676
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 aplenty 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.
Electric touring bike FAQs
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.
How we review e-bikes
A lot of work goes into testing e-bikes thoroughly. Our reviewers ride each bike for at least a month before writing up their findings and coming up with final verdicts.
Every bike we review is assessed thoroughly based on its suitability for the intended discipline and riding style. A lot of focus is of course on the motor and battery, but we pay attention to all the component choices from wheels and tyres to the drivetrain and finishing kit.
We also compare the bike to its main rivals – if there is a similar bike with better spec and a lower price, we'll take this into account.
Why you can trust us
E-bikes recommended in ebiketips' buyer's guides will almost always be those we've reviewed in full, or which are rated highly by multiple members of the team.
We've reviewed literally hundreds of e-bikes over the years, and the bikes you'll find in this guide will all have scored 8/10 or more to have been considered for inclusion. Whatever the brand, whatever the marketing claims, if the bike hasn't performed, it isn't listed here.
All of our reviewers and buyer's guide writers are experienced e-bikers. You can therefore be sure we've carefully considered our selections, while the advice you'll find below is based on our real-world experience.
If you're new to e-bikes, you might want to take a look at our beginner's guide to buying an e-bike. Our overall guide to the best electric bikes may also be of interest if you're not yet quite sure what type of electric bike you're after.
