If you're looking for an e-bike for under £1,000 then there are plenty of options but we've just been made aware of a new one: the aerobike X-Ride, which will set you back just £799.
How so cheap? Well, one saving is in the battery. It uses a 208Wh Litium-ion battery which is pretty small in the scheme of things. Batteries are coming down in price but they're still the single most expensive part of most e-bikes, so cutting capacity saves money.
The folks at aerobike reckon you'll still get the best part of 50km out of a charge; that seems generous considering that's what we often get from a battery twice the size, but if you have a short commute or you just want a helping hand to the shops a few miles away then it's going to have plenty of juice for that.
That battery drives a 250W hub motor in the front wheel. The X-Ride uses a rigid fork so there shouldn't be any issues with flex from the extra weight at the front. The frame is alloy, and a single size (20”) that most riders should be able to get comfortable on. There's a standard diamond frame and a low-step option.
The X-Ride uses a SRAM Automatix hub, which is a 2-speed unit that changes automatically based on your speed. It works really well, although it's obviously more limited than a multi-speed hub gear or a derailleur system. It's cheap and simple though, as are the Tektro V-brakes that take care of stopping. The bike has a claimed weight of 17.3kg which is light for an e-bike, so it might be one to look at if you struggle lugging your bike out of the shed or into the office.
The £799 base price doesn't include mudguards (an extra £30) or lights (another £20 for USB rechargeable ones, they don't run from the battery) but even so the X-Ride is keenly priced. We're going to see if we can get one in on test.
www.aero-bike.co.uk/ebikes/x-ride
