Find your
next e-bike

We give you the recommendations that we also give our friends and neighbors, so that you can find the perfect e-bike to tackle your daily commute.

Over the past 4 years we’ve researched and test ridden all sorts of e-bikes. We’ve also scoured the internet and the Pacific Northwest bike community to get first hand accounts of different e-bikes.

 

The Aventon Aventure.2 is one of our favorites.

Our recommendations have been featured in:

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E-Bike Buyer’s Guide

September 4, 2023

This e-bike buyer’s guide is meant to help you understand the tradeoffs so you can purchase the e-bike that is best for you and your commute.

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Handlebars and front rack of an e-bike in motion

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Who We Are

We are Tyler and Jody, a husband and wife team of two. We founded ebikecommuting.com to help people commute by e-bike. We love all sorts of cycling from road, to mountain, to e-biking, and are known for being “that cycling family” in the neighborhood.

We’ve found that more and more friends and neighbors are reaching out to us with questions about our e-bikes. Our goal with ebikecommuting.com is to help people feel confident about their next e-bike purchase.

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Jody and Tyler riding bikes in the Presidio, San Francisco

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did we start ebikecommuting.com?

We want to help people find an e-bike they love as much as we love ours! We use our e-bikes almost every day to take the kids to school, go to the office, run errands, or go to the park. More and more of our friends and neighbors ask us for recommendations about e-bikes, so we started this website to help. Our goal is for you to feel confident in purchasing an e-bike for your commute.

What information can you find on this site?

You’ll find our straightforward recommendations for e-bikes, along with potential gear you may be considering, such as paneers, rain fenders, cargo racks, or little kid seats. We cover things like: how to buy an e-bike, best e-bike for rainy commutes, best e-bike for commuting with kids, cheapest e-bikes, best e-bike for long commutes, fastest e-bike for commutes, etc.

Why are e-bikes good for commuting?

From our perspective, there are many benefits that make e-biking worth it for your commute.

E-bikes are more affordable than a car and you’ll also save money on gas, car payments, and car maintenance.

They are also just a fun way to commute! No more traffic. No more packed busses or trains. It’s a joy to ride a bike to and from work.

E-bikes are also a great way to get some exercise while still getting around quickly. The majority of e-bikes allow you to adjust how much pedal assist they provide. While it’s not the same workout as taking my road bike out for a few hours, an e-bike does give me the flexibility of turning down the pedal assist on my way home and breaking a little sweat.

What should I look for when buying a commuter e-bike?

Size/Height: Because e-bikes can be heavy, it’s important that the bike is the right size for you and the top-tube — the part of the bike that is in between your legs when you are standing over the frame — is not too tall. You want some clearance so that it’s easy for you to get on and off. Most e-bikes come in a variety of sizes. If you are on the shorter side, consider getting one that has a “step thru” frame, rather than the more traditional top tube style. Most companies will list their “stand over” height of the frame directly on their website, and you can compare this to your inseam. You’ll want a couple of inches of clearance.

Durability: you’ll want to make sure the bike is durable. It should be made from quality materials that can withstand regular use. This is hard to tell from a simple test ride or looking at the company’s website. Check out resources, such as our website, and other online review sites that will tell you if the components (the various parts of the bike) are from reputable manufacturers.

Battery: you’ll want to consider the battery range and power. Does the bike have enough range to get you to and from work on a single charge. We tell our friends to take the minimum range on the company’s website, divide it in half and see if that will get you to and from work. This means you’ll still be able to get to work if you forget to charge it on a given night or you can use full power when you are in a hurry. Let’s say the bike’s range is listed as 30 to 50 miles. If your roundtrip commute is 15 miles or less than that is perfect. You’ll still be okay if your commute is longer, you’ll just need to pay more attention to what pedal assist setting you have it on and if you fully charged the battery the night before.

Accessories: Oh, and it’s worth taking a look through the company’s accessories for the bike, such as cargo racks, panniers, and rain fenders. A good quality company will have a wide range of accessories for your e-bike to help you customize it. This doesn’t mean you have to buy all of the accessories on the first day or directly from the company. Ride your e-bike for a few weeks and figure out what you think would make it better.

If you keep all of these things in mind (and read our bike recommendations 😄) you’ll be sure to find the perfect commuter e-bike. For more on everything you’ll need to consider when buying an e-bike read our E-Bike Buyer’s Guide.

Can you use an e-bike for daily commuting?

Yes! We use our e-bikes every day for our commute and love it. You’ll need to plug in your e-bike to charge every few days (depending on the length of your commute). We probably charge our e-bikes once a week since our commute is only a few miles each way. E-bikes are a great alternative to commuting by car. One of the nicest parts of e-bike commuting is that you never have to think about traffic again! Big conference in town or sporting event causing unexpected gridlock after work? Not your problem as you zip by everyone on your way home.