These are the electric mountain bikes we've reviewed and given 4 or 5 stars to out of the dozens we've ridden. We test for:
- build quality;
- safety and security (including downhill braking with a heavier rider);
- handling and performance;
- comfort and practicality.
Jump to a specific one of our favourite MTBs.
Five star mountain bikes - full suspension (front and rear)
Five star mountain bikes - front suspension
Four-star mountain bikes - front suspension
Cyrusher Trax, £2,799.00, full suspension
Weight: 40kg | Suspension: full suspension | Tyre Size: 26 x 4 inches
See the full review of the Cyrusher Trax and the specs
The Trax is part electric mountain bike, part dirt bike - and is Cyrusher's top of the line model. The motor is restricted to 250W to make it UK road legal, which is why it also comes without the throttle attached. If you're looking to use it on private tracks, you can unlock the motor and fit the throttle. Do this and we found this ebike is up there with Suron dirt bikes for speed and exhilaration.
You get a lot for your money - and it's one of two full-sus bikes in this list with the rear air suspension adding to the way its 26x4" fat tyres soak up the ground in our tests (these tyres are slightly smaller than the 27" versions used on most models listed here but this didn't affect the ride).
It's heavy (40kg) - our reviewer couldn't see himself commuting with it. But off-road it came alive with the suspension and tyres hiding all but the biggest bumps. And the step-through design means smaller riders can still ride it. Ovearll we found it a big bike to handle - but an easy one.
This is Cyrusher's first bike with a torque sensor - and our reviewer definitely appreciated the better response this gives you than cadence sensors, especially when pushing off uphill. You also get hydraulic brakes and a nine-gear Shimano plus five pedal-assist levels. A top-of-the-range ride.
Techtron Ultra 8000: new version shipping April 2024
Weight: 25kg | Suspension: full suspension | Tyre Size: 29 x 2.1 inches
This full suspension electric mountain bike packs an excellent spec into a very fair price point. With a battery range of 150km, the Techtron Ultra 8000 is a capable ebike that will tackle trails and hills all day long - you might run out of energy before the bike does.
The mid-drive motor kicks out 150Nm of torque and we found it took on incredibly steep inclines both off-road and on-road - an impressive feat for the 250W motor, which ensures it's still fully legal to use on UK roads.
The bike is lighter than the Cyrusher but still a hefty 25kg. The hydraulic disc brakes provided effective stopping power in our downhill testing, despite the bike and rider's combined weight of 110kg. 29-inch wheels might not be everyone's cup of tea.
Wisper M9, £2,125
Read our full review of the Wisper M9 plus specs
The base spec Wisper M9 is already one hell of a bike, but once you add the Mountain Upgrade pack (Schwalbe MTB tyres with double defence puncture protection), it's an absolute beast. You can also upgrade to a bigger battery (95km range for the base spec, 140km with the upgrade).
Wisper have developed their own parts for much of this bike, including the mid-drive motor (which we found provides a well-balanced drive) and their similarly effective hydraulic disc brakes. Suntour shocks and a Shimano gear set complete the setup.
Everything about this bike feels premium when you ride it: gears, brakes, display, power ... As a pure mountain bike, it's not up there with the full-suspension versions. But the front suspension did a pretty decent job of absorbing shocks when we were zipping around the countryside.
Wisper Tailwind Trail Crossbar £2,137
Read our full review of the Wisper Tailwind Trail Crossbar plus full specs
Wisper's Tailwind Trail is a high-spec electric MTB that is clearly designed and built by enthusiasts. The thumb throttle powers you to 4mph from a standing start before the pedal assist kicks in. Everything else on the bike is well spec'd too, with hydraulic disc brakes, RockShox Judy forks, and Goodyear Peak tyres. All this comes in at a weight of 20kg (the lightest of our best mountain bikes), which is incredibly reasonable for an electric mountain bike. Wipser have done a great job here, and they've brought it together for a very fair price point.
In our tests, we definitely appreciated the (lack of) weight compared to the other models on test. This doesn't translate to a lack of solidity - we found it gave a smooth and powerful ride, and is very grippy.
Buy the Wisper Tailwind Trail Crossbar
Beameo Unbound, £2,099
Weight: 24kg | Suspension: front | Tyre Size: 27 x 2.35 inches
Full review of the Beameo Unbound plus specs
A good-looking electric mountain bike with a mid-drive motor for around £2k? Count us in! The Beameo Unbound is easy on the eye, and we liked the mid-drive motor, which makes for great weight distribution - keeping the weight of the battery and motor directly underneath the rider, this creates an intuitive handling performance and mitigates the rear wheel kick-outs you can sometimes suffer on rear-drive motors on muddy terrain.
The battery is removable - the only bike on this list with this feature - and delivers up to 100km of range, pretty good for a 22kg bike. The Tektro hydraulic disc brakes are sharp and responsive, though the Suntour shocks are a little stiff and might require tweaking to your satisfaction (though this can be done easily). If you're a mountain biker looking for a first foray into electric without wanting to pay through the nose, this is an excellent option.
Where we found this bike really excelled was taking on hills off-road - the motor and tyres combined to power up inclines more more easily than we’ve found climbing on some rear-hub bikes.
Ampere X-Trail £1,599
Weight: 23kg | Suspension: front | Tyre Size: 27 x 2.2 inches
The Ampere X-Trail is a solid trail bike for a reasonable price point. Ampere have sourced third-party components throughout to keep costs down, but we think they've put together a decent spec for the price - although it may struggle on the roughest, steepest terrain compared to others on this list.
Range is another compromise at 40-50 miles. But you have a choice of wheel sizes to cover shorter and taller riders and if you're just looking for something to get out and about on for the weekend, or you're more of a trail rider than a mountain biker, we reckon you'll enjoy riding this as much as we did.
Dallingridge Coniston Hardtail £1,349
Weight: 24kg | Suspension: front | Tyre Size: 27.5 x 2.15 inches
Dallingridge have managed to do what many other electric bike companies have struggled to do - build a decent quality mountain bike for a reasonable price. Our reviewers did notice the compromises - such as mechanical disc brakes instead of hydraulic and a less responsive cadence (not torque) sensor.
But despite some compromises on components, the bike is still a solid choice for trail riders and those who are looking for something to ride cross country. Not one for hardened MTBers but you get what you pay for - it's just with this bike, you get a little bit more.
Buy the Dallingridge Coniston Hardtail
Engwe P26 £999
Weight: 26.4kg | Suspension: front | Tyre Size: 26 x 1.95 inches
The Engwe P26 is an affordable electric trail bike that provides ridiculous value for money. At this price point the Engwe P26 is squarely aimed at the entry-level market - it's an electric mountain bike for leisure riders who are looking to ride gently on trails, tow paths and off-road paths. It's not going to conquer Ben Nevis, but that's fine - that's not what this bike is for.
It has small wheels and the lowest range here, but if you're looking for an affordable electric mountain bike and you want to get out into the countryside and explore a bit, our testers reckon you'll struggle to find a better value option than this.
Specifications
How we test
Our expert testers ride all the electric bikes we review, and we assess them against a range of criteria on road, off-road and in our testing rooms. We check the components' quality and ride the bikes on a range of different terrains and distances. We've ridden hundreds of bikes in total (and an equal number of electric scooters).
See our full list of the electric mountain bikes plus all our adult electric bikes.
Fact check: Price, specs and availability updated on January 29, 2024.
