Overall rating: 
The Ampere Tourer S Hybrid is an affordable, practical, and easy-to-use electric bike that is the perfect first step into the electrified world or for those who are looking for an upgrade.
For the £1,349 price tag, the Tourer S Hybrid is in a similar bracket to well-known names like Tenways CG600 and Estarli E28 – but Ampere’s offering more than holds its own.
Good for:
- City riding
- New riders
- Commuting or daily rides
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Very comfortable
- Semi-dropped frame for easy dismounting
- One of the best electric bikes of 2023
Cons:
- Basic display
- Lack of colour options
- Average range on smaller battery version
Expert verdict:
| Components + build quality |
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| Safety + security | |
| Performance + handling | |
| Comfort + practicality |
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| Overall star ratings |
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The Ampere Tourer S Hybrid is an electric bike built with daily riding in mind, and in its simplicity has the ability to appeal to those taking their first steps into the ebike world, and more experienced riders looking for an upgrade.
I really believe that the beauty of the Tourer S Hybrid is the fact that it’s raw – it’s a bike, first and foremost, enhanced by electric power. Simple.
It’s a “does what it says on the tin” electric bike – and that’s a really good thing. If you’re looking for an ebike and you don’t want the fuss of apps, keys, log ins, and all the other shenanigans, look no further.
The Tourer S Hybrid performs well out on the road, is comfortable to ride, and easy to use – and having ridden the bike for this review, it really made me wonder what more its competitors offer to really justify an extra £200-300 on the price tag.
Specs:
| Battery | 10.4Ah or 16Ah 36V Lithium-ion |
| Electric power range | Up to 40 miles with 10Ah and 75miles with 16Ah |
| Charging time | 6 hours |
| Motor | Powerful 250Watt 36V brushless motor with up to 65Nm torque |
| Frame size | 17 inches |
| Weight | 21kg (With 10Ah battery) |
| Tyre properties | Kenda 700x45C puncture resistant tyre |
| Braking system | 180mm front & 160mm rear hydraulic disc brakes |
| Light | Integrated front and external rear Llight |
| Mudguards | Acrylic shatterproof with stainless stays |
| Kickstand | Yes |
| Pannier rack | Yes |
In detail:
PerformanceThe Ampere Tourer S Hybrid is a joy to ride – primarily because there are no frilly bits to worry about, it’s get on and go. I particularly enjoyed the straightforward and predictable power delivery from the pedal assistance, it makes you want to keep on riding and tallying up those miles.
With five power modes to choose from, a 7-speed Shimano gear set and a 250W brushless rear hub motor at your disposal, the Tourer S Hybrid will tackle even the most challenging inclines with ease and keep you whistling along the flat laughing at those stuck in rush hour traffic. It caters for all speeds, abilities, and topographies.
There are two battery options, the 10Ah and 16Ah offering up to 40 and 75 miles respectively, but I feel you’re only ever going to want to pick the 16Ah model which gives you the charge to ride further than you could on a Tenways CG600 and Estarli E28. However that comes at a cost, and unfortunately that’s an extra £200 negating the allure of the cheaper price tag.
Like all things eride it comes down to your personal taste and requirements, and I can’t see why the 10Ah version wouldn’t suffice – you’d just have to remember to charge it more frequently.
Comfort and Handling
I found the Ampere Tourer S Hybrid to be one of the most comfortable ebikes I’ve ridden – and that’s down to two key features.
The first is the Suntour NEX front suspension, which has the ability to lock and offers 63mm of travel – on my test rides I found it extremely capable at soaking up the lumps and bumps of varied hard surfaces. Outside the Electroheads office is some particularly knobbly cobblestone, a great place to test the suspension, and I found it massively reduced the strain through the handlebars – decimating that annoying rattle you can get through your hands and arms.
It’s something massively overlooked, but I think having comfortable arms really enhances your ability to ride further, and also increases your chances of wanting to get out and ride again. The Tourer S Hybrid offers that, and puts it above its rivals.
The second feature that I think makes this bike comfortable to ride is, as I have previously mentioned, its simplicity. There’s no attempts to reinvent the wheel here, it’s first and foremost a bike and it does that very well. The frame is well-sized, and offers a traditional seating position – long and short of it being there’s no surprises here.
Brakes
The Ampere Tourer S Hybrid has hydraulic disc brakes are seriously effective – which I found out during a busy rush hour ride through London. In the stop-start traffic, and with lights always going red just a little too late, the brakes were very good at stopping me quickly and safely.
Good brakes is always confidence inspiring, knowing that wherever you ride and whatever the surroundings, you’ll be able to come to safe stop in a matter of moments.
Extras
The display on the Ampere Tourer S Hybrid is very simple, and I mean very simple. It’s not an LCD screen that you might see on other electric bikes (although that is available as an added extra), instead you get a straightforward control module with small LED lights indicating the assist settings and remaining range. There’s an on button, and two buttons to cycle through power modes. It tells you everything you need to know, so with that I can say it does suffice.
As someone who loves tracking their stats whilst out on a ride, I was a bit disappointed, but in the grand scheme of things this bike is about getting you from A-to-B with more speed, less effort and a lot more fun. If you’re taking this bike out for a leisure ride at the weekend or on you’re next holiday you’ll be far too busy taking in the sights to notice the control panel.
One of my favourite features of the Tourer S Hybrid is the removable battery, I found it makes living with this bike so much more appealing. The battery is unlocked using a key and then removed from its position on the downtube, plug it in at any mains and you’ll be ready to ride. The battery takes six hours to charge from empty, which is competitive for this price bracket.
Weighing in at 21kg the Ampere Tourer S Hybrid is around 5kg heavier than the Tenways CG600 and the Estarli E28, not an overwhelming difference but you would notice it should you need to carry it up stairs.
If I had to be picky about the looks, which is the idea of reviews, I’m not the biggest fan of externally mounted batteries and so I much prefer the look of bikes like the Estarli E28 and Tenways CG600 with the battery hidden away in the drop bar. But does it override the practicality of it being removable? – that’ll be an answer for your taste and how cool you want to look out on a ride.
Sick of carrying a rucksack, got shopping to carry home or want to ensure that priceless vase your Nan has decided to give you gets home safely? Then the Tourer S Hybrid’s rear rack is perfect for transporting additional goods. It comes as standard, so no additional costs to worry about there.
The same can be said for the integrated front light, rear light, and kick stand – features you might expect, but don’t always get for free.
The Ampere Tourer S Hybrid combines the practicality, feel, and riding enjoyment of a normal bike, with the pleasure, ease, and excitement that comes with electrification. If you’re looking for your first ebike or you fancy an upgrade, this might just be your best bet.
