ebikes

MOD BIKES, the Austin, Texas-based maker of a wide range of electric bikes (including an impressive sidecar electric bike that I tested last year), is announcing today its 2024 lineup full of new models and impressive upgrades. In an unveiling at the South By Southwest Expo, the new e-bike models are taking center stage to show off their new features and tech, including upgraded performance, components, safety equipment, and accessories.

Whether you love them or hate them, electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular on streets and trails around the US. First embraced across Asia before rolling their way across Europe for the last decade, e-bikes are now surging in popularity in North America.

But while you’ll see plenty of people espousing the supposed advantages of electric bikes, it’s important to keep in mind some of the hidden costs of owning and using these two-wheeled electric vehicles.

Electric bikes just may be the biggest transportation revolution of our generation, helping millions replace car usage with more affordable, more efficient alternatives. But there’s no denying that concerns have been swirling about the safety of e-bike batteries, even if such fire fears have primarily been overblown by much of the media.

Leading electric bicycle maker Rad Power Bikes has just unveiled its new “Safe Shield Battery” in an effort to mitigate worries over e-bike battery safety. And it’s something we need to talk about.

Full-suspension and fat tires are basically the holy grail of comfort when it comes to e-bikes. They’re excessive in many situations, but that doesn’t stop a large swath of new e-bike shoppers looking for both. The only problem is they both tend to add to the cost of an e-bike, often pushing the number into the $2k range or higher. But what if you could get a full-suspension fat tire electric bike for under a thousand bucks? That’s what the Mukkpet Tank offers, and so I was excited to test it out and see how good it could be.

Rad Power Bikes, the Seattle-based electric bike maker that spent years at the top of the US e-bike sellers list, has occasionally rolled out major updates alongside the launch of a new model. But today the company is announcing the biggest shakeup in its history, simultaneously debuting two brand new e-bike models, two majorly updated e-bike models, and new battery technology that could help push the industry towards safer batteries. The Rad lineup is now welcoming the new Radster Road and Radster Trail e-bikes, as well as the RadWagon 5 and the RadExpand 5 Plus models.

Ride1Up, the San Diego-based electric bike retailer known for some of the best value commuter e-bikes on the market, has spent much of the last year expanding into new categories such as electric mopeds and adventure e-bikes. Now, the company is updating one of its popular commuter-focused models, maintaining its grip on the road market even as the brand expands its reach. Meet the new Ride1Up LMT’D V2.

Thanks to electric bikes, more people than ever before are discovering the joys of car-free living. Many others find that they can at least leave their car in the garage more often, using an e-bike instead for many of their around-the-town trips and errands. But when the weather is cold, e-bikes can sometimes feel less enticing. For anyone who has dreaded the rude awakening of cold air in your face, I think I might have found a trick that can help: swapping a typical bike helmet for an insulated ski helmet.

Commuter electric bikes are a key segment helping reduce America’s dependence on cars for navigating cities. The Propella 9S Pro V2 is designed squarely to get people to work, school, the coffee shop, or just navigating town on their own schedule. But compared to many other electric commuter bikes on the market, Propella does it with some outstanding value and several features we rarely see at this price level.

FREY is one of the biggest players in the game when it comes to high-power electric mountain bikes. Now, the company is making waves with its newest model, the FREY Dopamine 2.0.

Aventon, the Brea, California-based electric bike brand known for pushing the budget electric bike market into higher quality territory, has just announced its highest-performance model yet. The new Aventon Ramblas is the brand’s first dedicated electric mountain bike and features an Aventon-developed mid-drive motor with impressive torque and power.

The Phoenix-based electric bike brand Lectric Ebikes is known for rolling out some of the best bang-for-your-buck electric bicycles in the US. Time after time, the company has entered new markets and broken ground with high-performing, low-cost e-bikes that send the competition into panic. And the $1,299 Lectric XPeak might just be the best example of that high-value game plan yet.

If you’re already familiar with Tern, then it’s likely from the company’s critically-acclaimed urban cargo e-bikes, often see in cities shuttling children to school behind parents or whisking home an entire family’s grocery load. But now the premium electric bike maker is tackling an entirely new market and heading off-road with its latest unveiling: the Tern Orox adventure cargo e-bike.

Believe it or not, electric bikes offer more exercise than pedal bikes on average. That fact might sound strange (and has been known to let the steam out of some fitness riders’ lycra outfits), but the science is clear. Now let’s talk about the “how” and “why”.

It’s been a rough week for anyone who enjoys the freedom of riding e-bikes without undue state-applied hassle and burden. The latest news sure to disappoint electric bike riders and proponents of reduced car usage comes from the Garden State, where a pending New Jersey bill seeks to require e-bike riders to register their bikes and carry liability insurance.

Getting a company car used to be a major perk of a new job, but times are changing. As more young adults flock to electric bikes for their advantages over car travel in cities, companies are now making their own changes to reflect those shifting transportation habits.

Dutch police have a new weapon in their battle against high-speed and high-power electric bicycles: a roadside testing platform to catch hot-rodded e-bikes.

Electric bike riders in California who don’t already hold a traditional car driver’s license may soon have a new option (or requirement) on their hands: an electric bike license.

Some things are constant in the universe. Entropy always tends towards disorder. Taxes always come around. And any article I write about electric trikes invariably draws out all the armchair automotive engineers who chime in with the well-practiced “they should just put the two wheels in the front because it’s more stable!” comments.

Well here you go, everyone. The bicycle company Sixthreezero has done it. Meet the creatively named Sixthreezero Two Front Wheel Electric Bike.

Today, Trek announced its newest electric mountain bike, the Trek Marlin+. Not only is it an interesting electric hardtail MTB in its own right, but it also offers one of the most affordable Bosch-powered mid-drives on the market.

If you know anything about Gocycle, you’ll know that they make fancy electric bikes designed with sleek, exotic designs. Now, the company is leaning hard into its lightweight, futuristic design legacy as it unveils the new Gocycle CXI Family Cargo Bicycle.

Heybike has been around the block several times in the past few years, releasing a series of progressively more refined electric bike models. The company’s latest e-bike, the Heybike Horizon, has nailed the comfortable step-through fat tire design with a combination of performance and price that we rarely see.

Oh, and it looks pretty darn awesome too!