The Best eBikes Under $2,500 [2024 Edition]

Why We Picked It:

The Aventon Adventure.2 is the evolution of the original Adventure, which was a nuclear bomb in the eBike market when originally released. That previous bike was capable of giving near eMTB levels of riding comfort and capability, for less than half, three quarters, sometimes even a tenth of what an eMTB costs, as the bike was designed for people to go adventure riding on.

In terms of evolution, almost everything has been upgrade. Now packing a Bafang 750W rear hub drive motor with 75 Nm of torque, feeding from a 48V 720 Wh fully integrated battery, this off-roading pathfinder ahs up to 60 miles of range. While that may not sound all that great, keep in mind that those 60 miles are meant to be over any terrain. Mud, dirt, grass, pavement, bike path... you name it, it will probably ride over it.

The crown jewel of the Adventure.2, however, is that for under $2,500, it is equipped with a torque sensor. A feature usually reserved for much more expensive bikes, it makes the ride feel a lot more natural, as it varies the torque output of the motor to your pedal effort and whichever of the 4 PAS levels you have selected. A Shimano 8-speed derailleur also helps, as does a thumb throttle.

The little gem beside that crown jewel is that the Adventure.2 comes as a Class 3 eBike in every jurisdiction, meaning up to 28 MPH on assist.

Why We Picked It:

The Himiway Zebra is an eBike for those looking to explore the urban jungle as much as they want to go trail riding or even get a little bit of off-roading in.

Powered by 750W rear hub motor with 86 Nm of torque, power comes from a 48V 960 Wh battery. This gives the Zebra a nominal range of 80 miles. On top of that, it comes as a Class 3 eBike, it can also do those 80 miles at up to 25 MPH. And on top of that, it has a payload capacity of 400 lbs. This makes it a commuter, a grocery getter, a give-the-kids-a-ride bike... you name it, we'd bet the Zebra can do it.

The Zebra has a Shimano Altus 7-speed derailleur handling the gearing, and you also get top-shelf Tektro Auriga hydraulic brakes with 180mm discs front and rear to give you great braking feel and performance. 5 PAS levels, a half twist throttle that is good for up to 20 MPH, and a very easy to read, multifuntion, backlit LCD control panel round out the features of this multitasker. There is even a USB port in case you need to charge your phone or run a GPS system.

The Himiway Zebra should definitely be on your list, as you will not find a better fat tire bike, with that amount of payload capacity, and range for anything less than $3,000.

Why We Picked It:

Ride1UP partnered with German motor specialists Brose for the Prodigy V2, and my word, what an eBike they have made. It is the first eBike we know of that has either a derailleur option or a continuously variable hub transmission (CVHT) option.

Powered by a Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive motor that provides what seems to be a paltry 250W of power, it also chucks out 90 Nm of torque, powered by a 36V 504 Wh battery. The real trick of the bike is the Enviolo Trekking Internal Gear Hub that is still available at under $2,500 (just), which internalizes the derailleur and provides for absolutely seamless shifting. If you don't want the CVT, the still excellent Shimano Alvio 9-speed derailleur will take care of the gearing.

Other features on the Prodigy V2 are front air suspension with 100 mm of travel, a rear cargo rack capable of 40 lbs payload, included headlight and tail light, and a full color display that lets you know your speed, which of the 4 PAS levels you're using, and the like. The only downside, if it can even be called that, is that there is no throttle. Apart from that, it's a superb option for those looking for the latest and greatest in eBike tech.

Why We Picked It:

The Rad Power RadExpand 5 is an eBike that put simply punches way, way above its weight. All you need to do is look at the specs and wonder what type of shoehorn they used to get all the features in, or if it's a combination of shoehorn and crowbar

The specs: 750W rear hub motor. 48V 672 Wh battery that will give you up to 45 miles per charge. 5 PAS levels. The seat and handlebars are telescoping, so when folded, it is tight and compact, but when set up, can easily handle a rider that is 6 feet tall.

Added bonuses are mechanical disc brakes, 20x4 fat tires to make it off-road capable, and you even get a Microshift 7-speed derailleur. It has a generous cargo rack capable of at least 40 lbs, it will happily commute during the week, and then happily go for a weekend away riding the trails around where you live.

The cherry on top, however, is its price: $1,649. That's what you call a good deal, especially when there are some folders at $2,500 that are still giving you 350W or 500W motors!

Why We Picked It:

The Boar Hunter is a smart ebike. Aimed at hunters, and anyone else looking to spend time offroad and in the bush, the Hunter packs a lot of value into its $2,799 MSRP:

• A good mix of brand name components, including Tektro hydraulic brakes and the SRAM X5 groupset.

• An excellently-calibrated torque sensing pedal assist system

• Front and rear racks

• Fat Kenda Juggernaut 4.5" wide tires

The Boar Hunter is whisper quiet, which is ideal if you intend to go hunting with it, and the included front and rear racks allow you to transport a good amount of gear.

It has a rider max weight capacity of 285 lbs (130 kg), and can carry 55 lbs (25 kg) in each rack, for a total payload of 395 lbs (180 kg).

The Boar Hunter is an affordable upgrade over many "lesser" fat tire ebikes and is one of the best at its price point.

Why We Picked It:

Lectric went all out when they designed the XPremium, and you get pretty much everything and anything that a $5,000 eBike has, but at under $2,000.

A 500W nominal, 800W peak mid-drive motor uses a torque sensor in conjunction with 5 PAS levels to get you up and going. What makes this the value proposition of the year is that you don't get one, you get two batteries as standard, both 48V 500 Wh. That, along with the 7-speed derailleur, realistically gets you over 100 miles on PAS alone, and over 50 miles with just the throttle. It's also a Class 3 eBike, so will cruise on throttle at 28 MPH.

The XPremium also comes with a cargo rack, front and rear light, LCD display, and 20x4 inch tires. It can carry 55 lbs on the rack alone, and has a total payload capacity of 350 lbs. It is also hefty, thanks to the dual batteries, at 70 lbs, but for 100 or more miles of range at Class 3 speeds... that's something we here at webBikeWorld could live with!

Why We Picked It:

When Rad Power was designing the RadCity 5 Plus, they must have taken a look at a list of what every commuter wants in an eBike, and then shoehorned everything in. It has perhaps the sturdiest rear rack outside of a dedicated cargo bike for your commute that might also have a milk run on the way home, all the way up to the average child in a child seat (optional extra!).

Available in either step through or step over variations, with both sharing an excellent 750W rear hub motor and 48V 672 Wh battery, the RadCity 5 Plus has 30 to 50 miles of nominal range. You get 5 PAS levels and a half twist throttle, but running entirely on throttle is where the 30 mile lower range comes in. A Shimano Altus 7-speed derailleur takes care of the gearing, and the bike also has an attachment point for a front basket, which mounts just above the 50mm travel suspension fork. Headlight, tail light, and backlit LCD control screen are all standard, as well as fenders front and rear.

"An eBike built to handle your everyday" is how Rad Power markets the bike, and we can't find much fault in that statement. It's grunty, it's durable, and it will commute just as well as it will let you take your kid on a ride down the city trails on the weekends.