Is an E-Bike the Answer to Your Commuting Woes?

An e-bike inside of a blue bubble in front of a blue background.

Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio | Other platforms

Fall can be bittersweet—you may be coming home from vacation and settling back into your routines, but you also want to soak up the last of the warm weather before the winter comes. An e-bike might seem like a tempting compromise for an affordable, but adventurous and outdoorsy commute.

In this bonus episode, Wirecutter Senior Editor and bike expert Chris Ryan tells us what an e-bike is, which kind you probably want to look for, and what common safety and repairability issues you’ll want to be aware of before you buy.

This episode covers:

What e-bikes are good for: They’re a great way to commute quickly without getting sweaty. They can also be an affordable alternative to a second car and can help people with mobility issues get back into cycling.

What to know before you buy: E-bikes are heavy, so figure out how you'll store and maneuver one at home and at your destination. You'll also want to decide between a regular or a cargo e-bike, which is built to carry kids or groceries.

Why you should buy from a local bike shop: They’re complex machines and require more frequent maintenance than regular bikes. It's a good idea to have a local professional you can go to for service, repairs, and support.

Why buying a replacement battery can be a fire hazard: It’s dangerous to buy cheap, off-brand replacement batteries. Low-cost batteries often lack a Battery Management System (BMS), which prevents them from overheating and catching fire. Always buy a replacement battery from the original manufacturer.

How to protect your investment: E-bikes can be expensive. Check if your homeowners or renters insurance covers e-bikes, and if not, consider a separate policy. You should also register your bike with a nonprofit like bikeindex.org, which can help you get it back if it’s ever stolen.

Products we recommend:

This sturdy, practical hub-drive e-bike is capable on hills, comfortable to ride, and equipped with commuter-friendly lights and a rack. It’s a Class 3 e-bike, though, which may limit where it can go.

If you’re willing to give up the remote and programmable user settings, the C2 saves you a few bucks while retaining Toto’s other key features.

Buy from Trek

May be out of stock



from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/itX3FmW
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Molly Baz Restocked Her Kitchen After the LA Fires

Image
Shortly after the devastating Los Angeles fires of January 2025, cookbook author and recipe developer Molly Baz shared a note with her followers on Instagram. “You can take away the physical kitchen, but you can’t take away the spirit of the cook,” she wrote. The Altadena house that she’d shared with her husband, Ben Willett; her baby; and her miniature dachshund, Tuna, had just burned to the ground. “If there’s anything that will bring me some semblance of normalcy, comfort, and routine right now, it will be cooking. So that’s what I’ll do.” Still, “I felt so out of sorts,” says Baz. She recalls thinking, “Where is my pinch pot with my salt? I cannot cook, because I do not have the things that make me feel comfortable and like myself in my kitchen.” All the cookware, pantry staples, appliances, and beloved glassware and dinnerware that Baz had collected through her years of working in food were gone, and Baz suddenly faced the question of what had really mattered to her and made a ...
Read more

The 30 Most Popular Prime Day Deals, According to Wirecutter Readers

Image
Amazon’s summer Prime Day — which is now a four-day event rather than the usual two days — is well underway, and we’ve been working hard to surface the best deals for our readers. We’ve sorted through thousands of on-sale items to pinpoint truly excellent discounts on the things our experts have found are worth your time and money. Among the 500-plus deals we’ve posted so far —less than 1% of every discount we’ve reviewed — some have grabbed the attention of our readers more than others. Here are the 30 Prime Day deals that our readers have loved the most, including soft sateen sheets, a luxe leather tote, an investment-worthy blender, and more. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/tDSahdQ via IFTTT
Read more

The Nugget Is the ‘Original Play Couch.’ Costco’s Version May Be Better.

Image
If you’re a parent of a child under 10, you’ve probably heard of The Nugget, the beloved play sofa that launched a thousand (well, at least 20) competitors. I’ve only recently discovered the category; but now that my eyes are open, play-cushion sets seem to be everywhere — even at Costco. I’m inherently skeptical of any product that claims to solve a need that I’m unaware of having. But, last summer, a junk collector hauled away our sofa, whose base had finally broken clean in half from eight years of my son’s intense, anime-inspired dance-jumping. It turns out we could’ve used a play sofa — and saved our couch  (as well as our cushions). The Nugget , the first play couch to widely popularize the concept, experienced viral popularity during pandemic lockdowns in 2020. It is also a Wirecutter favorite . Its modular design is simple: There are two long, hinged cushions and two triangular bolsters, all with removable, washable covers. And while The Nugget is arguably the most popu...
Read more