The best LEGAL electric bikes for hills and steep commutes

We found the STEEPEST hill around to test out a few of our favourite e-bikes from this year!

Join us as we pit 8 of our best electric bikes against each other in the ULTIMATE hill test!

In true world-cup knock out style, we discover the best brands and components in an e-bike for getting up gradients… SO STOP ASKING FOR HILL CONTENT OKAY?!

Quick, place your bets in the comments. Who do you think will be crowned champion?!🏆

⚡️ *Interested in any of the featured bikes?* 👇

🚴🏻‍♀️Vanpowers City Vanture

🚴🏻‍♀️ Ampere Tourer S -

🚴🏻‍♀️ Estarli e28 -

🚴🏻‍♀️ Temple Classic -

🚴🏻‍♀️ WAU X Plus -

🚴🏻‍♀️ Estarli e20 -

🚴🏻‍♀️ Estarli e16 -

🇺🇸🇪🇺🇬🇧 Viewers in the US, EU and UK:

🚴🏻‍♀️ Honbike Uni4 -
Get £20/$50 OFF the Honbike Uni4, by clicking the link below 👇

🚴🏻‍♀️ Vanpowers City Vanture -

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⚡️Check out our other featured products 👀

0:00 Welcome to the HILL TEST
0:50 Meet the contenders
2:25 Battle of the folders
3:37 Big vs small
4:31 Switching things up…
5:37 Battle of the belt drive
7:05 Where to buy these bad boys
7:43 The gear off
8:54 The semi finals
11:46 BIG DADDY HILL FINALE...
12:26 So who wins???

#electroheads #ebike #race
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[Electroheads]

Electroheads: *Releases video about a hill*

Old blokes from Yorkshire: "THAT'S NOT A HILL, WHERE I LIVE THEY HAVE HILLS AS BIG AS JUPITER, HILLS SO TALL THEY BEND GRAVITY. I CYCLE UP THEM WHILST DRINKING A PINT OF BITTER."

Love you guys.

[yeldarleumas]

One of the main reasons people buy an e-bike is to make riding a bike less physically demanding. Therefore, one would have thought that when reviewing ANY e-bike riding a steep hill would be the obvious thing to do.

[markotrieste]

Thank you for taking care of people like me who live in hilly areas. I ride every morning up on a 20% incline, towing my son on a tag-along. My suggestions after 8 years of experience:
-get a Bosch mid drive motor, either CX or Cargo line
-get the lower gear ratio below 1 (eg. 46t cassette, 36t chainring). This usually implies a transmission with at least 11 speed
Keep up your cadence, at least 70 RPM.
Oh, and don't forget beefy brakes. If it is easy to go uphill, you get plenty of energy to dissipate on the way back. I pay more for brake pads than for electricity (no joke).

[simonbean]

The mid drive (Temple) would beat all of them up the 'really steep hill' as the motor drives through the gears. Hub drive bikes are great up to around 10-12 % and will beat mid drives until the hill becomes too steep for the motor torque. A mid drive with decent torque and a good gear range will climb almost any hill you put in front of it. It's very much horses for courses.

[longzero]

This was a great video! It's great that Electroheads has different types of video and there's no repeated formula week after week.

[veilbreak]

I have a 2nd hand 'freego' folding bike, that cost me £250. It's great on hills. And gets me up some steep hills in South Wales, about 30 degrees. Carrying 4 panniers and a rucksack of shopping, It's a little cart horse. I haven't fallen off or come close. it's really safe. And has suspension which makes so much difference, especially with a heavy rucksak on. Im a 56 year old woman for context.

[fazerstorm-oap]

My wife and I both have Halfords own make carrera crossfuse bikes. Bosch mid drive motors and not too heavy. Also under £2000. We have ridden all over exmoor, including 25% hills. Last ride was 40 miles, with 1250 metres of ascent and still some battery left. Thoroughly recommended.

[jezlawrence]

You should do the Greenwich hill test for every review. Including the big one. That's honestly vital info.

[longyx]

That's not a hill it's a slope. Come to Wales for hills😅

[ebgb]

Excellent test, thoroughly enjoyed it thank you...Safe riding all...Andre.

[ianferguson]

Nice video. We took our estarli E20 bikes up a really steep hill nearby. A long steep hill. We both reached the top without a stop using the power assist and the gears. Not a hill we would try on a regular bike.

[mattusgig]

As your in London. Go to Archway, by the underground and ride up Highgate hill to the top. 😂

[ebgb]

Try a Honda Fireblade, it goes up hills quite well😂

[donaldduck]

So I’ve just gotten myself an e-bike (cycle to work scheme) and a wonderful thing it is too, Cycling 10 miles to work along the river Cam instead of sitting in my car in traffic (all be it in EV mode) and it only takes 15 minutes longer each way. Best bit Eilis hasn’t mentioned is it’s easy to stop off for a pint of quality beer on the way home from work, like so not possible with a car, cars are super anti-social really. Done a few 50+ mile cycle rides at the weekends too., no problem, E-bikes are the future.
Plus because I’m not a moron and haven’t spent £50k+ on an old antiquated ICE SUV and it’s fuel just to impress my neighbours, work colleagues and appear middle class, (which I am not, because I’m intelligent), I have money to do stuff, hobbies and have a life.

[misterthegeoff]

Even though it lost early on I was surprised how good my estarli e20 is at hills when I tried it out. I am a big bloke and have arthritis so can barely ride a non electric bike on the flat but the e20 can get my overweight self to the top of the steepest hill in my town even though I weigh more than its rated maximum weight. I certainly feel it by the time I get to the top but this is a hill where actual fit cyclists without electric assist get off and walk. I definitely made sure to get a bike with gears because I knew I needed to handle hills.

[redrocker]

I love this channel. Great hosts great editing and great bikes. Side note: That Vanture is stunning.

[viffer]

“The Vanpowers looks cool, is cool and . . . something else.” 😊 I might leave the presenting to Eilis.

Single speed belt drives have many advantages, durability, ease of maintenance, no more chainring leg tattoos. But they do not do steep hills well. Once you lose your momentum it’s all over but the crying. You still need gears to climb long and steep.

[peterreece]

Being an old fart of 75yrs and living in Cumbria, I have yet to be beaten by a hill in my immediate vicinity. I have a Raleigh Mutos Grand Tour with Shimano 8 speed hub gears but I don’t try to race up the hills I don’t get up and stand on the pedals I select the right power mode and gear and take my time pedalling up them.

[ThatMarkGilroy]

Just picked up the City Vanture- it’s SO quick. Great for city riding.

[FrankieLimes]

Good video, interesting. I ride a Vanmoof S5, the boost button is a breeze going up hills, no pain, no sweat, no tears, just pure enjoyment.