Giant Talon E+ 29

£2,299

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The Talon E+ 29 is a straightforward big-brand hardtail e-MTB for riders who want something approachable and versatile. It works best as a mixed-terrain electric mountain bike: bridleways, forest tracks, towpaths, and mellow trail riding where stability and comfort matter more than outright aggression. That’s often exactly what many UK riders want from their first e-MTB — the ability to ride further, climb more easily, and explore new routes without wrestling a specialist enduro bike.

The reason a Talon-style hardtail makes sense in this hub guide is that it’s a realistic ownership choice. Riders can walk into a dealer, get sized properly, and have a clear route to servicing and support. If you’re a newer off-road rider or you like simple, predictable handling, it’s a sensible pick — just be honest about your terrain. If your local trails are steep, rough and full of repeated hits, you’ll want more suspension and more aggressive tyre/brake spec.

Merida eBIG.NINE 400

£2,750

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If you want a hardtail electric mountain bike that feels like a “proper” e-MTB without turning into a full-suspension spend, the Merida eBIG.NINE 400 is a strong middle-ground pick — and it’s ideal if you’re planning to publish your own test impressions. It’s designed for the kind of riding many UK owners do most: bridleways, forest roads, towpaths, steady trail-centre loops and long, undulating routes where you want predictable assistance rather than a hyper-aggressive enduro setup.

As with any hardtail, the way you set it up matters. Tyre choice and pressures make a big difference in wet UK conditions, and a dropper post can be a worthwhile upgrade if you’re heading into steeper terrain. But as a reliable, mainstream hardtail e-MTB platform with sensible “ride often” intentions, it deserves a spot in this buyer’s guide.

Mondraker Crafty Carbon R

£4,599 (RRP £6,299)

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The Crafty name is closely associated with a planted, aggressive trail feel — the kind of full-suspension e-MTB that’s designed to be ridden properly downhill as well as up. For UK riders who spend time on steeper, rougher trails or who ride trail centres hard, a bike like this makes sense because it’s built around composure. An e-MTB encourages you to repeat climbs and do more descending; that’s exactly where a supportive chassis and confident geometry matter most.

It’s not necessarily the “first e-MTB for everyone” pick — particularly if your riding is mostly bridleways and mellow tracks — but for riders who know they want a more committed ride character, this belongs on the shortlist. The trade-off is that aggressive trail bikes can feel big in tight, slow terrain, so it’s worth being honest about the type of riding you do most.

Whyte Kado RSX

£4,799 (RRP £5,999)

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Whyte is a UK brand with a strong reputation for bikes that feel tuned for real British trail riding — wet roots, steep punchy climbs, and the kind of off-camber woodland singletrack where predictable handling matters. The Kado RSX makes sense as a full-suspension shortlist pick because it’s built around the idea of confidence rather than theatrics: a bike that stays calm when trails are messy, holds a line well, and doesn’t feel like it needs perfect conditions to make sense.

This is the category where an e-MTB starts to feel like an “uplift you can pedal”. You do more climbs, which means you do more descending, which means comfort and control suddenly become far more important than on a hardtail. A Kado-style bike suits riders who want to ride trail centres and natural trails year-round, and who want a bike that doesn’t get overwhelmed when terrain gets properly rough.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro (DJI Avinox)

From £8,849

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Not every “best e-MTB” list needs a wildcard, but the point of a Tier 1 hub is to reflect where the market is going as well as what’s already established. The Amflow PL Carbon Pro, built around DJI’s Avinox system, represents that “new school” moment: high interest, lots of discussion, and the promise (or at least the ambition) of doing something differently in motor behaviour and system integration.

For UK riders, the reason it earns a place here is simple: innovation tends to filter into mainstream bikes quickly. Even if you don’t buy an early-generation example, it’s useful to understand what new systems are trying to solve — noise, weight, delivery feel, efficiency, usability. This is the sort of bike you shortlist if you want cutting-edge tech and you’re comfortable being an early adopter.

Trek Rail+ 8 Gen 5 2026

£5,000

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The Rail+ sits in the “proper e-MTB for proper riding” camp, but with a strong long-range slant for riders who want big days without compromise. For UK riders, that typically means a bike that climbs efficiently for hours, stays stable on rough descents, and doesn’t feel punishing by mid-ride. It’s the kind of bike you choose when you know you’ll ride often and you want your e-MTB to cover as many ride types as possible without constantly worrying about battery management.

As a long-range shortlist pick, it’s also an ownership play. Many riders value a predictable brand ecosystem, clear servicing routes and dealer support. If you’re planning long mixed-terrain rides and want a bike that feels like a true trail weapon rather than an adventure hybrid, this category is where bikes like the Rail+ make their case.

Cannondale Moterra LT

£6,500 (RRP £7,500)

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Long-range e-MTBs are about freedom: big climb days, winter riding, longer distances, and fewer moments staring at a percentage display wondering whether you’ll make it back. The Moterra LT fits this “big day out” brief as a more bruiser-style e-MTB — a bike for riders who want to tackle demanding terrain and still have the confidence to keep the motor doing its job over a long ride.

These are the bikes that suit riders who ride high assistance modes often, who climb a lot, and who value getting home with battery in the tank. The trade-off is weight and liveliness: long-range priorities can make a bike feel less playful than a lightweight option. But if your goal is maximum ride potential across UK seasons, long-range is a very sensible category.

KTM Macina Kapoho

£ 8,799

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If you want long range as a core feature rather than a nice bonus, KTM’s Macina Kapoho style of e-MTB belongs in the conversation. This is the kind of bike you shortlist when you ride long, steep routes, you want strong climbing support for hours, and you’d rather carry more battery than ration assistance. It’s particularly relevant for UK conditions where winter drag (mud, cold temperatures, slower trails) can reduce usable range compared with summer.

For the right rider, long range can change how you plan rides. It makes it realistic to link bridleways, trail centres and upland routes into one proper day out without turning the last hour into a limp-home. The compromise is that big batteries and long-range builds add weight. If you want maximum agility and the most “normal MTB” handling, you’ll likely prefer a lightweight e-MTB — but if you want the confidence of battery in reserve, this is the right bucket.

Haibike Lyke CF 10

£5,699

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The Lyke is a lightweight e-MTB built for riders who want to do longer trail rides without the “big e-bike” feel that full-power systems can bring. That makes it especially relevant in the UK, where many rides are stop-start, technical and traction-limited — and where a more manageable-feeling bike can be easier to enjoy. Lightweight bikes also tend to feel less tiring to manoeuvre in tight terrain, which matters if your local riding includes lots of slow woodland sections and awkward features.

This kind of e-MTB is also ideal if you care about the feel of the bike on descents. You’ll typically get a more analogue-like ride with less mass to throw around, which can make the bike feel easier to place and more rewarding. The trade-off, again, is that you’ll think more about range and you won’t get the same “endless uplift” behaviour as a full-power long-range bike. But for many riders, that’s the whole appeal.

Orbea Rise LT M10

£5,999 (RRP £7,799)

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The Rise is a clear example of why lightweight e-MTBs have taken off: the aim is a more natural mountain-bike ride with a gentler push, rather than maximum assistance at all times. For many UK riders, that’s the perfect balance. You still get meaningful help on climbs, you can ride further than on an analogue bike, and you can keep pace with stronger riders — but the bike is designed to feel more “alive” and easier to place on technical trails.

This category suits riders who care about handling feel: those who like pumping terrain, changing lines, and riding in a way that’s closer to traditional mountain biking. It can also be a great route for riders who don’t need maximum power, or who prefer flow and engagement to brute force. If you want your e-MTB to feel like mountain biking first and assisted riding second, this is the template.

Spectral:ONfly

From £3,049 (RRP £5,199)

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The Spectral:ONfly represents where lightweight e-MTBs are heading: modern trail geometry, a more natural ride feel, and enough assistance to make steep climbs manageable without turning the bike into a heavyweight bruiser. For UK riders, that can be a genuine sweet spot. Many of our trails are technical and traction-limited rather than purely high-speed; a lighter, more controllable bike can simply be easier to ride well when the ground is wet and the gradients are awkward.

A modern lightweight trail e-MTB can also be a brilliant “one bike” option for riders coming from analogue mountain bikes. You keep much of the handling feel you’re used to, but you open up longer rides and more climbing. If your priority is ride feel first — and you’re happy with a more measured approach to range planning — this is one of the most interesting categories on the market.

Cube Kathmandu Hybrid

£2,299  (RRP £3,699)

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The Kathmandu Hybrid is a classic trekking template: comfort-focused, stable, and designed for long distances with the ability to handle rougher tracks when your route demands it. In the context of Electric MTB UK, bikes like this are for riders whose “mountain biking” is really about exploring — bridleways, forest roads, long loops and mixed-surface riding where comfort and practicality matter as much as climbing support.

It’s also one of the more sensible categories if you’re buying your first electric bike and you’re not sure how off-road you’ll really go. Trekking bikes tend to be forgiving and easy to ride, and they can be set up for year-round UK life. The trade-off is that they don’t have the geometric intent of a trail e-MTB. But if your riding is mostly routes rather than “lines”, this is often exactly the right tool.

FOCUS AVENTURA² 6.9

£5,299

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If you want an “adventure” e-bike that’s happier doing bridleways, forest roads and long distance exploring than lap-after-lap trail-centre riding, the AVENTURA² 6.9 is a strong fit. It’s built around the Bosch Performance CX Smart System (85Nm) and a 750Wh PowerTube battery on most sizes (size S uses 625Wh), with a 100mm SR Suntour Raidon 34 air fork adding comfort on rougher tracks.

It’s also properly set up for practical UK mileage with rack, mudguards, kickstand and lights, plus a Kiox 300 display and even a USB-C port for charging devices on the go.

Riese & Müller Delite4

£6,399

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If you want a truly premium “adventure e-bike” that can handle mixed surfaces and real-world riding year-round, Riese & Müller is often where the conversation ends up. The Delite4 is built around comfort, refinement and long-distance usability, and for UK riders who want one machine that can cope with everything from rural lanes to rough tracks and bridleway links, that’s a compelling brief. This isn’t an e-MTB in the trail-centre sense — it’s an “all conditions, all journeys” e-bike with the strength and stability to handle rough surfaces confidently.

This choice is also about ownership and finish. Premium trekking/adventure bikes tend to feel exceptionally well thought through: ride position, comfort, reliability and integration. If your “off-road” riding is mixed terrain and you value practicality alongside performance, this is the top end of that category.

Scott Contessa Strike eRIDE

£2,959.20 (RRP £3,699)

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The Contessa Strike eRIDE is another women’s-specific route into a full-suspension e-MTB, and it makes sense for riders who want comfort and confidence on real trails. Electric mountain bikes encourage longer rides and more repeated climbs, which naturally means more descending. A full-suspension platform can reduce fatigue and help maintain grip, especially on typical UK trails where wet roots and churned surfaces reward a calmer, more forgiving setup.

In the women’s category, what matters is that the bike offers a sizing run and overall fit that genuinely works, and that the handling feels manageable rather than intimidating. Bikes like this can be a strong choice if you’re building confidence and want a trail-ready platform that doesn’t feel overly aggressive. As ever, setup is key: getting sag and tyre pressures right transforms how any e-MTB rides, but especially a full-suspension bike aimed at long, mixed UK rides.

Specialized Turbo Levo 4

From £5,199

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Not every great women’s e-MTB is women-specific. For many riders, the more useful question is: does the bike have a sizing run that genuinely works, a cockpit you can adapt easily, and handling that feels confidence-inspiring across real UK terrain? The Turbo Levo fits that brief well as a women’s pick because it’s widely available, has broad sizing, and tends to feel cohesive and predictable once set up properly.

If you’re shopping specifically for a women’s e-MTB, it’s worth approaching it as a fit-first exercise: look at standover, reach, stack, bar width, brake lever reach, and suspension setup. A bike that’s “right” on those details will feel dramatically better than one that’s theoretically the right category but doesn’t suit your body. As a shortlist anchor, this is a proven reference point — and a useful benchmark against which to compare more niche women-focused options.

Liv Intrigue X E+

£5,399 (RRP £8,999)

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Liv’s Intrigue X E+ is a women-focused trail e-bike with genuine off-road intent. In practical terms, that usually means a package that’s easy to get comfortable on, confidence-inspiring at speed, and controllable on typical UK surfaces like wet roots and muddy climbs. For many women, the “best e-MTB” question is less about chasing a particular motor number and more about finding a bike that fits properly, feels manageable, and doesn’t demand constant wrestling to stay on line.

As a shortlist pick, it also represents a fit-first approach. A women-focused design can make it easier to find a comfortable cockpit and a frame shape that suits smaller riders, while still delivering the stability you want on descents. It’s still worth applying the same buying priorities as any other e-MTB — tyres, braking performance and setup matter hugely — but if your priority is a women-focused trail bike that can do proper off-road riding, this deserves a place in your early comparisons.