Step-through

Who a step-through suits

The frame earns its keep on rides with a lot of stopping: the school run, the shops, a ride with a heavy bag on the rack. You can get on and off flat-footed without tipping the bike, and you can ride in a coat, a skirt or work clothes without hitching anything up. Older riders and anyone returning to cycling after a break tend to find it the easiest frame to get along with.

Being easier to mount does not mean being slower or smaller. The bikes here have the same motors, batteries and fat tyres as the rest of the range, on 20-inch wheels, and carry the same two-year warranty.

What to look for

A rack and mudguards fitted from the factory matter more on this kind of bike than any other, because it will spend its life carrying things in all weathers. Check the spec table on each product page for both. Motor position is the other choice: a mid-drive motor at the pedals gives a more natural push on hills and a lower centre of gravity, while a hub motor in the rear wheel is simpler and cheaper.

Range depends on the battery in amp-hours more than on anything in the listing. Plan around two-thirds of the quoted distance, and more of a reduction still if the bike will carry a child seat or full panniers.

Riding on the road

UK law allows an electric bike on the road without a licence, tax or insurance only if its motor is rated at 250 watts or less and its assistance stops at 15.5 miles per hour. Each bike here is stamped either UK road legal or off-road only on its card, before the price. An off-road bike is sold for private land only. Our guide to UK electric bike law sets out the rules and lists every road-legal bike we sell.