Electric Bike Weights: Comparison of Portable and Heavier Models

The weight of an electric bike is one of the main aspects that influence its distance and speed. It also determines its movability, and knowing the weight of your e-bike can help you understand how to optimize its performance. Compared to a normal bike, an electric bike weighs a lot more and the difference can be over 35 pounds. Electric bike weights range from 35 to 70 pounds although you can find heavier models that weigh up to 80 pounds. Otherwise, the average weight of electric bikes is 50 pounds. The weight depends on the type of electric bike and the materials used for the frame. Another factor that determines an e-bike’s weight is the size of the battery and motor.

In this article, we will explain how the weight of an e-bike plays a role in its performance. We will also examine various types of electric bikes and their respective weights.

How to Calculate E-Bike Weight

The frame, motor, battery capacity and tire size are among the features that can help you figure out how much e-bikes weigh. We have explained more below.

What affects it?

As the name suggests, electric bikes use electricity to operate. This means that they require motors and batteries, unlike ordinary bikes, and these components significantly add to their overall weight. E-bikes also have wider wheels that provide additional stability and comfort when riding through sand, snow and other tough terrains. The only regular bikes with wider wheels are mountain bikes; the wheels improve traction and they are better at absorbing bumps. If you are a mountain biker, you definitely know about the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Trusted Source About IMBA | IMBA We create, enhance and protect great places to ride mountain bikes by partnering with communities on more trails close to home. www.imba.com which is one of the most prominent organizations that advocate for access to trails by mountain bikers to promote health, recreation and connection to nature.

To offset the weight of the wide tires and improve movability, electric bikes require motors that are powered by batteries.

How much do e-bikes weigh? Depending on its capacity, the battery of an electric bike weighs 10 to 20 pounds. The motors weigh 10 to 12 pounds. The size of the frame and the materials used for its construction can increase the weight of an e-bike by 30 to 50 pounds.

Tires and frame

As previously mentioned, the frame and tires determine the average e-bike weight.

The design of the frame and the construction materials determine the performance of an electric bike in terms of weight support, stability and shock absorption.

Electric bikes are made of aluminum, titanium, steel or carbon fiber. Aluminum, such as the one used to make the frame of Emojo Ram 750W Ram SS is the most common because it is affordable, strong and lightweight. It is often featured in commuter e-bikes.

Titanium frames are similar to steel in performance and durability and they have superior strength-to-weight ratio. However, they are mostly used for custom e-bikes because the material is a bit rare and expensive.

Steel frames are durable, resistant to corrosion and excellent at shock absorption. They are also cheaper than titanium or carbon frames. Their downside is the heavy weight. How heavy are electric bikes with frames made of steel?  These frames are the heaviest, with the e-bike weight ranging from 80 to 90 pounds, and some can weigh over 100 pounds depending on the design.

Carbon fiber is the ultimate material found in the frame of premium e-bikes. This is the lightest frame material and it provides more options for customization. It used to be more expensive than titanium but the price has been decreasing. However, the lightweight material can lead to performance issues if you don’t have proper suspension since the electric bike might be too light and jerky.

Generally, electric bikes have thick and heavy frames that can support the wider tires and the motor, electrical wiring and battery. Powerful e-bikes like GigaByke 500W Swift Electric Bike will typically be heavier because they have larger motors, among other features.

There are lightweight electric bikes made of high quality materials that can support a smaller battery with high capacity but such e-bikes are expensive. You will also find e-bikes with foldable frames that are more portable and easy to maneuver while riding.

Electric bikes also have wider tires that add extra weight. The tires range typically range from 50 to 70 pounds.

Motor and accessories

The average weight of electric bikes is heavier than regular bikes because of the additional components and the heavier frame to maneuver the e-bike even at high speed, especially if you are riding for a long distance like a 280-mile trip Trusted Source Brazil great Ronaldo cycles 450km trail after club promotion Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo started a 450km bike ride fulfilling his promise if his club Real Valladolid were promoted to Spain’s top league. www.espn.com . The extra components include the battery, motor, electrical wiring, control system, and the display screen that helps you to choose your desired power assistance level.

Battery weight ranges from 10 to 20 pounds, depending on the capacity. There are city e-bikes with battery weight of 7 pounds designed for kids.

Powerful motors that generate a lot of torque tend to be larger and heavier and such motors require to be housed in bulkier and heavier frames that weigh 70 to 80 pounds to be able to withstand that pressure. They are the best option for off road riding.

A large and heavy battery has high capacity that allows you to ride longer and farther because it can hold the charge for a longer period. Fat tire e-bikes have wider tires and the rear hub motor must have higher wattage because it requires a lot of power to match the width of the tire.

You can find electric bikes that with smaller batteries with high capacity that offers greater range and power. Such e-bikes weigh less than 40 pounds but you will have to spend more money for the smaller but powerful motor and battery. They also cost a lot because they typically come with premium frames made of carbon fiber. That’s not to say that you can’t find the best electric bikes under $1500 which is a reasonable cost considering the powerful features.

When choosing the best e-bike weight, you should consider your own weight. For instance, heavy riders need a motor with higher wattage of 750W to 1000W with enough power to support the heavier frame and reduce the effort they will need to pedal. However, it would be harder to maneuver a heavier electric bike if you are physically weak or you have a small stature. If that’s the case, you should opt for an e-bike with a throttle that will get the motor up to speed without you pedaling. This is particularly useful when riding on an incline or when you are riding a long distance.

E-bikes have several specific secrets you’d want to learn before riding one of them. Here a quick video for entertainment:

Average E-Bike Weight by Type

The average e-bike weight depends on the type of e-bike and its features. The ideal e-bike weight will depend on the type you need. For example, a foldable model will usually have a lighter frame and a smaller motor because it is designed to be portable.

On the other hand, an electric mountain bike or a fat tire e-bike will weigh more because it will generally have a larger frame, motor and battery and wider tires. Additional accessories such as cargo racks or suspension system that ensure smooth riding on tough terrains will also increase the overall weight.

A road bike, which is lighter, would be the best choice for riders looking for speed.

Let’s now discuss how heavy electric bikes are and why e-bike weight ranges from one type of e-bike to another and even from one model to another.

Road and gravel

The best electric gravel bikes have the lightest e-bike weight of 40 to 50 pounds because they are optimized for speed on roads and paved trails. They feature thinner frames, narrower wheels and handlebars curved forwards.

Foldable

Most foldable e-bikes have the normal bike weight range but you can find lighter ones weighing 30 to 40 pounds that you can easily carry and store. These mini folding e-bikes with wheel size of 12 to 16 inches can easily fit in your car’s boot for trips. Foldable models are also available as folding electric mountain bikes weighing 40 to 70 pounds and folding fat tire electric bikes with 4.0-inch fat tires weighing 50 pounds or more in total.

Hybrid

Hybrid electric bikes are designed for riding off road and on paved roads. They have larger frames, wider tires and more powerful batteries, compared to city e-bikes and electric road bikes. So, how much does a hybrid electric bike weigh? The weight ranges from 45 to 75 pounds, depending on the size of the features and the included accessories.

Fat tire

As expected, fat tire e-bikes weigh more than other types of e-bikes because of the wider tires that are designed for off-road and tough terrains such as snow, sand, gravel, rocks or mud. Fat tire e-bikes also weigh more because they have larger frames to support the wider tires.

How much do fat tires e-bikes weigh? The weight ranges from 60 to 80 pounds.

Commuter

This type of electric bike is also known as hybrid electric bike because they have a blended design of wheels that are similar to a road bike’s and handlebars similar to a mountain bike’s. Commuting electric bikes feature larger batteries that can accommodate longer distances but also add to their overall weight. Look for a commuting e-bike with wheel width of 12 to 20 inches if you want a foldable model to ride comfortably. Commuting e-bikes weigh 50 to 70 pounds.

Mountain

A mountain e-bike weighs 40 to 70 pounds which is the typical e-bike weight range.  However, the average weight of the best electric mountain bikes under $3000 is closer to 70 pounds because they have bigger motors with higher wattage and superior suspension systems that offer better traction and control when riding off road on tough terrains.

e-Bike Weight Comparison

How to Reduce Electric Bike Weight?

Now that you know how heavy electric bikes are, you might want to reduce your e-bike’s weight to match your size, strength or personal preference. One of the easiest ways to do so is to remove accessories that you rarely use. These might include panniers, baskets and bike racks.

E-bikes weigh a lot because of their battery capacity, wider tires and frame size and construction. You can reduce the average weight of an electric bike by replacing these parts with a smaller battery pack and narrower tires although you might pay more for a smaller battery with high capacity.

Final Thoughts

To recap what we discussed about how much e-bikes weigh and why, e-bikes are much heavier than traditional bikes because they have additional components that increase the overall weight. These include electrical wiring and a heavier and bulkier frame to support a bigger motor, bigger battery and wider wheels.

The average e-bike weight depends on the type and model of the e-bike. Some e-bikes have a foldable design that may weigh 30 pounds and then there are electric mountain bikes that weigh twice as much. You can reduce electric bike weights by replacing some parts with smaller ones but that could affect the range and performance of your e-bike unless it is a smaller but powerful battery.

Remember to also factor your body size and weight, the routes you would be riding the e-bike on and any health conditions that might limit your strength or mobility. It would help you understand how heavy your electric bike should be.

facebook

twitter

linkedin

reddit

pinterest