Bargain or trap?: What you need to bear in mind when buying e-MTBs from discount retailers

An e-mountain bike for around 1,000 euros sounds tempting at first. The price of bikes sold in discount stores or DIY shops is often significantly lower than that of established bike brands, and at first glance, these bikes seem like an affordable option for off-road rides.

However, a low purchase price does not automatically mean a good deal. With e-mountain bikes in particular, the motor, battery, suspension, brakes and frame must all work together as an integrated system. If you cut corners in one area, you may later find yourself faced with a limited range, a lack of hill-climbing capability or reduced riding safety. Furthermore, the investment may prove to be significantly less sustainable than with a branded e-MTB, as repair options and the availability of spare parts may be questionable.

Who might find a budget e-MTB suitable

Not every cheap e-bike is necessarily a bad choice. A budget model may be sufficient for short rides on paved paths, the occasional outing or your daily commute to work. It all depends on what you expect from the bike.

If you regularly ride steep climbs, plan long rides or want to explore challenging trails, you should take a particularly close look. A bike that merely looks like a mountain bike isn’t automatically designed for off-road riding. In fact, it can quickly become dangerous.

The question of price – what is good value?

At DIY stores or discount retailers, you can find e-mountain bikes for around 1,000 euros, or in some cases significantly less. This is the absolute entry-level range, and this is exactly where you really need to look very carefully. You’re unlikely to find long-lasting riding enjoyment at this price point. From just under 2,000 euros, at least some of the basic quality criteria are already met. Components from brand-name manufacturers, mid-drive motors and larger in-tube batteries – these can provide a solid foundation. A particularly good value example is the Lidl-Bike Crivit Peak 709, which we’ve already tested ((see the review via this link). With the full-suspension Rockrider E-Expl 520 S by Decathlon for 2,999 euros (reviewed here), you can even venture onto more challenging terrain and trails.

Motor and battery: the key combination

Hub motor instead of a mid-drive motor

Affordable e-mountain bikes from discount retailers often feature a hub motor. This is housed in the rear wheel and provides assistance regardless of the gear selected.

This concept is not particularly well suited to a true e-mountain bike. Off-road, it is essential to combine the motor assistance optimally with your own cadence and the selected gear. A mid-drive motor at the bottom bracket can generally fulfil this task better, as it transfers power directly to the drive train and utilises the existing gear ratio. This means it runs more efficiently and is significantly more stable and powerful on hills.

Whilst a hub motor can provide sufficient power on flat stretches, it reaches its limits more quickly on steep climbs. This is particularly true if the bike is also fitted with a simple gear system with a limited range. Another sticking point.

Small battery, limited range

Manufacturers often cut corners on the battery in budget models too. Whilst a smaller battery reduces weight and costs, it offers less power for long rides. On modern e-MTBs, 800 watt-hours is now standard. Discount retailers often only offer 500 Wh or less. This means the range is, roughly speaking, only half as great. You need to treat manufacturers’ range specifications with extreme caution. In reality, countless factors influence the range:

• Weight of the rider and the bicycle
• Support level
• Gradient and surface
• Outside temperature
• Tyre pressure
• Driving style
• Battery condition and age

On flat tarmac paths, a small battery may be sufficient for everyday use. However, on long climbs, in low temperatures and when the highest assistance level is used frequently, the range decreases significantly. Anyone who regularly goes on rides with significant elevation gain should therefore ensure they have sufficient battery capacity and plan their range realistically.

Don’t underestimate the importance of servicing and spare parts

Branded engines and well-known battery systems usually have a well-established network of dealers and repair shops. With no-name components, the situation can be considerably more difficult.

Before buying, you should check who manufactured the motor, the battery and the display. It’s also important to find out about the warranty, the availability of spare parts and the repair process. Some bike shops are reluctant to service bikes with unknown drive systems or are unable to source the necessary parts at short notice – whereas for popular branded motors, you can find countless service centres virtually everywhere in Europe.

What appears to be a bargain can therefore quickly end up costing a lot or taking up a great deal of time. If a battery, charger or control unit needs replacing, it may be difficult or even impossible to carry out the repair on a system that is no longer available.

The gearbox: Few gears, little fun?

Many affordable e-mountain bikes are fitted with simple gear systems and few gears. However, it is not just the number of gears that matters, but above all the gear ratio range. In reality, these two factors usually go hand in hand.

A narrow gear range means that there is only a limited difference between the lightest and heaviest gears. This may not be a problem on flat stretches. On a steep hill, however, there is often no gear that is light enough. This exacerbates the difficulties posed by a less powerful motor, particularly in the case of hub motors. If you cannot shift into a suitable gear ratio on the climb, both the rider and the motor have to exert significantly more effort. This is inefficient, and as a result, the bike quickly reaches its limits on long climbs.

For mountain rides, you should therefore look for a gear ratio suitable for mountain terrain. Having the largest possible low gear is more important than a high number of gears on paper. Small rear sprocket sets where the largest sprocket is small (few teeth) are a clear warning sign. Modern e-MTB derailleurs have 50 to 52 teeth on the largest sprocket.

Suspension: Looks are no substitute for function

For many buyers, a suspension fork is part of the typical look of a mountain bike. However, budget models from discount retailers are often basic designs with steel springs. Not only are these heavy, but they can usually hardly be adjusted to suit the rider’s weight. If the fork is too soft, it compresses significantly when braking and can bottom out on larger bumps. If it is too stiff, it offers little comfort on uneven terrain and loses traction. Adjustable damping is also often missing.

A high-quality suspension fork doesn’t just improve comfort. It can also enhance riding safety, as the front wheel maintains better contact with the ground. This control is particularly important on gravel, over roots and on varied terrain. During your test ride, you should therefore pay attention to how the fork reacts to uneven surfaces. A simple lockout function or visible suspension alone says nothing about its quality or off-road capability. Very cheap suspension forks often offer little real added value, bottom out quickly and add to the bike’s weight. In the long run, you won’t get much enjoyment out of them.

Check disc brakes thoroughly

The braking system is particularly important on an e-mountain bike – especially if you’re planning to ride in the mountains. An e-bike is heavier than a conventional mountain bike and is often ridden at higher speeds, or climbs steep hills more easily – hills that you’ll also have to come back down. This results in greater stress on the bike during descents and emergency braking.

Caution is advised with simple mechanical disc brakes. They are operated via a Bowden cable and generally offer less braking power and control than hydraulic disc brakes. They may be sufficient for short rides on flat trails. In mountainous terrain, however, their performance is limited. High-quality e-MTBs are fitted with four-piston hydraulic brakes.

The size of the brake discs also plays an important role. Larger discs can absorb more heat and improve braking power. Smaller discs are lighter and cheaper, but can overheat more quickly on long descents. 180 millimetres is the minimum, but at least 200 mm is now standard on high-quality bikes.

When making a purchase, bear the following points in mind:

• hydraulic or mechanical operation
• Diameter of the front and rear brake discs
• Number of brake pistons
• Quality and availability of the surfacing
• a consistent feel to the brake lever
• sufficient braking power during a test drive

When taking the bike for a test ride, bear in mind that disc brakes only perform to their full potential once they have been properly bedded in. You can read about the correct way to brake here in the link, D. If you have to pull the brake lever a long way towards the handlebars, or if the braking performance is already poor at low speeds, you should not consider the bike suitable for challenging downhill rides.

Key questions to ask before buying

Before you buy a budget e-MTB, you should check the technical specifications and the after-sales service. The purchase price alone says little about the long-term costs, safety and riding enjoyment.

​​Conclusion: It all depends on the intended use

A cheap e-mountain bike from a discount retailer isn’t necessarily a trap. It can be an affordable solution for everyday use, cycle paths and simple gravel trails. However, the vast majority of models under 1,500 euros are not at all suitable as fully-fledged mountain bikes for touring. In most cases, you should be warned against using them off-road. A handy everyday bike: yes; a sports bike: no! If you want to enjoy your e-MTB in the long term, you should look to a proper bike brand and ensure it features tried-and-tested components (particularly the motor and battery) designed for mountain biking. Very few discount store bikes offer this.