Electric Bike Report’s Testing Process Explained

Hill Test

Each e-bike we test is brought to a local, paved uphill path called Hell Hole Trail. This course is ⅓ of a mile in length, with an average grade of 12%; it’s seriously steep!

To see how capable they are at climbing hills, we pedal each e-bike up this path in its maximum PAS setting. Additionally, if the model we are testing has a throttle, we take a second trip up the hill using only throttle power. During these evaluations, we measure the bike’s average speed and the time it takes to make the climb.

Hell Hole was chosen because of its extreme nature – it is not a hill that any sane cyclist would choose to pedal up on human power alone, and it pushes even some of the most powerful e-bikes to their limits. Not every e-bike is able to complete the challenge, so we consider any model that conquers the hill to be successful regardless of the time or speed it demonstrates on the way.

With this test, we try to provide further insight to how a bike feels on hills, too. More often than not, e-bikes with mid-drive motors feel great, but their numerical data places them in the middle of the pack. Some of the bikes with the fastest times and speeds to the top might be a blast to ride, but their motors can make some slightly alarming noises on the way. We try to add helpful insight by describing our experiences on top of the data to better paint an accurate picture of hill climbing capability.

Brake Test

For our final trial, we take our test bikes to a nearby parking lot, where we set up a series of traffic cones measured out in 5-foot increments.

Then, approaching the cones, we pedal each e-bike we are testing up to the Class 2 motor-assisted speed limit of 20 miles per hour. We apply the bike’s brakes only once the center of its front wheel crosses the first set of cones, with the goal of coming to a stop as quickly as possible while still maintaining control of the bike. We do our best to replicate the feeling of a near-emergency situation that the average rider might encounter, such as a car suddenly backing out of a driveway a short distance ahead. After the test bike comes to a complete stop, we measure the distance back to the set of starting cones. We repeat this process three times, and then use the three measurements to create an average.

The average stopping distance measurement we end up with allows us to compare the brake performance of different e-bikes with different types of brake systems, different-sized rotors, and different manufacturers. We keep a running average of the performances from every e-bike we have tested, which allows us to see how much a specific model deviates from this, as well as to observe changing trends over time. The fact that we keep our maximum speed to 20 miles per hour also allows us to compare e-bikes regardless of their class.

We perform this test largely to make sure there isn’t an e-bike out there running on unsafe brakes. We’re happy to report that nearly every model we’ve tested has performed safely in this test – and we have been sure to point out those few that did not. As a bonus, we occasionally get to see outliers with much shorter stopping distances than our running average. We try to give extra kudos to those e-bikes in particular!

Reviewer & Team Testing and the EBR Philosophy

The previously mentioned “official” tests are a standard part of the process, and allow us to measure all e-bikes across an even playing field, but they are not the only tests we perform.

Each of our e-bike reviewers spends an additional couple of hours (on average) with each model they write about – both on their own, and during our filming and photography sessions. This provides the time they need to experiment and perform any additional, independent tests they want to try, which may change depending on the features of the bike they are riding. It also gives them the opportunity to think about their experiences and how to communicate them effectively.

Additionally, we take our jobs as reviewers quite seriously. We know how fortunate we are to ride and review e-bikes for a living, and we always try to make sure we are being fair and objective. That means doing our best to eliminate any personal bias, especially if it skews negatively. We love sharing our excitement if a bike proves to be something special, but in cases where we might personally be less thrilled, we realize that A) not everyone shares our opinions; and B) each bike we test has positive features and is likely to appeal to someone.

Additionally, we don’t want to pull punches either. If we can’t provide concise critique to the brands then changes that would benefit the product in future iterations can’t be made. Also, we don’t want to gloss over any flaws that could lead to one of our audience purchasing a bike we reviewed only to be dissapointed if we didn’t disclose a not-so-welcome element of the bike they would have to live with.

In other words, it’s a balancing act that we always keep in mind when evaluating a bike’s performance.

In the spirit of objectivity, we make sure that each bike is ridden by several members of the EBR team with various experience levels, ages, heights, weights, etc. This happens through both the various “official” tests, and also in the previously mentioned personal time. While each e-bike has a lead reviewer, the final written and video reviews incorporate the thoughts and opinions of many diverse individual riders. Our review process also includes a group discussion to break down every specific e-bike’s strengths and weaknesses, often in relation to its cost. This approach helps us to realize our goal of providing a broad but detailed perspective on each bike, so we can help each member of our audience find the right model for them.

A Word of Thanks

We want to take a moment to thank you for your interest in our process, and for supporting our efforts here at EBR! With the detailed explanations above, we hope it is clear that we strive to be the most thorough product testers in the ever-growing world of e-bikes. We truly could not realize that goal without the continued backing of readers like you. As things evolve, we hope to see more and more people join the e-bike revolution, and to encourage that, we promise to continue providing useful, honest, and thoughtful content!

We look forward to seeing you on the trails. Happy riding!