Yes. Studies show e-MTB riders often reach similar heart rates to traditional MTB riders, while riding further and for longer.
E-MTB vs MTB: Is Electric Worth It?
Written by: Tom Fortune | February 4, 2026 | Time to read 6 min
Find out if buying an e-MTB is worth it. Spoiler alert…yes, it is!
More about the Author: Tom Fortune
Tom is a Brit living in the French Alps. When he's not creating written and video content for various brands, he's either pedalling or snowboarding around his local mountains. E-Bikes have unlocked the potential for Tom to explore Alpine terrain and get away from the crowded bike parks. He is only too keen to share his knowledge and experience with other riders.
E-MTB vs MTB— is an electric mountain bike really worth It? This is a question I spent a long time deliberating on before I bought my electric mountain bike. I ran through all the scenarios in my head, trying to figure out if I should spend my money on a big, heavy bike that might not suit me. But I can tell you that buying one was a great decision. In this blog, I’ll go through the reasons I went electric and hopefully help you decide whether an e-MTB is worth it for you.
I’ll go through my thought process and concerns I had before I got my e-MTB to tell you the reality of ownership.
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Concern: Will I get A good enough workout on an E-MTB?
Obviously, mountain biking is great exercise, especially when you live in the actual mountains. Some people think that the motor makes riding too easy. This is partially true, as you can “cheat” if you want to, depending on where you’re riding. However, most of the time you’re working hard, it’s just that you’re going twice as fast uphill as you would on your regular mountain bike. This means you can ride farther, cover more ground, and potentially stay out longer. All this means more exercise. This is actually backed by science, too. A study by the National Library of Medicine in the USA discovered that e-Bike riders reached 94% of their average heart rate during conventional mountain bike use. Participants overwhelmingly perceived the potential impact of riding an e-MTB to be positive. So, the haters who say e-Bikes are cheating are wrong.
Concern: Will I use my E-MTB enough?
Personally, I find myself riding my e-Bike more than my regular mountain bike. Firstly, it’s a better bike than my MTB, even if you take the motor out of the equation. Secondly, the terrain around where I live makes uphill progress pretty slow going. If I ride my regular MTB to the higher parts of the mountain, it can take me 2 hours to get up there. But I can do the whole loop in 2 hours on my e-Bike. I also have plenty of energy for the fun ride back down, and enough time to get on with some work when I get home.
My most local route is so much more fun on my e-MTB. The terrain is pretty steep, so with a regular bike, you’re basically taking it for a very difficult uphill walk in between a couple of downhill sections, which makes it less desirable to ride. The e-Bike scrambles up the hills while making me work hard and practice my technique in a much shorter time. All this means I have time and the inclination to get out more often.
Why do I need an E-MTB when I can use ski lifts?
I live in a ski resort in the French Alps, where mountain biking is huge. People come from all over the world to ride here. I live quite close to Les Gets, which hosts the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, so you can imagine, we have some pretty tasty terrain to ride.
There’s a lot of lift-assisted riding here, where we hook our bikes onto chairlifts to ride down the various man-made mountain bike trails. This is great for quick-fire blasts down each trail.
The man-made trails are super fun, but they can get a bit samey, especially now that the trail builders are making them smoother by taking out technical sections. I really like picking my way through rocks and roots, as it feels more rewarding. The main issue with using ski lifts is that the queues can get super long during popular times of the season. This is frustrating, especially when you don’t have much time on your hands.
But with an e-MTB, I can miss the queues entirely. It also means that I tend to ride more natural terrain by doing loops. And of course, I can squeeze in a couple of downhill runs while I’m at it.
The other thing is that the lifts don’t run year-round. Of course, I could still pedal a traditional mountain bike uphill, but what can be done is limited; I’ll go into this more later.
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Do I really need an E-MTB?
So what? Sometimes it’s good to have nice things. Yes, I could just manage my time a bit better and make do with riding the same routes. But I never regret a ride on my e-MTB, it is a ridiculous amount of fun. I can ride farther and try different trails I wouldn’t normally be able to reach, whether due to time or terrain. It’s incredibly fulfilling, much more so than hitting the downhill trails; even though I love doing that, too.
Concern: Some mountain bikers hate E-MTBs
E-Bikers still get a lot of hate from the MTB community. Many mountain bikers think it’s cheating, or for people who are too old or unfit to ride “properly.” Sometimes you can feel the hate as you ride past MTBers, but that’s their problem. I know I’m going to get more runs in than they are and have a much better time. I also don’t have the same negativity running through my head, making me much happier. I’ve made the right decision.
Concern: My friends don’t have E-MTBs
If you and your friends have similar fitness and skill levels, it’s best to ride the same type of bike. If not, there’s a good chance the ones with electric mountain bikes will have to wait for the others to catch up. However, it won’t take long for your friends to notice that you’re having way more fun and buy e-Bikes as soon as they can. This happened to me. Even the most hardcore MTBers have realised the benefits of electric assistance, and now we can all ride together and explore further.
On the other hand, electric mountain bikes are a great leveller. For example, older, less fit riders can join younger, fitter riders. Using higher assistance levels means they can keep up, making it more fun for everyone.
Before I bought my e-MTB, I was riding a trail center in the UK. I saw some guys who had rented e-MTBs. They were much older than I was, and some were quite large. We rode the same route, but with a couple of key differences. At the same time it took us to do one lap, they did two, and then they headed back up to ride the fun techy downhill section again, which I was pretty impressed by. This is a prime example of how an e-MTB can make riding off-road more accessible.
So, I can say it's definitely worth buying an e-MTB. I still ride my regular enduro mountain bike from time to time, but I get more from my e-Bike. This is mainly down to where I live. Perhaps, if I lived in a flatter area, I might not have one, but it suits me perfectly right now. If you’re looking for an e-MTB, check out Upway’s collection of refurbished electric bikes for a more accessible way of electrically assisted riding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is riding an e-MTB still good exercise?
Are e-MTBs cheating compared to regular mountain bikes?
No. e-MTBs still require pedalling and skill. They simply reduce the barrier to climbing and allow riders to access more terrain.
Do e-MTBs make sense if I don’t live in the mountains?
They can, but the benefits are most noticeable in hilly or mountainous terrain where climbs are long or steep.
Will I ride more if I buy an e-MTB?
Many riders report riding more often because e-MTBs reduce fatigue, save time, and make shorter rides more enjoyable.
Key Takeaways
- You can ride further and want to ride more often.
- You can get fit even with a motor.
- Don’t care what other people think, it’s their problem.
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