Don't miss out on your perfect ride!
There are few things in life more fun than ripping down a mountain bike trail, then turning around and zipping back up with the help of an electric motor. Browse our selection of used electric mountain bikes and soon you too could be getting in on the action.
What is a mountain e-bike?
In a nutshell, an electric mountain bike is a bicycle built with features that make it great for riding off-road, and enhanced with additional pedal-assist capability. You can expect to find tough, fat, chunky tires on a mountain bike, as well as wide flat handlebars that give you plenty of control over where the front wheel is leading you. Nearly all MTBs have some form of suspension, typically on the front fork, but very often at the back end of the bike also.
And of course, mountain e-bikes also have electric motors, either a mid-drive motor or a rear wheel hub motor – although the former tend to be more common on high-performance mountain e-bikes and the latter are typical on e-bikes built for light trail riding only.
How to choose the right used mountain e-bike?
At Upway we stock quite a few used off-road electric bikes, all at accessible prices and in good condition – so it might be difficult to make your choice at first. Each bike listed on our site will come with an indicative height for the user – and this can be a good way of ruling out some candidates straight away.
Next, you’ll want to think about the type of riding you will do. Most used electric mountain bikes can be split into one of two categories: hardtail or full-suspension. Hardtails have a suspension fork, to help you blast over obstacles on the trail ahead and smooth out the ‘noise’ of uneven surfaces. Hardtails are great for beginner to intermediate trail riding, and for advanced crosscountry riding where there’s plenty of uphills and downhills mixed together.
A full-suspension bike (with both front and rear suspension) goes further, giving you the technical capability to take on really tricky downhill runs, trails packed with obstacles and tight turns, all while absorbing the majority of the bumps and bangs that this type of riding brings with it.
What makes a good used mountain e-bike?
Here’re some key used e-MTB performance features to look out for when comparing used e-MTB models and brands.
Motor power
It’s very common when riding electric mountain bikes to be faced with steep uphill pitches, either as you make your way back to the top of a trail, or in the course of a long ride through the backwoods. What comes down must go up, after all! To help you out with these tough climbs, good e-MTBs have a powerful electric motor, capable of kicking out up to 90Nm of torque. This will support you as you climb these double-digit inclines.
Battery capacity
If the motor is one half of the electric bike equation, then the battery is for sure the other! You'll need a decent capacity battery in order to take on longer-distance crosscountry riding, or riding where you'll be using the maximum assistance setting of your bike often (for instance, if you're riding up steep inclines frequently). Look for batteries around 500Wh and up to ensure you have plenty of autonomy to keep on shredding all day long.
Tires
Whether we're talking electric bicycles or a regular bike, MTBs need good tires to keep you stable and upright on challenging terrain. Look for tires that are made by reputable brands, like Kenda or Maxxis – and remember that the chunkier the tread pattern the more grip the tire tends to have, although grippier tires tend to be slower overall on flat even ground.
Suspension
In essence, suspension serves to enhance comfort and stability when traversing uneven surfaces. These systems consist of elements known as springs and dampers. Springs facilitate upward movement of the suspension when encountering bumps, swiftly returning it to its original position thereafter.
Front suspension – The form of front suspension you'll come across 99 times out of 100 is the suspension fork, which supports the wheel at its base and is positioned on top of tubes linking it to the bike frame. These tubes incorporate the aforementioned spring and damper mechanisms. Upon encountering a bump, the fork ascends, compressing the springs and engaging the dampers to absorb impact. That creates the experience of
Rear suspension – Typically present in full-suspension electric bikes, rear suspension systems are often referred to as "rear shocks" or simply "shocks." Various rear suspension designs exist, though many utilize a shock absorber system akin to the one described earlier. Variations typically arise in the design of the linkage and frame.
Find your perfect used mountain e-Bike at Upway
At Upway we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of eco-friendly outdoor adventure bikes. Some are former demo bikes that have been used in stores, some have never been used at all, while others are refurbished by our expert mechanics after being owned before. In all cases, we guarantee the quality of the machine by subjecting it to a rigorous process of checks – ensuring that the electric bike you eventually buy will give you thousands of happy miles in the saddle.