With e-bike manufacturing in China having expanded considerably, the number of companies offering affordable e-bikes over the last five years has exploded. But the market for cycles with an electric assist has existed for considerably longer, and a number of companies predate the recent surge. One of them, Rad Power, has been around long enough that it was already an established presence when we first reviewed its hardware four years ago.

The company offers a mix of cargo, folding, and commuter bikes, all with electric assists. Having looked at a cargo version last time around, we decided to try out one of the commuter bikes this time. The Radster comes in road and trail versions (we tried the road). It's an incredibly solidly made bike with equally solid components, and it has very good implementations of a few things that other manufacturers haven't handled all that well. It also can switch among the three classes of e-bikes using a menu option; unfortunately, nothing else about the bike's performance seems to change with the switch.

The Radster is priced a bit higher than a lot of its budget competitors. So, if you're shopping, you'll have to think a bit about whether some of these features matter to you.

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© JOHN TIMMER

In combining a belt drive with a gravel bike, Priority Bicycles has put a smart idea into action with the Priority Gemini Smart.Shift. The execution is mostly there, although the Gemini is perhaps best described as a fantastic commuter bike with a solid gravel upside—as long as the road isn't too rough.

The Priority Gemini comes in both aluminum and titanium frames. I tested the $3,499 aluminum model; the titanium version retails for $5,499. The aluminum version weighs in at 24 lb (10.9 kg), about a half-pound more than the titanium version, and comes with 40 mm WTB tires, WTB i23 ST tubeless-ready wheels (our test bike had inner tubes), and semi-hydraulic disc brakes. Both models use the Priority Smart.Shift hub and Gates Carbon Drive Belt.

No mess, no fuss

At first glance, a belt drive and internal gear hub seem the perfect match for a gravel bike. But implementation is key, and Priority has largely nailed it. Regular gravel grinding means regularly washing your bike and lubricating the chain. While the Gemini got dirty and needed to be hosed off, there were no gloves or chain lube involved. There were also no worries about dirt and dust making their way into a derailleur or coating the cassette. Belt drives are also dead quiet and have an excellent reputation for longevity, lasting up to three times longer than a chain.

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© Eric Bangeman

Also, the micromobility startup that spun out of Rivian this year, was raised $200 million from Greenoaks Capital.

Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof is back two years after bankruptcy with its first model designed under new leadership. And despite past criticism that VanMoof’s over-reliance on custom parts led to the company’s downfall, the S6 sticks to the brand’s signature bespoke design. 

I initially felt bad for the Medeo T9 City e-bike that Gazelle sent me for review. Not through any fault of its own but because I had just recently ridden Gazelle's Eclipse C380+, an all-inclusive beast that retailed for roughly 2.5 times the price of the Medeo T9 City. Would the lower-priced bike, with different versions of some of the same hardware, suffer compared to its beefier brethren?

Short answer: not really. The Medeo T9 City isn't trying to dominate the road; it just wants to get you where you're going. It has the same kind of automatic electric assist level shifting, just packed into a smaller handlebar display instead of a center console. It has chain and gear cogs instead of the Eclipse's belt drive and stepless shifting, an external battery instead of an inline, and a 250-watt Bosch Active Line motor instead of a 350-watt Performance Line Speed.

I think the Medeo T9 City likely makes for a good first or second e-bike, or perhaps a nice upgrade if you're prioritizing comfort and transport. Given its hill-smoothing motor, wide range of sizes, stable ride feel, and the backing of known bike brands, you could do much worse than a Gazelle with a Bosch motor.

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© Kevin Purdy

If you've read our cargo e-bike shopper's guide, you may be well on your way to owning a new ride. Now comes the fun part.

Part of the joy of diving into a new hobby is researching and acquiring the necessary (and less-than-necessary) stuff. And cycling (or, for the casual or transportation-first rider, “riding bikes”) is no different—there are hundreds of ways to stock up on talismanic, Internet-cool parts and accessories that you may or may not need.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing! And you can even get creative—PC case LEDs serve the same function as a very specific Japanese reflective triangle that hangs from your saddle. But let’s start with the strictly necessary.

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When a cyclist sees the Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS Gen 8 for the first time, the following thoughts run through their head, usually in this order:

"What a beautiful bike."

"Damn, that looks really fast."

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© Eric Bangeman

Are you a millennial parent who has made cycling your entire personality but have found it socially unacceptable to abandon your family for six hours on a Saturday? Or are you a bike-curious urban dweller who hasn’t owned a bicycle since middle school? Do you stare at the gridlock on your commute, longing for a bike-based alternative, but curse the errands you need to run on the way home?

I have a solution for you: invest in a cargo bike.

Cargo bikes aren't for everyone, but they're great if you enjoy biking and occasionally need to haul more than a bag or basket can carry (including kids and pets). In this guide, we'll give you some parameters for your search—and provide some good talking points to get a spouse on board.

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© Aurich Lawson | John Timmer