Under $1,000
Most Affordable Bikes
The 5 bikes in our database listed under $1,000, cheapest first — from $599 to $999. These are the prices the makers publish, and at this end of the market they move constantly, so treat the figure on a card as a starting point rather than a quote.
Check certification before price. Budget e-bikes are where uncertified battery packs turn up, and an uncertified pack is the one saving that can cost more than the bike did. Look for UL 2849 for the bike or UL 2271 for the battery, stated on the listing itself. Why this matters.
Vivi · Fat Tire
H6 26"
$599
- Range
- up to 50 miles (claimed)
- Battery
- 374Wh
- Weight
- 50 lbs
The trade-off: Safety note: confirm UL 2849/2271 certification before buying — many budget marketplace bikes are not listed
Read our review
Lectric · Folding
XP Lite 2.0
$799
- Range
- up to 60 miles (eco)
- Battery
- 374Wh
- Weight
- 49 lbs
The trade-off: Single-speed drivetrain runs out of legs on real hills
Read our review
Hiboy · Commuter
P7
$899
- Range
- up to 50 miles
- Battery
- 374Wh
- Weight
- 53 lbs
The trade-off: Safety note: confirm UL certification before charging indoors
Read our review
Heybike · Folding
Mars 2.0
$999
- Range
- up to 45 miles
- Battery
- 500Wh
- Weight
- 73 lbs
The trade-off: Mechanical brakes on a heavy fat folder is the wrong call
Read our review
Lectric · Folding
XP4 750
$999
- Range
- up to 60 miles (85 long-range)
- Battery
- 500Wh
- Weight
- 68 lbs
The trade-off: Still heavy for a folder at 68 lbs
Read our reviewWhat $1,000 buys, and what it doesn't
At this price the motor is a rear hub rather than a mid-drive, the sensor is a cadence sensor rather than a torque sensor, and the brakes are as likely to be mechanical as hydraulic. None of that makes a bike bad. It makes it simple, and simple is what survives a wet winter on a bike rack.
What does suffer is weight. Cheap frames and cheap batteries are heavy ones, and the machines on this page run from 50 lbs upward — worth knowing before you plan to carry one up a flight of stairs.
Range claims at this end are measured on the lowest assist setting with a light rider on flat ground. Treat them as a ceiling nobody reaches, not an expectation.
Want to spend a little more? The Best Of round-up covers our picks at every price, and the full database filters by budget, class and category.