The electric-mountain bike market has grown exponentially in the last decade, and this year’s options are better than ever. Whether you’re looking for an option that feels the same as a regular mountain bike or you want a hard-charging chop-crusher, we singled out the best four of the year.

　　We tested eight bikes this year from Bellingham to Squamish, and these four performed the best.

　　At a Glance Editor’s Choice: Orbea Wild M-LTD ($12,999) Best for Quick Lunch Breaks: Santa Cruz Heckler SL ($9,699) Best Race e-MTB: Canyon StriveOn ($7,799) Best All-Around: Specialized Levo SL ($15,000) How We Test Meet Out Lead Testers How to Choose an E-Mountain Bike All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

　　Editor’s Choice Orbea Wild M-LTD $12,999 at Jenson USA

　　Build: M-LTD

　　Weight: 49.8 lbs (size L)

　　Pros and Cons

　　⊕ Extremely calm and composed

　　⊕ Powerful Bosch motor with wireless controller, display

　　⊗ No mixed wheel options in any sizes

　　Orbeas new Wild eMTB arrived at the party with revised geometry, a stiffer frame, and Boschs latest CX Race motor. All of the models roll on 29-inch wheels and have 160-millimeters of rear travel, but Orbeas MyO program allows for a wide range of configuration options. Riders can select from a 160 or 170-millimeter fork, a 625-watt-hour or 750-watt-hour battery, the option to add on a display or light package, and to customize the paint scheme.

　　Orbea did a great job eliminating any unnecessary bells and whistles on the Wild. All too often, e-mountain bikes have big displays, awkward remotes, and a rats nest of wires cluttering the cockpit. With the Wild, theres a small wireless remote on the left-hand side of the handlebar, Boschs System Controller integrated into the top tube—and thats it. Its clean, effective, and there arent any vulnerable delicate parts waiting to get smashed to bits in a crash.

　　A series of LED lights indicate the battery level, and another light at the top of the display shows what mode the bike is in. There are four levels: Eco, Tour+, eMTB, and Race. Its possible to add on Boschs Kiox display for riders that want to see more information at a glance, but Im a fan of the less is more approach—knowing what the mode and the battery percentage is all the information I need.

　　The Wild will blast up short, punchy climbs with ease, but its also possible to creep up extra-steep, technical sections the way a rock crawler would. Grab some brake here, a half-pedal stroke there, top it off with a final out-of-the-saddle lunge, and the Wild will get up some seriously awkward sections of trail. The high-end Bosch motor plays a large role in this equation, but the geometry shouldnt be overlooked. The seated climbing position is upright and centers the rider between the wheels, reducing the number of times youll need to make dramatic weight shifts to maintain traction. When it is time to stand up, the higher front end makes it easier to lift the front end up and over obstacles.

　　Bigger jumps and drops didnt pose any problems, and even when I used all of the travel there wasnt any unwanted clanking or harshness at the end of the stroke. Its the sort of bike that makes you want to go fast, just to see what will happen.

　　The new Wild may have been designed with racing in mind, but theres no need to go near a race course to enjoy it. Its fast, powerful, and incredibly composed while climbing and descending, making it an excellent all-rounder for riders who prefer their trails on the trickier, more technical side.

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　　Best for Quick Lunch Breaks Santa Cruz Heckler SL $9,699 at Backcountry $9,699 at Competitve Cyclist

　　Build: GX AXS

　　Weight: 42.6 lbs (size L)

　　Pros and Cons

　　⊕ Relatively light, making it easy to handle

　　⊕ Quiet and unobtrusive motor

　　⊗ Smaller battery limits max ride length

　　The Heckler SL is powered by Fazuas Ride 60 motor and a 430-watt-hour battery, a relatively light system that keeps the bikes weight in the low 40-pound range. The frame has a much slimmer look than the full-powered Heckler, and from a distance, it doesnt immediately stand out as an e-MTB. All models roll on mixed wheels, with a 160-millimeter fork and 150 millimeters of rear travel.

　　Climbing on the Heckler SL is a calm and quiet affair, especially in the lower two motor modes. The noise increases slightly with the highest level of assistance, but its still pretty subdued. The maximum level of assistance is similar to the middle “Trail” mode of a full-powered eMTB, which gives it a less frantic feeling on singletrack, and means theres less chance of inadvertently pedaling yourself off the trail.

　　On the descents, the Heckler SL delivers a very impressive level of grip, especially when it comes to maintaining traction on slippery, off-camber sections of trail. It sticks to the ground incredibly well when necessary, but its also a good jumper. Its noticeably easier to bunnyhop or pop off natural lips compared to a heavier, full-powered e-MTB, and its composed nature in the air is reminiscent of how a downhill bike feels.

　　Choosing between a mid-power e-MTB and a full-power option really comes down to what sort of ride experience youre looking for. The handling of a bike like the Heckler SL feels much closer to a non-motorized mountain bike, and it could be the ticket for riders looking to squeeze more miles during a lunch or after-work ride.

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　　Best Race e-MTB Canyon StriveOn $8,099 at Canyon

　　Build: CFR LTD

　　Weight: 50.9 lbs (size L)

　　Pros and Cons

　　⊕ Relatively light, making it easy to handle

　　⊕ Quiet and unobtrusive motor

　　⊗ Smaller battery limits max ride length

　　Canyon’s new StriveOn has a penchant for racing, with an unabashedly full-powered 85Nm of torque and a maximum 600-watt power output delivered by the Bosch CX motor. The highest-end model can be equipped with Boschs CX Race motor, which is 150 grams lighter and provides extra overrun in Race mode for an additional climbing boost.

　　The geometry of the StriveOn isnt too far off from its non-electric counterpart but with the notable omission of the Strives adjustability. Starting from the Strives downhill position, the Strive:On gets longer chainstays and a steeper seat tube angle to better navigate tech climbing, plus a shorter reach in the handlebars to keep the bike maneuverable.

　　With four size options, and a reach range from 450 to 525 millimeters, the fit of the StriveOn is definitely biased towards bigger riders. Canyons reach numbers are generally pretty aggressive for how long they are per size, but riders looking to size down for more agility will hit the low end of the range pretty quickly. Looking at the StriveOn as a standard enduro bike, its simply a well-sorted machine, with great geometry and handling characteristics. Where the head angle and reach might seem a bit extreme relative to current high-level pedal bikes, the extra system weight makes that long reach and slack front end feel calmer than you’d expect.

　　All told, the StriveOn proved to be an excellent bike for tackling gnarly terrain. The Strive is eager to remind you that youre on an ebike on the climbs, but there were plenty of moments on the descents where the extra bulk faded away, making for some truly excellent runs.

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　　Best All-Around E-MTB Specialized Turbo Levo SL $14,000 at Specialized

　　Build: S-Works

　　Weight: 39.3 lbs (size S4)

　　Pros and Cons

　　⊕ Lightweight for a 50Nm eMTB

　　⊕ Adaptable for most riding zones or style

　　⊕ Plush suspension is the right amount of active

　　⊗ Expensive

　　⊗ Main battery isn’t easily removable

　　In my mind, the Levo SL is the pinnacle of what e-bikes could be—or all bikes, for that matter. First, it weighs as much as some enduro bikes, which includes its motor. This S-Works model is shod with the cream of the crop components; Fox Factory suspension that is tuned specifically by Specialized, SRAM’s bulletproof XX Transmission shifting, and carbon nearly everywhere possible on the bike.

　　As for that tiny motor, it’s gained 15Nm of torque over the previous generation (50Nm up from 35). A tidy display screen that can be personalized using the straightforward Specialized app is built into the top tube. On the handlebars, you can shuffle through a few of the chosen screens, toggle the assist, and activate the walk mode with ease. A 320Wh battery is located in the downtube. If you’re looking for extra juice, a 160-watt-hour range extender nestles into the bottle cage and firmly locks onto the charge port.

　　Its impeccable FSR suspension handles everything from stutter bumps to eroded downhill tracks. The whole time we rode it, the chain and motor clutch barely made a peep. That’s perhaps the best part of all—the silence and buttery suspension make it easy to forget that you’re ripping downhill with a motor hidden in the frame.

　　Bottom Line: It can be as aggressive as current downhill bikes, or as upright as some cross-country mountain bikes. It works for hauling down the steeps or remaining sharp in rolling terrain. Overall, it’s just about as adaptable as its motorless sibling, the Stumpjumper Evo.

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　　How to Choose an E-Mountain Bike Electric bikes have evolved at a break-neck speed in the past five years or so, transforming from huge, bulky beasts into much more refined and svelte electric machines. Though there is still ample room for progress, many of the problems with the first couple of generations of ebikes have been smoothed out. However, buying an e-mountain bike has become even more of a project thanks to all of the new tech that has come out to solve said problems.

　　For a full rundown on how to buy an e-mountain bike in our current market, check out PinkBike’s guide. Managing tech editor Mike Kazimer provides tips by asking questions like: what are you friends riding? How far do you typically go? What type of riding are you planning on doing? How much money do you want to spend? Of course, you can opt to go for a regular mountain bike that isn’t motored, but if you’re set on going electric, make sure you’re paying close attention to these factors.

　　How We Test Number of Bikes Tested: 8 Number of Testers: 3 The bikes included in this roundup are the result of rolling testing done in Whistler, Squamish, and Bellingham throughout the year by the Pinkbike crew. We also rode some bikes at Crankworx Whistler, one of a multi-stop series of mountain bike festivals put on at multiple locations around the world every year.

　　Conditions ranged from dusty, rutted-out downhill trails to muddy, technical rides in the rainforest of Squamish. We took some bikes out for over six months and tested them in as many different types of trails as possible. Testers particularly considered the electric mountain bikes climbing prowess, descending abilities, and sound levels.

　　Meet Our Lead Testers Mike Kazimer: Managing tech editor for Pinkbike, alien skeptic.

　　Dario DiGiulio: Tech editor for PinkBike, based in Bellingham, WA.

　　Matt Beer: Tech editor for Pinkbike, former World Cup Downhill racer.