If you’re looking to hit the road as soon as possible, with as little spent on your part, the Hicient Electric Road Bike is among the best electric road bikes. Under its affordable price, you’ll find a 21-gear shifter, good acceleration, and a frame that’s lightweight and durable.
Why We Like It – Hicient Electric Road Bike
The Hicient Electric Road Bike is the ideal option for beginners: low cost, yet still offers a road eBike with a 21-speed gear shifter, 18mph with good acceleration, attached to a lightweight frame.
- Powerful motor has good acceleration
- 21-speed gear shifter
- High quality aluminum alloy frame; durable & lightweight
- Only 17 miles on a single charge
- Max speed is 18mph
Durability & Build Quality
Typical of electric mountain bikes, an aluminum alloy frame sacrifices a bit of durability that you’d see from a steel frame. In return, it’s lighter and flexible, similar to the carbon framing of the Specialized Turbo Creo SL. The seat is okay, but nothing to write home to mom about, but could be wider. Replace ASAP. The handlebars are straight across, offering very little ergonomic design. Alternatively, the Moustache Ebike offers comfortable ergonomic handlebars if that is a concern. If you want other lightweight options, the Haibike Xduro is a good choice, while the Giant Road E 1 Pro also boasts a 28 mph top speed.
Performance (Speed & Acceleration)
The Hicient Electric Road Bikes didn’t impress us with its max speed. At 18mph, you’re going 10 miles slower than the Trek Domane+ electric bicycle—so it isn’t a ridiculously high-speed electric motor, but it gets the job done. To be fair, the 21-speed gear shifter is the MVP, with so many options for varying terrain.
Range & Battery
Don’t expect to be on the road for a long time because the lithium battery doesn’t support long trips. At most, you’ll get 17 miles on a single charge, and that’s with pedal assist or bike mode. You’d get even less when leaving it up to its battery power. If you need more range, the Jetson Adventure electric bike can push that to 30 miles.
Safety Features
The Hicient E-Bike has very little in the way of substantial safety features but still has the necessities. It has front and rear disc brakes as opposed to linear pull. They’re much more reliable and confident stopping in wet conditions. Also, you get a bright LED headlight and rear reflector. It does not have fat tires, but they’re relatively thicker than regular bikes.
Value
The Hicient Electric Road Bike might have good acceleration and torque, but that doesn’t excuse its lackluster speed and battery mileage. One could argue it’s what you deserve for $600, but we’d argue it feels more like $450. With that said, it’s the cheapest way to get a bike electric enough to be used on the road because the next jump is the Orbea Gain eBike, and that’s $2999.
Hicient Electric Road Bike Wrap Up
The Hicient Electric Road Bike isn’t winning any awards as the best electric bike, but it does well enough as a beginner’s option. A small yet satisfying stepping stone towards the larger-than-life models, if you will. Good acceleration and 21-speed shifter forgive its less-than-stellar 18mph max speed. And at least it’s durable and lightweight.
