Electric mountain biking has long been one of the most exciting – and most expensive – corners of the micromobility world. Riders get to explore rugged trails, climb hills that would leave most lungs gasping, and experience the rush of mountain biking with a little extra electric assist. But for many, the cost of entry has felt more like a brick wall than a welcome gate. Until now.
For years, if you wanted a capable, safe, and trail-ready electric mountain bike, you had to be ready to shell out $4,000 or more. And that’s just to get started. Some of the nicest electric mountain bikes I’ve ridden cost over $8,000. And to be fair, those prices weren’t just marketing fluff – real electric mountain bikes come with serious hardware: quality mid-drive motors for optimal weight distribution and torque delivery, high-end suspension systems to soak up the rough stuff, rugged shifters and derailleurs that can handle being pushed hard (or pushed into a tree), and hydraulic brakes that can stop you quickly and repeatedly, even on steep descents.
But the price tags have made the sport feel out of reach for a lot of riders who might otherwise love to hit the trails.
That’s finally beginning to change, thanks to a new wave of direct-to-consumer (D2C) electric bike brands that are offering true eMTBs at significantly lower prices. Companies like Ride1Up and Aventon are leading the charge, proving that you don’t have to choose between affordability and performance.
Their latest models, like the Ride1Up TrailRush launched earlier this week and the Aventon Ramblas launched last year, are both mid-drive, trail-capable electric mountain bikes with serious hardware, and they come in well under that $4,000 psychological ceiling.
Let’s start with Ride1Up’s new TrailRush. At $2,095, this is the company’s first true electric mountain bike, and they clearly didn’t want to just slap knobby tires on one of their hot-selling commuter e-bikes and call it a day. The TrailRush features a powerful German-made Brose mid-drive motor that delivers smooth, high-torque performance right where you want it — through the crank, not just at the hub of the rear wheel. That matters a lot when you’re tackling technical climbs or navigating twisty singletrack, where balance and responsiveness are everything and you want to make full use of your wide range of gears. Speaking of which, it’s outfitted with a 10-speed Shimano Deore M6000 derailleur, not the cheaper Altus or even Acera we often see on D2C e-bikes.
The TrailRush also comes with a 504 Wh battery, which offers enough range for a decent amount of trail riding (and probably gives you more range than you’d think since there’s no throttle to sap up all the juice at once). It also has a high-end Rockshox air suspension fork, a dropper post, and powerful quad-piston hydraulic brakes.
Are these the top-shelf components you’d find on a $7,000 Specialized or Trek? No. But they’re well above the bargain-bin level and more than capable of the kind of riding most recreational and moderately technical riders are doing. Ride1Up’s approach hits that sweet spot: durable, real-world trail performance at a price that opens the door for a lot more riders.
Then there’s the Aventon Ramblas, which launched last year and comes in at a current sale price of $2,599 (or MSRP of $2,899). It’s a hardtail eMTB with Aventon’s own A100 mid-drive motor system, putting out 250W nominal and 750W peak. The 100 Nm of torque is around 10% higher than the Brose motor on the Ride1Up TrailRush, and the 708 Wh battery is around 40% larger.
The Ramblas is also outfitted with a RockShox suspension fork, SRAM 12-speed NX Eagle derailleur, and SRAM DB8 quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes — again, solid components that show this is a real mountain bike, not just a trail-styled city bike.
Importantly, both of these bikes eschew the cheaper rear hub motors often found on budget “eMTBs” that aren’t truly designed for more rigorous off-road use. Rear hub motors work great for commuting or cruising, but for more technical trail riding, you need a mid-drive motor for better weight distribution, improved climbing performance, and the ability to use the bike’s gears effectively. That used to be a non-negotiable feature found only on expensive bikes. Now, it’s finally making its way to more accessible price points.
What’s changed? A lot of it comes down to the direct-to-consumer model. Unlike traditional bike shop brands that go through layers of distribution, D2C companies ship directly to customers, cutting out the middlemen and passing the savings along.
That doesn’t mean there’s no tradeoff. With a D2C ordered from the internet and shipped straight to your door, you won’t get in-person service or a test ride at your local shop. But for a lot of riders, especially younger or tech-savvy ones, that’s a trade they’re willing to make.
However, many D2C companies now use a hybrid model where they partner with hundreds of independent bike shops all over the US, meaning the same e-bike you’re looking at online may be sitting in a bike shop down the road from you, ready for a test ride. Being able to purchase these bikes locally means also having service and support options right in your own backyard.
The D2C model also allows these brands to iterate quickly, respond to trends, and deliver compelling value without the legacy overhead of the big players. The result is a growing field of legitimately capable electric mountain bikes that cost half as much as the traditional competition.
Of course, high-end eMTBs still have their place. No one is saying that a TrailRush or a Ramblas is going to hold a candle to a Santa Cruz. If you’re bombing downhill runs every weekend, competing in enduro races, or just want the absolute best gear money can buy, there’s still a strong case for the $6,000-and-up segment. But for everyone else, the weekend warriors, the trail-curious, and the riders who just want to explore their local parks and backcountry routes with a bit of a boost, these new mid-range options are a game changer.
Electric mountain biking is finally becoming something closer to a people’s sport. With models like the TrailRush and Ramblas proving that solid performance doesn’t have to come with sticker shock, the trail just got a little more welcoming.
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