How we rank

The same method runs the quiz and every guide. It is plain code with fixed rules, so the same answers always give the same order.

Where the specs come from

Each of the 111 bikes in the catalog is recorded from its manufacturer’s own product page: price, motor, torque, battery, rated range, weight, load rating, rider height, tires, brakes, suspension and included kit. Every bike page links the exact pages we read and the month we checked them. When a brand doesn’t publish a number, we show “not published” and score that spec as neutral instead of guessing. Range figures are the brands’ own claims, which are usually measured in ideal conditions, so we pad your trip by 30% before comparing.

What removes a bike

• Its list price is over your budget.
• It doesn’t come in the frame style you asked for, or has no throttle when you need one.
• You’re carrying a child and it isn’t a cargo bike.
• Your height is outside its published fit range, or you plus your cargo exceed its published load rating.

The results page lists every removed bike and the reason, so nothing disappears silently.

How the rest are scored

• Range against your round trip plus the buffer.
• Hills: mid-drive motors and high-torque hubs score higher when your route is steep.
• Weight, which counts much more if the bike goes up stairs or onto a car rack.
• Comfort: tire width and suspension, weighted up for gravel and rough roads.
• Included kit: fenders, lights and a rack.
• Brakes: hydraulic discs score highest, especially for hills and heavier riders.
• Price relative to your budget, and fit details like folding for small spaces or a step-through frame.

The “anything else about your ride?” box can only turn on a fixed set of signals, like “carries it upstairs” or “rides in the rain”, which change those weights. It re-orders the bikes that already fit; it can never add one.

What never affects a ranking

Commissions. Some links on this site may earn us money, but the ranking code has no access to which ones, and no brand can pay to be listed or to move up. See our affiliate disclosure.

Corrections

Specs change, and we make mistakes. If a number is wrong, tell us with a link and we’ll fix it.