An electric mountain bike is a different buy from a commuter e-bike. You are paying for suspension, grippier tyres, lower gearing and a frame built to take a beating, and those choices matter more than headline motor numbers.
This guide covers three e-MTBs currently available in the UK. All three are hardtails under £650, and all three pass every part of the UK road-legal test, which is rarer in this category than it should be.
Start with the law, because it narrows the field
To count as an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC) in the UK, a bike needs working pedals, a motor rated at no more than 250W continuous, and assistance that cuts out at 15.5mph. A throttle that drives the bike to that speed without pedalling needs vehicle approval on top. Our UK e-bike law guide sets out each test and how to check it on a listing.
Ride something that fails on a road, cycle path or shared-use path and it is legally a moped: registered, taxed, insured, licensed and helmeted accordingly.
This bites harder on mountain bikes than on any other category, because "high power" is sold as a feature. Plenty of 750W and 1000W machines are listed as mountain bikes on UK marketplaces. The less obvious failures are the 250W bikes with a "pure electric" throttle mode. An earlier version of this guide included two of those, and we removed them once we had checked their riding modes against the rules.
Every bike below is in our UK Road Legal (EAPC) category, which means the motor rating, cut-off speed, pedals and throttle have each been checked separately.
The three bikes
Touroll U1: the one with a track record
Available in both 26-inch and 29-inch, with a 250W hub motor, a 36V 13Ah removable battery, 21-speed transmission and disc brakes front and rear. The only powered mode besides pedal assist is a button-operated walk assist limited to 4km/h.
At around £449 it is the cheapest bike here, and it has by far the most review history: 4.3 stars from about 200 ratings. In a category where most listings have a handful of reviews, that counts for something.
Fafrees Hailong One: the light one
A 26-inch bike with a 250W motor producing 45Nm, a removable 36V 13.5Ah battery, 21-speed Shimano gearing, 160mm mechanical disc brakes and a front fork with 80mm of travel. There is no throttle or electric-only mode fitted.
At 23kg it is light for this class, which matters on stairs and bike racks. The claimed range of 45 to 55km is the shortest of the three, and this listing has no reviews of its own yet. Around £499.
VARUN M27-1: the long-range one
27.5-inch wheels, a 250W motor with 55Nm of torque and a removable 48V 13Ah battery. That works out at 624Wh, a third more than either of the others, and it is the reason to pay the extra. It also comes with 21 gears, front suspension, disc brakes, mudguards and a companion app.
VARUN ships it with no throttle fitted. The Amazon listing mentions a "Boost Mode", which is a stronger assist level rather than a throttle. It holds 4.4 stars from over 120 ratings and costs around £629.
What actually matters when choosing
Battery capacity, not range claims. Quoted ranges assume flat ground, low assist and a light rider. Compare watt-hours instead, which is volts multiplied by amp-hours: 624Wh for the VARUN against 468Wh for the Touroll and 486Wh for the Hailong One. Hills eat range fast.
Removable batteries. All three have one. If you have no garage, this is not optional, because you will be carrying the battery indoors to charge rather than the whole bike.
Suspension type. All three are hardtails, meaning front suspension only. Full-suspension e-MTBs exist but start well above this price bracket. For towpaths, forest tracks and rough roads a hardtail is enough.
Gears still matter. The motor cuts out at 15.5mph, so above that you are pedalling an unusually heavy bicycle. All three have 21 gears, which is what makes that bearable.
Wheel size. 26-inch wheels are easier to handle and suit shorter riders. 27.5 and 29-inch wheels roll over rough ground more easily and suit taller ones.
Weight. Expect 23kg and upwards. Consider stairs, car boots and bike racks before buying.
Which one
For most riders the Touroll U1 makes the most sense: the cheapest, with a proven review record and a choice of wheel sizes. Choose the VARUN M27-1 if range or steep climbs are the priority and the extra £180 is worth it, or the Fafrees Hailong One if weight matters most.
Buying for a teenager? The 26-inch Touroll and the Hailong One are both covered in our guide to whether a 14-year-old can ride an electric bike in the UK, along with the sizing checks worth doing first.
Prices are as listed at the time of writing and change often.
