The Best Light Weight Electric Bikes

Light weight electric bikes are designed with performance-oriented riders in mind. 

Serious riders looking to supplement their abilities to take on bigger challenges will love the natural-feeling boost of these bikes. 

Gram-saving ebikes are for riders who care about the handling and ride feel of a bike, something that a heavy and overpowered motor can easily throw out of balance. 

For mountain bikers and road cyclists alike, these bikes can help cyclists keep up stronger riders in the group and reduce the severity of the steepest hills. If you enjoy pedaling under your own power, but are interested in electric bikes, this category is a great place to start.

Learn more about all things ebike with our Electric Bikes Guide.

A light electric bike provides a helpful boost when needed without sacrificing on ride feel. Many riders desire modest assistance and excellent handling rather than the heavier ebikes with huge motors and extra-large batteries. Check out the several ways lightweight ebikes can enhance your ride, all while keeping their weight down:

Natural-feeling boost: The mid-drive motor provides anywhere from 250 to 450 watts of assistance that combines with your own pedal power, avoiding overpowered acceleration or any disruption of your natural cadence.

Improved handling: The lower weight compared to bulkier ebikes preserves the center of gravity and ride feel that you expect from a traditional bike, letting you attack descents and technical terrain just like you normally would.

Longer range: A lighter bike means the motor has to work less hard to go the same distance. Efficient, lightweight motors also draw less power from the battery so you can go further on a single charge.

Sleeker frame: The best light weight electric bikes have the most compact batteries and motors on the market. The slim components neatly integrate into the downtube and bottom bracket area, often appearing just as streamlined as a standard bike.

Quieter ride: Light ebike motors also produce less sound to keep your ride virtually silent, letting you enjoy nature uninterrupted. Bigger ebikes and lower-quality motors can produce a hum that gets louder under strain.

Light weight ebikes make up one of the newest categories in the industry, attracting some of the most innovative brands and engineers. 

The aim is to develop the lightest motors and batteries that are highly efficient and sufficiently powerful. Recent advancements in technology and the growing demand for lighter ebikes has led to some serious weight savings being achieved by companies like Fazua and TQ. 

It’s always been the case that some motors are lighter than others, but this new class of light electric bike motors burst onto the scene with the release of the Trek Fuel EXe in 2022. The ebike’s unique TQ-HPR50 motor blew its rivals out of the water with its featherweight stats and reliable power. Now that word has gotten out, more brands are equipping their light weight ebike models with compact motors from two main manufacturers: TQ and Fazua.

The TQ-HPR50 uses its Harmonic Pin Ring (HPR) technology to improve performance and reduce the motor’s size. The concentric design eliminates the need for multi-step gears and fits circular internal components closer together. It operates virtually silently pushing out 300W of sustained power and 50Nm of torque. The ultra-compact profile boasts a narrow Q-Factor of only 135mm while the entire unit weighs only 3.9 kilograms.

Fazua is another Germany-based manufacturer and offers four distinct, lightweight drive systems. The long battery and Drivepack allow for a slim downtube and deliver power to a specifically designed bottom bracket. The newest Fazua Ride 60 motor provides 60Nm of torque and up to 450W of assistance, all in a slim 4.2kg package.

When it comes to light weight ebikes, less is indeed more. Weight-savings and smaller drive units can actually lead to efficiency gains that give riders more range. While the range won’t ever be that of ebikes with huge, externally-mounted batteries (or two!), riders can still expect light ebikes to easily go the distance.

Slimmer batteries mean that there’s less heft that the ebike needs to haul around, increasing the range. The compact motors also draw less power from the battery so it won’t drain as fast compared to bigger, overpowered motors. And even if you do run out of charge on a ride (hey, we’ve all been there before), lightweight electric bikes pedal much more naturally than their heavier counterparts. Some Fazua Drivepacks are designed to be removable to give cyclists the option of having assistance or riding as if it were a standard bike.

Does the weight of an electric bike matter?

How much weight really matters will depend on your riding style. Ebike weight is typically of less importance since you have a powerful motor to help you out, but more performance-oriented riders will care about things like total weight and its distribution. A light weight electric bike will handle most similarly to a standard, non-motorized bike.

Are ebikes too heavy to pedal?

Without assistance from the motor, ebikes require more effort to pedal because of their added weight. But as long as you aren’t riding up steep climbs, ebikes can be pedaled like normal with no problem. Fortunately, these lightweight ebike models listed above don't weigh a ton more than regular bikes.

Why are ebikes so heavy?

Ebikes are heavier than standard bikes because of the integrated motor and large battery. A display unit, additional wiring, and stronger parts to handle the extra power will increase the bike’s overall weight. That doesn't mean all ebikes are heavy! The lightweight versions above prioritize a balance of speed enhancing boost and weight savings so the ride feels natural.

What is the lightest weight Trek ebike?

The Domane+ SLR takes the cake as Trek’s lightest electric bike, weighing just 25.91kg for a size M. This road bike model uses a TQ-HPR50 motor with pedal assistance up to 28 mph.

What is the lightest weight Pivot ebike?

The Pivot Cycles E-Vault is an electric road bike that weighs just 29.9 lbs in a size M. This gravel/urban model beats out the brand’s lightest eMTB offering, the Pivot Shuttle SL.