Electric bikes are expensive, with most costing upwards of £1000. If you’ve been searching for an affordable electric bike under £500 to help with your commute or as a part of your cycle to work scheme, check out Halford’s Assist Hybrid Electric Bike (20in wheels) for £429. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything cheaper – in fact it’s the cheapest electric bike in the UK.
The Assist Hybrid e-bike offers a sturdy, steel frame and motorized speeds up to 15.5mph. You can choose from low, medium and high assistance. The battery takes about 2-3 hours to recharge, but it is removable, so you can easily charge it indoors.
It’s easy to adjust the seat and allows a maximum rider weight of 120kg.
Of course at £429 it’s a fairly basic, “one-size-fits-most” bike, as we found in our review. It’s not the best suited for hills, but the motor will give you a boost to ease the climb. Motor controls are mounted on the left handlebars, but it won’t display your speed.
A current offer on the bike includes get 20% off bike racks. The Assist allows pannier rack attachments up to 25kg.
Overall, the Assist Hybrid is a good choice for straightforward, non-hilly commutes. You can have it delivered right to your home or choose to click and collect when you order the Assist from Halfords.
If you want to peruse other more powerful e-bikes, see our round up the best electric bikes.
Author: Somrata Sarkar, Senior Staff Writer
Somrata researches and writes about the best tech deals to help readers make smart, informed buying decisions. She's an expert on accessories and also reviews laptops, phones, audio and other devices.