Updated November 28th, 2024
Electric Bikes are a great way to get around these days. They can be fast and exciting to ride. If you are a bigger guy, finding a bike with enough power can be a challenge. Don’t lose hope. There are many good electric bike options out there for you that have plenty of power for big riders. For this review, we only considered bikes with a rider weight limit of 300 lbs or above and at least 500 watt motors.
The 9 Best Ebikes For Big Guys
- TOP PICK: Mokwheel Obsidian ST
- TOP PICK: Birch Grolar
- BEST VALUE: Lectric XPeak 2.0
- Rattan Sequoia
- AVENTON AVENTURE 2
- Himiway Zebra D5
- Mokwheel Basalt
- Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser
- Heybike Mars 2.0
1. Top Pick – Mokwheel Obsidian ST
Specifications
- Max Speed – 28 mph
- Range – 80 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 350 lbs
- Bike Weight – 77 lbs
- Motor Power – 750 watt hub motor
- Speeds – 8 Speed Shimano
- Brakes – Hydraulic Disc
- Wheel Size – 26 inch x 4inch tires
Overall Score
What we liked:
- Smooth, Comfortable Ride: Thanks to the full suspension, air shock, and fat tires, this bike rides like a dream on rough and smooth surfaces alike.
- Powerful Motor and Great Range: The 750W motor and 20Ah battery provide an ideal combination of speed and endurance, making it suitable for long rides.
- Great for Off-Road Adventures: Whether you’re on gravel, grass, or a mountain bike trail, the Obsidian ST holds up well.
- Easy Assembly: The assembly is straightforward, taking only about 45 minutes. The bike even comes with the necessary tools
What we didn’t like:
- Weight: At 73 pounds, the Obsidian ST is on the heavier side, which can make loading and unloading a bit challenging.
- Headlight Brightness: The headlight is functional but could be brighter and have a wider beam for night rides on curvy paths.
- Limited Adjustments in Controls: While the display shows helpful metrics like speed and battery life, the settings don’t allow for much customization.
Bottom line:
The Mokwheel Obsidian is a smooth, fast and comfortable full suspension ebike that is fun to ride on and offroad.
The Mokwheel Obsidian is a full suspension offroad ebike that is a ton of fun to ride. It is smooth, fast, and comfortable. It has an air spring rear shock that makes it easy to tune for any rider weight. It has a hydraulic damped front fork to help smooth out the ride. It has a 20 ah battery that gives it long range.
The Obsidian is my favorite ebike I have tested in the past few years. It’s just that fun. I have ridden anywhere from cruising down the street to blasting dirt roads to mountain bike trails. The geometry makes it feel smooth and in control no matter where you take it.
It uses a torque sensor to control the motor with 5 levels of pedal assist. It also has a throttle for when you don’t want to pedal. It comes labeled as a Class 2 ebike so throttle top speed is limited to 20mph. The bike will go 28mph with pedal assist without too much effort.
The bike comes with fenders, a front light, and a detachable rechargeable rear light. The only thing absent here might be a rear rack to make carrying gear easier.
The bike is designed to work with an optional inverter for people that want to power something off the bike battery while camping or doing other adventures.
See our full review of the Mokwheel Obsidian ST to learn more.
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2. Top Pick – Birch Grolar
Specifications
- Max Speed – 32 mph
- Range – 85 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 400 lbs
- Bike Weight – 109 lbs
- Motor Power – dual 750 watt hub motors
- Speeds – 9 Speed Shimano Altus
- Brakes – Hydraulic disc
- Wheel Size – 26 inch
What we liked:
- This bike has very high power for hills and accelerating with it’s 2 motors
- The bike is very comfortable to ride. The upright position combined with long travel fork and suspension post smooths out the bumps
- The menu has a lot of options for customizing top speed and power levels
- It is very fun to ride both on and off road and makes a great exploring bike
- The front and rear racks give it lots of on board storage
- The large front headlight makes it easy to see while riding at night
What we didn’t like:
- The bike is a challenge to transport with it’s 109 lb weight
- The frame and step thru are really too big for smaller riders
- The bike gets a bit thirsty if you lay on the power a lot
Bottom line:
The Birch Bikes Grolar has a ton of power with it’s dual motors and beefy dual crown air spring shock that lets it handle tough terrain with big riders.
The Birch Grolar is an AWD dual motor ebike that was designed for use by hunters What it is is a very high powered ebike with heavy duty construction that can stand up to large riders riding offroad terrain. This bike is for those of you who want a big powered ebike that can blast up hills and go fast and don’t really care about the Class 1,2,3 ebike rules (this bike can be limited down to operate as a Class 1, 2, or 2).
The bike has 2 750 watt hub motors along with a 25 ah battery for power. It is like driving a V8 powered big SUV. We were able to get 50 miles range of it riding a lot of hills with a heavier rider. It blasts up hills like it’s running from a hungry bear. It has a top speed of 32mph under pedal assist or throttle.
Up front, you will find a double crown air sprung fork with 180mm of travel. It has a suspension seat post with adjustable pre-load in the back. This combined with an upright riding position makes it very comfortable to ride.
For accessories, you’ll get lights, a rear fender, and 150 lbs of carrying capacity in the front and rear racks. This bike is ready to big riders to adventure.
See our review of the Birch Grolar to learn more.
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3. Best Value – Lectric XPeak 2.0
Specifications
- Max Speed – 28 mph
- Range – up to 80 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 330 lbs
- Bike Weight – 75 lbs
- Motor Power – 750 watt hub motor
- Speeds – 8 Speed Shimano Altus
- Brakes – Hydraulic Disc
- Wheel Size – 26 inch x 4inch tires
What we liked:
- Available with long range 20 ah or super value 15 ah batteries
- Comes fully equipped with fender, racks, upgraded light, lock and suspension seat post
- UL Listed batteries
- Available in step thru or step over frames
- Smooth power with torque sensor and lots of hill climbing power
What we didn’t like:
- RST Renegate isn’t the air-spring version
- Only available in 1 frame size for each frame version
Bottom line:
The Lectric XPeak 2.0 has a feature set that is tough to beat and performance on and offroad to back it up.
Lectric has long been known for making the most popular folding ebike out there. It’s hard to go riding without seeing a few. The Lectric XPeak 2.0 is their throwdown to show that they can make a great fat tire ebike with more features packed in than anyone else.
The XPeak 2.0 comes with a torqu sensor, Shimano Altus components, and a name brand RST Renegate fork. That’s not all. The bike also comes with a suspension seat post, upgraded 850 lumen light, along with the normal fenders and rear rack. They throw in a folding lock too. No one else comes close to touching this feature list right now.
The bike is available with a step-thru or step-over frame in a couple of colors each. They offer it with a regular range 48 volt 15 ah battery or long range 20 ah battery. We recommend going with 20 ah because fat tire ebikes are thirsty. If your like us, you like going on longer epic length rides that need the extra capacity.
If you want to save money, the XPeak 2.0 with regular battery starts at well under $1500 making it just about the best deal out there.
The XPeak 2.0 has a smooth torque sensor. The 8 speed pedal driveline makes going 28mph not that hard. Power is smooth and natural feeling. The 750 watt hub motor can dish out up to 1310 watts of peak power. This bike should be no slouch on hills.
Review
Coming soon
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4. Rattan Sequoia
Specifications
- Max Speed – 28 mph
- Range – 75 miles, (150 miles dual battery)
- Max Rider Weight – 450 lbs
- Bike Weight – 75 lbs
- Motor Power – 750 watt hub motor
- Speeds – 8 Speed Shimano
- Brakes – Hydraulic Disc
- Wheel Size – 26 inch x 4inch tires
Overall Score
What we liked:
- The dual battery options gives you a real world range of 100-150 miles.
- The bike can easily go over 28mph on both throttle and pedal assist.
- The torque sensor is very smooth with good feel and gives almost instant power
- The bike is fun to ride on both paved and fast flowy offroad surfaces
- Rattan’s customer service took good care of correcting our bike which was shipped with the wrong controller
What we didn’t like:
- The bike does not come with a rear light, fenders, or a rack.
- The plastic brush guard on the front light covers up too much of the light
- Our bike came with the wrong controller which limited PAS power
Bottom line:
The Rattan Sequoia is a fast bike that can do 28mph with throttle and PAS and has a dual battery option, giving it 100 to 150 mile range.
The Rattan Sequoia is available with dual batteries and can go over 28mph on both throttle and pedal assist. The Sequoia ignores the 20mph limit that most other fat tire ebikes have and let’s you go faster. It is one of the easier torque sensor bikes to pedal over 28mph needing very little effort.
It comes standard with a 48 volt 20 ah battery that is UL Listed. For a little more, you can get it with a second 20 ah battery that mounts on top of the frame. This gives you 40 ah worth battery on the bike. This gives you a real world range of 100 to 150 miles before you need a recharge. If you like going on extra long bike adventures, this is the bike you need.
The Sequoia is swift and fun to ride both on and offroad. It feels smooth and in control up to it’s maximum speed.
The only downside to the Sequoia is it’s lack of accessories. Most other fat tire ebikes give you fenders, lights, and a rear rack. The Sequoia only comes with a front light. It’s faster speed and dual battery option make up the other things it is missing.
See our full review of the Rattan Sequoia to learn more.
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5. AVENTON AVENTURE 2
Specifications
- Max Speed – 28 mph
- Range – 20-40 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 400 lbs
- Bike Weight – 73 lbs
- Motor Power – 48V/750W Rear Hub Motor
- Speeds – 1×8 speed Shimano Acera
- Brakes – Hydraulic disc brakes
- Wheel Size – 26 inch
What we liked:
- Big offroad friendly wheels
- Beefy frame construction
- Lots of power from 750 watt hub motor
- Torque sensor gives more control and a more natural feeling ride
- Color LCD display that is easy to read in bright light
- Hydraulic brakes give good stopping power
- Available in 2 frame styles and 2 sizes per style to suit most rider sizes
- Long range with pedal assist or throttle only riding
- Ships in sustainable packaging. No plastic or foam to throw away
What we didn’t like:
- Heavy weight
- Pedal driveline is a bit clunky feeling
- Some adjustment needed for the rear derailleur and front tire after assembly
- Control buttons are not as intuitive as older Aventon bikes
The AVENTON AVENTURE 2 is a rugged bike built for backroads and trails. It has heavy duty construction, big fat tires, 750 watts of power and lets of range. It is ready for any adventure you want to go on.
The AVENTURE looks like a fatbike with 26″ x 4″ fatbike tires. The battery is integrated into the downtube while still being removable. It is a clean looking well put together package.
It has a 750 watt rear hub motor capable of dishing out up to 1130 watts of power when you need it. The drivetrain is Shimano Acera which is a nice upgrade of the Shimano Tourney we see on so many ebikes. They threw in some hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors so you won’t be wishing for more stopping power. They publish a max weight limit of 400 lbs. It should be able to handle almost any rider and condition.
The Aventure 2 was upgraded with a torque senor in addition to the cadence sensor that the original had. This gives much better motor response with less delay.
The Aventure 2 has a great LCD display built into the stem that shows all the information you need such as range, speed and remaining battery. You can connect it to your phone and use the AVENTON app to get even more information such as maps and bike location.
The front fork has 80mm travel. The bikes 26″ x 4″ tires will already provide a lot of suspension even with a rigid fork. The ride is very smooth even on rough rocky and rooty surfaces. The bike has plenty of power for acceleration and hill climbing. Overall it is really fun to ride no matter where you take it.
The only real downside to this bike is its weight. It weighs 73 lbs which means it will be heavy lifting it on and off bike racks. That is the price you pay to get 40 miles of range on a trail ready fat tire mountain bike.
See our review of the Aventon Aventure 2 to learn more.
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6. Himiway Zebra D5
Specifications
- Max Speed – 25 mph
- Range – 60-80 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 400 lbs
- Bike Weight – 79 lbs
- Motor Power – 750 watt rear hub
- Speeds – 7 Speed Shimano Altus
- Brakes – Hydraulic disc
- Wheel Size – 26 inch
What we liked:
- Available in cadence sensor, torque sensor and mid-drive versions
- Very strong acceleration
- Very long range with 20ah battery
- Lots of hill climbing power
- Available in several colorful frame options
- Good high speed stability
- Includes racks, fenders, and lights
- Comfortable upright riding position
- Hydraulic disc brakes give good stopping power
What we didn’t like:
- Acceleration with the cadence sensor may feel too aggressive to some riders
- Only has a 7 speed pedal driveline with Shimano Tourney Shifter
Bottom line:
The Himiway Zebra has gobs of power, a 400 lb weight capacity and a ton of range. If you need a bike to go the distance with a large rider, the Zebra is hard to beat.
The Himiway Zebra D5 has a 750 watt motor combined with a 48 volt 20 ah battery. This gives it tons of hill climbing power and the ability to ride a really long way. The published range is 60-80 miles. We were able to go over 60 miles on a route with a lot of hills and a big rider. The Zebra has a published weight capacity of 400 lbs. New for this year are the Zebra D5 frame collection that gives you 4 new more colorful frame options. You don’t have to be stuck with a black frame anymore.
The Zebra has aggressive acceleration and a longer wheelbase. It is a bike that likes to go fast and wants to go fast. It will never leave you wondering if the motor is on or not. It has an upgraded motor with 86 nm of torque. The bike uses a Shimano 7 speed pedal driveline with an Altus derailleur. The pedal driveline has enough gear range for 10-20mph riding. Above 20 you’ll be mostly using the motor anyways.
The Zebra D5 is available in a few versions. The cadence sensor version is very aggressive with immediate power as soon as you turn the crank half a turn. It makes going high speed and up steep hills easy since you get 100% power as long as you just keep the cranks moving.
The torque sensor version has a very smooth and natural feel with proportional power. It is very easy to control in tight spaces while still having aggressive power if you push hard.
The mid-drive Pro version is the best if you need to do a lot of steep hill climbing. It has the low end grunt of a mid-drive. You give up the proportional throttle of the hub motor versions.
The Zebra comes as a complete package including a rear rack, fenders, and lights. It is ready to go adventuring out of the box.
See our review of the Himiway Zebra D5 to learn more.
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7. Mokwheel Basalt
Specifications
- Max Speed – 28 mph
- Range – 60-80 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 400 lbs
- Bike Weight – 60 lbs
- Motor Power – 750 watt hub motor
- Speeds – 7 Speed Shimano Tourney
- Brakes – Hydraulic Disc
- Wheel Size – 26 inch x 4inch tires
The Mokwheel Basalt is an adventure ready electric fat tire bike. It has a 750 watt motor, 48 volt 19.6 ah Samsung battery and hydraulic brakes. There is an optional inverter and solar panel so that you can use the battery for powering other devices and charge the bike when you go off grid.
The torque sensor is smooth with good low speed control. The motor has enough grunt for climbing steep hills offroad. The only downside to the torque sensor is that the bikes gearing it a bit low for riding at higher speeds. It is a challenge to pedal fast enough to get it to go 28mph.
Mokwheel has a good reputation among their dealers for providing good customer service and warranty work. If you want a bike that will be there for all your adventures, you can’t go wrong with the Basalt.
What we liked:
- Torque sensor gives the bike a smooth feel and easy control at low speeds
- Available inverter and solar panel to run things off of the bike battery
- 19.6 ah Samsung battery for very long range
- Available in regular and step-thru frames in 3 colors each
- Lots of power for climbing hills and quick acceleration
What we didn’t like:
- Shimano Tourney deraileur
- Gearing isn’t high enough to easily peddle at 28mph
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8. Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser
Specifications
- Max Speed – 28 mph
- Range – 30 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 350 lbs
- Bike Weight – 65 lbs
- Motor Power – 750 watt hub motor
- Speeds – 8 Speed Shimano Acera
- Brakes – Hydraulic disc
- Wheel Size – 26 inch
The Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser has the looks of a classic beach cruiser bike. Don’t let that fool you. It performs much more like a fast commuter bike with features like a 28mph top speed and included racks, fenders, and lights. The Cafe Cruiser has a laid back relaxed seating position with swept handlebars. The riding position is more upright and comfort oriented.
The bike has a BaFang 750 watt rear hub motor that gives it plenty of power. It can handle most hills on throttle only. It has a weight capacity of 330 lbs. When fully loaded it will struggle on steep hills. The 8 speed Shimano Acera pedal driveline give you enough gearing to make pedaling up hills a breeze. It has no trouble hitting its 28mph top speed fully loaded on flat ground.
The Cafe Cruiser has a longer wheelbase giving it the cruiser look. This means it needs a little more room for turning and u-turns.
It has a clean frame look with an integrated battery. The frame looks very well made with clean welds. All the cables and wires are routed inside the frame as well.
Riders have been able to get 25-30 miles out of it on throttle only and over 50 miles on pedal assist. As always, riding style, load, and terrain will affect how many miles you actually get.
One cool feature of the Cafe Cruiser is the optional passenger seat. It can quickly be taken on and off with a quick release attachment. No tools are required. The long wheelbase gives the bike good handling when riding with a passenger.
Overall the Ride1Up Cafe Cruise is a fun stylish bike with good performance. It can easily handle heavy loads or a passenger. It’s ready for any adventure you want to go on.
What we liked:
- Comfortable and relaxed riding position
- Classic cruiser bike looks
- Good power from 750 watt Bafang motor
- Good overall integrated package with lights that are bright enough to ride at night
- Strong disc brakes
- Optional quick release rear passenger seat
What we didn’t like:
- It will struggle on steep hills when loaded up to its maximum weight without pedaling
- The tires don’t work well in sand if you want to ride on the beach
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9. Heybike Mars 2.0 Electric Foldable Bike
Specifications
- Max Speed – 28 mph
- Range – 45 miles
- Max Rider Weight – 330 lbs
- Bike Weight – 75 lbs
- Motor Power – 750 watt hub motor
- Speeds – 7 speed Shimano Tourney
- Brakes – Mechanical disc
- Wheel Size – 20 inch
What we liked:
- Lots of power and strong acceleration
- Good for heavier and larger riders
- 100 lb capacity heavy duty rack
- Phone app that lets you customize the bikes performance
- Can fold into a compact size for storage and transport
- Easy to use folding mechanisms
- 28mph top speed with throttle and pedal assist.
What we didn’t like:
- Bike is very heavy to pick up and carry after folding
- The battery meter is very erratic showing 2 to 3 bar swings due to battery sag.
- Difficult to ride in tight or congested spaces due to the strong motor activation and cadence sensor
The Heybike Mars 2.0 Electric Foldable Bike is a great high performance long range e-bike. It has a specified capacity of 330 lbs along with a 45-60 mile range and 28mph max speed.
This bike has a 750 watt rear hub motor with a peak output of around 1200 watts. It has plenty of power for taking heavier riders uphill without much need for pedaling. It has a 7 speed Shimano driveline to help with climbing if needed.
It has 20 inch wheels with 4 inch wide tires that provide a very cushy ride. The bike has front suspension and a suspension seat post that give it a nice cushy ride. For more cush or traction on loose surfaces you can lower the tire pressure too.
The bike can be operated in pedal assist, fully electric, and conventional bike modes. Pedal assist has 5 levels to give you just the right amount of electric boost.
There are mechanical cable pull disc brakes for stopping. The brakes have plenty of power. You won’t mistake them for hydraulic brakes but they get the job done.
The bike folds to allow it to fit in your car or storage space easier. It also weighs 75 lbs so it is not a carry around bike when you are not riding. Not real far anyways. You can reduce the weight by removing the battery but it’s still a heavy bike.
This is a great e-bike that is fun to ride and very comfortable. It’s got lots of power for heavy riders and climbing hills.
See our review of the Heybike Mars 2.0 to learn more.
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Ryan Craig
Co-Founder & Chief Editor
I am a total gear nerd and love learning how things work and thinking about how they could be improved. Nothing excites me more than trying out new gear. I’d rather spend 3 hours taking my bike apart and learning how to change something than go to a bike shop. These days, I reside in Michigan by the Great Lakes and go skiing, biking, and boating as much as possible. Visit our About Us page and learn more.
ryan@lowbudgetadventurer.com