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Bike Ninja

Gravel e-bikes

Drop-bar e-bikes with wider tyres for mixed roads, gravel and bridleways.

What would I save through Cycle to Work? · Compare types of e-bike

Is a gravel e-bike right for you?

Good for

  • Exploring lanes, gravel tracks and byways in one ride
  • Bikepacking and longer days out
  • Riders who like drop bars

Look elsewhere if

  • You want an upright riding position: look at hybrids
  • You'll ride steep, technical trails: look at mountain e-bikes

What to look for

  • Tyre clearance for wider tyres on rougher surfaces
  • Mounts for bags, bottles and mudguards
  • Gearing low enough for steep, loose climbs

Advice from Bike Ninja’s experience. Facts below are numbered to their sources.

Worth knowing

  • Assistance stops at 15.5mph, so a light bike pays off on smooth stretches.[1]
  • A road-legal e-bike (motor no more than 250W, assistance cutting out at 15.5mph, working pedals) can go on cycle paths and anywhere else pedal bikes are allowed, but not on pavements. No licence, tax or insurance is needed, and riders must be 14 or over.[1]
  • E-bikes can be bought through Cycle to Work, which spreads the cost and saves tax and National Insurance.[2]
  1. [1] GOV.UK: Electric bikes: licensing, tax and insurance, checked 7 Oct 2026
  2. [2] DfT: Cycle to Work scheme guidance, checked 6 Oct 2026