With rising fuel prices and abdominal girths, people are turning more and more into bicycle riding as an alternative means to commute. They’re cheaper than owning a car, reduce congestion, and best of all, provides good exercise. But unless you’re in great shape (no judgement if you’re not), the chances of you getting to really far destinations without looking like a hot mess is highly unlikely. Enter electric bicycles, contraptions that allow you to ride at a much faster rate thanks to electric motor assist. Whether you’ll use one for getting to the office or for adventures on extreme terrains, there’s an electric bicycle that’ll suit your needs. We’ve spotted a couple of great e-bike deals that let you save as much as $1,500 on REI’s Gear Up And Get Out Sale: The Ghost Hybride SL AMR S1.7+ electric mountain bike, and the Cannondale Quick NEO electric bike.
If you’re looking for non-electric bikes on sale, REI has those, too.
Ghost Hybride SL AMR S1.7+ Electric Mountain Bike — $3,500
First on our list is the Ghost Hybride SL AMR S1.7+ electric mountain bike. It features an aluminum frame that’s extremely sturdy and modern frame geometry, including a steeply-angled seat tube that creates an efficient riding position for climbs and a slack headtube that enhances control on descents. Powered by a Shimano STEPS motor, this bike can easily handle the steepest of trails, while its lithium-ion battery can last for approximately 1,000 charge cycles and has a runtime of 62 miles on a full charge. Its control unit is intuitive, simple enough to use, and features three modes of assist: Eco, Trail, and Boost.
The combination of 29- and 27.5-inch wheel sizes provides extra traction and together with a suspension package that includes a suspension fork with lockout, a quick-release through-axle, and coil shocks, this bike is specially designed for rough terrains.
During our test drive, it was clear right off the bat that the Hybride SL AMR S1.7+ is a capable and fast descender. It sped downhill steadily and fast and deftly handled a variety of trails with ease. When it came to uphill driving, this bike’s three-assist modes can sustain enough power for even the steepest climbs. Even with minimal assisted pedaling and the lowest Eco assist, you won’t have too much difficulty maneuvering steep inclines and don’t have to shift into the lowest gear.
The Ghost Hybride SL AMR S1.7+ electric mountain bike is currently available in the U.S. exclusively through REI. It originally costs $5,000, but with REI’s incredible $1,500 discount, you can get it for $3,500.
Cannondale Quick Neo Electric Bike — $2,772
If you need a bike for urban commute, then the Cannondale Quick NEO electric bike is perfect for you. This e-bike hits a sweet balance between performance, price, and features, without the excessive power of an electric offroad bike, because frankly, it doesn’t need it. It’s suitable for day-to-day cyclists who need something reliable to get around the city. This bike is made of a lightweight alloy frame. Featuring Cannondale’s OutFront Geometry, it is designed for high-speed road performance. This geometry also reduces the chance of toe overlap with the front wheel on smaller sizes. And with a removable fender bridge, rack mounts and pre-wired cables for lights, this bike is optimized for urban mobility, and it even has a kickstand.
Outfitted with Shimano’s STEPS mid-mount drive system, it shifts a total of 10 cogs and features three power levels: Eco, Normal, and High. The stem-mounted digital panel shows time, speed, and distance, range and battery level. This bike’s motor is courtesy of Bosch and offers 250 watts of power, paired with a 500Wh PowerTube battery. It is relatively silent and compact, integrates seamlessly into the down tube and packs enough energy for even the most ambitious days. The battery life is terrific, averaging about 49 miles total before the next charge. This means you don’t need to top up power every day and in our experience, we were able to stretch the battery life to three days.
Our test drive results were quite positive. Choosing Eco Assist, which is the lowest setting and only gives a slight boost for maximum battery conservation, we were still able to cruise around the city while hardly breaking a sweat. Pedal-assist goes to a maximum of 20 mph and if you want to go over that speed, it’s all up to you. If you wish to go even faster with little effort pedaling, you need to choose either the normal or high setting.
The Cannondale Quick NEO electric bike normally sells for $3,465, but right now you can get it on REI for $693 off. Get it for $2,772.
For quick and easy transport around the city, get the Cannondale Quick NEO. But if you wish to go off-road while making sure that you won’t run out of battery before you reach home, get the rugged Ghost Hybride SL AMR S1.7+. Get these electric bikes on REI and save as much as $1,500.
Looking for more? Visit our curated deals page for more exciting discounts. And check out this page for REI’s annual Gear Up and Get Out, featuring deals on more outdoor gears and Garmin smartwatches.
