Father's Day
The 6 best electric bikes for dads who are dying for a new ride
In a world of endless e-bike options, there’s a two-wheeler to buy any dad on Father’s Day.
In the burgeoning new world of electric mobility, there’s an e-bike for everyone, and naturally, that includes your own flesh and blood; your personal patriarch; your figure of the father variety; your dad.
Just like there are many types of dads in this world, there’s also a full spectrum of electric bikes to accommodate riders of different tastes, sizes, and proclivity for high-speed hijinks. Given that broad array of bikes, we’ve decided to compile a diverse list that includes Father’s Day options for commuters, off-roaders, and thrill-seekers, so that you’ll have a suitable steed for your dad’s wants/needs.
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It’s not hard to spend upwards of $2,000 on an electric bike these days, which makes shopping for a dad even more nerve-wracking. Rest assured, the premium you’ll pay for VanMoof’s latest flagship bike will be worth every penny.
VanMoof’s S5 comes with a 37-mile range (up to whopping 93 miles in economy mode) and a very manageable top speed of 20 mph. It really shines in its peripheral features, which include “turbo boost” for quick acceleration and VanMoof’s suite of theft protection which knows when the lock is tampered with. In the event that the bike is actually stolen, VanMoof’s team of professional bike hunters will ensure that dad never has to go Rambo on a thief; unless Stallone cosplay is his thing! Input is a judgment-free zone, after all.
I know what you’re thinking: $9,000 for an electric bike?! First of all, that reaction is 100 percent, completely, and totally justified. But secondly, and perhaps if you’re rich enough — most importantly — Cake’s Ösa is $9,000 for an extremely, and utterly cool electric bike. Ösa’s main selling points are its strength and its modularity. It can be configured to haul cargo, double as a workbench, and function as a freakin’ power station for tools. Yes, it costs about as much as a fairly nice used car, but this is your very-deserving dad we’re shopping for here. Maybe this will even the score for that time you crashed the car into the garage — sorry, dad!
You can’t talk about e-bikes without at least mentioning Super73. The brand has carved out a space in the saturated world of electric mobility thanks to its spiffy low-profile design and its reputation for making bikes that are functional and fun. The Super73-Z Miami is among the brand’s most accessible bikes and comes with a newly designed lightweight frame, pedal-assist, and the brand’s typical fat tires. The best part about the Miami is that, despite all its accessibility, it can still reach a brisk 30 mph in its highest setting, so dad doesn’t feel any lack of oomph.
Maybe your dad isn’t much of a commuter, but might still love an electric two-wheeler to enjoy off the road. If that’s the case, a scrambler-style bike like Sondors’ MadMods is the territory you should be treading. Sondors’ MadMods is modular and allows riders to customize the bike with style kits that include cafe, retro, and scrambler. The latter style kit comes with a headlamp and knobby tires that make the bike well-suited for off-road adventures. With a 750W motor and top speed of 25 mph, MadMods isn’t the most powerful scrambler bike out there, but it’s a nice blend of style and substance.
Commuting can be a real drag, but that doesn’t mean it’s destined to stink — at least not for your dad. Rad Power’s RadCity 5 Plus is an ideal commuting machine. The electric bike comes in either step-thru or high-step frames and has lots of nice, little accessory perks to make commuting seamless, including a rear rack for light cargo and front suspension for dealing with the blight of bumpy city streets. The price ain’t half-bad, either, considering a bike like this could be a reasonable car replacement.
Sometimes, if you’re pressed for space, having a big ol’ e-bike around is just too damn much. But a micro-bike? Now that’s manageable. The JackRabbit e-bike weighs just 24 pounds and can be folded down to a width of just 7 inches. Despite its size, the JackRabbit still goes up to 20 mph, though its compact design does come at a cost; the bike only gets a truncated 10 miles of range. The bright side is that if the dad in your life lives in a city, 10 miles should be plenty of range to get the job done.
