If you're into your bikes, you may have asked yourself 'should I buy an electric bike or an electric scooter?'
We have previously compared e-bikes and mountain bikes, however, with the electric scooter growing in popularity, we feel it only seems fair to give our opinion on whether it beats the e-bike.
With that being said, let's start by comparing the price...
Electric Bike vs Electric Scooter - Price
While the price of both of these e-machines will vary depending on their specifications, you'll most likely find electric bikes are more expensive than e-scooters.
This may be unsurprising given the fact that a bike includes an extra wheel, therefore, also requires more components and a bigger frame to make it usable.
For example, a low-end machine like this Jetson Bolt found in our list of the best electric bikes is still quite a bit more expensive than a comparable, low to mid-range e-scooter like this Razor A2.
With that being said, e-bikes are considerably cheaper than when they first came out, and you can now pick up a relatively inexpensive bit of kit, like this Sailnovo Electric Bicycle, for much less than you would of been able to 5 to 10 years ago.
Electric Bike vs Electric Scooter - Convenience
Convenience is something that can be measured using a number of different variables.
For commuting, an e-scooter, like this Gotrax GXL V2 found in our list of the best electric scooters, will most likely be easier to maneuver through busy city streets as it is probably lighter than the majority of e-bikes on the market.
In terms of range, e-bikes tend to have electric scooters trumped. For example, if you compare Sailnovo's 27-mile range to the comparable Gotrax's 12.5 miles, an e-bike is achieving over double the distance.
An electric bike will probably be more comfortable as you are always seated, however, that's not to say an e-scooter won't deliver a smooth ride as well.
A number of electric scooters come with large pneumatic tires and suspension systems to help improve the levels of comfort, and many of them are foldable so, when you're done riding, they should be easier to pick up and carry for the rest of your journey.
Electric Bike vs Electric Scooter - Fitness
A common misconception is using electronically assisted modes of transport is 'cheating' as you are removing the physical challenge.
To some degree this is true, however, studies have found electric bikes do actually require more physical exertion than you may realise.
For example, a 2019 study comparing e-bikes and mountain bikes found participants' average heart rate using an e-bike was 94% (31/33) of the average heart rate during conventional mountain bike use, thus suggesting a near negligible difference.
With that being said, an e-bike may be more beneficial fitness-wise as you are required to use your legs far more than you would on an electric scooter so you're arguably getting a greater workout.
Electric Bike vs Electric Scooter: Which Should You Buy?
When it comes to choosing between the two, you're left with a difficult choice that really comes down to your specific needs.
An e-scooter will most likely be a lightweight and easy to maneuver bit of kit which is more suitable for commuting and traveling through cities.
By contrast, an electric bike is more beneficial for your cardiovascular fitness, quicker, and is definitely a more versatile machine as it can be taken off-road whereas you'd struggle using an e-scooter on anything other than tarmac.
In our opinion, taking cost, convenience, and ease of use into consideration, we feel an electric scooter takes the crown as the ultimate electronic mode of transport, especially for urban commuters.
Read More: Best Mountain Bikes Available Right Now