Here in the Pacific Northwest, spring has sprung. Yes, it is but a false spring, and by the end of the week, we will again be moping through chilly gloom and rain. But for the time being, the sun is shining on our gleaming white vampire limbs and we are frantically preparing ourselves for summer picnics, lakeside hangs, and, naturally, plenty of biking.
That makes this year’s TrekFest spectacularly well-timed. Trek holds its largest sale of the year from March 15 through April 30, and we noticed that our top electric bike recommendation for most people, the Trek FX+ 2, is $500 off. One of our favorite electric mountain bikes, the Trek Fuel EXe, is also $1,000 off. You can also shop the rest of the sale here—there are discounts on helmets and lights too.
As always, if you don’t see anything you like or need here, don’t forget to check out our Best Electric Bikes, Best Bike Accessories, and Best Bike Locks guides.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
Best Electric Bike Deals
If you came to me and said, “I want an electric bike and I’ve never ridden one before,” I would consider a few items. You probably don’t want a 65-pound direct-to-consumer behemoth that will crush you at a standstill or require you to learn how to tune hydraulic brakes yourself. At a mere 40 pounds, the Trek FX+ 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a relatively lightweight, aluminum city commuter made by a company with a wide network of retailers who can help you if things go awry. I’ve been testing electric bikes for years, and this is the first and only bike my dad, who is in his 60s, grabs to chase after my kids.
Before you murder me, I have to say that if you like mountain biking, $5,500 is not an insane price to pay for a super light bike with full suspension—even without an electric motor. Trek is offering a few different models for sale. This is the most affordable version; the quality of the components increases as you go higher on the price scale. However, this one still has a carbon frame with a quiet motor and the same specs as the model I tested. The modest 250-watt motor is just enough to keep up with your friends on the uphills so you can all enjoy the downhills together.
If you’ve dug your helmet out of the garage and discovered that the foam has all quietly rotted away during the winter, you need a new one. This is a modestly-priced helmet by Bontrager, which Trek owns. It features MIPS, or the Multidirectional Impact Protection System, which allows the helmet to slide relative to the brain and deflect impact.