The meter makes
the final call.
Every score on this site will come from gear we bought at retail and put through a published, instrumented protocol. Here is exactly how that works, what we refuse to do, and what we have and haven't tested so far.
Lab status: spinning up. Nothing tested yet.
Plain disclosure, updated as it changes: as of July 2026, EbikeTested has published zero completed instrumented tests. No locks have been cut, no packs have been discharged, no bikes have been ridden to empty under our protocol. The protocols on this page describe what we are building and how results will be reported when they exist. Until a product has actually been through a protocol, it does not get a score, a badge, or a recommendation here.
The bright line: scored means retail-bought.
Most e-bike reviews run on manufacturer-supplied units, and some outlets charge brands testing fees. We think you can't score a product you were given by the company that made it. So our rule is published here and never breached:
Anything scored or compared on this site is bought at retail, with our own money, with chain of custody documented from receipt to unboxing to serial number. If a loaner or sample unit ever appears, it will be in a clearly labeled, non-scored format with per-article disclosure. No brand money for scores, no sponsored placements, no exceptions.
The Bench Protocols
Phase one is two bike-free bench labs plus two data franchises. Each protocol is published before its first result ships, so you can check our work.
Security Lab
E-bike locks, timed to failure. Planned protocol: non-destructive measurements on every unit (weight versus claimed, fat-tube fit, mounting), then timed power-tool destruction runs on camera for the finalists, with the timer in frame. Results framed around the Sold Secure Powered Cycle tier and what insurers actually require. Attack times we publish will be our own measurements under stated conditions, not anyone else's certification data.
Battery & Charger Lab
Replacement packs and chargers on a calibrated discharge logger: measured capacity against the label, charge behavior, and safety certification verified against the certifier's own records. Safety rule that doubles as policy: only packs and chargers with real certification (UL 2271, UL 2849, or EN 15194) will ever be linked or recommended, because your bike parks in your home. Capacity-shortfall claims will not lead a headline on a single sample.
The Data Franchises
The Range Gap: a running index of advertised range against independently published test results, sources cited, one chart per bike. Will This Brand Survive: a scored stability watch, because the category's former number one brand went bankrupt on top of its customers in 2025. Died Early: a structured database of owner-reported failures. Recall Watch: a standing CPSC recall tracker. Aggregated data is always labeled as aggregation, never passed off as our own bench results.
The Testing Process
From checkout to verdict, every scored product will go through the same five steps.
Buy at Retail, Document Custody
We order from the same store you would, at the price you'd pay. Receipt, unboxing, and serial number are recorded on camera before testing starts, and every review states the purchase date and price. Brands do not know their product is being tested.
Baseline with Instruments
Weight on a scale, capacity on a logger, dimensions with calipers, certification claims checked against the certifier's database. Every measured number is published with the conditions it was measured under, so it can be challenged and reproduced.
Run the Published Protocol
Each category has a fixed protocol published before its first result. Locks get timed attack runs on camera. Packs get logged discharge cycles. Bikes, when phase two starts, get our own range protocol ridden to empty at a stated rider weight and temperature, then a public long-term failure log.
Score on the Disclosed Rubric
The EbikeTested Score will rate every product on the same dimensions:
- Claim Accuracy: what the label says versus what we measured.
- Safety & Certification: verified certifications, not badge artwork on a listing.
- Durability: how it holds up in extended, documented use.
- Usability: weight, fit, and daily friction on a real bike.
- Value: measured performance per dollar at retail price.
- Company Stability: whether the brand looks able to honor its warranty and keep parts available. No brand-funded site scores this. We will.
Publish Everything, Including Failures
Winners, losers, and the discharge curves behind both. Reviews carry a last-verified date and a changelog, and when something we recommended starts failing, the review changes. Language protocol: we publish measurements, not accusations. "Our unit measured 15.8Ah against a 20Ah label" is a finding; "scam" is a headline we will never write.
Every future score ships with its receipts.
When the first tests publish, each scored product will show its full breakdown by dimension, the measured values behind each number, the purchase line (bought at retail, date, price), and which links pay us. The rubric will always be one click away.
Products that fail will be written up with the same care as the winners. A failed lock or a short-measuring pack is more useful to you than another five-star roundup.
Report Format Preview
Format preview only. The bars are empty because no product has been tested yet, and they stay empty until one has.
What we won't publish.
No scored reviews of manufacturer-supplied units. No invented measurements, testers, ratings, or "we tested 40 locks" claims. No derestriction or tuning guides and no top-speed stunt content, ever. No links to uncertified battery packs or chargers, regardless of commission. And no pretending: until a test has actually run, the site says so.
Affiliate links, when they exist, will be disclosed on every article, and commissions will never touch a score. Details on the affiliate disclosure page.
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