Bike finder: Which lightweight e-roadster should I buy?

Lightweight e-roadster

For: Cathy Parker, aged 72, from Cambridge.
Bike needs: I’m a utilitarian city cyclist. I rode a 3−speed Dutch bike for years, then replaced it with an e-Gazelle Bloom C380 HMS, which is perfect apart from being very heavy. I can no longer manoeuvre it safely. Is there a lightweight e-bike with a similar spec?
Musts: E-bike. Sit-up-and-beg, step-through frame. Hub gears and brakes. Mudguards. Chainguard. Kickstand. Wheel lock. Ideally, room for a front basket and rear panniers.
Must nots: Be so heavy.
Budget: Anything considered.

Richard Peace

Lightweight Dutch bikes are rare because this kind of design prioritises utility and longevity over low weight. The Gazelle model you have weighs over 27kg, which is heavy even for an e-bike. To go lighter, it depends on what areas you are willing to compromise in terms of the Dutch-style spec.

One bike that looks to tick most of your boxes is the Kalkhoff Image L Advance (£3,199). This features Bosch’s lightest motor, the Performance Line SX, and has an adjustable handlebar stem for an upright riding position.

The SX motor has a little less power than many other Bosch motors but it should be more than enough for Cambridge. Weight is given as 23kg, which is still not that light. Canyon’s Citylite:ON (£2,799) also weighs in at around 23kg, including a front basket, but has a heavier, more powerful motor and also comes with a wheel lock.

Going lighter means more compromises. One possibility is a physically smaller e-bike. New-to-the-UK German brand i:SY produces a Skyfly carbon-framed compact e-bike with a claimed weight of 18.8kg for the hub-geared E5 ZR F version – likely nearer 20kg once its front rack is added.

A test ride is highly recommended to make sure you are happy with the riding characteristics of smaller wheels. If you can live with derailleur gears, the 10−speed derailleur version of the Skyfly has a claimed weight of 16.9kg – as does Cube’s Kathmandu Hybrid C:62 SLT 400X (£4,999), which is full sized.

i:SY Skyfly E5 ZR F €5,599

Dan Joyce

This is difficult. To get exactly what you want, you’ll need a custom-built bike equipped with a lightweight e-bike kit from the likes of ARCC or Cytronex. These kits add about 4kg, so a sub-20kg custom e-bike should be feasible, even with equipment like a rack, guards and a wheel lock.

For the bike itself, I would have recommended Liz Colebrook at Beaumont Bicycle as she specialised in step-throughs. She’s no longer making bikes but I found a video online that shows the design.

Another frame builder could make something similar. If you’re interested, pay a visit to Bespoked and speak to some builders. They’re generally very friendly. Bespoked has events throughout the world, with a flagship event in London; see the website for dates.

If a custom bike feels too daunting, I have two suggestions. Left-field idea first: a Brompton Electric G Line with SuperRoll (£3,699). It has a low step-over, weighs around 20kg, rides much like a normal bike and takes a front bag.

If you don’t want 4-speed derailleur gearing and an oily chain, Ben Cooper at Kinetics in Glasgow could likely convert it to singlespeed belt drive for around £400. With a motor, one gear may be enough.

A simpler option would be the belt-drive ARCC Rosemont Electric (£3,199, plus the cost of the extra equipment and any upgrades). ARCC is local to you and offers test rides. In terms of weight, the similar, unpowered ARCC Abington I tested was 15.76kg, including a rear rack and mudguards.

The Rosemont will be similar, so with battery and motor that’s about 20kg. To reduce that weight, you could ask ARCC to build it with a 3₋speed or singlespeed hub rather than the heavy 8-speed Alfine, and to swap the Marathon Plus tyres for something lighter.

ARCC Rosemont Electric £3,199

First published in Cycle magazine, April/May 2026 issue. All information correct at time of publishing.