Comparison Maxxter Road Master vs HIMO C26

Type of Electric Bicycle — a structural class of model that defines the seating position, frame geometry, wheels, suspension, and main purpose of the bike.

— Mountain (MTB). An electric bicycle for rough terrain, dirt roads, forest trails, and moderate off-road conditions. It usually has a strong frame, wide tires, a suspension fork, or full suspension, and the motor helps to climb hills and navigate difficult sections of the route more easily.

— Downhill / freeride / enduro. Reinforced mountain e-bikes for aggressive riding, steep descents, rocks, roots, jumps, and complex trails. These models often feature powerful brakes, long-travel suspension, and robust frames but are heavier, more expensive, and less practical for regular city rides.

— Trail. A versatile type of mountain electric bicycle for forest trails, hilly terrain, dirt roads, and moderately difficult descents. Compared to a regular MTB, it is often better prepared for active trail riding, and compared to enduro or downhill models, it remains lighter, more practical, and more convenient for everyday routes.

— Urban. A model for daily city rides, bike lanes, and smooth asphalt. For this type, comfortable seating, fenders, a luggage rack, lighting, a kickstand, and convenience are more important than maximum passability or sports speed.

— Road. An electric bicycle for riding on asphalt, in parks, along...embankments, and on suburban roads. In essence, it is closer to a universal bike for smooth surfaces: faster and lighter than an urban bike but usually not as sporty and demanding in terms of seating as a road bike.

— Touring. A bike for long trips, cycling journeys, and routes with baggage. It is usually designed for stability, comfortable seating, range, and mounts for racks, bags, and fenders, making it well-suited for trips outside the city and multi-day routes.

— Cruiser. A comfortable electric bicycle with a relaxed seating position, wide handlebars, and a design for leisurely rides. This type is convenient for strolling, resort areas, and smooth city routes but not intended for a fast pace, steep climbs, or sporty handling.

— Road bike. A lightweight high-speed e-bike for asphalt, long distances, and sports riding. It usually has narrow tires, aerodynamic seating, and a minimal set of extra equipment, with electric assistance used not for “moped” riding but to maintain pace on climbs and long routes.

— Gravel. An electric bicycle for mixed routes: asphalt, dirt roads, packed forest roads, and light off-road. It is faster and sportier than a touring bike but more stable and versatile than a road bike thanks to wider tires, baggage mounts, and a relaxed geometry.

— Fatbike. An electric bicycle with very wide tires for sand, snow, loose terrain, and rough roads. The large tires provide good passability and absorb bumps, but they increase weight and rolling resistance, so the motor is particularly useful here.

The maximum weight for which the frame, wheels, suspension, brakes, and other components of the electric bike are designed. This usually implies the weight of the rider along with baggage and accessories: for example, a backpack, basket, child seat, or load on the luggage rack. It is not advisable to exceed this limit, as the additional weight reduces maneuverability, increases braking distance, and accelerates wear on the wheels, spokes, hubs, and frame.

Approximate distance that an electric bike can travel on a single battery charge. Specifications usually indicate an estimated value, as the actual range depends on the chosen level of assistance, rider's weight, terrain, speed, temperature, and tire pressure. For example, in economy mode, an e-bike can travel significantly further than when constantly riding with maximum support and speed downhill.

The characteristic of the electric motor in watts shows how actively it assists in acceleration, climbing hills, and riding with a load. For leisurely city rides and bike paths, a motor of about 250 W is often sufficient. For suburban routes, hills, and heavier riders, a reserve of 350 – 500 W is more convenient. Values of 750 W and above are more commonly found in powerful fat bikes, cargo, and off-road models. When choosing, it’s important to consider that high power quickly depletes the charge and doesn’t always mean greater speed: real dynamics are also influenced by torque, bicycle weight, battery capacity, and controller settings.

Preset levels of electric drive operation that change speed limits, acceleration intensity, and motor assistance degree. Simple models may have 2–3 modes for relaxed, normal, and dynamic riding, while more advanced ones offer multiple assistance levels with more precise settings for city, suburban, uphill, or long-distance routes.

Do not confuse this feature with mechanical gears: speed mode controls the motor's operation, while gears change the effort on the pedals.

The wheel size of an electric bicycle in inches affects compactness, stability, rolling, and passability. The larger the wheel, the easier it rolls over bumps and maintains speed, but the bigger the bike itself becomes.

Small 20″ wheels and below are typical for folding e-bikes, 26″ is well-suited for city rides, leisure, and basic off-roading, while 27.5″, 28″, and 29″ are often chosen for mountain, road, touring, and high-speed models.

A system of spring, air, or elastomer elements that softens bumps and makes the ride more comfortable. Suspension affects the purpose of the bicycle.

— Front. The suspension fork is installed at the front and softens impacts on the front wheel. This is the most common option for city, recreational, mountain, and touring e-bikes: it helps with curbs, potholes, tiles, gravel, and light off-road without making the bike too heavy and complicated.

— Front and rear. Suspension is available both in the front and rear, so bumps are absorbed by both wheels. This setup is better suited for trails, forest roads, rocks, roots, descents, and active riding but makes the electric bicycle more expensive, heavier, and more demanding to maintain.

— Rear. A shock absorber is installed at the rear, softening impacts from the rear wheel or the saddle part of the frame. This option is less common than front suspension and can be useful for enhancing comfort on rough roads, especially if the main load falls on the saddle and rear of the bicycle.

— None. A rigid design without shock absorbers is simpler, lighter, and cheaper to maintain. It is well-suited for smooth asphalt, bike paths, and calm urban routes, but on potholes, tiles, dirt, and curbs, it will transmit more shocks to the hands, back, and frame.

The type of front fork describes the internal construction: how the unit compresses upon impact and how it absorbs rebound. In e-bikes, this aspect is essential not only for comfort but also for handling on rough terrains, as the heavy e-bike places more stress on the suspension.

— Spring-elastomer. A metal spring is used inside, with an elastomer that helps soften impacts and limit sharp vibrations. This is a simple and affordable solution for city rides, leisurely outings, and light off-road, but it lacks the smoothness and adjustability of oil systems, and the elastomer may become stiffer in cold conditions.

— Spring-oil. Elasticity is provided by a metal spring, while oil dampens oscillations and makes the suspension operation more controllable. This option is heavier than the air-oil type but generally more reliable and stable than the spring-elastomer version, making it suitable for versatile e-bikes, poor roads, off-road, and moderately active riding.

— Air-oil. In this suspension, air acts as the elastic element, while oil ensures smooth operation and damping of oscillations. It is lighter and can be more precisely adjusted to the rider's weight using air pressure, making it well-suited for mountain, trail, and more advanced e-bikes, but usually costs more and requires more attentive maintenance.

The number of gears indicates how many mechanical shifts are available to the rider for changing the pedaling effort. Simple transmissions with a small number of gears may suffice for city e-bikes, while a wider range of gears is more convenient for hills, long routes, off-road terrain, and riding without active motor assistance. However, a large number of gears does not always mean a faster e-bike: it primarily affects the convenience of riding in different conditions, not the maximum speed of the electric motor.

This point should not be confused with the motor speed modes: gears change the operation of the chain and sprockets, while modes change the level of assistance from the electric drive.