Which e-bike for city or country? Here's what you should consider

May 24, 2023

2 min

Commuting in the city or in the countryside? We explain which e-bike suits your routes, distances, and requirements.

The most important information at a glance

Cities and rural areas have different requirements for e-bikes: while short distances, maneuverability, and compactness are important in urban areas, range, comfort, and reliability are the focus in rural areas.
Commuting distances vary significantly: in the city, typical journeys are 3–7 kilometers, while in rural areas they are often 10–25 kilometers each way – battery and equipment requirements vary accordingly.
E-bike range: A battery with 400–500 Wh is often sufficient for city traffic, while 500–750 Wh is advisable in rural areas, depending on the distance and altitude.
Choose equipment according to the area of use: City e-bikes score points with their low weight, compact design, and anti-theft protection. E-bikes for the countryside need powerful lights, sturdy luggage racks, and a high level of riding comfort.
The right e-bike saves time and energy: if you know your area of use, you will find the right model more quickly – and use your e-bike efficiently in everyday life, whether in the city or in the countryside.

Two people on e-bikes in the countryside surrounded by nature

E-bikes have become an integral part of urban areas, i.e., cities, and are extremely popular. They are also gaining more and more fans in rural areas, as they are environmentally friendly and make it easier to cover longer distances.

This is no coincidence: the motorization of e-bikes offers a real advantage over non-motorized bicycles. Due to their range, e-bikes can also be used in rural areas without any problems. In the tourism/leisure sector, e-bikes have been considered the norm for years, and now they have also established themselves for commuting in rural areas.

E-bikes in the city: Requirements for urban e-bikes

Urban e-bikers are intuitive, dynamic, stylish, and flexible. This is also reflected in their requirements for their stylish mode of transport. It is considered a lifestyle product and stands for individuality. That's why people pay attention to sophisticated design and technical details. Due to the short distances involved, it is not primarily important to have the longest possible range in urban areas. Riding comfort is also not a priority here, as the average journey rarely exceeds 20 minutes.

The ideal e-bike for the city should be as compact as possible and fit on public transport if necessary. Appropriate lighting and reliable anti-theft protection for when the e-bike is left outdoors for longer periods of time round off the urban target group's wish list. With this mode of transport, inner-city traffic jams and tedious searches for parking spaces are a thing of the past.

Man sitting on an e-bike on a country road

Two people take a break with their parked

E-bikes in rural areas: Requirements for commuter and everyday e-bikes

People who live in rural areas use e-bikes in a much more functional way. Here, they are less of a lifestyle accessory and more of a reliable means of everyday transport. E-bikes often replace second cars or public transport and must therefore be robust, comfortable, and durable. Distances are greater, journey times longer, and the terrain more challenging.

Typical commutes in rural areas are often 10 to 25 kilometers each way, plus elevation, wind, and changing surfaces. The requirements for range and battery capacity are correspondingly high. Batteries with 500 to 750 Wh are useful here to reach your destination relaxed, even in headwinds or at higher assistance levels.

Riding comfort also plays a key role: a balanced seating position, comfortable tires, and, if necessary, suspension forks ensure that even longer rides remain enjoyable. Typical features of an e-bike for rural areas also include a powerful lighting system for dark country roads, sturdy luggage racks for work bags or shopping, and reliable motor assistance that works evenly even on longer climbs. In short, the ideal e-bike for the countryside is not a compromise, but a lasting companion for everyday life, commuting, and leisure.

Comparison table: E-bike city vs. country

E-bike for the city

Typical commute distance: 3–7 km
Travel time: up to approx. 20 minutes
Battery capacity: approx. 400–500 Wh
Comfort: secondary
Motor requirements: finely controllable, agile
Features: lights, lock, compactness
Role in everyday life: replacement for car or public transport

E-bike for the countryside

Typical commute distance: 10–25 km
Travel time: 30–60 minutes
Battery capacity: approx. 500–750 Wh
Comfort: very important
Motor requirements: smooth, powerful under continuous load
Equipment: lights, luggage rack, suspension fork if necessary
Role in everyday life: supplement to public transport and car

Conclusion

The right e-bike doesn't depend on trends, but on your everyday life.

Whether in the city or the countryside: there is no such thing as the “best” e-bike—only the right one. Those who mainly ride in the city will benefit from a compact, lightweight, and agile city e-bike. In the countryside, on the other hand, range, comfort, and reliability are important, because here the e-bike quickly becomes a real means of transportation.

Therefore, it is not the usage scenario in the brochure that is decisive, but your personal everyday life: distance, travel time, terrain, and frequency of use. If you honestly assess these factors, you will not only find the right model more quickly, but you will also ride more relaxed, more efficiently, and with more enjoyment in the long term.

Checklist

Which e-bike suits your everyday life?

An e-bike for the city is right for you if you...

mainly ride 3–7 km per trip
have short travel times and stop frequently
are looking for a compact, maneuverable e-bike
often park your bike outside and value theft protection
want to flexibly combine public transport, office, and city center

An e-bike for the countryside is ideal if you...

regularly commute 10–25 km each way
ride even in windy conditions, uphill or in bad weather
need a long range and a high level of comfort
use your e-bike as an alternative to a car or public transport
want to transport luggage for work or shopping

Man sitting on an e-bike in the city in summer

Calculate your savings using the leasing calculator.

FAQ

: In the case of salary conversion, the employee receives a portion of the contractually agreed salary not in cash, but as a payment in kind for the period during which the company bike is made available. This means that a change is made by means of a supplementary agreement to the employment contract, in which the employee's future salary is reduced by a fixed amount (conversion rate) for the duration of the transfer of use. This then results in the tax and contribution benefit for the employee. In most cases, the imputed income is also subject to taxation. This is added to the monthly gross salary.

What does this mean exactly?
Gross monthly salary
+ taxation of imputed income
- Conversion rate
- All-round protection costs
= new gross monthly salary
- Taxes
- Taxation of imputed income
= net monthly salary

If you now compare the net monthly salary without the company bike with the net monthly salary with the company bike, you get the monthly costs for the company bike leasing.

Below are some explanations of terms.
Conversion Rate:
The conversion rate is the sum of the leasing rate and the cost of the selected all-round protection package, less any cost coverage by the employer The gross monthly salary is reduced by this conversion rate.
Taxation of the imputed income:
Depending on the form of the transfer by the employer, the use of the company bike is subject to taxation of the non-cash benefit. If a company bike is also provided for unrestricted private use as part of a salary conversion, the non-cash benefit must be taxed. The non-cash benefit from company bike leasing is calculated at a flat rate of 1% of a quarter of the gross list price (RRP) rounded down to a full €100, added to the taxable income and also taxed. This is also referred to colloquially as 0.25% taxation. The amount for the imputed income can be found in the calculation overview in the bike leasing calculator.
: With salary conversion, you as an employee do not receive part of your contractually agreed salary in cash, but as a non-cash benefit for the period in which the company bike is provided.

This means that an amendment is made to the employment contract in which your future salary is reduced by a fixed amount (conversion rate) by mutual agreement for the duration of the transfer of use. This then results in a tax and contribution advantage for you as an employee. You can easily calculate your savings in our calculator.

You can also find out whether bike leasing is worthwhile in our article “Buying or leasing a bike: which is cheaper?”.
: Company wheel leasing via salary conversion reduces your monthly gross income and therefore also the social security contributions for your pension. This is often seen as a disadvantage of employee leasing. However, the resulting losses are minimal. With a bike price of 3,000 euros, for example, the future pension entitlement is reduced by around 2 euros per month if the bike is leased with salary conversion over 36 months. Extrapolated, this would be a total of 468 euros less pension for the entire pension entitlement period. This amount is less than the average savings from a company bike. There is also the positive health aspect: according to current studies, regular cyclists are not only fitter and healthier, they also live longer.

If you receive your company bike as a salary supplement, the employer bears the entire cost on top of your salary. As there is no salary conversion in this case, social security contributions are not reduced. The pension is therefore also not affected.
: If your continued salary payments are discontinued, our payment default protection comes into effect. This happens, for example, if you are ill for longer than 42 days and receive sick pay or go on parental leave. Lease a Bike will cover the leasing installments for a maximum period of 12 months if the leasing contract has already been running for 6 months. In any case, we will always work together to find the best solution for all parties, unless one of the following options is possible or applies.

These can be:

Change of user. Your employer offers the company bicycle to another employee for the remaining term of the contract. The company takes all necessary internal measures for this (e.g. supplementary agreements to the employment contract, handover of the company bike).
Premature termination of the existing leasing contract by mutual agreement for important economic reasons with possible takeover of the used company bike by you as an employee. You also have the option of financing the purchase price via our FINANCE A BIKE product.
If you change companies, it is possible to transfer the existing leasing contract to a new company. After a credit check, the contract will be continued by the new company with all rights and obligations and the company bike will continue to be provided to you for the remaining term.
Return. If all of the above points do not apply in your case, the bike must be returned to your employer. We will then discuss the details of the individual process with your employer.
: If your continued salary payments are discontinued, our payment default protection comes into effect. This happens, for example, if you are ill for longer than 42 days and receive sick pay or go on parental leave. Lease a Bike will cover the leasing installments for a maximum period of 12 months if the leasing contract has already been running for 6 months. In any case, we will always work together to find the best solution for all parties, unless one of the following options is possible or applies.
These can be:
Change of user. Your employer offers the company bicycle to another employee for the remaining term of the contract. The company takes all necessary internal measures for this (e.g. supplementary agreements to the employment contract, handover of the company bike).
Premature termination of the existing leasing contract by mutual agreement for important economic reasons with possible takeover of the used company bike by you as an employee. You also have the option of financing the purchase price via our FINANCE A BIKE product.
If you change companies, it is possible to transfer the existing leasing contract to a new company. After a credit check, the contract will be continued by the new company with all rights and obligations and the company bike will continue to be provided to you for the remaining term.
Return. If all of the above points do not apply in your case, the bike must be returned to your employer. We will then discuss the details of the individual process with your employer.
: The user selects one option each for theft & damage protection (incl. free Europe-wide mobility guarantee), inspection and wear and tear and thus configures the all-round protection package according to their individual requirements. Accordingly, each all-round protection package includes theft and damage protection as well as a budget for inspection and wear and tear.

Read the article “Bike leasing and repairs” to find out who pays for repairs, what services are covered, and how to respond correctly.
: Please report the theft to the police immediately. The file number is required for the report. Have both original keys ready and provide the frame number when reporting the theft (you can find this in the Lease a Bike portal). After you have reported the theft to the police, you can report it quickly and easily directly in the Lease a Bike portal.
To do this, please log in to the portal as usual.
Under “Contracts,” select the relevant contract and click on “Report damage/theft.”
You will be redirected to the secure Allianz partner portal to upload all the details of the incident and the police report.
You did not lease a lock? Then we need proof of how the company bike was secured (e.g., receipt for the lock).
Important: Please wait for the final approval by email from Lease a Bike. Only then can you go to your specialist dealer (as part of the all-inclusive protection) to choose a new bike of the same type and quality. We will take care of invoicing and payment for the new bike.
Note on replacement of the item in the event of theft within the existing contract with a bicycle of the same type and quality. The new bicycle must only correspond to the purchase value of the stolen bicycle, including accessories.
However, the company bike will only be replaced if the all-inclusive option for theft and damage protection has been selected. If the user only has the premium version, the current value insurance applies and the leasing contract is terminated in the event of theft and the bike is not replaced.