Himiway C5 Ultra

Yes. It is a 250W electric bike whose motor stops assisting at 15.5 mph, which makes it an EAPC — legally a bicycle. You need no licence, no tax and no insurance, you can ride it anywhere a normal bike is allowed including cycle paths, and there is no helmet requirement. The rider must be 14 or over.

The manufacturer claims 96-128 km (60-80 miles) (about 80 miles). Treat that as a ceiling rather than a figure to plan around: claimed ranges come from the lowest assist level on flat ground with a light rider, and hills, cold weather, tyre pressure and rider weight all take a bite out of it.

About 5 hours from empty with the supplied charger.

39.9 kg. That is heavy. Fine to ride, but plan for ground-floor or shed storage: carrying it up stairs is a two-person job.

No — this model is locked at the UK assist limit with no setting to change it. In the UK, raising the limit takes the bike outside EAPC rules: it becomes a motor vehicle needing registration, tax, insurance and a helmet, it is no longer allowed on cycle paths, and an insurer will treat it that way after an accident. We record the setting because it decides what a bike can legally be, not to suggest you change it.

Yes — a torque sensor, which scales assistance to how hard you push. It feels more like riding a bicycle than a throttle, and it is generally the more natural of the two systems.

Tektro hydraulic disc, 180mm rotors front and rear. Hydraulic discs need less hand force and hold up better in the wet and on long descents than cable-operated ones. That matters more on a bike this heavy.

150 kg (330 lb) max system weight, including the rider. Subtract your own weight to see what is left for luggage, a child seat or shopping.