Himiway A7 Pro

At 250W it is well inside the 750W federal ceiling for a low-speed electric bicycle, so federal law treats it as a bicycle rather than a motor vehicle. States then sort eBikes into three classes by how fast the motor keeps helping — 20 mph for classes 1 and 2, 28 mph for class 3 — and set their own rules on paths, helmets and minimum age, so the detail is state by state.

The manufacturer claims up to 96 km (about 60 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 7 hours from empty with the supplied charger.

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

This model can have its assist limit raised, which owners use abroad where higher limits are legal. In the US, raising the limit past your state's class pushes the bike out of the bicycle category: it can need registration, insurance and a helmet, it loses access to paths that only allow bicycles, 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.

Shimano hydraulic disc. 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.

136 kg, including the rider. Subtract your own weight to see what is left for luggage, a child seat or shopping.