Buying your first e-bike can feel like a big leap. There's a wall of jargon out there — torque sensors, watt-hours, pedal-assist levels — and it's easy to end up more confused than when you started. So we thought we'd do it the way we do it in the shop: forget the spec sheets for a minute and start with you. How far are you going? Where do you keep it? What's the budget looking like? Answer those, and the right bike more or less picks itself.
Below are seven of our genuine best-sellers here at Inner City Scooters, each matched to a different kind of rider. They're the bikes people in Dublin actually keep coming back for, so you're not gambling on an unknown. Have a read, and if you're still on the fence, call in to us in Ballymount for a spin — no bother, no hard sell.
At a glance: our best-sellers, matched to you
- Fiido D3 Pro — best on a budget and for small spaces (from €579)
- Pixar C1 Pro — best easy-going city cruiser (from €949)
- Fiido C21 — best for city streets and light gravel (from €975)
- Fiido M1 Pro — best comfy fat-tyre folder (from €1,049)
- Pixar M9 — best for character and big range (from €1,049)
- Engwe M20 26Ah — best for serious range and presence (from €1,399)
- Engwe Engine Pro 2.0 — best full-suspension folder (from €1,499)
Best on a budget: the Fiido D3 Pro
If you're dipping a toe in for the first time, the Fiido D3 Pro is a lovely place to start. It's a compact, folding bike on 14-inch wheels, and at just 17.5 kg it's light enough to carry up a flight of stairs or tuck under a desk. Fold it down and you've your hallway back.
Underneath the friendly size is a proper little commuter: a 250W motor, assistance up to 25 km/h, and up to 60 km of range from a charge. It's a doddle to live with, and being a 250W pedal-assist bike it's treated just like a regular bicycle on Irish roads — no tax, insurance or licence needed. For a student, a flat-dweller, or anyone who just wants to skip the bus without a big outlay, it's grand value at €579.
Best easy-going city cruiser: the Pixar C1 Pro
The Pixar C1 Pro is the bike we point people to when they want something that just feels natural to ride. Big 28-inch wheels roll beautifully over Dublin's kerbs and cobbles, and the upright, comfortable position makes it easy to hop on and off. There's a front suspension fork to take the sting out of rougher roads, hydraulic brakes, Shimano 7-speed gears and five levels of pedal assist, so you choose how much of a hand you want.
It comes properly kitted out too — front basket, rear rack with side hooks, and built-in lights — so it's ready for the shop run or the school drop straight out of the box. The 250W motor and 36V 18Ah battery are good for up to 65 km, and like the D3 Pro it sits comfortably within the road-legal pedelec rules. A quiet all-rounder at €949, and worth a special mention: Inner City Scooters is the official and only Pixar stockist in Ireland, so you're getting a genuine bike with a real warranty and servicing right here in Dublin.
Best for city and light gravel: the Fiido C21
For anyone who likes the idea of a lighter, sportier bike — one that looks and feels like a normal road bike but gives you a wee push — the Fiido C21 is a cracker. It's built on a lightweight 700C aluminium frame with a proper 9-speed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, so it's just as happy on the canal towpath as it is nipping through town.
A smooth 250W Mivice motor keeps the assistance natural rather than lurchy, and with a claimed range of up to 80 km you can go a fair distance between charges. It arrives with mudguards, lights and a rear carrier already fitted, so there's no shopping list of extras to buy. If your commute mixes tarmac with the odd gravel stretch, this is the one, at €975.
Best comfy fat-tyre folder: the Fiido M1 Pro
The Fiido M1 Pro is where comfort meets go-anywhere. Those chunky 20 x 4.0-inch tyres soak up potholes and grip loose ground, and with dual suspension and a Mivice torque sensor it delivers power the moment you press on the pedals — smooth and intuitive, not a sudden shove. It folds too, so it'll still fit in a boot or a hall press.
The 48V battery is good for up to 87 km, and hydraulic disc brakes and Shimano 7-speed gearing round it off nicely. Despite the burly looks, it's a 250W pedelec that meets the EU standard, so it stays road-legal like a bicycle. If you want one bike for the commute during the week and a bit of an adventure at the weekend, the M1 Pro at €1,049 covers a lot of ground.
Best for character and big range: the Pixar M9
The Pixar M9 is the head-turner of the line-up — a proper moped-style utility bike with full front and rear suspension, fat tyres, indicators, a dual seat with footrests and a slick NFC-unlock LCD display with Type-C charging. It carries a claimed range of up to 130 km, so range anxiety isn't really in the conversation.
A quick, honest word on the law, because the M9 has more poke than a standard pedelec. On public roads it should be ridden in its road-legal pedal-assist setting — 250W-style assistance cutting off at 25 km/h — with its full power kept for private land. It's not a bike to guess about, so if you're unsure, just ask the team and we'll set it up properly and explain exactly where you stand. As with the C1 Pro, we're the official and only Pixar stockist in Ireland, so it's a genuine bike with a real warranty and Dublin servicing. Big value at €1,049.
Best for serious range and presence: the Engwe M20 26Ah
If you want the big, confident, motorbike-look e-bike, the Engwe M20 26Ah is hard to beat. Its party trick is the dual 48V 26Ah battery setup, which Engwe rates for a genuinely enormous range — up to around 150 km. Add fat 20 x 4.0-inch tyres, dual suspension and a comfy saddle, and long rides stay easy on the body.
This is one of the more powerful models we carry, so the same rule applies as with the M9: ride it in its road-legal pedal-assist setting on public roads and save the full beans for private land. Come and have a chat with us and we'll make sure it's set up right for how and where you'll ride. For riders who want range, comfort and a bit of presence, the M20 at €1,399 delivers.
Best full-suspension folder: the Engwe Engine Pro 2.0
The Engwe Engine Pro 2.0 rounds things off for the rider who wants it all in one folding package. You get adjustable front suspension plus dual rear shocks, fat 20-inch tyres, Shimano Altus 8-speed gears and hydraulic disc brakes, all hung on a frame that folds down for storage or the boot of the car. A 52V 16Ah battery gives it plenty of pep on the hills.
Like the M20, it's a powerful machine, so it's a case of road-legal pedal-assist on public roads and full power on private land. We're always happy to walk you through it. If you've limited storage but don't want to give up comfort or capability, the Engine Pro 2.0 at €1,499 is the sweet spot.
A quick word on the rules
It's worth knowing where you stand before you buy. An e-bike with a motor of 250W or less and pedal-assist that cuts off at 25 km/h meets the EU pedelec standard, and in Ireland it's treated just like an ordinary bicycle — no tax, insurance or licence. Our D3 Pro, C1 Pro, C21 and M1 Pro all fall neatly into that bracket.
The more powerful, moped-style bikes — the Pixar M9, Engwe M20 and Engine Pro 2.0 — should be ridden in their road-legal pedal-assist setting on public roads, with their full power reserved for private land. It's nothing to be nervous about; we set every bike up correctly at handover and explain it all in plain English. If in doubt, just ask.
Spreading the cost, and where to find us
You don't have to pay for it all in one go. Most of these bikes are eligible for the Bike to Work scheme, which can save you a tidy chunk through your employer, and we also offer Humm and Klarna instalments if you'd rather spread the payments. Every bike comes with a one-year limited warranty, and because we service what we sell here in Dublin, you're not posting anything back to a warehouse abroad if something needs a look.
You'll find us at Fashion City, Ballymount, Dublin, and we deliver right across Ireland. The best way to choose is still to sit on a few and take one for a spin, so if you can, call in and we'll help you find the bike that suits your life rather than the one with the longest spec sheet. And if you can't make it to us, drop us a line — we're always happy to talk you through it.
