Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike review: big-tyred bruiser with a beefy battery to match

This is the B98 Electric Hybrid Bike, which is available from Halfords, the British bike and car accessories retailer. It’s a bit of a curio and wants to be a little bit of everything. However, from the off, I wouldn’t say it’s a bike that’s aimed at cycling enthusiasts per se. That’s mainly because this is an electric bike that is more about making life easier for the rider and turning a few heads into the bargain.

Anyone wanting a more wholesome cycling experience is probably better off exploring the best electric bike selection. These bikes offer a little more versatility when it comes to proper bike riding. The B98 Electric Hybrid Bike, on the other hand, is more of a fun machine than a serious proposition. Nothing wrong with that, but it does have limitations due to the design.

Nevertheless, it also has decent specifications, which are almost interchangeable with many other affordable electric bikes that are invariably built in China. In fact, for the money, this Halford’s own brand model packs lots of additional kit, including powerful lights and indicators as part of the package.

(First reviewed March 2025)

Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike review

Price and availability

The Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike fitted with 20-inch wheels seen here can be purchased now from Halfords. It’s got an official retail price on their website of £1,799 (approx. $2,327.45/ AU$3,696.08), but at the time of writing, there was also a reduction of £359.80 due to an up to 20 per cent off promotion. This brings it down to £1,439.20 (approx. $1,862.09/ AU$2,956.87), although bear in mind that prices are always subject to change.

It’s got generic branding too, so chances are the same e-bike might be available elsewhere. My pre-assembled test sample came with an attached kickstand, but this is listed as a £15 extra on the Halfords site. It’s handy, though, especially when no kerb for your pedal is present.

Design and build quality

Halford’s always keeps a keen eye on the pricing of its bikes and the B98 Electric Hybrid Bike is another relatively affordable electric offering. With low prices and discounts on tap, it’s immediately obvious that this is a two-wheeler that is less premium and more practical. It’s designed and built to be thrown around a bit and will not get upset if you throw it into a muddy ditch by accident.

The design is definitely heavy duty with a steel frame and average quality components that result in making this a bulky bike. That comes from getting it out of the box (unless you make use of Halford’s option of picking it up ready to go from one of their stores) to lifting it and, ultimately, riding the thing. I got my example delivered in a big box and, to be honest, it took less time to get road ready than some review bikes I’ve tried.

Halford’s includes all necessary tools needed to get up and running inside the box, along with a charging adapter and cable. While I was putting on the pedals, straightening the front indicators and setting up the handlebar angle I couldn’t help but notice how some of the component parts do look and feel quite cheap. I quite like the rough and ready appearance of the frame and its conspicuous welds. However, the B98 graphic on the battery pack looks like a homemade sticker. It’s a bit of a mixed bag.

On the upside, I was very impressed with both the chainset, which is Shimano and also the rear wheel hub motor. I think this comes from Bafang who have been very consistent with the motor components on many of the electric bikes I’ve ridden. With a combination of excellent gear shifting, with up and down shifts controlled by levers on the righthand side of the handlebars and the adaptive power from the motor, it’s an impressive setup. Power supply can be adjusted via the computer on the left-hand side of the bars.

Riding experience

I was looking forward to riding the Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike. It looks like it’s going to be a bundle of fun and, in many respects, it is. Setting off is easy as you straddle the frame, which is fairly low-slung thanks to that flat, almost Raleigh Chopper-like saddle and push off. The fat tyres are the first big difference you notice compared to a bike with standard-sized rubber. They’re big, fat and very spongy, so much so that I got the pump out and checked their pressure.

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Of course, there are lots of benefits of being armed with big rubber tyres on a bike, with the main bonus being the go-anywhere appeal if offers. I could ride on tarmac, grass, gravel and even decent amounts of mud without issue. Another plus is the way these big tyres soak up the lumps and bumps on our roads. Considering there’s no suspension on the back, this is a good thing. The front forks do have suspension though, so combined I’d say this is a bike that works well for UK surfaces.

I really can’t fault the powertrain setup either, with those slick Shimano gear changes working perfectly in tandem with the supply of power. This isn’t a fast bike as such, it’ll do the standard-issue speed but that works just fine because of the big, wide wheels. Less impressive though is the practicality of the bike. I think the saddle is too wide, especially at the front, which gets in the way of pedalling. The saddle also feels like it’ll wear through quite quickly because of the friction it gets from your legs rubbing it all the time.

In that respect, the Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike doesn’t feel like a bike you’d want to just cycle much, no matter how good the gearing setup is and, because of that, comes across as more like a motorised scooter. Nothing wrong with that, but as I hinted at earlier, anyone who is keen on proper pedal-powered cycling, with a bit of powered push thrown in for good measure, might find it a little disappointing. It is a bit of an acquired taste.

Verdict

There’s lot to like about the Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike. It looks quite cool, if you don’t mind the brown trim flourishes, and is comfortable to sit on. The positives include plenty of power, great delivery of said power along with slick and easy gear changes from the Shimano chainset arrangement. Disc brakes front and rear work well and there’s the bonus of front and rear lights, along with indicators too.

Overall then, the Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike is a success. The only thing that lets it down is the way it behaves under pedal power. The wide saddle hinders pedalling, and this is a heavy bike too, made to feel even more so by the chunky tyres. They’re great for getting over just about any kind of terrain, but they add significantly to the drag factor. This bike works well enough, but the Halfords B98 Electric Hybrid Bike requires the power to always be on in order to get the best from it.

Also consider

Chunky electric bikes are an interesting proposition but they’re a little bit of a novelty. Anyone wanting to do more pedalling than being pushed/pulled along by an electric motor would do well to explore the likes of the Brompton Electric P Line Explore 12-speed, which is electric but folds and is way more practical, the BMC 257 AMP AL TWO, which boasts bigger wheels and also the Volt Infinity. All three offer a more wholesome cycling experience, but still provide you with plenty of oomph when it comes to getting the benefit of a battery-powered experience.