Pendleton Somerby Review

The Pendleton Somerby is one of the most familiar electric bikes on the UK high street, mainly because it sits in Halfords stores nationwide and looks like a classic town bike rather than a gadget. Designed under cyclist Victoria Pendleton’s brand, the Somerby pairs a low step-through frame and upright riding position with a 250W Bafang rear hub motor, aiming squarely at riders who want easy, comfortable, electric-assisted town and towpath miles. It is not built for speed or serious distance, but for its intended job it is a genuinely likeable bike.

Who the Somerby is for

This is a bike for relaxed, practical riding. If your trips are mostly around town, to the shops, to the station or along flat cycle paths, the Somerby fits perfectly. The low step-through frame makes it easy to get on and off, which is a real advantage for shorter riders, anyone with reduced mobility, or those wearing work clothes. The swept-back bars and upright seating put you in a comfortable, see-and-be-seen position rather than a sporty crouch.

It is a popular choice as a women’s commuter e-bike, though the step-through design suits plenty of male riders too. Where it is less at home is on long rural rides, steep sustained climbs, or fast commutes where you want to cruise near the assist limit for miles. The motor and battery are tuned for gentle assistance, not for flattening big hills or covering long distances on a single charge.

Motor, battery and range

The Somerby uses a 250W Bafang rear hub motor with a speed (cadence) sensor, which reads whether you are pedalling and adds assistance accordingly through Low, Medium and High modes shown on a simple LED display. It keeps the bike firmly within UK EAPC rules: assistance cuts out at 15.5mph and there is no licence, tax or insurance to worry about. The push is smooth and steady on the flat and helpful on gentle inclines, though on steeper hills you will feel the limits of a hub motor that lacks a torque sensor.

Range is the figure most buyers should pay attention to. The battery is a 36V 317Wh (8.8Ah) pack, which is modest by current standards. Halfords quotes up to around 50 miles, but that is a flat-ground, low-assist, light-rider best case. In normal mixed UK riding, plan for a realistic 25 to 30 miles per charge, less in the cold or on hillier routes. For a short commute or local errands that is plenty, but it does mean charging more often than bikes with larger batteries. Our electric bike range guide explains how to squeeze more miles from any pack.

Riding and components

On the road the Somerby is easy and reassuring. The 8-speed Shimano gears give a sensible spread for town and gentle hills, and the Tektro alloy V-brakes are simple and effective in dry conditions, though they lack the all-weather bite of the hydraulic discs you get on some rivals. Mudguards, a rack and lights on most builds make it genuinely commute-ready out of the box, which is more than many direct-to-consumer e-bikes offer.

At around 21 to 22kg it is lighter than some chunky hub-drive e-bikes, but it is still a fair lift onto a car rack or up a flight of stairs, so factor that in if you live in a flat without lift access. The step-through frame at least makes wheeling and parking it straightforward.

Living with it

The strongest argument for the Somerby is buying and owning it through Halfords. The bike is built and safety-checked by a mechanic, you can see and sit on it before you pay, and you have a high-street store to return to for servicing, spares and warranty work. The battery typically carries a 2-year or 500-charge warranty, and the bike qualifies for the Cycle to Work scheme, which can take a useful chunk off the price.

The trade-offs are the things you would expect at this price: a modest battery, a cadence-sensor motor rather than a torque sensor, and rim brakes instead of discs. None of these are deal-breakers for the relaxed riding the Somerby is designed for, but they are the reasons to spend more if you want longer range or hill-climbing punch.

Alternatives to consider

If you like the style but want to compare the wider line-up, see the rest of the Pendleton electric range and the broader best electric bikes at Halfords. For other step-through and upright options, our best electric bikes for women and best commuter electric bikes guides cover bikes with bigger batteries and disc brakes worth weighing up.

Check the latest Pendleton Somerby price

Verdict

The Pendleton Somerby is a stylish, comfortable and easy-to-ride step-through e-bike that does relaxed town and towpath commuting well, backed by the reassurance of Halfords building and servicing it. It will not satisfy anyone after long range, steep-hill power or all-weather disc braking, and better-equipped bikes exist for more money. But as a good-looking, road-legal way to add gentle electric assistance to everyday rides, it remains an easy UK recommendation for the riding it was built for.