Best Raleigh E-Bikes: Trace, Motus, Centros and Modem Compared

Introduction

Raleigh’s e-bike range covers a lot of ground. There is a light city bike for the daily commute, a comfort model with a bigger battery, an adventure bike with a long quoted range, and a compact utility machine built for carrying loads. In the UK, a legal e-bike assists up to 15.5 mph, the motor is limited to 250 watts, the bike has to have pedals as its main form of propulsion, and the assistance is triggered by turning the pedals rather than by a throttle. All four models here are built to that formula.

This guide looks at the Raleigh Trace, the Raleigh Motus, the Raleigh Centros and the Raleigh Modem so you can work out which one matches the riding you actually do.

What to Look For in a Raleigh E-Bike

The four models differ most in battery size, motor placement, wheel size and frame layout. Those four things decide how far you can go, how the assistance feels, and how the bike behaves when it is loaded.

Battery Capacity and Range

Battery capacity climbs steadily through the range. The Trace carries a 250 Wh battery with a quoted 50 mile range. The Motus steps up to 400 Wh, or 500 Wh on the in-tube Tour and Grand Tour models, with up to 100 miles quoted. The Centros has the largest battery at 625 Wh and a quoted 130 miles. The Modem sits in the middle with 500 Wh and a quoted 100 miles.

For short city trips, a smaller battery keeps the bike light and easy to store. For longer commutes, full days out and loaded rides, the bigger packs on the Motus, Centros and Modem are the ones to look at. The range figures are quoted per model, which makes them a fair way to compare the bikes against each other before you look at anything else.

Motor Placement and Assistance Feel

The Trace uses a rear hub motor, which keeps the bike simple and light. The Motus is available with a hub motor or, on the Grand Tour model, a Bosch motor that supplies assistance to the cranks instead of the rear wheel. A crank-mounted motor puts the weight in a more central position and delivers its assistance in a smoother, more natural way, and the Bosch Active Line unit is virtually noise free.

The Centros and the Modem go further, using a mid-mounted Bosch Performance Line motor that supplies more power to the cranks than the Active Line unit. That extra output is what makes steep climbs and heavy loads more manageable.

Best for Lightweight Commuting: Raleigh Trace

The Trace is the lightest bike here at 16.5 kg, which is light for an e-bike. The 250 Wh battery is tucked into the downtube and the motor sits in the rear hub, so the frame keeps the classic shape and sleek straight tubes of a conventional bike. At a glance you might not notice it is an e-bike at all, and the display and control panel on the top tube stay discreet.

Because it is light, the Trace is easy to pedal above the assisted speed on the flat, and the boost is most noticeable on hills and when accelerating away from traffic lights. The quoted 50 mile range is described as a potentially conservative estimate. The low weight also matters if you have to carry a bike up steps or into an apartment.

It arrives fully equipped for city use, with front and rear lights, mudguards and a rear pannier rack. The drivetrain is a Shimano 9-speed setup with a 40 tooth single chainring, and braking is handled by Tektro hydraulic brakes. The Trace is priced at £2,199.

Best for Comfort and Longer Rides: Raleigh Motus

The Motus is the comfort option. Its 400 Wh battery, or 500 Wh on the in-tube Tour and Grand Tour models, gives up to twice the quoted range of the Trace at around 100 miles. An RST suspension fork with 50 mm of travel takes the edge off rough surfaces, and the bike comes in different frame configurations, with a choice of a step-through frame or a standard crossbar, plus different gear systems with either derailleur or hub gears.

The top spec Motus Grand Tour is the one to note if motor feel matters to you. Its Bosch motor drives the cranks rather than the rear wheel, which some riders prefer because the weight sits in a more central position and the assistance arrives in a smoother, more natural way. The Bosch Active Line motor is also virtually noise free.

With the larger battery, the motor unit and the suspension fork, the Motus is a sturdier bike at 28.5 kg. That weight buys a lot of easy riding, with enough quoted range to cover very long days in the saddle without worrying about charging. Pricing starts at £2,199, rising to £2,799 for the Motus Grand Tour.

Best for Off-Road Adventures: Raleigh Centros

The Centros is for riders who want to go further afield or off the beaten track. Its 625 Wh battery beats both the Motus and the Trace and gives a quoted 130 mile range, and the mid-mounted Bosch Performance Line motor supplies more power to the cranks than the Active Line unit on the Motus, which helps on steep, rough climbs.

Off-road ability is designed in rather than added on. The Suntour suspension fork has 63 mm of travel, 13 mm more than the fork on the Motus, and the 650b wheels are slightly smaller than the 700c wheels used on the Motus and the Trace. That smaller diameter brings maneuverability, strength and more tire clearance, and the bike ships with chunky 55 mm Schwalbe Marathon tires.

Carrying capacity is covered by a pannier rack plus a built-in modular rail system that makes it easy to add extra water bottles and batteries for rides that finish nowhere near a water or electricity supply. There are two models, one with a Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub and one with a Shimano Alivio 9-speed derailleur system. Prices are £2,999 for the derailleur version and £3,099 for the hub gear version.

Best for Cargo and Utility: Raleigh Modem

The Modem is an all-new urban utility bike that takes the features of the Motus and the Centros and adds a cargo-friendly frame. It runs a 500 Wh battery with a quoted 100 mile range, like the Motus, and the same mid-mounted Bosch Performance Line motor as the Centros, so it has the power to move a payload as well as a rider.

The 20-inch wheels are the defining detail. They leave plenty of space to load up the bike and keep the centre of gravity as low as possible, and small wheels are also very strong. They are paired with wide 60 mm Schwalbe Pickup cargo tires. Stopping power comes from Shimano MT200 mountain bike hydraulic disc brakes with a big 180 mm rotor at the front and a 160 mm rotor at the rear.

Gearing is kept deliberately simple with a bomb proof Shimano Nexus 5-speed hub and a 38 tooth chainring, a combination that works well with the Bosch motor across a good range of speeds. The aluminium frame comes in just one size, with adjustability taken up by a dropper seat post and an adjustable stem. SKS mudguards, front and rear lights and a modular carrier that makes it simple to add haulage capacity complete the package, and it is offered in a single build option.

Buying Advice: Matching a Raleigh E-Bike to Your Riding

Start with how you ride. If your trips are short, urban and mostly flat, the Trace’s low weight and full set of commuter fittings make it the easiest bike to live with. If you want more range and a more comfortable ride, the Motus adds a bigger battery, a suspension fork and a choice of frame styles.

If your riding regularly leaves the tarmac, the Centros is the model with the range, motor power and tire clearance to match. And if the bike has to carry loads rather than just a rider, the Modem’s cargo frame, small strong wheels and powerful brakes are the practical choice. Where a frame option exists, it is worth trying more than one, since step-through, crossbar and single-size utility layouts all feel different in use.

Conclusion

Raleigh’s range covers four distinct jobs: light city commuting, comfortable longer rides, off-road adventure and heavy-duty utility. The Trace is the lightest and most city-focused of the four, the Motus is the comfort all-rounder, the Centros is the adventure bike with the longest quoted range, and the Modem is the load carrier. Match the bike to the riding you do most often and any of the four will make the trip easier.