Falcon Electric Bikes Compared: Horizon vs Liberty vs Heritage 2026

Falcon's electric hybrid range is the cheapest route we know to a proper, UK-legal, 40-mile-range e-bike from a brand that's been around since 1935. Right now the Liberty is £859.99 (RRP £999.99), the Heritage Low Step is £859.99 (RRP £999.99) and the Horizon is £1,107.99 (RRP £1,299.99). Three of the five come in a low-step frame, which is why we sell so many of them to riders in their sixties and seventies, to people coming back to cycling after a knee or hip, and to anyone who simply doesn't want to swing a leg over a crossbar.

Put one through Cycle to Work or Bike2Work and the Liberty comes out at roughly £500–£585 depending on your tax band. That's the same money as a decent non-electric hybrid.

We safety-check every Falcon e-bike in our Shrewsbury workshop before it leaves, so here's an honest run-through of what separates them.

Key specs

All five have a 15.5mph assisted cut-off, five assist levels and walk assist, a kickstand and a bell. None of them list lights, so budget £20–£30 for a set.

Horizon: the best-equipped, and why it costs more

The Horizon is Falcon's flagship hybrid and the extra £248 over the Liberty buys three concrete things: an aluminium frame rather than steel, an 80mm suspension fork with hydraulic lockout, and Shimano Altus shifting rather than Tourney. You also get puncture-protected Ralson tyres with reflective sidewalls and JAK7 disc brakes — the same brakes fitted to the Claud Butler Ridge e-MTB.

The motor is a Bafang rear hub rated at 32Nm, paired with a 375Wh integrated battery that removes for charging indoors. On paper 32Nm is the lowest torque figure in this group, but in practice the Horizon's lighter frame and better gearing mean it doesn't feel slower than the Liberty on the hills around Shrewsbury. The suspension fork is the real-world win: on potholed lanes and towpaths it takes the sting out of the front end in a way a rigid fork simply can't.

Two frames: the Cross Bar is a 19" for riders 5'4"–6'2", the Low Step a 17" for 5'0"–5'10". Same price, same spec.

Liberty: the most kit for the money

Falcon's own description is that the Liberty "gives you the most kit for the money," and looking at the sheet it's hard to argue. For £859.99 in either Cross Bar or Low Step you get an integrated, key-locked 368Wh battery, mechanical disc brakes, a KD58C LCD that shows speed, distance and battery, a full-length mudguard set, an alloy rack and a Motinova rear hub motor rated at 35Nm — a touch more torque than the Horizon.

What you give up is the frame material (steel, so 24.6kg against the Horizon's 23.8kg), the suspension fork, and a step down from Altus to Tourney shifting with an L-TWOO trigger. For flat commuting, towpath riding and trips to the shops, none of that matters much. If your route is rough or hilly, the Horizon earns its premium.

The Liberty is the one we'd point most first-time e-bike buyers at, and the one that makes most sense on Cycle to Work — it's the cheapest e-bike in the shop that has the full integrated-battery-and-disc-brakes package.

Heritage: the Dutch-style e-bike

The Heritage Low Step is the odd one out. It's a classic-looking town bike — Falcon say "a classic-looking town bike with the battery hidden in the rack and 40 miles of assistance underneath" — with a 6061 aluminium low-step frame, gloss black finish, a rack-mounted 360Wh battery and the strongest motor of the group: an Ananda M131 rear hub rated at 40Nm.

The trade-offs are honest ones. It has Promax V-brakes rather than discs, a Revoshift twist shifter rather than a trigger, a steel rack (which carries the battery) and it's the heaviest here at 27kg. The rack-mounted battery also means you can't fit a normal set of panniers without checking clearance — a basket up front is the better carrying option.

But for the rider who wants to sit bolt upright, step through, and look like they're on a heritage bike rather than a spaceship, nothing else at this price does it. If you're weighing this against the non-electric Dawes Cambridge and Classic, the Heritage is the answer when hills are the reason you stopped riding.

Low step or cross bar?

Three of these five are low-step, and it's worth saying plainly: a low-step frame isn't a "ladies' bike." It's simply easier to get on and off, especially with a loaded rack, a stiff hip or a dog lead in one hand. E-bikes are heavier than you're used to, and a 24kg bike is much easier to manage at a standstill when you can step through it. On the Horizon and Liberty the cross bar and low step versions are identical in spec and price; the only real reason to choose the cross bar is if you're over 5'10", since the low-step frames are sized for 5'0"–5'10".

Who is it for?

Good for:

• Older or less mobile riders who want to keep cycling — the low-step frames and walk assist are made for this
• First e-bike buyers on a Cycle to Work or Bike2Work budget
• Flat-to-rolling commutes up to 15 miles each way (well within the 40-mile claim)
• Shopping, station runs and leisure rides with full mudguards and a rack as standard

Not for:

• Riders over 6'2" or under 5'0"
• Anyone who wants hydraulic brakes or a mid-drive motor — these are hub-motor bikes at hub-motor prices
• Off-road use (see the Falcon Turbine or Claud Butler Ridge instead)

Alternatives

• Falcon Zone Electric Hybrid — £1,076.99 (RRP £1,199.99). Single-speed, 375Wh, disc brakes, 19.3kg. Falcon's answer for people who never want to adjust a gear again.
• Dawes Scenic Low Step — £1,082.99 (RRP £1,199.99). Our Dawes Scenic review rates it highly as a straightforward commuter; comes in Small 15" and Medium 17".
• Dawes Elegance Low Step — £1,069.99 (RRP £1,199.99). The Heritage's closest rival: rack-mounted 360Wh battery, Bafang 32Nm, V-brakes, 23kg.
• Falcon Breeze Low Step Folding Electric — £949.99. Same Ananda 40Nm system as the Heritage in a 20" folder for caravans and car boots. See our folding bike guide.

For the wider picture across brands, our Best Electric Bikes Under £1,100 guide puts Falcon against Dawes and Claud Butler.

Final verdict

• Buy the Liberty (£859.99) if you want the cheapest complete e-bike package — integrated battery, disc brakes, LCD, rack, mudguards. Best Cycle to Work buy in the shop.
• Buy the Horizon (£1,107.99) if your roads are rough or hilly and you'll appreciate the aluminium frame, suspension fork and Altus gears every single ride.
• Buy the Heritage (£859.99) if you want the upright Dutch-bike look and the strongest motor, and you're happy with V-brakes.

All three are UK-legal 15.5mph pedal-assist bikes with 5-hour charging and a claimed 40-mile range. Every one is safety-checked in our Shrewsbury workshop, delivered free anywhere in the UK, and covered by a 12-month warranty and 90-day no-quibble returns. And through Bike2Work or Cycle to Work you save 32–42% on any of them.

Check the Falcon Liberty Low Step price → Liberty Cross Bar → Horizon Low Step → Horizon Cross Bar → Heritage Low Step → Shop all Falcon bikes →

More from the blog

• Best Electric Bikes Under £1,100 (2026) | Dawes vs Falcon vs Claud Butler
• Dawes Scenic Review — A No-Nonsense Commuter E-Bike That Gets It Right
• How to Get a Summer Sale E-Bike for Around Half Price with Cycle to Work

Ready to find your next bike?

Not sure whether you need the Horizon's suspension fork or whether the Liberty will do? Tell us your route and your height and we'll give you a straight answer. Shop all Falcon bikes →