EVELO Atlas Electric Bike

I have had my Atlas for two months and put 400+ miles on it so far. I bought it primarily for year-round urban bike commuting, with casual riding and medium-distance trips as secondary purposes. It has aced the commute over some rough pavement and through (what seems like perpetual) construction. I am loving the front suspension! I've also gone on regular 50-mile round trip jaunts this summer, which I could have done both ways *maybe* on my analog bike.

Since the pandemic began, I went from 70% bike commuting to 95%, filling out the remainder with public transit. My front fender did not fit right without rubbing at first, but Evelo sent me the spacers needed to correct it. As muscular as the front tire looks without that front fender, even a small puddle would get my ankles and feet wet. Never mind water on the street post-big rain. I was soaked from the thighs down within 3 minutes! The fenders are quite effective.

I find myself riding in pedal assist 1 most of the time. Though I have tried 2-5, I only have done this under certain conditions, e.g. at night when no other bikes are around me and I'm in a protected bike lane. Beyond wanting to get exercise from the peddling, the available torque and speed in the higher PAS levels is more than I need on a bicycle. I actually wish you could re-program PAS 1 to 50 or 60% of what it does. PAS 0 is mostly unusable due to the bike's weight, although I do use it when the bike trail goes right through the middle of a botanical garden with pedestrians around. I have been riding motorcycles for 20+ years, so I feel qualified to rev it up when no one is around at night, though.

While I knew I would want to at least change out the stock seat, I didn't know how much of an investment I would be making in all the gadgets, or farkles as we call them in the motorcycling world. I added a cheap replacement seat, a throttle, a mobile phone holder, a rear rack while the Evelo one was on backorder, a taillight extension cable for that rack, a bell, a bar-mounted mirror, a mount for my Beeline Moto, an expensive chain lock, a killer Arkel pannier (much better then Ortlieb!), and as of last night the Evelo rack and a Shotgun Pro bike seat for my kid. The handlebar now looks a bit ridiculous, but hey, I have what I need. I glanced other reviews and read that someone changed out the handlebar on their Atlas, so that's a potential future upgrade. The diameter of the bars varies across different spots, so for instance my bell loosens itself if it slides over. One thing I was happy I did not have to add was a water bottle cage. It even came with an Evelo water bottle :)

In terms of the ride, I really enjoy it. On the downside it is large and heavy, though not as bad as some cheaper and more expensive bikes I had previously considered. I store it downstairs where I live, and it's a chore to get it up and down. If I bring it upstairs to work on it I remove the battery - super easy - to save weight. Oh right, the battery! The battery life is okay, not quite what I had hoped. In PAS 1 with me (~220 lbs.) and my gadgets and gear (another ~30 lbs.), the battery is down to 20-30% by the time I go ONE WAY on that 50-mile trip. Therefore the fast 3A charger that comes with the bike goes into my saddlebag / pannier and gets used. I also bought a fanless 2A charger of the same brand online so I can charge in my office where I need quiet. With two chargers and the ability to take one I have no range anxiety. I could have purchased the rack and second battery when I got the Atlas, but figured the longer trips only occur during warmer months.

Besides the weight and battery, everything else is an upside. I saw a review criticizing the brakes, but have been pleasantly surprised how fast it stops. This comes in handy when pedestrians walk across bike lanes with their nose in their phone. Ask me how I know :( You may also find reviews talking about the drivetrain noise from earlier Atlas'. Rest assured this bike is super quiet. When riding trails, my bike is so quiet that I sneak up on all the bunnies. They don't notice me coming until they see me four or five feet away. Then they run like h*ll! I have to carefully listen to hear the whine of the Bafang motor over the wind noise generated by my helmet. The belt is so quiet and smooth, and the bike is built like a tank with no rattles present. These are all the qualities - well-made, quiet, low maintenance, mid-drive motor, front suspension, good company support - I had been looking for in an ebike. I had to stretch my budget ~50%, but I was willing to spend enough to get everything I wanted without going into Riese & Müller territory. To me that's the only way to avoid regret. And I have none with this bike. Highly recommended!

The Atlas has made riding so much fun again. I’ve been a cyclist all my life, and as I’m pushing 70, getting up the 10%+ grade hills in my area got a little difficult on my road bike. I ride mostly for exercise and recreation and use a heart monitor to ensure I’m hitting my target heart rate for maximum benefit. With the Atlas and choice of pedal assist level along with wide 380% range of the Enviolo CVT, I can achieve any level of exercise for virtually any speed independent of wind or grade. Of course, with the pedal assist levels and throttle, you can also ride and never elevate your heart rate or break a sweat.

The Atlas has amazing power. I rarely use any assist level above 1 except on extremely steep grades – I’ve never exceeded level 3 and I’ve never used the throttle. I’m in Colorado now and my rides are on both paved and unimproved roads. The front suspension and large wheels / tires make for a smooth ride. I haven’t hit 100 miles on the odometer yet and my rides have been about 16 miles long. I still have about 75% of the battery capacity at the end of the ride, so I can believe I’d get 60 miles on a full charge.

Yes, compared to the regular bikes you have pedaled, the Atlas is a little larger and heavier. However, it still feels nimble and responsive, and it takes little time to feel comfortable on the bike. I’m 5’ 9” and 160 lbs and the bike fits me well. As I generally pedal at a relatively high cadence, I added “foot fenders” on the pedals (see image) to keep the ball of my foot properly located on the pedal.

I have a technical / engineering background and researched all available e-bike options before selecting the Atlas. For me it’s got the perfect combination of features and components at a very fair price.

Five (5) stars for the bike, two (2) stars for the Zoom brakes that came on my bike, another five (5) stars for the Evelo team for their after purchase care and complete brake (front/rear) replacement (Tektro) to be done at a bike shop near me on 7/18/23.
If you are considering purchasing this bike I would ask Evelo what brakes will be on it. My understanding is the Atlas used to come with Tektro brakes but because of supply chain issues had gone to Zoom.
I've been plagued with brake issues for way too much time in the three (3) months I've owned the bike - mainly soft/to near zero (0) braking that require bleeding air out of them. Also, a rear brake pad spring dislodged and unbeknownst to me was stuck between the brake pad and the rotor causing the pad to prematurely wear and cause metal to metal contact on the rear rotor. Again, team Evelo came to the rescue and replaced the rear rotor and pads.
So, brake issues aside, I ride my mighty Atlas about 1/3 of the time off-road on moderate dirt trails. The bike is large and a way heavier than my pedal mtn bike - it took a while to adjust to the size and weight of the bike - I'm a 6'5", 220lb rider. I purchased the throttle for my bike so I have three option when riding it. Pedal only, pedal assist or throttle. There is a wide range of pedal assist and you can zoom along at 25+ mph fairly easily. And hills, boy will it will climb hills. I've yet to find a hill it can't cruise up.
I'm averaging a little over 100 miles per month (it would be higher if not for the soon to be resolved braking issue) and overall I'm loving the the great outdoor adventures this bike is providing me. I'll love it even more when the new Tektro brakes are installed and braking is no longer an issue :). You'll see in the picture that I have replaced the stock handlebars with aftermarket handlebars to accommodate my 6'5" height.

Loving the Atlas so far. It is as responsive as advertised, plenty of get up and go. The throttle, which has had a lag time on other bikes I have had, gives a more instant response which I like. The handling is very good, the tires are just right, not to skinny so I have more confidence in low traction situations like leaves on pavement, not to fat to give unnecessary resistance and weight. The ride being more over the front tire for traction in the dirt would have been great when I was in Moab is not what I want for the Greenway now that I am home, to much weight on hands and arms. A stem riser fixed that, now I am comfortable but I have the option to remove the riser when I go back to mountain biking and I will be set for that. All is good with the Atlas.

First of all, I am receiving no benefit from Evelo with respect to making this review. I am not a professional e-bike reviewer or affiliate of Evelo. This is solely my opinion based on my real-life experience. I have had the chance to put 100 miles on the Atlas and I am loving it.

- RIDE QUALITY: With the front suspension and the 2.8" tires the ride is super comfortable and secure. I have taken the Atlas on some dirt, gravel and rooty trails and it performs unbelievable well. The Schwable Super Moto X tires are pretty darn good on most surfaces, but they are not designed for more rugged off-road use. I will put some Schwalbe G-One All Around Gravel tires on my Atlas and report back to y'all on the handling of them versus the Super Motos.

- Bafang M600 MOTOR: The motor on this bike is very powerful and easily takes me up some pretty short and steep hills here in Houston. Yes, there are hills in Texas!!!! I have yet to access the full power of this motor. I will test that hopefully soon with some bigger and steeper hills. The motor does make some noise, but I think it is very quiet for the power it puts out.

- BATTERY LIFE: I have gotten nearly 50 miles on one battery charge with 62% of the battery life still available and I am no fly weight at 180lbs!!!! This bike does pedal pretty easily without any motor assist, which will allow you to conserve on battery use if you are looking to put in a long day in the saddle or do bike touring. Once I get the secondary batter system set up, I bet I will be able to get 125 plus miles in a day.

BRAKES: The brakes are doing a great job. I have no complaints with the brakes. These dual piston brakes stop you on a dime, in fact, you need to be careful or you could skid too often and wear down the rear tire prematurely. That's how good these brakes are!!! They are performing just as well as the high performance Shimano brakes on my other bikes.

- CUSTOMER SERVICE: Evelo's customer service continues to be very responsive, caring and professional. They are the best. Their bikes are not the cheapest out there, but the quality of build, warranty and service are worth the investment. I have read about the nightmares people go through with those "cheaper" e-bike companies with lack of quality, terrible response times and very poor level of customer service. Evelo is a dream experience compared to most other e-bike companies.