I would rate this e-bike a 4.5 stars. I think it's easy to recommend. This is my second e-bike, and I'm very pleased with my purchase. There are many positives with the Galaxy SL:
▪️ It's very stable with a comfortable riding position. The bike is perfect for older people or folks with shorter stature. (I'm 5'6” and 61 years old). The step-through frame and size of the bike is great. (My last e-bike had a more traditional diamond frame with a top-tube, but being short and a bit older, I decided it was time to go with a more comfortable and accommodating beach cruiser style with a step-through frame.)
▪️ The mid-drive motor works great for times when you want power assist, but I find I can ride it easily without assistance (until I hit a hill or get lazy.)
▪️ I love the CVT (continuously variable transmission) but it does take some getting used to. At first, I found up-shifting quite difficult, with the twist shifter being very stiff. It turns out the secret to up-shifting is to stop pedaling. Without pressure, it is easy to up-shift (and it's always easy to downshift.) If you aren't familiar with CVT, one of the benefits is that you can shift at a standstill. That makes it great if you neglect to downshift before coming to a stop sign or light. And not having discrete gears makes you feel like you have a little more control over the gear ratio.
▪️ The bike has many included features that are sometimes considered extras on other bikes, such as the nice color display, front and back lights, kickstand, water bottle cage, and rear rack.
▪️ This bike offers a lot for the price. To get the mid-drive motor, CVT, and extras at this price point is a little unusual, but nothing about the bike feels like it cut corners to save money. I feel like I got a great bike for the money!
There are a couple of small things that disappoint just a bit (hence the 4.5-star rating). The seat is very hard. (It's odd that a bike this comfortable has a seat that's not.) Furthermore, the complete lack of any suspension is a bit disappointing. The ride is still quite comfortable thanks to the wide fat tires, but I find I need to be cognizant of potholes or else the ride can be a little jarring. (I may break down and buy the Thudbuster seatpost and more comfortable seat, but I wish those features came with the bike rather than as added accessories.)
At first, I wasn't sure that I was going to like having the battery on the back of the bike (in the rear rack) rather than in the down tube (which makes it a little less evident you're cheating with an electric bike.) But, it's effortless to remove the battery (after unlocking it) from the rear rack, which is handy if, like me, you want or need to charge the battery off the bike versus doing so while it's installed. (By comparison, I found it a little difficult and awkward to remove the down-tube battery in my former e-bike.)
This is not a full Class 3 bike, but it's simple in the settings to remove the Class 2 limiter and get a bit higher top speed. (My old bike did 28 mph pretty easily, and this one tops out more at 25 mph. I don't find I miss the few extra miles per hour.)
A couple of things to know should you buy this bike: There are two switches to turn it on--on the bottom rear of the battery and the power switch on the handlebar controller. Also, note that the thumb throttle won't work unless you have it in power assist mode. (On my last bike, the thumb throttle was always available regardless of power assist setting.)
One last positive to mention: I was very impressed with the care and responsiveness of the team at Evelo as I was deciding. I reached out to a couple of companies to ask questions as I compared models, and the folks at Evelo were quick, helpful, knowledgeable, patient, and caring. It gave me the confidence to buy from this company, and so far, I'm very pleased.
If you have any concerns about assembling the bike, the folks at Evelo offer a “white glove service” (for a small upcharge) where they'll ship the bike to a local bike store for assembly. It seems the bike is easy to assemble, but I preferred to get this done at a nearby bike shop, and it worked just as advertised.
I'm glad I bought the Galaxy SL. My first few rides have been great. I wish the riding season wasn't about to end!
