EVELO Aries Mid-Drive Electric Bike Review Part 2: Ride & Range Test [VIDEO]

After many miles of testing the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive full suspension eBike it has proven to be a high performance eBike with a comfortable and stable ride feel.

The 4″ of front and rear suspension along with the 3″ wide tires really smooth out the road and make the Aries Mid-Drive a comfortable and stable bike to ride. 

The upright and easy going ride position further add to the comfortable ride style.

While the Aries Mid-Drive is a comfortable eBike it does have its wild side with the 750 watt Bafang mid-drive motor that powers through the enviolo continuously variable transmission system!

The EVELO Aries Mid-Drive is priced at $3,499.

In this second part of the full review you will get an idea of the ride characteristics, range test results, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this electric bike.

Make sure you check out part 1 of this review with large pictures and specifications to get a detailed look at this e-bike.

What you can expect from the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive:

To get acquainted with the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive, checkout this video:

Riding the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive:

Overall there are some characteristics of the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive that really stand out when riding this eBike. To summarize they are:

• Performance ride from a 750 watt mid-drive with pedal assist & throttle
• Comfortable and stable ride from 4″ full suspension and 3″ wide tires
• Smooth and simple enviolo continuously variable transmission

The Look & Feel of the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive

One of the more noticeable aspects of the Aries Mid-Drive is the full suspension design that provides 4″ of travel front and rear.

The suspension system adds to the style of the bike and it really smooths out riding on rough terrain. 

Additionally the 3″ wide balloon style tires add to the bold looks and smooth riding of the Aries Mid-Drive. 

The front and rear suspension systems can be adjusted to fit your riding weight and preferred riding style. 

The bike can be set up for a very comfortable and casual ride feel with lower spring rates or with higher spring rates that make the bike more efficient while still absorbing the larger bumps when needed. 

A lockout dial on the right side of the Suntour suspension fork provides an additional option for an efficient ride on smooth roads by preventing the fork from moving up and down when you are standing out of the saddle and pedaling hard. 

The high air volume tires also offer similar adjustability for performance with a range of pressures from 40 to 65 psi. 

When these large air volume tires are set around the 40 psi range there is a bit of built in suspension effect to absorb some of the bumps and cracks in the road. EVELO has a pressure chart that goes lower than 40 psi based on the rider weight. 

With a 3″ width the Innova tires have a large tread patch that gives the Aries Mid-Drive a very stable ride feel. 

The tread pattern is mostly smooth for an efficient and quick ride feel. With the shallow tread pattern they can handle some light dirt road riding.

If you plan on riding on more dirt roads the tires could be changed to a more off-road style tire. 

With the upright and swept back handlebars the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive has a very comfortable ride position and it is very easy to see everything around you. 

It is definitely more upright than a traditional mountain bike position and the sweptback handlebars position the grips in a natural hand position. 

The ergonomic grips help to support your wrists and add to the stable ride feel of the Aries Mid-Drive.

They did rotate slightly during rides which could be fixed by possibly glueing the grips to the handlebar or by upgrading to grips that have lock on collars.

The EVELO saddle that has a mid width profile for comfortable ride feel while still being narrow enough for efficient pedaling. 

EVELO also offers their “Perfect Seat” Guarantee which is very unique! “If you find another seat that you prefer at a local shop, purchase it, and we will reimburse you up to $40! This is just one of the ways we strive to ensure that you are 100% comfortable and satisfied with your bike.”

A lot of eBikes with a comfortable and upright position usually have a casual assist system, but not so with the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive!

The 750 watt Bafang mid-drive can really get up and go and fly up hills in the higher assist levels!

This is a cadence sensor assist system so once you start pedaling the assist will kick in with full power based on the assist level you are in. 

You do need to be ready for a quick acceleration in assist levels 4 & 5 because it will get you up to 20 mph assist pretty quick!

On steeper hills the bike still maintains a quick clip in levels 4 & 5 by leveraging the enviolo continuously variable drivetrain. More on that in a bit. 

If there are times that you want a more relaxed ride then levels 1 & 2 offer a more mellow easy going assist style for casually cruising the neighborhood or riding in crowded areas. 

Level 3 is a good mid-range assist that has some kick but is not as sporty as 4 & 5 which helps to extend the range. 

In addition to pedal assist levels, there is a thumb throttle on the left side of the handlebar that can be used for a boost to the pedal assist levels or you can choose to use just the throttle without pedaling.

The throttle has a wide range of power so that you can adjust it to provide exactly the amount of assist that you want. 

Additionally there is also the walk mode that helps with moving the bike up stairs or up a steep hill while you are walking.

It provides assist up to a few mph and it is activated by holding the “-” arrow on the control pad for a few seconds.

There is some noise from the Bafang mid-drive and it is most noticeable in the higher assist levels at higher pedaling cadences. 

Another highlight of the drive system is the enviolo continuously variable rear hub that provides a 380% gear ratio range. 

A twist grip shifter on the right side of the handlebar changes the gear ratio between the low and high end. 

Since this a continuously variable transmission there are no set gear ratios like a traditional cog and derailleur system. 

Shifting the gear ratios is like adjusting the volume of a radio with a dial; you dial in the best gear ratio for the terrain you are riding on and your pedal cadence preference.

One of the nice features of the enviolo hub is that you can shift into a different gear ratio when pedaling or not pedaling. 

This is helpful for shifting into the best gear ratio for accelerating from a stop. You can’t do that with a traditional drivetrain. 

Another advantage compared to a traditional drivetrain is that enviolo claims that the hub doesn’t need any maintenance. 

It is a little difficult to shift the drivetrain to the higher range (for flatter terrain) when the motor is providing a lot of power. For example, if you are accelerating from a stop in pedal assist level 5, the motor is providing a lot of initial power to get up to speed and it takes a little more effort to shift up in the gear range under that power.

The overall weight distribution of the Aries Mid-Drive is balanced thanks to the centered and low location of the Bafang mid-drive and 48V 11.6ah lithium battery. 

That creates a balanced feel when picking the bike up and it also provides a stable ride feel when cornering with the bike. 

EVELO has done a nice job of blending in the looks of the battery & motor with the use of hydroformed aluminum tubing. 

The downtube has a flat platform for the battery and the top and bottom of the battery blend in with the overall lines of the tubing. 

The top tube has been shaped to provide a good amount of standover height and EVELO states that the Aries Mid-Drive is designed to fit riders in height from 5′-8″ to 6′-4″.

Speaking of the battery let’s take a closer look at the details of the 48V 11.6ah lithium battery that provides power to the bike as well as the front and rear LED lights. 

The battery weighs 7.3 pounds and when it is removed the bike weighs 61.8 pounds (69.1 pounds total bike weight). 

Once the battery is unlocked with one of the supplied keys (3 supplied), it is removed by rotating it to the left side of the bike. 

The battery can be charged on or off the bike and full charging from empty takes 4-6 hours.

In addition to powering the bike, the battery has a USB port for charging a smartphone or other small USB chargeable device. 

Now let’s take a look at the color display on the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive.

The center mounted color LCD display provides information on:

• Time
• Battery level
• Speed, average speed, max speed
• Odometer, trip distance
• Estimated range based on battery level & pedal assist level
• Pedal assist mode
• Watts
• Calories

The display has a backlight for easy visibility day and night.

The color display is a nice touch and it has a lot of info that is easy to see at a quick glance. 

Braking is handled by the Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors front and rear. 

The Auriga hydraulic brakes have a solid engagement feel and the stopping power is impressive with predictable progressive modulation.

Each brake lever has a sensor that will stop the motor assist when the brakes are engaged. 

The brake levers reach can be adjusted to fit your hand size with a small allen wrench on the back side of the brake lever.

Rounding out the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive are a nice selection of accessories for the daily commute and adventure rides.

The front and rear LED lights are powered by the eBike battery so that you don’t have to worry about charging separate batteries for the lights. 

A kickstand is mounted to the back of the frame and the length is adjustable so that you can set it to your preferred tilt. 

Okay, let’s see how the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive did out on the open road!

EVELO Aries Mid-Drive Range Test Results:

Here is the real world information on how the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive electric bike performed on a riding circuit that includes hills, flats, traffic, wind (when available) etc.

While testing these bikes I like to put them through the toughest conditions to see where their bottom line is in regards to range and speed. I tested the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive in the highest pedal assist level (Level 5) with average pedaling on paved roads.

Range: As you can see from the GPS info that I recorded, the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive traveled 24.9 miles and did a total elevation gain of around 2,100 ft. Considering that I weigh 190 lbs and I pedaled at an average pace this is pretty good range for a 48 Volt 11.6 ah battery pack (557 Watt Hours) with a 750 watt motor assisting up to 20 mph.

Watt hours are the total energy in a battery pack and it is based on the volts x amp hours of a pack. This is a way to compare the size of the “gas tank” of electric bikes.

Please keep in mind that if you pedal more, weigh less than me, ride slower and/or you use the bike in terrain that is not as hilly you will get more range. These results are from tough testing.

Speed: The EVELO Aries Mid-Drive will assist up to 20 mph with pedal assist and/or throttle which makes this a Class 2 electric bike. 

Weight: The EVELO Aries Mid-Drive tips the scales at 69.1 lbs which is on the heavier side for an electric bike. Removing the battery brings it down to 61.8 pounds which makes it a little easier to load onto a car rack.

The weight distribution of the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive is very good because the battery and motor are low and centered on the bike.

Pros:

Comfortable & Stable Ride: The 4″ of front and rear suspension in addition to the 3″ wide tires give the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive a very stable and comfortable ride feel. There is a lot of adjustability in the suspension and tire pressure to dial in your preferred ride feel.

Powerful Mid-Drive: The 750 watt Bafang mid-drive really gives the Aries Mid-Drive a performance ride style with quick acceleration and impressive hill climbing capabilities. The lower assist levels are also available for more casual rides around town or the neighborhood. 

enviolo CVT: The enviolo continuously variable transmission makes shifting straight forward and easy to use. It is nice to be able to shift the gear ratio when not pedaling and being maintenance free is a major advantage over traditional cog and derailleur drivetrains.

Cons:

Heavier: At 69.1 pounds this is on the heavier side of electric bikes. You definitely get a workout picking the bike up. Removing the battery helps a little by bringing the weight down to 61.8 pounds. 

Cadence Based Pedal Assist: In assist levels 4 and 5 the 750 watt mid-drive motor kicks in with a lot of power as soon as you start pedaling because it is a cadence sensor based system. This can be a bit abrupt and at full power when accelerating it is a little harder to twist the shifter to a higher gear range. 

Conclusion:

Overall the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive is a fun, sporty, and comfortable full suspension electric bike.

It’s a good fit for cruising around town and it can also handle some dirt road adventures. 

The 4″ front and rear suspension and 3″ wide tires provide a very smooth and stable ride feel that goes well with the upright and easy going ride position. 

The combination of the 750 watt Bafang mid-drive motor and the enviolo CVT gives the Aries Mid-Drive a high performance feel that is easy to use. 

The EVELO Aries Mid-Drive is priced at $3,499.

EVELO also focuses a lot on taking the worry out of buying an eBike online. They offer a 10 day at home trial period, free shipping in the continental US, 0% financing (if you qualify), 4 year/20,000 mile warranty, and support for service and repairs. Plus they have their “Perfect Seat Guarantee”.

Please keep in mind that this is a relatively short term test. This testing can’t really give you the long term review of durability and reliability. My thoughts on the quality of this bike are from previous experiences with similar bikes. If you own this bike and have some input on the long term durability, please share your comments with the Electric Bike Report community below.

Where to buy a EVELO Aries Mid-Drive? Check with the EVELO website.

Do you have any questions about the EVELO Aries Mid-Drive? Do you own a EVELO Aries Mid-Drive? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks!

-Pete

Review Note: Each company pays a fee for a review on Electric Bike Report because of the considerable amount of time that it takes to provide an in-depth review of each eBike. A lot of time is spent on the full range test with distance & elevation profile, the wide variety of detailed pictures, in-depth video, and the write up with the specifications, ride characteristics, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. The reviews on Electric Bike Report are focused on providing you with a detailed “virtual” look at each eBike to help you determine if it is the eBike for you.

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