Evelo Atlas Electric Bike Review 2024

The range test can be a tricky beast at times. E-bike companies calculate maximum range for their e-bikes based on riding in PAS 1. That’s reasonable, right? However, we have encountered any number of e-bikes that gave precious little assistance in PAS 1. Generally, people don’t buy an e-bike to pedal around at 11 mph. When we have encountered those e-bikes with an underpowered PAS 1, we do our range test at PAS 2 or 3, the point at which we feel the rider really gets the e-bike experience, which is usually around 14 or 15 mph.

The upshot here is that when an e-bike maker claims that their e-bike will cover 60 mi. in a single charge, but their PAS 1 will only help a rider do 11 mph, what they’ve done is effectively artificially boosted the bike’s range. No one wants to ride 60 mi. at 11 mph; we’d be out there all day.

The Evelo Atlas is an antidote to that sort of over-reporting. To recap, on our circuit test, the Evelo Atlas averaged a very capable 17 mph in PAS 1. And like they claim on their website, we covered 60 mi. (60.6, to be precise) on a single charge while riding in PAS 1. It’s not often that we test an e-bike whose capabilities are so accurately reported.

In PAS 5, the Evelo Atlas proved to be impressive as well, covering 32 mi. at an average speed of 19 mph. Anyone with a longer commute will find this e-bike to be a serious contender for their dollars.

One of the abilities that Evelo touts for the Atlas is touring and they back that up by offering buyers the opportunity to buy a second, 696Wh battery which they say will extend the Atlas’ range to 100 mi. It’s not often that an e-bike with such good range affords the opportunity to buy a second battery.

Evelo deserves some sort of award for sheer ambition. The Evelo Atlas is built around a 600W Bafang mid-drive motor that produces 120Nm of torque. In terms of torque, it is one of the most powerful mid-drive motors EBR’s reviewed. And while 600W is very powerful for a mid-drive motor, as we’ve noted in other reviews, raw wattage isn’t really the right measure on paper for whether or not an e-bike will climb well.

Torque, that is, the ability for a motor to turn is a much better measure of whether an e-bike will climb well or not and in this regard, the Evelo Atlas has few if any peers. The Bafang motor produces 120Nm of torque, which is substantially higher than most other mid-drive motors and even higher than most hub motors, where high torque numbers are truly critical to an e-bike’s climbing ability.

The Evelo Atlas climbed Hell Hole, our ⅓-mile, 12-percent hill in 1:21, for an average speed of 13.4 mph. This is a pretty mid-pack result—solid, but not impressive. So why didn’t it burn up the asphalt? That’s easy: effort.

Zoom is a component brand that lacks the cache of Shimano, SRAM or even Tektro, but we have been impressed with their hydraulic disc brakes. Our Evelo Atlas was spec’d with Zoom discs with a 180mm rotor in the front and a 160mm rotor in the rear.

Selecting different rotors for the front and rear is a strategy some manufacturers use in order to improve braking modulation in the rear while reducing the opportunity to lock up the rear wheel in a panic situation.

The Evelo Atlas averaged a stopping distance of 19 feet 3 inches over our three stops, which is a very good performance which impresses us all the more considering we revamped our testing protocol, which has resulted in longer stopping distances overall.

This result is especially noteworthy considering that Evelo says the Atlas can carry riders weighing as much as 350 lbs. Heavier riders will need more distance to come to a stop, so the shorter the stopping distance of a lighter rider, the better for bigger riders.

One of the most common wheel sizes for e-bikes is 27.5 in. It’s big enough to roll quickly without unduly elevating standover height, while also offering good maneuverability. Bigger wheels roll over bumps, pavement seams and driveway lips more easily, making for a smoother ride for the rider. The Evelo Atlas sports 27.5-in. wheels shod with 27.5 x 2.8-in.-wide tires. This is one of the wider tires we’ve seen spec’d on 27.5-in. wheels.

Bigger tires do a couple of things to rider comfort. First, a bigger tire can be run at lower tire pressure; that makes the ride smoother and increases traction, while simultaneously reducing the threat of punctures.

The Evelo Atlas looks after rider comfort in some other significant ways, like the air/oil suspension fork (they tend to offer smoother, more fluid operation than suspension forks with coil springs) and the Selle Royal gel-filled saddle, which will offer a cushier place to rest a kiester than some of the saddles we see.

Mid-drive e-bikes handle a bit differently than those with hub motors. It’s not a huge difference, but with the mass of the motor moved forward and closer to the bike’s center of gravity the effect is to make the e-bike feel a bit more intuitive in its handling. The difference isn’t the sort of thing most riders would be able to point to, but in most instances riders moving between two otherwise identical bikes would pick the e-bike with the mid-drive motor.

What Evelo has created with the Atlas is a commuter with an unusual degree of muscle. Were we putting together a collection of e-bikes for big and tall riders, the Atlas would definitely make the cut. The combination of a 350-lb. payload limit, a big battery, stout hydraulic brakes and a 600W mid-drive motor that produces 120Nm of torque make this e-bike an exceptional offering for anyone who has found other e-bikes lacking in muscle.

Here’s another way to frame just how good this e-bike is: We are wondering why they haven’t taken this exact same parts package and built it into a long-tail cargo e-bike. The Atlas’ parts pick would make for an exceptional cargo e-bike.

For anyone nonplussed by the Atlas’ performance on Hell Hole we would remind readers that the mid-drive motor multiplies a rider’s effort and if a rider doesn’t go very hard, the motor won’t go very hard. Were we to go back and take our frustrations out on the hill, there’s a fair chance the Evelo Atlas would record some of the best numbers we’ve seen.

Evelo’s website suggests the Atlas can be ridden on light trails and unpaved roads. We would emphasize the word “light.” There isn’t much clearance between the 2.8-in.-wide tires and the fenders, which would pose a problem in muddy conditions and the tires themselves are not especially knobby, so we would steer riders away from any surfaces that are soft or sandy.

The Bafang display is bright, easy to read and in featuring a battery icon and a numerical percentage to let the rider know exactly how much of the battery’s charge remains, it highlights a frustration we’ve experienced with most other displays. It’s just the sort of touch that makes us look at all the others and grumble, “That’s how it’s done.”

Anyone who has ever worried about the real-world range of an e-bike, especially those among us who might occasionally forget to charge our e-bike overnight, can rejoice at the insurance that the Evelo Atlas offers. And if for some reason the 720Wh Samsung battery falls short of someone’s need, there’s the option to order a second battery offering 696Wh. It’s like the World Series of win-wins.

We don’t often see e-bikes from direct-to-consumer companies that can go head-to-head with the offerings from brands like Specialized and Trek, but the Evelo Atlas does exactly that. And in saying it can compete with e-bikes from Trek and Specialized, that may be the best compliment we can pay the Evelo Atlas.

‘Happy Riding, make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Evelo Atlas.