2018 Evo Big Bud Pro

[Stromer2work]

A new addition to my family, a 2018 Evo Big Bud Pro. First impressions...
Pros
- Great response to pedal input, less surging than the 27.5 evo I owned.
- Very fast acceleration to top speed on slightly sloping terrain.
- Good enough torque to make it up the steepest incline in my part of the world, at power setting 100%
- It seems like it will be a fun bike for the snow (going to be 6 months of that here in Michigan now), and the sand (beach riding)
- Center display is a nice upgrade over the side display 2017 Evo 27.5 I owned.


Cons
- ugly color scheme. black green and red.
- Threaded front axle !!! They had a QR on the 2017 model !!! Like I want to carry around an adjustable wrench for flats !
- Red paint on the grip lockers chips off just looking at it the wrong way.
- weight makes it hard to maneuverable in the twisties single track
- 2x8 speed drivetrain is a disappointment, will be looking to swap it out to a 1x10 or a 1x11 if the freehub permits. Either way, a larger ratio cassette is required and perhaps a rear derailleur upgrade to accommodate the larger big gear.
- heavy front end, makes bunny hops with front tire hard
- Incredibly cheap tires, will be looking to run something much lighter and perhaps a bit wider in the back. Will also try tubeless. Rear tire width is limited by chain interference (frame has lots room). Wider tire in the front will require deflation for tire removal as the tire hits the brake caliper upon install/removal.
- rims seem cheap, I may upgrade to something lighter if I end up liking this bike more and if I can find a closeout on a decent 80mm alloy rim.

 

[bob armani]

A new addition to my family, a 2018 Evo Big Bud Pro. First impressions...
Pros
- Great response to pedal input, less surging than the 27.5 evo I owned.
- Very fast acceleration to top speed on slightly sloping terrain.
- It seems like it will be a fun bike for the snow.

Cons
- ugly color scheme. black green and red.
- lacking torque for hill climbs, need to tweek drivetrain ratios
- 2x8 speed drivetrain is a disappointment, will be looking to swap it out to a 1x10 or a 1x11 if the freehub permits. Either way, a larger ratio cassette is required and perhaps a rear derailleur upgrade to accommodate the larger big gear.
- heavy front end, makes bunny hops with front tire hard
- Incredibly cheap tires, will be looking to run something much lighter and perhaps a bit wider in the back. Will also try tubeless. Rear tire width is limited by chain interference (frame has lots room). Wider tire in the front will require deflation for tire removal as the tire hits the brake caliper upon install/removal.
- rims seem cheap, I may upgrade to something lighter if I end up liking this bike more and if I can find a closeout on a decent 80mm alloy rim.

Thanks for posting. Perfect timing! I was just comparing this bike to the Haibike Fatsix series of bikes. One of the forum members mentioned that upon doing a comparison ride with a mid-drive fat bike, they found that the mid-drive had better climbing power. I found that odd being that you have AWD motors. Not sure how different the battery drain would be on this bike with 250/350W motors opposed to a single hub motor.

Like the center display opposed to the side mount. They did an upgrade I think in 2017. I also have the center mount on my Evo Jet as an upgrade. Much better for the rider and more information within the prompts. (ie: SOH battery, Battery Temp, TS Voltage, etc).
This bike is a lot less at retail than the Haibikes. Perhaps after upgrades you mentioned, you will see a big improvement?? Congrats on your new purchase!
BTW-Cool looking doggy to take with you on a rear trailer hookup.

 

[Stromer2work]

Thanks for posting. Perfect timing! I was just comparing this bike to the Haibike Fatsix series of bikes. One of the forum members mentioned that upon doing a comparison ride with a mid-drive fat bike, they found that the mid-drive had better climbing power. I found that odd being that you have AWD motors. Not sure how different the battery drain would be on this bike with 250/350W motors opposed to a single hub motor.



Like the center display opposed to the side mount. They did an upgrade I think in 2017. I also have the center mount on my Evo Jet as an upgrade. Much better for the rider and more information within the prompts. (ie: SOH battery, Battery Temp, TS Voltage, etc).

This bike is a lot less at retail than the Haibikes. Perhaps after upgrades you mentioned, you will see a big improvement?? Congrats on your new purchase!

BTW-Cool looking doggy to take with you on a rear trailer hookup.

Haibike Fatsix series of bikes are pretty much as far apart as could be. Haibike Fatsix is probably a better bike. Obviously, the mid-drive has better climbing ability compared to hub motors, that goes without saying. The hub drive has lack of torque, but the mid drive amplifies the torque thru the drivetrain. These hub motors are quiet, somewhat stealthy, and will do fine for the type of riding i'm going to use this bike for. Any climbs do require I get out of the saddle and pump the pedals because the torque just isn't there, but they do great on the flat and slow inclines.

I can't ride the e-mtb here in Michigan, so I thought this AWD one would be good for the winter in our local parks on the iced over lakes, iced over pavement and iced over two track. I may even ride it to work during a heavy snow event if my daily ride can't make it even with the studded nokian W106 tires i'm going to use.

If I could ride e-mtb legally here in the state parks, I would not have purchased this bike. This purchase was a compromise for what and where I will use it for and can ride with it.

I got a good price on the AWD Big Bug Pro. If my girlfriend can ride it ok and frequently this winter, I'll put some decent rims on it and swap out a few parts for the higher quality like I mentioned. No, it won't be a big improvement, but if I can shave a few lbs off for a reasonable price and the bike gets used a lot, hey - win win !

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

If my girlfriend can ride it ok and frequently this winter,

For this to happen, you may want to put a different stem.
While EVO Big Bud is a very nice, it's reach may be too much for shorter people.

Also, $30 Easy Motion neoprene sleeve can help quite a bit during the winter.

There are people who use this bike like an off-road AWD vehicle.
https://www.facebook.com/EasyMotionUsa/photos/a.1303335309722091/1598457666876519/?type=3&theater

 

[Stromer2work]

For this to happen, you may want to put a different stem.
While EVO Big Bud is a very nice, it's reach may be too much for shorter people.

Also, $30 Easy Motion neoprene sleeve can help quite a bit during the winter.

There are people who use this bike like an off-road AWD vehicle.
https://www.facebook.com/EasyMotionUsa/photos/a.1303335309722091/1598457666876519/?type=3&theater

Yep, ordered the sleeve, didn't ship with the bike . Thanks for the tip on the stem. Fits me fine, but I'll tweek the setup later for the GF.

 

[Dmitri]

A new addition to my family, a 2018 Evo Big Bud Pro. First impressions...
Pros
- Great response to pedal input, less surging than the 27.5 evo I owned.
- Very fast acceleration to top speed on slightly sloping terrain.
- Good enough torque to make it up the steepest incline in my part of the world, at power setting 100%
- It seems like it will be a fun bike for the snow (going to be 6 months of that here in Michigan now), and the sand (beach riding)
- Center display is a nice upgrade over the side display 2017 Evo 27.5 I owned.


Cons
- ugly color scheme. black green and red.
- Threaded front axle !!! They had a QR on the 2017 model !!! Like I want to carry around an adjustable wrench for flats !
- Red paint on the grip lockers chips off just looking at it the wrong way.
- weight makes it hard to maneuverable in the twisties single track
- 2x8 speed drivetrain is a disappointment, will be looking to swap it out to a 1x10 or a 1x11 if the freehub permits. Either way, a larger ratio cassette is required and perhaps a rear derailleur upgrade to accommodate the larger big gear.
- heavy front end, makes bunny hops with front tire hard
- Incredibly cheap tires, will be looking to run something much lighter and perhaps a bit wider in the back. Will also try tubeless. Rear tire width is limited by chain interference (frame has lots room). Wider tire in the front will require deflation for tire removal as the tire hits the brake caliper upon install/removal.
- rims seem cheap, I may upgrade to something lighter if I end up liking this bike more and if I can find a closeout on a decent 80mm alloy rim.

Regarding threaded front axle, I'm surprised that I don't see any sort of dropout reinforcement on the fork. There's a hub there, yet it looks as an ordinary QR fork. This is weird.
I wouldn't replace 2x8 with 1x11, I would instead replace it with 1x8 with a wide range cassette (SRAM EX1 or the cheaper Sunrace alternative). The reason for this is that with 8x you can use a thicker chain.
If you decide to upgrade your rims/fork, I would actually suggest 65mm rims instead of 80, since by the looks of things you can only fit 4". Jumbo Jims are the best all-round tires so I'd go for these unless you decide to upgrade the fork, in which case I'd go for Surly Bud if you widen it and Bontrager Hodag 3.8" if you decide to go for a top-tier Fox plus fork (which I can recommend having done this myself).

 

[Stromer2work]

Regarding threaded front axle, I'm surprised that I don't see any sort of dropout reinforcement on the fork. There's a hub there, yet it looks as an ordinary QR fork. This is weird.
I wouldn't replace 2x8 with 1x11, I would instead replace it with 1x8 with a wide range cassette (SRAM EX1 or the cheaper Sunrace alternative). The reason for this is that with 8x you can use a thicker chain.
If you decide to upgrade your rims/fork, I would actually suggest 65mm rims instead of 80, since by the looks of things you can only fit 4". Jumbo Jims are the best all-round tires so I'd go for these unless you decide to upgrade the fork, in which case I'd go for Surly Bud if you widen it and Bontrager Hodag 3.8" if you decide to go for a top-tier Fox plus fork (which I can recommend having done this myself).

The front axle is not circular, it's flattened on two sides, to match the fork dropouts. This prevents rotation. The design and construction strikes me as cheap quality, something I used to see on $100 huffy bikes.

I will switch to 1x11 with one of the 9-48T cassettes. I have no issues with my 11 speed chains on any of my ebikes or bikes. All my ebikes are hub drive, so no extra torque/power is going thru chain.

Going to stick with the 80mm, and hope that 4.8's jumbo jim blue stripes fit for max float on snow and ice.

 

[WalkinTarget]

I actually like the color .. different strokes. I was at one point before buying my Haibike thinking of buying a Frey1000 in the same black/green color scheme. I had a chance to test ride one in February but it was pouring raining and the dealer was an hours drive away. I wish they would put a 500w motor in it on both ends to give it some advantage at the very least. I may still take it for a test ride just to update the dealer on what I eventually bought and convert my Haibike to tubeless just to give him some business - I bet I spent at least 1.5 hrs picking his brain on what bike was right for me.

 

[bob armani]

The front axle is not circular, it's flattened on two sides, to match the fork dropouts. This prevents rotation. The design and construction strikes me as cheap quality, something I used to see on $100 huffy bikes.

I will switch to 1x11 with one of the 9-48T cassettes. I have no issues with my 11 speed chains on any of my ebikes or bikes. All my ebikes are hub drive, so no extra torque/power is going thru chain.

Going to stick with the 80mm, and hope that 4.8's jumbo jim blue stripes fit for max float on snow and ice.

As far as BH build quality-Sorry to see a comparison to $100 Huffy bikes in your post. The company has been making bikes since 1909, but now perhaps they have decreased quality in various areas for cost cutting measures. Most of the components and build quality on these bikes has rarely been substandard IMO.

 

[Stromer2work]

As far as BH build quality-Sorry to see a comparison to $100 Huffy bikes in your post. The company has been making bikes since 1909, but now perhaps they have decreased quality in various areas for cost cutting measures. Most of the components and build quality on these bikes has rarely been substandard IMO.

I agree that BH makes good bikes and do note this is my 4th BH. But this bike has by far, the lowest quality spec parts of any I've purchased at this price point. It is fun though, I just expect more for my money.

 

[bob armani]

I agree that BH makes good bikes and do note this is my 4th BH. But this bike has by far, the lowest quality spec parts of any I've purchased at this price point. It is fun though, I just expect more for my money.

Yes, I'm with you. I have 2 BH E-bikes and they have both been very reliable. I would consider buying another if a decent buy comes along that I cannot refuse.