Atlas first impressions

[AHicks]

I have some really high end cables for the shifter to install/try out, but that being the sort of project it is (near total tear down required), I'm going to wait for the cooler weather to arrive before getting in to that project. Meanwhile, I've screwed with it some more, lubricating the cables at the rear, and carefully pulling the gray plastic cover (held in place with one tiny screw) on the front controller/twist grip, and carefully lubricating the cables there, where they drag across some platic guides that turn the cables 90 degrees. I didn't use anything real special. 3n1 or light motor oil would likely work the same. Then went and test rode. Better!

And one thing now for sure. It's MUCH easier to shift when you aren't pedaling. As in crank stopped, not pedaling at all! Letting up on the pedal pressure as if you were shifting a derailleur equipped bike doesn't allow it to shift as easily as shifting with pedals/crank stopped. That's something new I'll need to get used to.... -Al

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Yes, you definitely have to let up on the peddle pressure, especially if upshifting and if you're at LO gear and want to go all the way to HI, it doesn't want to go with a single twist. You have to turn the crank just a little to get it all the way up! What really puzzles me is that when I had my Aurora (w/ Harmony), the twist grip shifter operated the Enviolo hub via a servo motor and it would immediately shift the hub under any conditions. I really liked the Harmony setup since you could switch between manual and full auto with a quick button press. I usually would run it in AUTO and then the twist grip would just select your desired cadence. The electronics would control the hub ratio to maintain that cadence. If you selected a low cadence (hi gear) and you slowed down or came to a stop, the hub would immediately 'gear down' for faster acceleration in order to get you back to your set cadence, VERY SLICK!

 

[AHicks]

Hope everyone is out enjoying their new bikes?

I've been noticing a kinda harsh ride coming from the front end. I ride on pavement in varying condition, hard packed trails, and some pretty rough grassy areas that can rattle your teeth out. Today decided to see if I could do something about the harshness. I have another bike that has a similar setup, with these exact same tires and an air front suspension very similar to this one. Have already been through the tuning process with that bike, so I had a pretty good idea of where to start here. So I decided to spend a minute to see how this bike compared. About what I figured. The air suspension was set to 110 psi. With my riding preference in mind, I backed it off to 75 psi to see what would happen. I like making BIG changes, so good bad, or indifferent, I can see what the difference is. Turns out, we'll be leaving it at 75 psi for a while.

On the tires, did you notice they can be run with as little as 20 psi? If not, I would encourage you try them right at 20psi. I doubt seriously you'll notice any difference in rolling resistance or miles between charges, even if you're a big guy (I'm 315). These big balloon tires are designed/made to run at significantly lower pressures, and if you give them a try, I think you're going to find, as I have, the ride is AWESOME!!! Evelo chose these tires for a really good reason. The design offers just about the best ride you can buy....


My whole point here, is to keep in mind these adjustments are available to you. The resulting ride and handling are worth every minute it takes to come up with YOUR favorite settings. Unless you're riding off road, do not assume you need to run the tires or the front forks at max psi. -Al

 

[KnobbyGuy]

UPDATE ON ATLAS RANGE:
Currently on my 3rd battery charge and I'm at 45 miles with 31% battery left. Mostly flat terrain here in Northeast Ohio and I'm running PAS 1 most of the time, with an occasional PAS 9 on steep hills! One item of note is the 3 amp charger, unlike any of the other ebikes I've owned. This one has a built-in fan and you can certainly hear it when charging the battery (then goes quiet when fully charged). And it seems to charge the battery in half the time of the Aurora. But probably best to keep off the garage floor to prevent clogging up the fan!

 

[username00101]

I added a handlebar extension to the atlas to make it taller. Wow. That makes a huge difference in riding comfort. Highly recommended for anyone with issues with positioning on the atlas.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

I added a handlebar extension to the atlas to make it taller. Wow. That makes a huge difference in riding comfort. Highly recommended for anyone with issues with positioning on the atlas.

How much taller? Any issues with the cables and wiring? How about a photo!

 

[AHicks]

How much taller? Any issues with the cables and wiring? How about a photo!

Something to ponder if you haven't already considered it. How high the handlebars need to be mounted to get an upright riding position is going to depend directly on how high your seat is mounted. I'm 6'1" and used this one with the stock handlebars to be pretty comfortable. I would caution though, that when it's standing straight up (not all will do that), the LH/front brake handle had to be set at about 45 degrees down angle (about where I normally ride anyway) to keep from overextending the brake line. Point being, at 110mm, you wouldn't want anything taller....

https://www.amazon.com/LITEONE-Adjustable-Mountain-Handlebar-Bicycle/dp/B08X3LHMD1?pd_rd_w=WS1WB&content-id=amzn1.sym.af1b24cb-24c8-4c14-a68c-cd47995f55d6&pf_rd_p=af1b24cb-24c8-4c14-a68c-cd47995f55d6&pf_rd_r=KKPGKAVVVPC0NCWXDHM2&pd_rd_wg=AtaZw&pd_rd_r=3f099a79-17ab-44e5-89b1-ca1d96ab4b5d&ref_=pd_bap_d_csi_prsubs_0_t&th=1

 

[AHicks]

I'm not sure about this throttle feature on the atlas. I notice that it vibrates my saddle sometimes when in throttle only. Very hard to control the scale on the throttle too - is there a more graded throttle for a bafang motor that is easier to control the intensity on?

I couldn't expect any more of the throttle I got from Evelo. It's perfect. Is that what you are using, or did you go the aftermarket route?

I haven't noticed it on this bike as I don't use the throttle much, but on others, I've noted if you apply the throttle while pedaling, it acts like an on/off switch, without much modulation available. Same throttle, same bike, if the throttle is applied by itself, while you are NOT pedaling, it behaves normally, as you would expect it to.

 

[Alaskan]

I'm using their throttle, but it's the vibration I can feel all the way up into the saddle that concerns me. It feels like I'm riding over a rough surface, and then goes away. I actually thought it was just something I was riding over - but just realized its actually the motor when activated by the throttle without me peddling. Lasts for maybe 2 or 3 seconds, but I am concerned about that.

Don't mess around here. Call Evelo and they will make things right, whatever it takes.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

I'm using their throttle, but it's the vibration I can feel all the way up into the saddle that concerns me. It feels like I'm riding over a rough surface, and then goes away. I actually thought it was just something I was riding over - but just realized its actually the motor when activated by the throttle without me peddling. Lasts for maybe 2 or 3 seconds, but I am concerned about that.

Definitely sounds abnormal. Just checked mine and without peddling, acts just like a moped. Of course, if you're in low gear, acceleration is quick and in high gear, it's pretty sluggish from a dead stop. Interestingly, PAS levels seem to have no effect with throttle only.

 

[username00101]

It doesn't happen all the time. It's obvious that the motor performs much better with PA.

Try using more throttle on your next rides and let me know if you get any vibrations when first switching from PA to throttle and accelerating.

 

[AHicks]

I'm using their throttle, but it's the vibration I can feel all the way up into the saddle that concerns me. It feels like I'm riding over a rough surface, and then goes away. I actually thought it was just something I was riding over - but just realized its actually the motor when activated by the throttle without me peddling. Lasts for maybe 2 or 3 seconds, but I am concerned about that.

Does the drive belt seem snug? Is there a cable or something that's getting into it? If yes and no, I agree with @Alaskan, get in touch with Evelo and get them involved.

 

[opimax]

I have a Vado 5 with belt andEnviolo It vibrates when pedaling slower than needed for motor activation so basically free wheeling. It appears the belt is very tight. Don’t know how tight it is supposed to be , not going to do anything til next visit to shop and just ask questions unless someone has more info to share.

If someone is in the Atlanta area would appreciate a chance to compare bikes in person.

 

[AHicks]

No vibration of any sort here. I've been totally over seeing how fast I can go on a bike several bikes ago, so my usage to date on this Atlas has been maybe 15mph tops.

I would note that early on, when I was messing with the cables, one of them had not been secured properly (100% my fault) and was dragging on the belt. THAT caused a very noticeable vibration, but it was easily taken care of.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Evelo has belt tensioning instructions here:

Tensioning a Gates Carbon Belt

Much like a normal chain, there isn't one correct answer. So long as the belt stays in place and does not slip, there is a wide range of acceptable tension. With too little tension, the belt will skip; too much tension creates noise and is harder...

support.evelo.com

Basically, you want the belt as loose as you can get without it slipping a cog. Put the bike at max peddle assist and hit the throttle or peddle hard from a dead stop and if it slips, you need more tension. You know if it slips because you'll get a very unnerving 'pop' when it jumps a cog.

 

[username00101]

I just use the default tension that the bike came with. That shouldn't need to be adjusted.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Just returned from 3 weeks in Hilton Head and put 260 miles on the Atlas. In most cases, I charged the battery after 50 miles with about 25% remaining. Very happy with the performance. Used PAS 1 about 99% of the time. Really would like a little less power assist at level 1 since it's easy to cruise at 15 mph on flat terrain (even after re-programming the PAS levels to 9, to give me the smallest incremental steps).
Ride and handling are exceptional and the hydraulic brakes work great.

 

[Recycle]

Does the Atlas have thru axles? Thanks.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Evelo.com shows a few close-ups of the front and rear axles of the Atlas. The front axle is a quick release type, but not a "skewer" like a 10 speed. It is a tubular mountain bike style axle with a quick release on one end and a knurled nut on the other end. The rear axle appears to be an integral part of the Enviolo hub. It is capped at both ends with 'acorn' nuts with "drop out" bracket/plates used for tensioning the Gates belt.

 

[Recycle]

Any unboxing comments? How much assembly is required (tools required)? Thanks.

I could not find any mention of frame size, only a height range, any idea?