Atlas first impressions

[Alaskan]

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?

The bike arrives mostly put together with a tool kit that has everything you need for final assembly.

Evelo bikes are one size fits most (but not all).

SIZING

Recommended Rider Heights 5'6" - 6'3" Seat Height (Minimum / Maximum) 32.5" / 40.5" Seat to Pedal (Lowest / Highest) 25" / 35" Standover Height 28"

 

[Recycle]

Is there a "walk mode" on the Atlas? Can you modify the PAS modes to more than 5 (ie finer control)? Thanks.

 

[Recycle]

I can find only one review of the Atlas, is this a new model, just released, with few customers? In this review under comments is a rather negative review concerning the rear tire removal, anyone have experience with this?

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Is there a "walk mode" on the Atlas? Can you modify the PAS modes to more than 5 (ie finer control)? Thanks.

YES and YES.
There is a lack of documentation on the controller/display which does surprise me since Evelo is an outstanding company. The Atlas is a new model and I believe it replaces the Delta-X which had a similar control system.
You can choose 3, 5, or 9 levels of peddle assist by going into the settings screen. Walking mode is achieved by clicking the (minus) PAS level button down to zero, then clicking down one more time. You'll see a little "bike walking" icon on the display and at this point you simply hold down the minus button to engage the motor at 3 mph.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

I can find only one review of the Atlas, is this a new model, just released, with few customers? In this review under comments is a rather negative review concerning the rear tire removal, anyone have experience with this?

There are 6 reviews on the Evelo website from actual owners if that helps. Removing the rear wheel off of any hub-motor ebike is probably a bit complex because of wiring. A mid-drive ebike is certainly easier BUT since Evelo is using the Enviolo CVT rear hub, this complicates removal. I think the Atlas could be a little easier than the servo driven hubs on the Aurora/Omega. The Atlas uses a "push/pull" manual cable system to actuate the variable ratios and the cables can be disconnected easily. Evelo has many service documents and videos on these procedures and if they don't, they have sent me instructions within hours (sometimes minutes!) when I've contacted them.

 

[Recycle]

Looked for manuals/guides for the Atlas on their website. The only item found is a "quick start" guide for the Atlas. On that page, the link for the guide is NOT live, so no info. I found a guide and YT video for the Delta, which may be similar, but since I am new to Evelo products, I have no clue! I am a bit unimpressed with the lack of information for the Atlas model. Having a flat on this $4699 ebike should be a user serviceable item. Maybe struggling a bit the first time is simply a necessary part of owning an ebike with sophisticated technology (Enviolo hub, eg.). Start to appreciate how frustrated the customer who gave the negative review was with the flat tire.

Removing and Replacing a rear Wheel on a Delta

Video produced by Enviolo on how to remove a wheel with a cable interface. The bike in the video is not the Delta, but the process is the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucfLPtAneqQ 1) Rotate the Enviolo shifter so the Cable End Har...

support.evelo.com

 

[Alaskan]

The hub is made by Enviolo, There is nothing particular to and Enviolo installed on a Evelo bike.

Enviolo has dozens of very good how-to videos on their products. If they are not quite up to snuff on their videos on a bike just released two months ago, one can still do a basic search on Youtube for "Enviolo removing rear wheel" and get the information you need.

Some videos show the Automatiq which is wireless so it has a two wire plug to be removed instead of two actuator cables. The rest may have subtle hardware differences such as idlers but the basic process is close enough to be instructive.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=enviolo+removing+rear+wheel

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Looked for manuals/guides for the Atlas on their website. The only item found is a "quick start" guide for the Atlas. On that page, the link for the guide is NOT live, so no info. I found a guide and YT video for the Delta, which may be similar, but since I am new to Evelo products, I have no clue! I am a bit unimpressed with the lack of information for the Atlas model. Having a flat on this $4699 ebike should be a user serviceable item. Maybe struggling a bit the first time is simply a necessary part of owning an ebike with sophisticated technology (Enviolo hub, eg.). Start to appreciate how frustrated the customer who gave the negative review was with the flat tire.

Removing and Replacing a rear Wheel on a Delta

Video produced by Enviolo on how to remove a wheel with a cable interface. The bike in the video is not the Delta, but the process is the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucfLPtAneqQ 1) Rotate the Enviolo shifter so the Cable End Har...

support.evelo.com

You got me there!! I've also encountered some of their website deficiencies when it comes to finding a specific manual. I have usually searched on a topic in their service section but this doesn't always produce results. And as you say, the quick start guide is a dead end! Take a look at this link, but it most likely won't answer all your questions: https://support.evelo.com/support/search?term=atlas
The Delta video is the same as the new Atlas. As an owner, I've had my share of mechanical issues with the Aurora models, but their service techs are incredibly responsive and helpful. We now own the Omega and Atlas models and they are performing very well. The prices for mid drive ebikes are pretty outrageous, but I want belt drive, internal geared hubs, and a throttle!

 

[Recycle]

In the YT review video (17:39), the product manager ( John O'Donnell, Atlas Product Mgr./Designer) said the Atlas is more "locked down" as far as configuration via the display. And in the Evelo Atlas EVO-2 Display doc, I find the following:

The following settings are not accessible/changeable:
language - set to EN
temp - set to hide
start password - not accessible
wheel size - set to 27.5
battery - set to 48v
advanced settings - locked

What is the downside of these items (especially Advanced Settings!) NOT being configurable? Thanks.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

The "EVO-2 Display" is a slick little pamphlet that comes with the Atlas. Unfortunately, it's incomplete in my opinion. "Advanced Settings" are not entirely locked as shown in my pic (use 1919 to access). The last 3 items on that list can be changed. Here's a few items that I've found are missing from the EVO-2 documentation:

• Single press the mode button to cycle thru indicators
• Press + and - together to reset trip indicators
• Nothing that describes “ECO/SPORT” mode or “BOOST” mode (in Advanced Settings)
• Walking mode is achieved by clicking ‘minus’ button down below zero PAS, then holding it down to engage motor at 3 MPH

I'm puzzled why the 28 MPH top speed is locked. On the Aurora, you can set it to a lower value. Locking the wheel size and battery voltage seems reasonable but why not allow top speed to be reduced?

 

[Alaskan]

I'm puzzled why the 28 MPH top speed is locked. On the Aurora, you can set it to a lower value. Locking the wheel size and battery voltage seems reasonable but why not allow top speed to be reduced?

The Aurora has a Dapu motor while the Atlas has a Bafang. This alone might explain that.

 

[Recycle]

Any experience with the optional throttle? Do you find it necessary or not? I reviewed the online doc:

Installing a throttle on the EVELO Atlas

Step 1 - Remove the locking grip completely; there are two screws on the front and back of the outer edge of the grip. Loosen the control pad, and brake lever. You will find a hex bolt on the bottom of each and will need allen keys to loosen thes...

support.evelo.com

One reviewer commented that it could be installed in 5 minutes. The doc gives me the impression it is more involved. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Any experience with the optional throttle? Do you find it necessary or not? I reviewed the online doc:

Installing a throttle on the EVELO Atlas

Step 1 - Remove the locking grip completely; there are two screws on the front and back of the outer edge of the grip. Loosen the control pad, and brake lever. You will find a hex bolt on the bottom of each and will need allen keys to loosen thes...

support.evelo.com

One reviewer commented that it could be installed in 5 minutes. The doc gives me the impression it is more involved. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

5 minutes may be possible IF you find the connector behind the frame grommet. As I mentioned in my first post on page 1 of this thread, the connector was buried somewhere inside the frame. I pulled on one wire that seemed to have the most slack and that was a BIG mistake. It pulled apart a connection that was down inside the frame! I really thought I was screwed because you can pop out the battery but you still cannot see up into the frame tube. I got onto the phone with Evelo and spoke with Thomas, but my cell service dropped the call. He immediately emailed me and within 30 minutes sent another email with detailed pictures and instructions on how to remove the battery locking mechanism to access the wiring inside the frame tube!
BTW - There's no way I'd pay thousands of dollars for an ebike and not have a throttle. When you're stopped and need a quick get-away at an intersection or trail crossing, you hit the throttle. If your speed drops (hill, wind, etc) just blip the throttle instead of increasing your PAS level. It'd be like buying a luxury car without cruise control and power windows!

 

[AHicks]

I have an Atlas, and changing out or repairing a rear tube is not that difficult - but I've been doing all of my own work for years. First time just might take you half an hour. First step would be to break the bead of the tire and pull it off the rim - on the side opposite the shift cables. Then you loosen the axle on both sides and lift the wheel assembly up out of the drop outs. At this point the tube and/or tire can be removed from the side opposite of the cables. There is NO NEED to disconnect those cables! Reassemble in reverse. This would be no different than the same operation on a rear hub bike.

The motor is a Bafang M-600 and it IS a CANbus, so there's not too much messing around with the controller parameters available. The 3/5/9 PAS level choice is a possibility. It came set to 5 PAS levels and I tried moving it to 9 but didn't like it because there was so little difference in the 1st 3 PAS levels, so back to 5 I went. If you want to know all about the display, look for info on the Bafang 860C. Very easy to find, and there's a bazillion of them in use, so support should be pretty good.

Early M600's were pretty noisey, but they are so compact and powerful, they made a lot of friends anyway - even with the off road crowd. This is the same motor, but they've done something (nobody's talking about it yet) to quiet it to the point the earlier noise has been eliminated. You can hear the crickets now....

Throttle installation, once you know where it plugs in, is a brain dead operation. If you screw up and need access to the area in back of the grommet, you drop the battery and remove the bulkhead holding the front of the battery. Maybe half a dozen screws...

The "tune" on the M600 is very civilized, meaning there's not a lot of room for improvement. They have the torque sensing and PAS levels set to please most riders riding the bike as it was intended. This is NOT a high speed commuter, nor is it a rock climbing off road bike. If you're looking for something like that, you might better be served by looking elsewhere. If you are looking for a state of the art "cruiser" this would be a good place to look very closely. I really like the one I got.

Evelo support is right over the top. They've been super responsive right from my initial purchase questions. Every email I've sent them has received a response withing hours - not days - and they've always been forthcoming with any info I've asked for. There none of this crap where they ask you to take a picture or a video of an issue so they can go show it to somebody that knows what going on. The guys that know what's going on are the guys on the front line.... -Al

 

[username00101]

I've taken the atlas offroad, it works as advertised. I have a suspension seatpost, and I hit the throttle on the lowest gear setting when offroad and its a lot of fun.

I mostly use the throttle on trails with rocks. I don't dare take the bike on anything too crazy, but the Atlas is very capable offroad as a bike. It's not going to climb boulders, but the suspension seatpost and the front suspension are very good in my opinion.

The instructions are actually lacking pretty badly with the Atlas. Thats a big flaw with this bike. For what we paid, it should come with a 50 page booklet that explains in lengthy detail all these things about mid drives and e bikes and battery health, shifting, when to use throttle, when to peddle, etc etc.

The shifting mechanism is ok to me. Once you figure out how to shift it so that you don't get "stuck" its fine, I like it, but it requires familiarity and knowledge of how to use mid drive motors.

 

[AHicks]

I was fine with the lack of instructions. Like a lot of things nowadays, this bike is a collection of components that are really well documented. The display is the perfect example. Just Google Bafang 860C. Same story with the CVT and the motor. There's mountains of info available!

Now, as far as how to ride it effectively, I haven't seen anything like that available for/with any bike on the market, so I wouldn't count that as a problem specific to the Atlas. That kind of thing would need to cover a lot of country - and then some!

Let's also not loose sight of the fact there are forums (like this one for instance) where discussing anything to do with this bike pretty easy.

And worst case, there's Evelo support, ready and willing to give you a hand with anything to do with this bike....

So granted, not much documentation included in the box, but anyone looking for information about the bike shouldn't have much trouble finding it...

I also agree on the bike's ability for light off road. Plenty of power on tap (M-600 has made a lot of friends), with some pretty awesome tires. However, if off road were my priority, I'd want to do some things differently. Weight for example would be more of an issue, the CVT isn't really at home/intended for off road, and a rear suspension would be pretty easy to justify. All my opinion, of course! If you're happy with it when off road, I'm happy for you! There is little doubt it's a pretty awesome bike.....

 

[Recycle]

I've been riding a mountain bike (non-ebike) for 5 years (20 miles/week). My riding profile is 70% pavement, 30% dirt. Lots of hills. I assume the pavement portion would be easily handled (including the hills). The dirt portion has me concerned, having no experience with ebikes. These dirt roads are in forest areas, hard packed. This is an example of a 19.4 mile round trip. Highly subjective, I know, but would the Atlas handle this on a full charge? I am assuming PAS 2-4. Thanks for your help.

 

[AHicks]

As long as it's hard pack, I would say no problem. You'll probably really enjoy it!

I have a few charges though mine now, and can say that on fairly level hard surfaces, 30 miles is pretty easy. If careful and riding conservatively, I've done 40 miles. My riding is mostly PAS 1, 10-12mph, using the CVT to maintain cadence. Not hard to see where your ride might need a little more help.

 

[KnobbyGuy]

Hey, I believe if the second half of your ride is essentially downhill, you won't have to worry! But you certainly don't want to run out of juice with significant uphills left. The Atlas is a joy to ride, but I've pedaled it at zero pedal assist and it's not very fun. I have 480 miles on mine and I've been charging it about every 50 miles with 20% battery remaining. Mostly flat paved trails and PAS 1 has been more than adequate. I'm really impressed with the range compared to my previous Aurora which was about every 30 miles with one bar left on the battery.

 

[Recycle]

As long as it's hard pack, I would say no problem. You'll probably really enjoy it!

I have a few charges though mine now, and can say that on fairly level hard surfaces, 30 miles is pretty easy. If careful and riding conservatively, I've done 40 miles. My riding is mostly PAS 1, 10-12mph, using the CVT to maintain cadence. Not hard to see where your ride might need a little more help.

Still a little confused with the functions of PAS and CVT. Do they work separately? If the CVT is set to "hill", does the pedal effort get easier? If CVT is set to hill would you also want to increase PAS? Thanks.