Evelo Owners, what do you do when..........

[CSH]

Hello to All, and a Great Day to ya.

My biggest question regarding Evelo (or any direct to consumer bike) has to do with potential REPAIRS.
(Otherwise I love everything I have seen about Evelo).

My issue is, I really don't want to be a Bike Mechanic, and have to deal with anything even close to removing the Rear Wheel and Belt.
Then to be confident about putting it back on (safely) with the correct tension on the belt etc.
Or what if a Spoke broke..............

What have you folks gone through during your ownership of the Evelo Brand ?
And, I suppose I am really talking to those of you who aren't Bike Tinkerers in the first place.

I wish the Local Bike Shops would allow repairs on any bike, not just the ones they sell.
In fact, you would think this would be an appealing Business Model, considering how many ebikes are selling.

How about a Bike shop with a sign that reads "We Fix Any Brand Ebikes" .

Wishful Thinking, Huh.................. Anyway please chime in

 

[Roamers]

Have you checked with your LBSs? The place I bought from only works on ebikes they sell. My brother has a shop that will work on his Rads.

 

[OlympicPeninsula]

Have you tried to contact Evelo directly to get a list of LBS that they have used in the past to implement Evelo Warranty work?

As you probably already know, when there is an Evelo covered warranty issue, you as the owner simply contacts Evelo, they work & schedule the warranty repairs with the nearest qualified LBS to you, you drop off the Evelo bike to that LBS, Evelo Service sends the warranty parts to the LBS and pays for the work, and you are contacted by the LBS to come and pick up your repaired Evelo bike. Easy-Peasy….

Thus, Evelo has a known working list of the nearest 2-3 LBS to you, that have already agreed to do Evelo repair work in the past for the company. I might assume that those same LBS may be also willing to do paid repair, non warranty work for you, since they have the proven experience with doing Evelo unique type warranty repairs; I.E. speciality items like belt drives, CVT drivelines, etc. Every time I have asked the Evelo Service Mgr for recommendations, they have always been very forthcoming with on time & solid info.

 

[Funpilot]

I just received an Evelo Galaxy SL, and the only obvious issue is that the front brake needs to be calibrated or replaced. I called a local bike shop and asked if they would repair it and they initially said no for DTC sales. I told them that Evelo has one of the best reputations for LBS support and that this minor repair could be a good way to get to know them. They agreed and I am taking my bike to them tomorrow morning. Evelo then contacted them and set up a way for them to immediately pay them by credit card and the LBS agreed to that !! I live in Summerville, SC. FYI, Evelo had already approved a local repair, but not which bike shop to use.

 

[AlanDB]

My biggest question regarding Evelo (or any direct to consumer bike) has to do with potential REPAIRS.
(Otherwise I love everything I have seen about Evelo).

My issue is, I really don't want to be a Bike Mechanic, and have to deal with anything even close to removing the Rear Wheel and Belt.
Then to be confident about putting it back on (safely) with the correct tension on the belt etc.
Or what if a Spoke broke..............

What have you folks gone through during your ownership of the Evelo Brand ?
And, I suppose I am really talking to those of you who aren't Bike Tinkerers in the first place.

I wish the Local Bike Shops would allow repairs on any bike, not just the ones they sell.
In fact, you would think this would be an appealing Business Model, considering how many ebikes are selling.

How about a Bike shop with a sign that reads "We Fix Any Brand Ebikes" .

Wishful Thinking, Huh.................. Anyway please chime in

I have purchased several bikes from my LBS including 2 ebikes. When my wife needed to switch to a trike in 2018 because of health problems the Evelo Compass was my first choice after doing extensive research. I checked with what my LBS carried, but they really didn't measure up to the Compass. So I took a chance with Evelo. Evelo advertises that they will find a local shop to assemble and set up, so when I purchased the Compass I told them I would prefer to work with the LBS I have dealt with in the past. They said they would call them and try to arrange that and they were successful. I have no idea how much Evelo paid them, but my LBS treated us just like they had sold the bike ... going over the features and controls with my wife and having her do a test ride around the parking lot so they could make sure she was comfortable with it. I asked them at the time if they would be willing to do service and repair on the Compass and they said "We'll have to talk about that."

Well with 1000 miles on it, I haven't needed any service or repair on the Compass so far, but I was relieved to see this statement on my LBS recently updated web site:

"We're Service Pros!
When you bring your bike in for service, we always start with a free, no-obligation estimate of the work that's needed. One of our bike repair pros will discuss your bicycle with you and carefully explain what we recommend, always respecting your choices and your budget. Every member of our service team participates in continuing education and technical training with all our brand partners, and they also service the fitness equipment we sell.

We service ALL makes and models of bikes no matter where you made your purchase. Walk-ins welcome!"

I was glad to see that statement and I realize I will probably pay a premium to have the Compass serviced there, but it is reassuring to know that they now advertise this policy. I think I may take the Compass in for a general maintenance tune-up before summer ... just to see how it goes and how they treat me.

 

[rbeckert]

Very encouraging. It would be nice if all LBS's adopt this policy.

 

[kneebenderbiker]

Service / repairs is one of my biggest concerns with buying a DTC bike, especially an e-bike. I did ask at the 2 closest LBS and they unequivocally said no way.
The response I got from Evelo after asking about LBS repairs included this statement that;
"A shop that tells you no will often tell us yes because we are the manufacturer and they really just want to know that they are supported if they need it. If you have a warranty issue, you would reach out to us first and we set up the service at a local shop. We have done support like this for the last decade."
This is encouraging and they mentioned they have already worked with some shops in the area - not exactly near me but the in the same state. I have also read many glowing reviews about Evelo customer service - before, during and after purchase.

And I agree that it would be nice if all bike shops worked on all bikes but I do understand why some don't- liability, access to parts, familiarity and stuff like that.

 

[AlanDB]

I have never been too concerned that Evelo will help me while the product is still under warranty. My worry is what happens when it needs out-of-warranty repair/service.

 

[kneebenderbiker]

I have never been too concerned that Evelo will help me while the product is still under warranty. My worry is what happens when it needs out-of-warranty repair/service.

That's a good question, Alan. I think most of the parts on the Evelo bikes are fairly common. I don't know what typically goes wrong with ebikes?
Reading about wheels needing truing, spokes adjusted, bent rotors, bent forks, cracked displays, squeaks, rattles- that's right when they get delivered after being assembled! (probably not for all of them).
The Atlas uses a Bafang motor, apparently the largest ebike motor manufacturer, so getting that repaired after warranty shouldn't be much of an issue - but IDK - I guess it depends where one lives? The Dapu motors in the other Evelo models is not something I've looked into but I think they come from Japan. My 2 Toyotas that were built in Japan have worked great (sorry, I know it has nothing to do with anything).

My big concern is more about who will service Evelo? warranty or no warranty, without driving hours away.
I would think, that if a shop worked on an Evelo and didn't find it too difficult they would continue working on them even after warranty support from Evelo.

 

[kneebenderbiker]

I sent Evelo an email and asked this question; bold followed by the answer from Evelo;
Also, beings that the Atlas is a newer model, and a few models have been discontinued already, how will people be able to get parts for their bikes if the model goes out of production?
We still have parts for bikes we were selling in 2012 - we want to make sure all of our customers can continue to repair and enjoy their bikes even after design changes. There are also 3rd party services that can rebuild batteries, and most components are available 3rd party as well.

 

[alloo]

If local bicycle shops won't service your ebike. I'm sure a mobile bicycle repair business will.

 

[smorgasbord]

My issue is, I really don't want to be a Bike Mechanic, and have to deal with anything even close to removing the Rear Wheel and Belt.
Then to be confident about putting it back on (safely) with the correct tension on the belt etc.
Or what if a Spoke broke..............

Honestly, while Evelo is a great company, if you're not comfortable with even removing the rear wheel on an eBike, you need to:

1. Find a local bike shop or mobile service up front that will agree to service the bike.
2. Buy a bike at a local bike shop