Evo Street Top Speed in pedal assist mode

[Cupid]

What is typical top speed on Evo Street in pedal assist mode?
How does it compare with Evo City?
Is the top speed lower b/c Street has small wheel than City model?
Courts review said both Evo can easily hit around 25mph in pedal assist mode.
Just want to real numbers from real riders.

 

[Dayne]

I test rode a Street yesterday and hit 24 or 25 on the flat...31 down a hill pedaling hard. Throttle only mode was a bit over 20, if memory serves.

 

[PowerMe]

With my EVO Street I've been able to hit 21/22 mph on the flats with pedal assist in the higher modes and active pedaling, but I don't think the pedal assist is helping out past 20mph. Downhill needs no pedal assist at all.

 

[Cupid]

Dayne,
Were you also pedaling hard on flat surface to reach 24/25?

PM, on highest pedal assist mode - what do you get as total range on mostly flat surface? My commute is about 16 miles and wondering if I can maintain at highest setting without running out of battery.

 

[PowerMe]

My range seems to be a little less than what others report getting. I have small rolling hills and with that I believe my total range is right around 30 mi, using a variety of assist modes, including some Sport and a bit of Boost too. I use mostly the 'Standard' mode.

With a commute of 16 mi you should not have any problem at all. If that 16mi is one way, you can always charge the battery while at work. If 16mi is your round trip total, then you won't need to recharge your battery and can just recharge it each evening.

 

[Dayne]

I was pedaling as hard as I could to reach that speed. Maybe I had exceeded the point of maximum pedal assist and that speed was mostly me. Maybe I was on a slight downhill grade. I defer to the people who actually own the bikes, as my test ride on that model was about 15 minutes, tops. I was impressed that the throttle only mode topped out slightly past 20mph, though...nice to have the option of pedal assist vs. throttle. I did find myself wishing that you could use the throttle while you were in pedal assist mode, but it wasn't a big deal.

I found the bike to be very comfortable. It had an upright position that lent itself to relaxed commutes.

 

[Undercover Brother]

I was pedaling as hard as I could to reach that speed. Maybe I had exceeded the point of maximum pedal assist and that speed was mostly me. Maybe I was on a slight downhill grade. I defer to the people who actually own the bikes, as my test ride on that model was about 15 minutes, tops. I was impressed that the throttle only mode topped out slightly past 20mph, though...nice to have the option of pedal assist vs. throttle. I did find myself that you could use the throttle while you were in pedal assist mode, but it wasn't a big deal.

I found the bike to be very comfortable. It had an upright position that lent itself to relaxed commutes.

Pedal assist on our bikes generally drops out at 22 to 26mph based on model and the specific controller program. The 2013 and early 2014 NEO's had a more aggressive program than the late 2014's and 2015 EVO models. We changed the profile late last year based on feedback that in ECO mode (which I agree) was a bit more aggressive for some folks.

 

[Beatle]

I was able to maintain 24 to 25 mph on mostly flat roadway for a mile or so with active pedaling. Had a guy on a carbon road bike drafting me but he could not pass me! Don't remember if I was in Sport or Boost assist level. Also noted downhill speed of 34mph just coasting.. probable a little too fast for safety.

 

[Jonah]

If you can charge your battery at work, 16 miles will not be a problem in the higher pedal assist modes.

 

[K. Jones]

I have an EVO City and I weigh nearly 200 pounds. (Lighter people will undoubtedly have better results.)

Throttle-only on a fairly flat stretch I can get to just under 20mph. 19-point-something. But that sucks the power down fast.

On the top level or two of pedal assist pushing hard, I can get to 25mph or so before I reach the top of my gears and the crank just spins. Then it's just a matter of how steep the hill is as to how fast I roll. The motor only turns on if there's enough torque to activate the torque sensor. So, as you top out on your gears, you can't get enough torque to activate the motor, regardless of its pre-set speed cut-off. I know it will power on some above 20mph, but I'm not sure at what point the motor cuts out for good. It's hard to tell by ear when you're going that fast and there's not an indicator on the controller for when the motor is actually activated or not.

However, I don't think 20-25mph is really sustainable for miles and miles. Even if your route is fairly flat (which mine isn't). Probably an average speed around 15mph is pretty reasonable. Maybe more if you typically use the higher pedal assist settings, but that will dramatically decrease your range.

One thing that I think is worth mentioning is that, with 24-speeds, the bike I have (and probably the City Wave and Street) actually performs pretty well unpowered. One way to extend the range if you anticipate an unusually long route is to use it mostly unpowered when you start out and you're well-rested, with just a little throttle for the steeper hills. And that is absolutely doable thanks to the gearing. Now, it's no light-weight racing bike when unpowered, of course, but it's not some lumbering thing either. It's quite well-balanced and rides, unpowered, just like a regular bike. Better when unpowered than the 7-speed Pedegoes my parents have, certainly. And better than my daughter's 7-speed Schwinn cruiser non-ebike.

 

[J.R.]

Probably an average speed around 15mph is pretty reasonable.

And sustainable for far more range!

Great write up with reasonable expectations.

 

[Jonah]

I agree with you about riding unpowered. This weekend, I went for a 20 mile ride on my Evo Jet and only used one bar on the battery. I was in Eco mode and likely was not engaging the motor for a good chunk of the ride. I estimate my average speed was around 14 mph. I think I was pedaling too lightly to activate the torque sensor.

 

[PowerMe]

One thing that I think is worth mentioning is that, with 24-speeds, the bike I have (and probably the City Wave and Street) actually performs pretty well unpowered.

You must be quite strong or else I'm very weak. I'm not able to ride my EVO Street unpowered unless the terrain is completely flat and then only for maybe 1/2 mi to as much as 3/4 mi. It feels like a very heavy bike to me (and it is at 63 lbs with my panniers and the stuff I bring along), especially compared to my regular Specialized hybrid bike, which is 25 lbs. Now, on downhills I will turn off all PAS to save battery energy since I don't even have to pedal, but I turn it back on at the bottom as the terrain changes back to an incline, and I need it at Level 2 or Level 3 to get up to a speed of 15mph.

- What gear are you all riding in?
- What kind of terrain do you have?

My terrain is not flat, and the moment I encounter even the slightest incline, I have to use PAS or I'm crawling and struggling. Downshifting to the lowest gears has me rotating pedals but not getting much forward momentum. If the motor ever quit on me I would not be able to get myself back home by just riding the bike several miles. That's a discouraging thought, but I know it's true at my current level of ability/strength.

 

[Jonah]

I would categorize myself as a moderately pedaler. The terrain on the ride was usually a mild grade up or down and some flat. I chose gears that allowed for a cadence of around 60 to 80 revolutions per minute. If I found myself pushing with some effort to turn the cranks, I lowered the gears so that less effort was required.

 

[eDean]

I weigh 170, and can hit 23 mph on my neo jet with minimal effort in the upper two PAS modes. It's sort of a speed pedalic going faster than 20 and slower than 28. Pulling a 50 lbs trailer with high wind resistance it is more like 21 mph. I frequently ride with no assistance on flats or down hills. Sometimes when I'm not sweating enough I'll ride it unpowered on mild up hills, you can really feel the bikes mass. As @K. Jones says, on flats once the bike is moving it is not that bad. It's one of the things I really like about the neo is that as a bike it pretty good with a wide range of gears, no motor drag, and decent mid level components.

 

[PowerMe]

I always turn off PAS on downhills as I don't need it and want to conserve the battery. The minute the incline starts I have to use PAS, I just don't have the physical strength to ride unassisted on a 60+ lb bike.

 

[K. Jones]

You must be quite strong or else I'm very weak. I'm not able to ride my EVO Street unpowered unless the terrain is completely flat and then only for maybe 1/2 mi to as much as 3/4 mi. It feels like a very heavy bike to me (and it is at 63 lbs with my panniers and the stuff I bring along), especially compared to my regular Specialized hybrid bike, which is 25 lbs. Now, on downhills I will turn off all PAS to save battery energy since I don't even have to pedal, but I turn it back on at the bottom as the terrain changes back to an incline, and I need it at Level 2 or Level 3 to get up to a speed of 15mph.

- What gear are you all riding in?
- What kind of terrain do you have?

My terrain is not flat, and the moment I encounter even the slightest incline, I have to use PAS or I'm crawling and struggling. Downshifting to the lowest gears has me rotating pedals but not getting much forward momentum. If the motor ever quit on me I would not be able to get myself back home by just riding the bike several miles. That's a discouraging thought, but I know it's true at my current level of ability/strength.

Well, I was used to riding a standard, non-ebike mountain bike before. And a regular 24-speed Schwinn. Nothing fancy or super-light. Probably a bit clunky, actually. But it was what I had, so I didn't notice. I'm also used to using all my gears and (without a motor) I never expected to make much speed going up-hill in my lowest gears. On a regular bike, going uphill is usually when I'd wonder if I could go faster getting off and walking it up. But I would make it up.

Now, with the ebike, I am not actually riding it completely unpowered, since power IS available. I do give it a little throttle on the steeper hills or the really long ones even when I'm trying to really conserve power to extend the range. (Because why not?) However, since I was used to going up-hill on my old unpowered bike, I can also do it on the ebike unpowered. (Yes, I have tried, just to see.) It's no easier than with the standard bike, but also not noticeably harder. I just shift to my lowest gears and forget all about going fast. Just concentrate on making it up the hill.

I don't actually feel like I have to use power on moderate hills. But, of course, if I'm not trying to really conserve power I will turn on the pedal assist anyway because I did paid $3,000 for the ability to do just that. No reason not to use it.

Of course, I'd never keep up, unpowered, with my husband on his trek racing bike. But I can easily outrun the kids with their 7-speeds. Speed isn't the point, though. The point is that if I underestimate the range on my EVO or something goes wrong with the motor or whatever and I wind up having to ride home unpowered or mostly unpowered, I can absolutely do it. I'll end up tired, of course, but I can do it. And that is quite a relief to know for me. It makes me much more confident about riding longer distances.

I know from other posts that you are fairly short, though I can't remember how short. I'm tall. Just that difference, rather than me being any fitter than you are (which I'm probably not) could make a real difference in strength. A 60 lb. bike probably seems heavier to a smaller woman than it does to someone my size and height. So, that could easily be a factor in this.

 

[PowerMe]

I'm about 5'0" without shoes on.

I am not fit and I carry excess weight. Not a good combo!