Hi Will...
I purchased an EVO Toba HB-1 Disc with the Bionx D500 motor. I am 6' 2" and 250lbs. So far, I have 42 miles on the bike and it has performed nicely. I purchased mine from CrazyLenny and had it checked over by a local Bionx dealer. He noted that EVO did a nice job of including some upgraded parts on this bike, e.g., Deore gearset, internal cable routing, and good disc brakes.
I like the bike for hill climbing and descending. The regen feature really helps slow me down on steep descents with greater ease than trying to judiciously apply the disc brakes. On steep hills, the Bionx "mountain mode" keeps giving steady power all the way up the hill without overheating. I have used the throttle sparingly and am it does generate a sizable boost on the flat which I found surprising for my weight. I found my overall average speed easily increased from 11 to 16mph on the Ebike which has been a nice surprise. Note, that the Bionx motor cuts out at 20mph so if you are looking for speed, you will have to generate it on your own past the 20mph point.
At 55, I love cruising the flatlands on my Electra 8i balloon tire Townie. But for extended touring with persistent hills, I will rely on my Evo E-bike to make the ride more enjoyable.
Good luck with your research. I spent 8 enjoyable months reading and asking questions. In the end, I selected Bionx based on my estimation for quality and engineering. I'm surprised they have not partnered with more Bike companies for a turnkey product but was happy to find that Hawley is distributing the Canadian EVO bikes in the U.S. Since there are comparatively few Ebike dealers in the Maryland area I relied on the info from EVO and other websites to review the frame geometry and parts description before purchase. Len gave me a very fair price, packed the bike like it was his child, and shipped immediately (as in I bought it Friday and he had it on a truck with tracking info on Monday.)
MJ in MD
