So I finally bought the current from costco. I was expecting the enviolo, but it turns out Costco version is Shimano. That's what you get from not paying attention 
Anyways, its 800$ less than what the Enviolo costs, and is indeed a very good bike.
I have done about 20 miles on it now.
Assembly
I have never assembled a bike before, and was expecting it to be daunting. But their video was very easy to follow, and with the provided tools + a screwdriver I was able to assemble the bike in under an hour. Its easy and fun.
The handlebar adjustment took some time, and I guess I will be fiddling some more to achieve a more upright dutch bike position
Riding and comfort
The seat is not very comfortable. Nothing to do with it being a hardtail bike, but more to do with the seat itself. Will look for something with better aftermarket cushion which is a bit wider.
Otherwise the bike is nice to ride, and the L size is perfect for my 6'2" height.
Road manners
The bike handles and rides very well. At 0 assist it does feel quite like a regular bike and not overly heavy. Very similar to my regular Trek Verve 1 Disc. Now higher end expensive bikes may feel nimbler and lighter, but I do not have experience with those.
While the bike can corner hard and I can lean easily, a flaw is the pedal height. Its very easy to scrape the pedal on the ground even with mild leaning. So I am consciously keeping the leaning side pedal up so as not to scrape it on the ground.
The bike rides very well on paved roads, and better than my skinny tired verve on gravel. Stability at high speed is amazing. For example downhill on underpasses when I hit 20mph on the verve, the bike felt jittery and ready to fall, but this one is rock steady at 28mph. Yes I did try out the top speed too.
Power and acceleration
With the Shimano, I was worried that due to shorter gearing range, 28mph would be impossible, but pedal assist 5 makes it easy. This bike is very powerful, and I can sustain 26-28mph for 1-2 mile stretches easily. 25mph on paved sustain is surely possible for longer runs, but a comfortable high speed is in 23-25mph range. For the power the motor is very quiet, with a very low whine which is inaudable over the wind noise at high speeds.
I do not have hills, but the underpasses I tried, even at pedal assist 3 I was able to maintain 10mph with ease where on my verve 5mph was a struggle.
On gravel, high speed is 25mph esp for loose sandy gravel with 20mph+ requiring a lot of work.
This bike is a speed demon on pavement though. If you are looking at 20mph sustained riding, its easily doable, and I am not a very expert cyclist (longest pedal powered rides have been 15miles, with most being 7-8 miles). When I gave my best effort I used to cover 5 miles in 25-30 minutes on the regular bike depending upon wind. This bike will easily double the average speed with the same effort.
The Cadence at 28mph is achievable, and its the force you need to apply that is the limiting factor rather than the cadence. 25mph requires normal cadence. Not sure about numbers as this bike does not have a cadence sensor.
That said, I read a post which said that you can fit a bigger front pulley with a bigger belt to get higher gearing. When its time to replace belt (which will be after a long time hopefully) I may go that route!
I am also wondering is it possible to switch out the 5 speed shimano with a 8 or 9 speed hub
Other thoughts
Upshift is a breeze, for downshit as recommended I stop pedalling. I am used to derailleurs and still find the internal turn shift a bit annoying. I guess habit. That said, if I am coming to a stop I start riding from gear 2 and and for short stretches where know I won't be going fast I stuck to gear 4.
Long stretches, 5 on assist 5
That said, the indicated speed is about 7% higher than actual according to GPS. I am wondering if should dial in wheel diameter of 26 inches instead of 27 for it to be more accurate. I am wondering what happens if I dial in 23 inches, so bike thinks its going slower. Will it stop cutting power at 28mph. Will I be able to go faster? Have to try it out. Looks like a cheat code.
Lastly there is no "range" on display. So nothing to tell me whats the remaining range. Just battery level meter. The screen is bright and big, but very basic.
Brakes are adequate. Better than my verve disc, but I do not have any other reference. Stopping from high speed is not an issue.
Headlight is "meh". Surely not for doing 20mph+ on a dark trail. Will attach my aftermarket long range lights for night rides. I also wish there was a separate switch to make tailight always on or blinking. For now I just turn on both front and back. A blinking strobe at rear is better for attention considering the ever distracted drivers of SF bay area. Had 2-3 cars pull out of parking without looking in my 20 miles of riding. I was at 10 mph though so could stop and also effectively use my digits for sign language.
Conclusion
Amazing value for the costco price of 2599$. Esp with the belt and the amazing motor. I wish it came with a rear rack from priority itself.
20mph is too less to make an opinion. Will start commuting on the bike a couple of weeks and then would be able to give more input
Anyways, its 800$ less than what the Enviolo costs, and is indeed a very good bike.
I have done about 20 miles on it now.
Assembly
I have never assembled a bike before, and was expecting it to be daunting. But their video was very easy to follow, and with the provided tools + a screwdriver I was able to assemble the bike in under an hour. Its easy and fun.
The handlebar adjustment took some time, and I guess I will be fiddling some more to achieve a more upright dutch bike position
Riding and comfort
The seat is not very comfortable. Nothing to do with it being a hardtail bike, but more to do with the seat itself. Will look for something with better aftermarket cushion which is a bit wider.
Otherwise the bike is nice to ride, and the L size is perfect for my 6'2" height.
Road manners
The bike handles and rides very well. At 0 assist it does feel quite like a regular bike and not overly heavy. Very similar to my regular Trek Verve 1 Disc. Now higher end expensive bikes may feel nimbler and lighter, but I do not have experience with those.
While the bike can corner hard and I can lean easily, a flaw is the pedal height. Its very easy to scrape the pedal on the ground even with mild leaning. So I am consciously keeping the leaning side pedal up so as not to scrape it on the ground.
The bike rides very well on paved roads, and better than my skinny tired verve on gravel. Stability at high speed is amazing. For example downhill on underpasses when I hit 20mph on the verve, the bike felt jittery and ready to fall, but this one is rock steady at 28mph. Yes I did try out the top speed too.
Power and acceleration
With the Shimano, I was worried that due to shorter gearing range, 28mph would be impossible, but pedal assist 5 makes it easy. This bike is very powerful, and I can sustain 26-28mph for 1-2 mile stretches easily. 25mph on paved sustain is surely possible for longer runs, but a comfortable high speed is in 23-25mph range. For the power the motor is very quiet, with a very low whine which is inaudable over the wind noise at high speeds.
I do not have hills, but the underpasses I tried, even at pedal assist 3 I was able to maintain 10mph with ease where on my verve 5mph was a struggle.
On gravel, high speed is 25mph esp for loose sandy gravel with 20mph+ requiring a lot of work.
This bike is a speed demon on pavement though. If you are looking at 20mph sustained riding, its easily doable, and I am not a very expert cyclist (longest pedal powered rides have been 15miles, with most being 7-8 miles). When I gave my best effort I used to cover 5 miles in 25-30 minutes on the regular bike depending upon wind. This bike will easily double the average speed with the same effort.
The Cadence at 28mph is achievable, and its the force you need to apply that is the limiting factor rather than the cadence. 25mph requires normal cadence. Not sure about numbers as this bike does not have a cadence sensor.
That said, I read a post which said that you can fit a bigger front pulley with a bigger belt to get higher gearing. When its time to replace belt (which will be after a long time hopefully) I may go that route!
I am also wondering is it possible to switch out the 5 speed shimano with a 8 or 9 speed hub
Other thoughts
Upshift is a breeze, for downshit as recommended I stop pedalling. I am used to derailleurs and still find the internal turn shift a bit annoying. I guess habit. That said, if I am coming to a stop I start riding from gear 2 and and for short stretches where know I won't be going fast I stuck to gear 4.
Long stretches, 5 on assist 5
That said, the indicated speed is about 7% higher than actual according to GPS. I am wondering if should dial in wheel diameter of 26 inches instead of 27 for it to be more accurate. I am wondering what happens if I dial in 23 inches, so bike thinks its going slower. Will it stop cutting power at 28mph. Will I be able to go faster? Have to try it out. Looks like a cheat code.
Lastly there is no "range" on display. So nothing to tell me whats the remaining range. Just battery level meter. The screen is bright and big, but very basic.
Brakes are adequate. Better than my verve disc, but I do not have any other reference. Stopping from high speed is not an issue.
Headlight is "meh". Surely not for doing 20mph+ on a dark trail. Will attach my aftermarket long range lights for night rides. I also wish there was a separate switch to make tailight always on or blinking. For now I just turn on both front and back. A blinking strobe at rear is better for attention considering the ever distracted drivers of SF bay area. Had 2-3 cars pull out of parking without looking in my 20 miles of riding. I was at 10 mph though so could stop and also effectively use my digits for sign language.
Conclusion
Amazing value for the costco price of 2599$. Esp with the belt and the amazing motor. I wish it came with a rear rack from priority itself.
20mph is too less to make an opinion. Will start commuting on the bike a couple of weeks and then would be able to give more input
