Priority Current versus Evelo Omega?

[jmilanski]

Hi all,
I'd like to get one of these for my 5'4", 110# wife who is not a frequent biker or athlete. Casual, city riding, no more than a graded gravel trail. Thoughts?

Both have: mid-drive motor, step through frame, Gates Carbon belt drive (CDX), 6061 aluminum white frame, hydraulic brakes, fenders, integrated lights, in-frame battery, torque sensor, good customer service, optional 2nd battery, Class 3

Evelo Omega: $4199 (sale), Enviolo Automatiq CVT hub, throttle, 115Nm torque, 750w motor (Dapu), 720Wh battery (48V, 15AH), up to 60mi range, 26x2.8 tires, 64 lbs with one battery, 4yr everything warranty
https://evelo.com/products/omega#full-specs

Priority Current: $2599 (Costco), Shimano hub (+$200 Enviolo CVT), no throttle, 140Nm torque, 500w motor (TruckRun), 500Wh battery, 20-60mi range, 27.5x1.85 tires, 53 lbs with one battery, 2yr component/5yr frame warranty
https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/current


Thank you all in advance!

 

[procreator]

A few other things you might want to consider:

• Riding style. It sounds like since she hasn't ridden much, a more upright cruiser-style posture might be appropriate. It appears the handlebar stems are adjustable, but you might want to confirm there is enough cable length for the adjustments you might make.
• Seat height and adjustability
• Stand-over or step-thru height. The Omega has a stand-over height of 17", the Current (small frame) is 22.5". By comparison, the average kitchen chair has a seat height of 16"-20". Perhaps you could set a broom handle across the seats of two chairs and see how comfortable she is stepping over it.

 

[Dewey]

If you can wait until the end of the year, you might like to cross shop the Priority Current against the VVolt Centauri S. The S model is not yet up on the VVolt website, but the S is a mid-step frame that looks like this, and they are taking deposits. The regular Centauri frame in S/M is supposed to fit riders from 5'3". FWIW VVolt is a direct to consumer brand located in Portland, OR, and one of the founders is the owner of the Showers Pass cycle clothing company. PDW fenders are available as extras. While the Centauri doesn't have ebike lights those might be available on next year models, you might like to check with VVolt if the S model will come pre-wired to accept them when they become available.

 

[AHicks]

My vote would be for the Evelo. That AUTOMATIC CVT would be a much more expensive/desirable feature than the manually shifted model that's optional on the Priority bike. Then, from a cruiser/ride standpoint, the 27.5x2.8 tires are going to offer a very noticeably better ride. Bigger battery a bonus as well.

My wife, early on in her e-bike experience, wasn't real big an the e-bike idea either (numerous excuses, including I won't get as much exercise). The right bike changed that perception almost immediately. I dialed it in according to her wishes the best I could, and she's now ready to go anytime I am.....

 

[TrevorB]

Does she need class3 as it can limit trails bike can be used on. For leisure riding its all about journey not how quickly get from A to B. The other downside to some of class 3 bikes is weight ie 64lbs vs 50 in cases above.

I suggest a few test rides of various classes and styles of bikes first.

 

[jmilanski]

Does she need class3 as it can limit trails bike can be used on. For leisure riding its all about journey not how quickly get from A to B. The other downside to some of class 3 bikes is weight ie 64lbs vs 50 in cases above.

I suggest a few test rides of various classes and styles of bikes first.

she has ridden some e-bikes and likes them, although not the two above. and yes, i’m concerned about the weight of both of them, but esp the evelo omega.

i really think mid drive belt is the way to go, but maybe i should pick something significantly lighter for her?

 

[AHicks]

she has ridden some e-bikes and likes them, although not the two above. and yes, i’m concerned about the weight of both of them, but esp the evelo omega.

i really think mid drive belt is the way to go, but maybe i should pick something significantly lighter for her?

We're snowbirds with 3 bikes on each end. 2 of these are fairly nice mid drives, the other 4 are all simple plain vanilla geared hubs that are dialed in for the area they will be ridden in most (including her choice of seat, a suspension seat post tuned for her weight, and pair 27.5x2.4" Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires for best possible ride/minimum rolling resistance).

Her preferred bike? The plain vanilla geared hub. She has no interest in the mid drives. None. She prefers the brain dead simple to ride geared hubs.

 

[Dewey]

For lightweight can you charge the bikes outside in a garage or porch and not need a removable battery? A lot of lighter ebikes have frame integrated batteries. I have a friend who rides her child to school on a VanMoof X3 and she wheels the whole bike into her living room onto a piece of carpet over the wood floor to charge the battery, but I recognize that might not work for other people. VanMoof make hub drive with an IGH and a chain so I expect you would be looking at the Specialized Turbo Como SL that has a mid drive and a belt, but while lightweight it too has a frame integrated battery. Next year the upcoming Riese & Muller UBN Seven model promises a lightweight mid-drive belt drive bike with a removable battery.

 

[Alaskan]

she has ridden some e-bikes and likes them, although not the two above. and yes, i’m concerned about the weight of both of them, but esp the evelo omega.

i really think mid drive belt is the way to go, but maybe i should pick something significantly lighter for her?

Keep the belt drive and loose 9 lbs. Evelo's Galaxy 500 might be a better choice for your wife. Not quite as much power but weighs nine lbs. less, still has the belt and the Automaiq Enviolo. Likely to be a better size and weight for your wife.

 

[Rogonus]

I just picked up the Current. Then I hurt my knee, making it painful to bend. I really like the bike. It is lighter, which makes me think your wife will appreciate it 10 lbs more.
Since they are so close, you may want to consider a case like mine where, if there is no throttle, can you be sure to get back home w/o problems? I have been looking at adding a throttle, but as of today, Priority says there is no ability to add one. I do see on this website where a few guys have added one, but they also said they may have bought the last throttle set ups for this bike from the motor manufacturer TruckRun in China. Priority claims it is their motor, not TruckRun's.
So if you are not at all concerned about an injury, I would recommend the less expensive, more powerful Current. If you have concerns about the future, get the Omega.
Just my 2 cents man!
Either way...Enjoy the heck out of these spendy toys!

 

[Doggyman1202]

Both of these were on my short list two summers ago, but I ultimately chose the Priority Current. I don't think you would go wrong with either bike, but I am more than happy with my Current. Then again, I'm stubbornly anti-throttle, which admittedly is a key feature for many riders. The pedaling on the Current is such a pleasure, I don't think I would give into temptation, even if it had a throttle. Priority's service has been top-notch as well.

From a female perspective, my friend bought a Current as well after riding mine, and also after testing a few less expensive e-bikes with cadence sensing rear hub motors. She commented about how those "jolted", and said she would just as well stick to her lightweight carbon frame bike without the motor. Riding the Current changed her thinking immediately.

The Omega does have the advantage of a bigger battery, but the range might be mitigated by the Omegas heavier weight. I reliably average 40-50 miles per charge on the Current with a 2-3 setting (out of 5) on the pedal assist. (I'm 5'11, and weigh a little under 165lbs). My bike came with the Goodyear 2'' wide tires, and I find that size to be a perfect compromise between comfort and handling. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of fat tires, even though I typically ride dirt/gravel roads and trails.

Weight played a factor in my decision making, and I think it's something buyers often overlook initially. With the battery removed our bikes weigh about 44 lbs. (She has small frame. Mine is medium, but hard to see the difference even side by side). She can hoist them onto the bike carrier (Hollywood 1500) without a problem. Add 10 or more lbs to that, and it might make the process a pain-in-the-a**.

In short, I think you narrowed your list down to excellent options (my other considerations at the time were one of the Specialized bikes and the Gazelle, also with belt drives. Those might be worth a look too).

 

[MBZ]

Hi all,
I'd like to get one of these for my 5'4", 110# wife who is not a frequent biker or athlete. Casual, city riding, no more than a graded gravel trail. Thoughts?

Both have: mid-drive motor, step through frame, Gates Carbon belt drive (CDX), 6061 aluminum white frame, hydraulic brakes, fenders, integrated lights, in-frame battery, torque sensor, good customer service, optional 2nd battery, Class 3

Evelo Omega: $4199 (sale), Enviolo Automatiq CVT hub, throttle, 115Nm torque, 750w motor (Dapu), 720Wh battery (48V, 15AH), up to 60mi range, 26x2.8 tires, 64 lbs with one battery, 4yr everything warranty
https://evelo.com/products/omega#full-specs

Priority Current: $2599 (Costco), Shimano hub (+$200 Enviolo CVT), no throttle, 140Nm torque, 500w motor (TruckRun), 500Wh battery, 20-60mi range, 27.5x1.85 tires, 53 lbs with one battery, 2yr component/5yr frame warranty
https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/current


Thank you all in advance!

JM,
Did you guys make a purchase? I'm the same height as your wife and seriously considering the Galaxy Lux, but I like the Omega too. Wondering if she finds the Omega step-over easy enough? If you end up buying an Omega, please do come back here and report, it would be great to hear her opinion. Thanks and happy riding.