2015 Easy Motion Evo City Review

The Evo City joins three similar “urban” models from Easy Motion 2015 lineup designed for comfort and utility. Each one relies on the same efficient drive system, beautiful downtube-integrated battery pack and clever minimal display. They’re great electric bikes with solid warranties, excellent safety features (fenders, chain guards, reflectors and lights) and nice rear carry racks capable of porting 25 kg (~55 lbs) of gear. The Evo City is the largest of the four models with a traditional high-step frame usually associated with “men’s” bicycles. It’s stiffer and sturdier than the three alternative low-step models but also more difficult to mount. There’s no shame in going with the Evo City Wave which is slightly smaller but otherwise nearly identical to the City. As a ~5’9″ male myself, that bike is fairly comfortable and definitely easier to stand over and mount. For much smaller riders, the Evo Street or stripped down (more affordable) Evo Eco Lite are great options. There’s a lot to appreciate about the Evo City and the handsome black frame with matching battery, hudraulic disc brakes and ergonomic grips, stem and suspension come at a fairly reasonable ~$3k with a solid two year warranty. It’s not a perfect bike but it’s definitely one of the better options in this category and at this size (though it’s still not a huge bike). If you’re over 6′ and want a truly large city style ebike, check out the Pedego Interceptor.

Driving the Easy Motion Evo City is an efficient 350 watt geared hub motor mounted in the rear wheel. It produces a bit of a whirring sound under power but aesthetically, is hardly noticeable. The motor is sandwiched between a 160 mm disc brake rotor on the left (port side) and eight speed Shimano cassette on the right (starboard side). You can hardly see it and the black paint matches the frame, spokes, wheelset, tires and fenders perfectly for a true quality aesthetic. Power wise, this motor is above average for its size but might not feel as peppy or strong for users over 180 lbs. Thankfully, with pedal assist you can help the bike along and extend the range or power up medium sized hills without issue. One of the biggest improvements to this bike (as compared with older Neo models from Easy Motion) is that the motor power cable extrudes on the left side instead of the right. This reduces clutter and complexity around the cassette and derailleur which have cables of their own for shifting. It’s true that the disc brake, on the left, has a cable but that one is mounted higher up and tucked in. The motor cable comes out the bottom near the axle and is actually tucked in closer to the frame which helps to reduce contact with curbs and other obstacles while riding (or if the bike tips onto its side). Not only have the cable and wire systems been improved, the Evo series also offers a unique tool-free wheel release system in the rear. A set of plastic levers act as a mini clutch-wrench letting you remove the wheel for trail maintenance. The interesting thing about this feature is that the front wheel on this bike does not offer quick release! But that’s because it features a dynamo hub that’s wired up to the lights… Trade offs.

The battery pack on the Evo City is structurally the same as what all of the other Evo models have got with 36 volts of power and 11.6 amp hours of capacity, but it’s painted black and blue to match the frame. These packs are pretty great. Not only are they locking for security, removable for easy charging or reducing frame weight during transport and chargeable on or off the frame but they also have an integrated LED charge level indicator! The cells inside are 18650 size produced by Samsung with energy dense Lithium-ion chemistry. It is very light considering the packs physical size and power capacity (about 5.5 lbs total) and it should age well with 1,000+ cycles if you keep it between 20% and 80% while storing and avoid extreme heat and cold. I usually just top mine off after every ride and then check on it after a few months of disuse. The only complaints I have about the battery is that it doesn’t have mounting points on top for adding a bottle cage and that the on-frame charging point is precariously close to the left crank arm which could spell disaster if you accidentally back the bike up while plugged in (or turn the pedals backwards). Compared to most other electric bikes I review, this battery is beautiful, functional and well warrantied. I also like how small and light weight (1.5 lbs) the charger is, though you’ll have to carry an extra little dongle to switch from charging the pack directly to charging the bike with the pack on it.

Operating the Evo City is very straight forward, the cockpit is clean and well organized and the display panel is removable for protection. Once the battery is charged up and mounted you hold the middle button on the LCD console and after several seconds it comes to life. You see speed, charge level, assist level and a section with several optional readouts (press the power button briefly to cycle through trip distance, trip speed, trip time and the same for lifetime distance, lifetime speed and lifetime time). The bike is meant to assist and throttle up to 20 mph but I’ve found that assist actually takes you slightly above 20 mph and that it tends to drag on after you stop pedaling. The system uses a TMM4 torque sensor that is fluid and responsive to start but often inaccurate when you let up. Sometimes it even activates the motor while riding over rough terrain just based on the chain bouncing around. Thankfully, the Tektro E-Compe hydraulic disc brake levers have an integrated motor inhibitor that instantly cuts power to the system. I think the company wanted assist to feel smooth and decided to leave power on a bit long to avoid a feeling of surge with each pedal stroke. The only real complaint I have about the display and operation of this e-bike is that throttle cannot override assist. You are either in zero assist with access to the throttle or one of four levels of assist without. Often times I’ll be pedaling along in the lowest level of assistance (trying to conserve battery and get a workout) and then encounter a hill or gust of wind that I’d like help overcoming. The throttle is right there and would be so easy to use briefly but unfortunately it takes an extra step of arrowing down on the display and then twisting. An alternative would be to arrow up to a higher assist but either action takes an extra step. Thankfully, the display panel is relatively easy to reach without taking your left hand off of the grip or really even looking down once you’re familiar with the layout of things.

At the end of the day, this is an elegant and well priced electric bicycle that would be perfect for neighborhood rides, urban transport or daily commutes. I love the suspension fork because it truly does smooth things out and balances the narrower, more efficient tires. The lights are cool, the brakes work fine and the entire thing just blends in and looks like a regular bike. Unlike the step-thru models mentioned earlier, this frame would probably be easier to lift and mount on hanging style racks and that could be handy for some busses or cars. It’s fairly stiff and the rack works great for many bags and panniers (especially with the integrated side blockers) but the tubing on top is a bit thick so it might not be perfect for all clip-on style bags. Easy Motion has one of the most diverse lineups of electric bikes, their parent company BH has been around since 1909 and I feel like they give you a lot of “bike” here with 24 speeds while many similar offerings just offer 7 or 10. Still, all of their ebikes use the same drive system and battery… and most cost the same amount (at least in the Evo series) so choosing a model really comes down to how you’ll use it.

Pros:

• Dynamo powered lights will operate independently from the rest of the bike, this means if you run out of battery power and have to pedal manually you will still have safety
• Great safety, utility and cleanliness thanks to the full length fenders with mud flaps, large plastic chain guard, rear carry rack with pannier blockers and extra reflectors and reflective sidewall stripes on the tires
• Decent “creature comforts” to make riding more comfortable including and adjustable suspension fork and rubber ergonomic grips
• The stem is adjustable angle and tool-free which makes changing body position fast and easy (more forward for active riding or more upright for relaxed comfort)
• The Evo City uses 700c 28″ wheels that roll and coast efficiently (also span cracks more easily), they are more like road bike tires
• The battery pack can be charged on or off the bike, is integrated into the downtube for a clean “stealthy” aesthetic and features a lock for security, it also matches the frame perfectly (black with blue accent)
• Offers both throttle mode and pedal assist with four levels to emphasize range or speed, zippy powerful feel from the efficient 350 watt geared motor (548 watt peak output)
• The LCD display is removable, easy to reach and activate from the left grip, backlit for use in low lighting conditions (just hold the down arrow for two seconds)
• Tektro Auriga E-Comp levers have motor cutoff switches built in and are easy to activate with just a finger or two, the large 180 mm front rotor and standard 160 mm rear rotor offer great stopping power for trail and mountain terrain
• New tool-free quick release system on the rear wheel makes changing flats and doing service much easier, the motor power cable also has a quick disconnect built in
• The motor power cable location has been updated, now entering the hub on the left side of the bike vs. the right side where the derailleur and cassette are, this helps to reduce complexity, clutter and damage if the bike tips
• TMM4 torque sensor activates the motor smoothly and the control system reduces surge when pedaling but the motor does run a bit longer when you stop pedaling
• When using Eco mode (the lowest level of pedal assist) power is now gentler and smoother which provides better range, this was a request from many customers of the older Easy Motion Neo electric bikes
• The battery uses high end 18650 Lithium Manganese cells from Samsung that are light weight and long lasting, excellent energy density here (lower weight, more power)
• Comes with one of the best warranties in the electric bike industry from a major company that I know of right now, two years comprehensive
• The Shimano dynamo in the front wheel powers front and rear LED lights regardless of your main battery capacity, this is a great safety feature

Cons:

• The headlight is mounted to the lower portion of the suspension fork which increases unsprung weight and may cause the light beam to bounce around more than if it were mounted to the head tube or handle bars
• No bottle cage mounting points on the downtube or seat tube which means you’ll need to add one to the seat post or saddle rails, wear a CamelBak or add a bag to the rear rack, it seems like there was room to add one at the base of the seat tube here
• The charging port for the battery is positioned near the left crank arm and you can break it if you forget to unplug before wheeling the bike around (specifically, wheeling it backwards) or moving the pedals
• The charger has two different cable ends, basically you have an extra bit of wire (that could get lost) that changes the charging design for the battery vs. the bike frame, it would be nice if both ports were the same so you didn’t have the extra weight and worry of this dongle piece
• Throttle cannot be used at all when riding in pedal assist mode, you have to arrow down to “No Assist” and then activate using the half grip twist
• Tektro hydraulic disc brakes provide decent stopping power but aren’t as smooth as Avid and may rattle or squeak with use
• The rear wheel offers a unique quick release lever system but the front does not, this is odd to me because usually the front wheel offers it and is much easier to take off during transport, this may have been excluded due to the dynamo hub with wire for the lights
• The controller on this bike lets the motor run a second or two long after you’ve stopped pedaling, this reduces “surge” (the jerky feeling of power going up and down with each pedal stroke) but makes the bike feel unresponsive at times, thankfully the motor inhibitors in the brake levers are instant
• Just one frame size, style and color to choose from here (large 21.5″, high-step, black) which works alright given the adjustable seat post and stem angle, consider the Evo City Wave if you prefer step-thru or are shorter
• The rear rack feels sturdy and matches but the tubing size on the top portion is a bit larger than standard, this means it might not work with some clip-on bags and panniers

Resources:

• Official Site: http://www.emotionbikesusa.com/ebikes/EV404
• More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/yRGF9bfKcU3Tx8k36