EVELO Compass Review

This review was provided for free, but EVELO supplied a temporary demo bike for me to test. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of EVELO products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the EVELO electric bike forums.

Observations:

• EVELO has been around since 2012 and is one of the few ebike companies that produce an electric tricycle! The Compass is very unique because it’s an upright delta trike with a mid-drive motor and rear differential that delivers power and braking to both wheels, so one doesn’t wear faster than the other and there’s no skidding as you make sharp turns.
• EVELO offers a four year limited warranty, which is above average, and ships free of charge to the contiguous USA. You can pay a bit more to ship to Alaska and Hawaii. The bike comes mostly assembled with just the handlebar and pedals requiring attachment. The trike has shift detection, motor inhibitors on both brake levers, pedal assist, and trigger throttle. It’s very complete, with integrated lights and fenders, and I rank it among the best out there.

Pros:

• The trike is feature complete with fenders, integrated lights that run off of the main battery pack, and a sturdy rear basket that can hold up to 80lbs of cargo. The total max weight of this trike is 350lbs.
• It’s unique to see any electric bike with a second battery option, but that’s what you get with the Compass. For $800 more, you get an identical second battery pack that will double your range from 18 to 40 miles to 36 to 80 miles (rough estimate based on tire pressure, terrain, weight, and use of higher assist levels and throttle).
• I love that both battery packs lock to the frame using the same key! I think they used to have separate keys and you’d need to carry both and just guess which key was for which pack. This is much easier! The bike actually comes with an empty dummy battery to protect the second battery bay if you don’t upgrade to dual battery.
• The batteries can be difficult to plug in while mounted to the bike, but you can easily remove them and charge separately. This is a great idea if your trike has to stay outside or in an extremely hot or cold room because that can be hard on Lithium-ion battery packs.
• The mid-drive motor that EVELO chose to use is a Bafang BBS02 that is very proven in the ebike industry and has been around for many years. It’s extremely powerful, offering 500 to 800 watts and 100+ newton meters of torque, but they protect the drivetrain by using a physical shift detector and motor inhibiting brake levers.
• All of the motor and battery weight is kept low on the frame, and even though the batteries mount at the rear, the motor is closer to the center, so you get better handling. The frame uses a thick oval downtube for strength, and there’s a gusset at the bottom bracket to further reduce frame flex.
• Note the sturdy double wall rims with 36 holes and thicker 13 gauge spokes that improve overall strength. This is above average, and smaller 24″ wheels tend to be stronger than standard 26″ or 28″ on full sized bicycles.
• I love that the brake levers also activate the rear light with bright mode, and they have little switches that lock the brakes so the trike won’t roll away! The switches they chose are easy to use and seem durable.
• The headlight points where you steer and is aimable, it doesn’t have side cutouts (which would be nice) but all three tires are reflective and the frame only comes in white, so it’s fairly visible at night.
• The bottom portion of the frame seems well protected against ground strikes, I noticed extra tubing surrounding the differential and chains… none of it hangs down too low. The trike feels very sturdy overall and was designed to fit through standard doors because it’s just 29.5″ wide.
• The internally geared hub is clean, durable, and can be shifted at standstill. The half-grip Shimano Nexus twist shifter is intuitive and with only three gears, it’s less intimidating than a lot of other bicycles I’ve tested. It appears that EVELO geared the bike down with a smaller chainring to make starting and climbing easier than past generations.
• For those who wish to extend range and feel a bit safer, the display panel has a deep settings menu with speed adjustment, so you can lower the top speed! This very nice, just double tap the i button to enter the settings menu and then + and – to navigate the options.
• I love that the display shows battery charge level percentage instead of a five bar infographic that’s less granular, and that one of the readouts on the display is range. This range estimate readout updates dynamically as you change assist levels as shown in the video review above.
• The color display is easy to read because it’s large, adjusts to dark environments (gets dark when the lights are activated), and even has a USB Type A charging port built into the bottom to help maintain a smartphone or other portable electronic device. That said, it would be nice if the power out put was higher than 5 volt 500 milliamp because many smartphones neen 600+ milliamp and even accept up to 2 amp.
• The variable speed trigger throttle seemed to override pedal assist and offer full power at all times. This is my preference, since it means you don’t have to press buttons before using it to climb a hill or quickly catch up with a friend. The motor activates smoothly, the bike is fairly quiet, I’m a fan of the overall setup here.
• The last time I covered the EVELO Compass, I think the basket was made from steel. That material is heavier and can rust when scratched. Since the basket could be easily scratched when carrying cargo, I’m glad that they switched to aluminum alloy now!
• Prior generations of the EVELO Compass had narrower tires that didn’t provide as much float and cushion. They were 2.2″ wide while these new ones are 2.4″ and that means added traction as well. Good choice, they felt great and the bike was comfortable even when I was riding through grass, gravel, and off of the curb.
• Excellent turning radius on this trike! I was able to turn very sharp and also went off of a curb and back up without too much rattling. It just feels maneuverable and solid.
• Several little things: the bike comes with six keys that all match, since the battery locks are both the same. This is nice if you happen to misplace keys easily. The frame is very approachable being a deep wave step-thru, and since you have the brake locks it stays steady and just feels stable. The battery packs have independent on/off toggle switches that can be used if you’re not going to ride for an extended period or if you are parked somewhere that could have people tampering with the display.
• It’s cool that EVELO sells accessory packages to help people get going with safety, comfort, or security because the parts are guaranteed to fit and you get a discount going through them vs. hand picking them yourself if you’re new to bicycles or certain parts are out of stock elsewhere.
• EVELO has been in business since 2012 and has a good reputation for customer support. I feel like their batteries will continue to be available for replacement over the long run and they will support this trike well.

Cons:

• The rear light is very nice, and well protected from impact by the basket and tires, but it’s positioned fairly low. Since the trike is already a bit lower than a traditional bicycle, it would be nice if this was higher up.
• The battery packs are low on the frame and require bending down to reach and turn on/off or charge. I found that it was difficult to plug the charging cord into the pack when they were mounted due to the rear light and right rear wheel… there’s just not a lot of space.
• As with all delta trikes (one wheel up front, two in the back), you can tip the Compass onto two wheels if you turn while moving quickly. It’s fairly heavy at 78lbs (with one battery), so just be careful and slow down before making any sudden turns.
• If you purchase the second pack, the batteries do not charge or discharge simultaneously. You have to charge them one at a time with the very average 2 amp charger that could take 6 hours for a full refill. I would consider switching the packs on the bike so you aren’t constantly cycling one and not the other since they do not discharge in parallel.
• The front wheel is quick release, which makes changing tires and fixing flats easy… but the rear wheels are pretty unique and require some tools to adjust. I didn’t see any puncture protection rating on the tires, so be sure they are all properly inflated and avoid stickers because it could be a hassle to service this bike given the size (might not be able to easily get it to a shop for help).
• Keep an eye on the magnet that’s attached to the spoke of the front wheel, because if it gets bumped out of position the LCD screen may show an error. This sensor measures your bike speed and is just a bit more exposed than some of the really fancy new sensors on some other ebikes.
• The handlebar can be swiveled forward and back, and the stem can be raised a bit because it’s a quill design, but this trike only comes in one size… as with most electric trikes I see. You can adjust the seat height, but super tall riders might feel a little constrained due to the fixed top tube length.
• The price of this e-trike is quite high at $4.3k USD, and that’s due to the high quality motor with custom surround, dual battery option, internally routed cables, full accessory suite (basket, fenders, lights), and the great warranty. To me, it makes sense and is justified… but it simply may be out of reach due to the higher price.
• Perhaps as a way to increase frame strength, there are no bottle cage mounts on the downtube or seat tube. Consider putting your fluids in the rear basket or getting a handlebar mounted cup holder.
• Given the higher weight of trikes and the potential to be carrying cargo with the basket, I kind of wish the bike had hydraulic disc brakes vs. mechanical, because they require less hand effort and tend to be more consistent over time. Mechanical brakes are easier to adjust, but the wire can bed in over time and the rear brake line runs farther so it tends to require more hand effort.
• The display panel is mounted low down because it’s at the center of the handlebars that have a high rise. This means you have to look down further to read it compared to many other ebike displays.

Useful Resources:

• EVELO electric bike dealers.
• Official EVELO website.