2016 Everly 202 Review

The Everly 202 is an electric bicycle that emphasizes pedaling, it embraces efficiency with a minimalist 250 watt internally geared motor and 187.2 watt hour battery configuration. The motor spec is below average by US standards but common in Europe, it’s roughly equivalent to doubling your own pedal output. This isn’t a bad thing if you enjoy nimble handling, lighter overall weight and a more active ride style. There’s no throttle on this e-bike, you literally have to pedal in order to make the drive system switch on but you don’t have to push especially hard because it operates using a cadence sensor vs. a torque sensor. I was surprised with the power it generated, helping me up one particularly steep hill near Laguna Beach, California but a little underwhelmed with the response time of the cadence sensor. I was surprised by the second-long lag because the sensor utilizes 10 magnets and the most I’ve ever seen is 12, the delay was a bit trying at moments where I really needed the help but wasn’t pedaling consistently and at times when I stopped pedaling (even braked) but the motor continued for a moment on its own. The brake levers on this ebike do not have motor inhibitors (perhaps because the motor is relatively weak) and I found the levers and linear-pull calipers a bit slow and dull feeling. Maybe I’m just used to 180 mm hydraulic disc brakes on mountain bikes? Everything performed… I did get motor support and was able stop in time, it was just more of an average experience. But hey, for the price (roughly $1,200) the bike looked surprisingly nice and was a joy to carry up stairs and maneuver around the neighborhood.

Many of the classic or vintage styled pedlecs I’ve tested in the past opt for front mounted hub motors because they’re easier to install allow for a larger cassette (or internally geared hub) in the rear. Take the Faraday Porteur and Porteur S as a high-end example or the ElectroBike Light. The Everly 202 uses a basic seven speed cassette in combination with the rear-mounted hub motor but doubles the gear choices and extends cadence range by running a two sprocket chainring cluster up front. So you get 14 speeds here and while the derailleurs were generic, the shifters worked well enough and it enabled a wider range of ride speeds. You do shift gears with this product, it’s much more like riding a traditional bicycle but that’s not so bad and frankly, it’s refreshing to see in an industry that’s flooded with very powerful but heavy, more expensive, offerings. This is the kind of electric bike I’d feel proud to ride around town because it looks beautiful but would be less worried about leaving at the rack because it’s tough and cheap. The display panel is small and sturdy (though not removable) and the motor is protected by the frame… it actually blends in behind the cassette pretty well. The battery does not blend in so much and there was a bit of rattling during my test ride tests but at least you can take it off for charging and it only takes an hour and a half to get from zero to full! Considering you get front rack and rear rack mounts along with two bottle cage braze-on sets and bag loops at the rear of the saddle, you could always carry the charger with you and top it off at work, class or your friend’s house. A second battery pack is also not out of the question at just $200. You could leave one at work and one at home and run a loop draining completely with each leg of the trip. The bigger point remains, you pedal this bike to go and it doesn’t weigh much so you end up getting solid range at 15+ miles per charge… probably closer to 20+ if you’re under 160 lbs and it’s even enjoyable to pedal without motor assistance.

At the end of the day, yes many of the parts are generic and that includes the motor, battery pack and plastic pedals. I guess Aikema and Scud are just new to me so maybe not fully generic, it sounds like Freway electric bikes also uses Scud or is a subsidiary of them. The brakes are average and even the frame is more bicycle than e-bike with zip-tied wires vs. internally routed… but everything is there and you get a nice year long comprehensive warranty. I prefer a rear-mounted hub motor as used with this design and it ran pretty quietly, I like having at least 7 gears and while the motor won’t help you above 18 mph you can definitely top 28 mph by pedaling with the larger front sprocket and higher cassette gears. Lots of people find cheap kits online and build their own ebikes but they don’t usually turn out this clean. If you can deal with the higher stand-over height, don’t mind the $50 shipping and are looking for a little boost around town then this would be a great option. I would totally get this for riding around campus at college or commuting in a city. The ride quality really surprised me with the upright position, swept back bars and steel frame. The saddle felt tight and hard but that’s always the case with leather until it gets broken in and the tightener-adjustment thing underneath was really cool.

Pros:

• The saddle is really unique and nice, it’s made from genuine leather, has a corset style shape-keeping bind underneath and an integrated stretch mechanism at the nose so you can keep it firm over time as the leather softens
• So many braze-ons and threaded eyelets on this frame… you get two bottle cage mounting points, holes for adding fenders, eyelets for traditional rear racks and on the fork for a basket or pannier
• The display panel is super small and cool looking in my opinion, it’s easy to reach, intuitive to use and backlit, I like that it goes “around” so you can skip from zero assist up to level five and vice-versa
• I love how light weight and balanced this electric bicycle is… at ~37 lbs it’s one of the lightest models I’ve tested and the weight is fairly evenly distributed across the frame and kept low for good balance
• The is one of the most affordable electric bikes I’ve tested, especially considering it offers 14 speeds, ships for $50 in the US and comes with a one year warranty!
• Surprisingly comfortable to ride… the steel frame and fork absorbs vibration and the 38c tires offer good cushion, best of all the “sparrow” style swept-back handlebar and padded grips provide a more upright body position keeping back and neck muscles from straining too much
• Available in two fun colors, bright gloss blue and bright gloss orange… perhaps Everly likes the Denver Broncos?
• Solid adjustable length kickstand reduces tips and scratches, the seat post has a unique accent at the top for style I suppose and the branding is simple, beautiful and vintage
• One of the most bicycle-esque electric bikes I’ve tested, it’s meant to be pedaled and performs well with so many gears and the efficient large city wheels, I had no problem carrying it up and down stairs and I’m sure it would work on most hang-style bike racks

Cons:

• The motor is on the small side by American standards but this keeps it light weight and efficient, the battery is about half the size of what I’d call average but keeps the triangle free for two bottle cages or accessories and is super fast to charge at ~1.5 hours
• Even though there are 10 magnets on the cadence sensor, it took a bit longer to activate and de-activate during my ride tests
• I couldn’t figure out how to switch from kilometers per hour to miles per hour… minor gripe but this could be annoying (or teach you how to use metric)
• The battery pack rattles around a bit, you might be able to tighten the fit with some layers of electrical tape to act as a shim or use some rubber bumpers but don’t overdo it or the pack might not click all the way down and fall off… which is much worse than some rattly noises ;)
• Lots of generic or lesser well-known parts here including the motor, battery, derailleur, plastic pedals and v-brakes with levers that are on the small side given the extra effort required for mechanical activation
• The top speed is a bit more limited here at ~18 mph compared with most ebikes I test in the US that go ~20 mph or up to ~28 if they are speed pedelecs
• Only available in traditional diamond high-step which might be a little tall for short-legged riders (standover height is ~31 inches)
• No motor inhibitor switches built into the brake levers, this means there can be a second-long delay when stopping (where the motor continues running, fighting your brakes)