To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Revolve. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Revolve products.
The Revolve 60+ Miles is a bike designed to do just that. This is a comfortable, stable, and tough bike meant to go the distance with its dual battery setup. The bike resembles a bit more of a moped or motorcycle than a bicycle. That could be due to the motorcycle style kickstand in the rear or the fact that the entire right grip is a throttle (not like a half twist like some ebikes). But honestly, I think it more than resembles a moped, but actually feels like one too. The frame is low and easy to approach, and it uses these 20” x 3” tires. Now that may not be a 4” fat-tire, but 3” wide technically means it is a fat-tire. The tires here have a wide tread pattern made for roads and even has puncture protection. Around the wheels are steel fenders while the front wheel gets a suspension fork with both lockout and preload adjust. In addition to that, there is even a suspension seat post here too. I love that it has both a front basket and rear rack with pannier hangers, but all of these features do add to the weight. Overall this weighs 85lbs. Thank goodness there are two batteries here because I would hate to have to pedal this home with no juice since it is so heavy and only a single speed drivetrain. Other features include an electric horn and great battery integrated lights both front and rear. The rear even has turn signals! However, the front is not exactly adjustable, one of the tradeoffs here.
Driving the bike is a 500 watt planetary geared rear hub motor that is actuated either via cadence based pedal assist, or the right grip throttle. My guess is that you will be using the throttle almost all the time since the bike is heavy, single speed, and only has a 5 magnet sensor which means you would have to pedal the heavy bike a bit more to get the electrical system to engage. The 5 magnet cadence sensor and generic brand hub motor I would say would be a couple of tradeoffs to note. However, I think the larger trade off is the brakes. You have a 160mm mechanical disc brake rotor in the front while the rear uses older style drum brakes. This is a bit of a bummer for stopping such a heavy bike, but at least the bike does have motor inhibitors to cut power to the motor when breaking.
A big win on this bike is the dual battery setup. The combined total equals to a 48v 35ah setup… that’s over 1600 watt hours! This bike should easily be able to go the distance and both Sam and I think it could do 100 miles on pedal assist or even 70-80 miles theoretically on just throttle alone. One battery is mounted on the frame while the other is accessed by popping a seat lever to get behind the seat. Unfortunately, the bike has 2 separate keys, 1 for each battery, and the rear key even needs to stay in to operate the bike. I like that you can run just one battery if you want to save weight or charge one at home while you ride with the other. I also like that both batteries drain equally at the same time. Just like you have 2 keys though, you also have 2 different chargers. Each battery has a different charging port, so the chargers will not be interchangeable. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.
Operating the bike is quite simple, it uses a basic LED dot display. The pedal assist modes rage from low, medium, and high, and the top right shows you battery level in 4 separate 25% indicated steps. As I said, this is a basic display, so it has no odometer or speedometer. I am told however that the throttle maxes out at about 22mph. Next to the display is a separate control pad for the horn and turn signal lights, these are labeled and easy to press. No real confusion here like deeper display menus, just a little more basic probably to save on the overall bike cost.
This bike is a lot of fun and it really did feel quite a bit like a moped. It is great for getting around town and the big selling point here is the capabilities both with the larger tires, cargo storage, and dual batteries. Some of the tradeoffs that stood out to me where the single speed drivetrain matched with a 5 magnet cadence sensor. This would not be a fun bike to pedal because of the weight and lower resolution sensor, so you will likely want to throttle this most the time. The front light wasnt really made to adjust, so you have to strong man it and bend the metal mounting plate if you want it to point at the road. Probably the biggest tradeoff for me though was the breaks. 160mm mechanical is kind of the more basic setup now, so to see that in the front matched with an even older style drum brake in the rear means that stopping the heavy bike won’t be instant. Make sure to give yourself distance. But the price is truly impressive. At $1,950 it would be very difficult to find a dual battery ebike, let alone one with 35ah! This bike serves a purpose and I think it is perfect for the right kind of rider. Thank you Revolve for letting me check out another one of your unique purpose built bikes, it was a pleasure.
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Other Brands ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- A comfortable, stable, approachable, and tough bike meant to go the distance with its dual battery setup and motorcycle/moped feel
- Has a motorcycle style kickstand in the rear and the entire right grip is a throttle (not like a half twist like some ebikes)
- 20” x 3” tires, 3” wide technically means it is a fat-tire, the tires have a wide tread pattern made for roads and even has puncture protection
- Comfortable with a front suspension fork with both preload adjust and lockout, this is complimented well by the suspension seat post
- Good utility with a rear rack and even a front basket to carry stuff around, the 2 batteries can defiantly handle the load
- I love that electrically, you have an electric horn and great battery integrated lights both front and rear, the rear light even has turn signals!
- A 500 watt planetary geared hub-motor active with either cadence based pedal assist or throttle on demand
- A big win on this bike is the dual battery setup, the combined total equals to a 48v 35ah setup… that’s over 1600 watt hours! This bike should easily be able to go the distance and both Sam and I think it could do 100 miles on pedal assist or even 70-80 miles theoretically on just throttle alone
- The price point is very competitive, at $1,950 it would be very difficult to find a dual battery ebike, let alone one with 35ah!
- Another unique and purpose built bike from Revolve, they just keep getting better and better each year
Cons:
- My guess is that you will be using the throttle almost all the time since the bike is heavy, single speed, and only has a 5 magnet sensor which means you would have to pedal the heavy bike a bit more to get the electrical system to engage
- Some basic and generic components here and there like the LED display and the 500 watt rear hub motor
- The front light wasnt really made to adjust, so you have to strong man it and bend the metal mounting plate if you want it to point at the road
- 160mm mechanical is kind of the more basic setup now, so to see that in the front matched with an even older style drum brake in the rear means that stopping the heavy bike won’t be instant, but at least you get motor inhibitors, make sure to give yourself a little distance when stopping
- To get out and go is a little confusing, you have battery on/off switches for each battery and 2 separate keys where as the rear key needs to stay in for operation, not to mention the 2 different chargers to keep track of since each battery has a separate style charging port
Resources:
- Official Site: http://www.ebikesbyrevolve.com/
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