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Riese & Müller produces high-quality, sturdy (often heavier), electric bikes with an emphasis on durability, handling, and comfort. Almost all of their models have front suspension, and many, such as the Delite, have rear suspension as well. With the Nevo concept, they focused on approachability, opting for a deep step-thru or “wave” style frame. This allows riders with sensitive knees and hip joints to step-over the frame more comfortably. The frame tubing is reinforced for strength, to reduce flex as you pedal and turn, and the tapered head tube connects to the main-tubing with additional gusset plating on the GH compared to the standard Nevo. I did not experience instability or front wheel wobble while testing this product, which is impressive! What you get is an approachable but powerful and performant platform that is rated for heavier loads, up to 353 pounds vs. 309 lbs on most of the other R&M ebike models. The bike itself weighs in around 61.6 lbs and is not front or rear heavy, though some of the weight from the battery is positioned higher than on other models (to free up the step-thru area of the frame). Compared to the standard Nevo, the GH is only being produced with the Bosch CX high-torque motor that caps out at 20 mph top speed in the US. It has an upgraded Thudbuster ST seat post suspension vs. the Elegance-LT, sturdier stem and handlebar rated as Ergotec6 (the highest on a 1-6 scale), wider plastic fenders from SKS to provide full coverage for the wider 2.4″ wide Schwalbe tires, and stiffer wider pedals. I was told that the Nevo model has been one of the most popular in the Riese & Müller lineup, and they now sell variations in three frame sizes with two motor options (speed or high-torque) and even three wheel sizes (26″, 27.5″, and 28″). The GH is only available in two sizes (47 cm and 56 cm) with the 27.5″ wheels and NuVinci continuously variable transmission drivetrain, but you can still choose from three colors (red, white, and blue). If you weigh more, seek stability from wider tires, and are okay with the Bosch CX 20 mph motor, then this would be an excellent choice. The 180 mm hydraulic disc brakes provide ample stopping power with adjustable-reach levers and comfortable locking ergonomic grips. The 70 mm suspension fork has wider 34 mm stanchions and interfaces with the front wheel using a 15 mm thru-axle (compared to 9 mm quick release skewers on most bicycles) and since it’s an air fork, you can adjust the pressure for your body weight in addition to locking it out to reduce bob and dive if you mostly ride on flat smooth terrain. Just keep in mind that R&M electric bikes are made to order, and it could take a month or more from the time you commit to buy through a shop to when the actual product arrives and is assembled.
Riding this bike felt comfortable and more upright to me because of the steeper stem and riser handlebars, along with the gel saddle to settle back into. Any cargo that you connect to the rear rack (up to ~44 lbs) will benefit from the higher air volume of these Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires, including a child riding in an aftermarket seat like this. No, it’s not going to be as smooth as a full suspension design like the Homage, but it’s still pretty good. And as a safety nut myself, I love that this electric bike comes stock with sturdy fenders (the rear one is connected to the rack to reduce vibration and noise), a belt and chainring cover, reflective tires, and high-end integrated lights. The headlight has an alloy casing and can be aimed up or down to suit your environment, it delivers 165 lumens which is way above average. The tail light is tucked beneath the rack so it won’t be blocked by trunk bags or a panniers. They really thought this thing out and it shows. I love that the battery pack and display are removable for charging and protection if you park at a public rack, if you were using this bike to commute to work daily as a way to get some exercise and avoid automobile traffic. Since this is a Class 1 product, it should be allowed in more places than ebikes with throttles or higher top speeds, even some dirt trails. The bike is feature rich and the features are very well thought out vs. just slapped on. Perhaps the one complaint I have about accessories is that there are no bottle cage bosses on the seat tube and the fenders, sturdy as they are, do rattle a bit on rough terrain. Note that the headset is using BlockLock to prevent over-steer and frame damage, and the belt drive is from Gates and uses a carbon fiber rubber blend that is very durable and reliable – it won’t fall off easily because there’s a center track design that retains it.
Driving the Nevo is Bosch’s high-torque Performance Line CX mid-motor. It offers up to 75 Newton meters of torque output and is usually reserved for e-mountain bikes. I think it’s a perfect match for a heavy-duty ebike like the Nevo GH, and should peform well even in climbing situations as long as you shift through the CVT gearing appropriately. To help you do this, a little info-graphic shows a person riding a bicycle, and as you twist the shifter, the graphic shows him on flats or on a little hill. The hill represents climbing and makes pedaling easier while slowing the bike down. As a relatively lightweight rider myself, only weighing ~135 lbs, I usually average 35+ miles per charge regardless of the power output I choose (Turbo being the highest power). But heavier riders should expect 25+ depending on how much effort is spent, the terrain, and even factors like wind. One thing that really sets the CX apart in terms of operation, is that it can be (or may already be) updated with the eMTB drive mode. This setting allows you to arrow up from off to Eco, Tour, and then eMTB which provides a wide range of 130% to 300% power output. For riders who may be distracted by shifting gears or steering through traffic, this assist mode de-complicates riding and was developed for mountain bikers who may be intensely focused on terrain conditions. Anyway, this motor has so much to offer… including shift detection (which is not relevant with the NuVinci CVT drivetrain. It measures your rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque over 1,000 times per second to make decisions about how to assist you. One trade-off with all of this power is that you tend to get less range for charge. But Bosch has done their best to increase battery capacity with the Powerpack 500 to address this, and they provide a faster 4 Amp charger with the bike to cut wait times. Another trade-off here is noise, the CX motor whines more when being used in high power settings and when you pedal faster. I love that the motor can still assist you at 120 pedal strokes per minute, while so many competing mid-drives fade out or can only match 100 RPM. This is another design feature that allows you to focus on pedaling vs. shifting. The final complaint is minor, but worth exploring, and that is the proprietary smaller chainring used on all current generation Bosch Performance Line motors. The chainring sprocket spins at 2.5 revolutions for each one of your crank revolutions. So you pedal once, and that chain spins 2.5x, which means that there’s some friction happening in the reduction gearbox. The smaller chainring is good for the motor, providing a mechanical advantage, and it starts and stop very quickly, but if the motor is not on or you’re trying to pedal beyond 20 mph all by yourself, it just adds a bit of extra work. Coming back to the drivetrain, the N380 continuously variable transmission weighs several pounds more than the traditional Shimano Deore 10-speed derailleur+cassette (an option on the standard Nevo models) but won’t require as much maintenance. It can be shifted at standstill and produces less noise because it works with a Gates Carbon CDX belt drive… but in some ways, the quietness of the belt makes the motor sound louder. You can listen for yourself in the video review above.
Powering the motor systems, large backlit display panel, the Micro-USB accessory charger, and the integrated lights on this bike is a ~500 watt hour Lithium-ion Bosch battery pack. The pack is mounted higher up and further forward on this frame than the similar full suspension Homage model, and that should keep it from getting kicked as easily when you mount… but it also positions weight higher and more forward, which isn’t ideal for handling and balance. Still, it handled very well for me, even when riding with no hands. The pack fits neatly into a mount that’s inset into the tubing and is protected at the base by a sheet of black Aluminum alloy. I’m guessing this metal is designed to protect the battery and frame from scratches when people get on and off. Whenever the battery is clicked into the frame, it locks automatically and the sturdy core is provided by Abus, the same company that makes the cafe lock for the rear wheel. Both locks use the same key so you don’t need to cary two different keys around and clutter your keychain. And the battery can be charged on or off the frame by using the same quick charger which weighs ~1.7 lbs and could be tossed into a trunk bag. Bosch makes a slightly smaller, lighter, charger that only puts out 2 Amps vs. 4 Amps, and I’d consider adding that accessory for use in a commuting situation where you charge at work and then again at home (so you don’t have to carry the charger around at all times). The battery pack has a button on the left side that illuminates a 5-LED charge indicator so you can get a basic idea of how full it is, whether it’s on the bike or not. And this is brings up one of the minor complaints I have about the battery and the display unit. Instead of using a battery percentage on the Intuvia display, they just give you those same five bars, which represent 20% increments. And there’s a big difference between 20% and 0%, but you really can’t tell just by looking. Thankfully, the display also has a range estimator readout that is much more precise, and it’s not just measuring your voltage like a lot of cheaper units, it seems to measure Amp flow and stays consistent even when you vary how hard the motor is working.
To use the Range menu on the display, you first have to activate it by pressing the power button at the lower left corner. It boots up very quickly and shows you speed, assist level, and that battery infographic I talked about earlier. From here, you can press the i button on the right side of the display or on the remote button pad (mounted near the left grip). This cycles through trip stats like Odometer, Trip Distance, Average Speed, Max Speed, and Clock. When you get to range, try clicking up and down through the different levels of assist to see that the estimate changes dynamically. It’s based in part on battery capacity, but also how you’ve been riding for the past mile. If a new rider is getting onto the bike, they can hold the reset button on the left side of the display to get fresh estimates for themselves. This is a handy feature and one that sets Bosch apart from others in the space. And I love how intuitive and easy it is to find and use. There’s a new smaller Bosch display called the Purion but it doesn’t offer as many readouts and can be difficult to read and click at times. It’s also not removable… but if you really want that display, some shops can help you switch over to it and that would free up the stem area for mounting a phone, GPS, or other accessory. I guess the main point I want to make with the Intuvia display is that it is easy to approach but still deep, you can change from miles to kilometers by holding reset and i to enter the settings area, and you can even replace the display with a fancy Cobi interface to use your smartphone to run the bike if you want.
I thoroughly enjoyed testing the Nevo GH Nuvinci from Riese & Müller. It delivers high-end performance without sacrificing approachability and comfort, and is now even sturdier to accommodate large riders. Keep in mind that most electric bikes are rated up to ~250 lbs max weight… so ~350+ here is a big deal. Coming back to some of the highlights, I love that you can get the frame in a more masculine blue or white color scheme (white would be the safest at night), that the rims are wider and use 36 spokes at the back (where most of the weight is expressed), that they went with premium Magura brakes vs. heavier and less powerful alternatives, that the headlight offers 165 Lumens and that the grips are locking Ergon vs. something cheaper and less sturdy that could twist. Even the kickstand is well done, it stays out of your way and offers some adjustability in length to make the bike easier to load. Big thanks to Riese & Müller for partnering with me on this review and Chris Nolte at Propel Bikes for inviting me out to do test rides back to back and showcase the original Nevo NuVinci. It really helps to define the strengths and trade-offs for each model. And one final thought on the visual design of the bike… R&M don’t plaster their bikes with logos or get too busy with frame colors. Instead, they seem to choose one primary color and then use black for the supporting tubes to help the cables, seat post, saddle, tires, the fork, and even the motor and battery pack blend in. Well, maybe not the motor and battery pack here, but the point is that all of these accessories are often available in black only, so R&M seems to achieve some fun and style while also calming the clutter and keep the bike appearance “solid” and beautiful. It’s a minor thing, but it can be seen in all of their current models, and I like it.
Pros:
- Uniquely positioned battery keeps weight relatively centered while freeing up the deep step-thru frame for easy mounting and stand over, the rear rack is left open purely for cargo or a child seat like the Yepp! Nexxt Maxi), but the frame still feels solid and stiff vs. flexy
- The rear rack appears to be sturdier than aftermarket products even though it’s only officially rated at 44 lbs, you get a frame lock at the base of the rack for quick stops and I love that it uses the same key as the battery so you don’t have to deal with clutter
- The extra-wide SKS plastic fenders are strong and quiet, they should keep you relatively dry and I like how the front fender extends down further than many more basic accessories
- The Nevo GH offers a lot of utility and safety, whether you’re riding in wet or dark conditions, the reflective sidewall stripes on the tires and extra plastic strip protectors on the suspension fork lowers along with a high-quality integrated LED headlight with 165 lumens and nicer backlight help you to be seen while also illuminating your path (many cheaper lights just aren’t as bright or mounted as thoughtfully so they are suspended and out of the way), there’s also a little flick bell to help you signal to others in a friendly tone
- Riese & Müller is known for their thoughtful integration of suspension to improve control and comfort, the Nevo offers a suspension fork with lockout and a nicer Thudbuster ST (short travel) suspension seat post stock, the Selle Royale gel saddle, 45 degree stem, and Ergon ergonomic grips are also nice in this regard
- The Gates Carbon belt drive will stay cleaner and last longer than a traditional metal chain, this is the sort of belt you might find in your car engine, like a timing belt
- If you opt for the NuVinci drive system, you won’t have to worry about a derailleur getting bumped or bent in tight situations like racks or if the bike tips over onto the right side, it can also be shifted at standstill which is very handy if you have to stop abruptly or ride on hilly terrain
- In addition to standard fenders that cover the tires, the Nevo also has a plastic chainring cover with extended chain cover to help protect dresses, skirts, and pants from getting greasy and snagged as you pedal along
- The Bosch CX motor (which peaks at 20 mph) offers high response time, torque, and ride feel for mountain biking applications, so it’s very capable of dealing with extra weight on this bike, Bosch uses three sensors to measure wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque 1,000 times per second and offers shift detection to reduce impact on the drivetrain
- The bike is intentionally minimalist in terms of paint and styling, I believe that they wanted to highlight the main frame and color matched the fork, seat tube, and rack in black to help them blend in with the motor, battery, wheelset, and tires… to me, this is a pro because you still stand out and have a nice color but it’s more timeless and less branded, the frame design is the branding
- I love that the bike comes in two frame sizes and three color options, this lets you find the perfect fit and make it uniquely yours, the large 22″ frame could work for taller men and is unique in the world of step-thru models which tend to have smaller sizes only or just be too weak for larger riders to enjoy without a lot of frame flex
- I love the Bosch Intuvia display panel because it’s large and easy to read, has a Micro-USB port on the right side for charging your phone or other accessories, and can be quickly removed when parking outside for extra protection and security
- The Bosch Powerpack 500 battery is the same dimension as the older and smaller Powerpack 400 but only weighs 0.4 lbs more, and either pack can be mounted to the interface on this bike so you could get a less expensive second pack to go further and maybe put it in a trunk bag on the rack, I like how fast the Bosch charger is, offering 4 Amps vs. just 2 Amps of output on most other chargers
- The battery is indeed mounted on the downtube but is positioned not so low that it will get kicked frequently when mounting, this should keep it from getting loose or scratched up over time compared to some similar designs like the Riese & Müller Homage
- The battery is easy to remove, has an integrated handle so you can grip it securely, and uses the same charging interface whether it’s on or off the bike so you don’t need extra adapters, there’s even a 5-LED readout to give you a quick idea of how full it is
- Sometimes bicycles have kickstands that are mounted too close to the pedal crank arms and they get in the way when backing the bike up (because the cranks automatically turn) but the Nevo has a rear-mount stand that stays out of the way and also offers some height adjustment
- The front wheel uses a stiff thru-axle, the head tube is tapered for strength, the wheels are large and efficient as well as being wider for stability and comfort at 27.5″ diameter and 2.4″ width vs. just 2″ width on the standard Nevo
- I don’t have an exact number here, but I’m guessing that this step-thru would be able to handle more rider and cargo weight than a lot of competing ebikes because of the frame design and reinforced wheelset
- The GH model is heavy-duty and designed to handle more weight (from the rider and cargo combined) up to 353 lbs vs. most of the other R&M models which are rated up to ~309 lbs, most e-bikes I test are only rated to 250 lbs
- Many times when I test wave style frames, I experience frame flex and even some speed wobble as the front wheel jitters around at different speeds but that was not the case here, you can see this sort of wobble in the video review that I created for the Bulls Cruiser E here
- Awesome wheel and tire setup, extra wide 40 mm rims from Alexrims, Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires that have GreenGuard puncture protection and reflective stripes on the side to keep you safe (along with the integrated lights)
- The pedals on the Nevo GH are larger, stiffer, and grippier than those on the standard Nevo which is nice considering that this bike is made for larger, heavier riders, you could always go further and get Magnesium Wellgo pedals with adjustable pins for maximum grip and platform space, but those can scrape your shins up more easily if you do slip off
- You can press the walk mode button on top of the control panel and then hold + to allow the motor to move the bike forward slowly which is very handy in crowded spaces where you cannot ride or going up hills with a loaded rack, especially when you’ve got a heavier ebike like this
Cons:
- The NuVinci N380 Nfinity continuously variable transmission (CVT) is neat because it’s clean and can be shifted at standstill, but it does weigh more than a standard cassette and derailleur setup and it also costs more, it can take more hand effort to shift and is slower than a traditional cassette and derailleur
- At 61.6 lbs, this is one of the heavier electric bikes I have tested (due in part to the 5.6 lb NuVinci CVT rear hub, the traditional 10-speed Shimano XT drivetrain option would be lighter by about 2 lbs), thankfully the 180 mm hydraulic disc brakes from Magura offer great stopping power and have adjustable-reach levers work well for people with smaller hands or those wearing gloves
- I feel like there is plenty of space on the seat tube for bottle cage bosses, I realize a cage might get in the way of the step-thru frame design, but it could also be used for a folding lock or mini pump, this is a minor grip and you could always get a trunk bag with bottle holster like this or panniers, and this bag has fold out panniers so you can keep them up if you don’t need the space and want to reduce flopping round
- Riese & Müller bikes are built to order which means you get exactly what you want… but it also takes longer to be in stock, over a month if you’re in the USA
- I personally love the Thudbuster ST seat post suspension but it does add ~3″ of height to the saddle when lowered as far as possible, so if you’re petite and are having trouble reaching the pedals, consider swapping the stock post with a rigid 31.6 mm seat post like this
- Bosch Performance Line motors tend to produce a whining noise at high power and high RPM, you can hear it clearly in the video review above, and in some ways it’s more noticeable with the quiet belt drive and NuVinci CVT vs. a traditional chain and cassette
- The motor spins a smaller sprocket at 2.5 revolutions per single crank arm revolution and this creates some friction which requires extra pedal power when riding without assist or when pedaling beyond the assisted maximum speed, I am told that the upsides are better chain retention, faster response time, and a mechanical advantage for the motor
- The Nevo GH is only offered with the Bosch CX high-torque motor whereas the standard Nevo can be outfitted with the Performance Line Speed motor
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