Evelo Compass Spec Review, 2024

In-Depth Evelo Compass Review

Evelo Compass Review: Comfort, Handling, and Ride Qualities

When we consider the comfort and handling of an e-bike, we often talk about the bike’s center of gravity and how that influences how the bike turns as well as how stable it feels at speed. When we do this we assume that the rider is moving at least fast enough to stay upright. Balance on a bike is largely determined by the gyroscopic effect generated by the spin of the wheels. Wheels that are small or are spinning slowly won’t generate as much gyroscopic effect. With an adult e-trike, balance isn’t an issue. The e-trike is going to stay upright no matter how slowly it’s moving.

A trike, whether it has a motor or not, is a different sort of riding experience. Trikes don’t lean into a turn and the combination of a handlebar and no lean can be disorienting, at least to anyone who has ridden a bike in the recent past.

The Evelo Compass has a step-thru frame, which makes perfect sense to us. We don’t assume everyone who might buy an e-trike has limited mobility, but there are enough people of limited mobility, balance or strength to justify designing a frame that is easy to get on and off.

The Evelo Compass uses 24-in. wheels, which helps lower the standover height (just 15-in.) for the e-trike even more than if it were built with 26-in. (or larger) wheels. And because the tires are 2.4-in. wide, they can be run at relatively low pressure (<40 psi) for a very comfortable ride on the road.

Evelo Compass Review: Motor, Battery, and Drivetrain Performance

Most of Evelo’s e-bikes are built around mid-drive motors. Typically, mid-drive motors need less power than hub-drive motors because they apply their power at the point the rider does—prior to the effort-multiplying gears. The Evelo Compass comes with a 500W Bafang mid-drive motor to help get this e-trike up to speed and keep it at a comfortable cruising pace.

The 504Wh Panasonic battery should provide riders with roughly 40 mi. of range on average. For anyone who thinks they are recharging too often or are riding more than 40 mi. at a stretch, Evelo offers the option to add a second battery, something the Evelo Compass is already designed to accept.

Trikes, whether e-assist or not, employ a somewhat complicated drivetrain in order to make both rear wheels go. The system the Evelo Compass uses features quality parts and excellent construction quality. It will last a great many miles.

Evelo chose a Shimano drivetrain for the Compass and the shifter is an easy-to-use grip shifter that the rider simply twists in order to shift—much like a motorcycle throttle. One simple click and the rider is in a new gear. Riders who live in hilly places may need to re-think some of their routes as this set of gears numbers just three.

Evelo Compass Review: Braking, Safety, Customer Service & Warranty

The brakes on the Evelo Compass come from Tektro featuring a mechanical disc design paired with 180mm rotors. With 24-in. wheels and 180mm rotors, the mechanical discs shouldn’t have any trouble bringing this e-trike to a stop, even though it weighs in the neighborhood of 80 lbs.

It’s true we like hydraulic disc brakes better than mechanical disc brakes, but the question we ask is whether a brake is powerful enough to give a rider sufficient control when modulating speed, or stopping outright. In this case, a mechanical disc brake matched to 180mm rotors and 24-in. wheels will get the job done.

When it comes to rider safety, being able to handle a heavier person and not break is a real consideration for anyone returning to cycling after some years of inactivity. Most of the e-bikes we review can handle some heft. It’s not uncommon to see an e-bike rated to accommodate riders up to 300 lbs. The Evelo Compass will support riders as heavy as 350 lbs., and in the case of riders exceeding that weight, Evelo encourages prospective buyers to contact them as they have the ability to build a Compass that will support even heavier folks. Seeing a company make this sort of effort is exciting.

Based on the limited number of reviews of the Evelo Compass, but also taking into account rider reviews of other Evelo e-bikes, Evelo does a fine job of customer service. There are reports of Evelo going above and beyond to help buyers.

Evelo takes some pride in their warranty, and it is different for sure. They offer a four-year, 20,000-mi. warranty. They say it’s double that of most other manufacturers, but in fact it’s more like four times that of most of their competitors.

Evelo Compass Review: Recommendation/Final Verdict

An e-trike is a different sort of ride experience. It’s not like being on a bike and the first time someone rides a trike and it doesn’t lean when they are ready to turn the experience can be rather surprising. It’s a sensation that passes quickly. Riders do need to exercise some caution when turning on a trike. While the presence of the mid-drive motor and a low-slung battery help to keep the trike’s center of gravity low to make it stable, trikes can tip if a rider tries to take a turn too quickly. Unless someone is pushing to go faster and faster, that probably won’t be an issue, though.

The Evelo Compass comes equipped with a sizable basket, making it competitive with many cargo bikes for carrying capacity. Should someone want to do grocery runs without having to balance a bike with 40 lbs. of food, the Evelo Compass makes for a compelling alternative.

Thanks to the detailed photos of the Compass that Evelo provides on the product page, shoppers can see just how well-made this e-trike is. It’s a big improvement over the steel ones made in the past. A 500W mid-drive motor and disc brakes will make riding a trike a substantially different experience from what these were prior to e-bikes. We do have some reservations about the choice of a 3-speed drivetrain, at least where hills are concerned, but it’s also fair to observe that the typical rider of the Evelo Compass probably isn’t looking to climb the canyon roads above Malibu.

The Evelo Compass represents a significant investment. Any e-bike that goes for more than $4000 is likely to make most folks think twice, but in the case of this e-trike the expense is worth every cent. A budget e-trike isn’t something we would want to trust our loved ones to. We also suspect it will have terrific resale value because they aren’t commonly available.

The reasons why someone might not be able to ride an e-bike are numerous. However, the why isn’t important. What is important is that for a great many people who can’t ride a bike or even an e-bike, the Evelo Compass presents an opportunity to get outside and pedal. And should someone’s endurance run short, because this is a Class 2 e-trike, it has a thumb throttle to help someone get home.

Injuries, balance issues and other health issues aside, we all get old. Aging doesn’t tend to work out well, but exercise of any form helps to keep its effects at bay. No matter how old someone is, the Evelo Compass is a chance to get outside and move.

Thank you for reading through our review of the Evelo Compass. Still have further questions? Wondering how it compares to a similar bike? Leave us a question in the comments below and the team at BestElectricBikes.com will answer!