This is an in-depth review of the EVELO Galaxy ST e-bike. This cruiser-style electric bike offers a relaxed, comfortable, upright ride on a powerful e-bike with premium components – and it’s low maintenance too. The EVELO Galaxy ST e-bike is an ideal urban e-bike. It’s quite low to the ground and it’s step-through, and this combination makes it very accessible, and therefore ideal for someone who has not ridden a bike for a long time. This bike is billed as a stylish, maintenance-free, comfort cruiser and yes – it ticks all those boxes.
First impressions of the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
My first impression of the EVELO Galaxy ST e-bike was that it stands out from the crowd with its very stylish looks. Everyone who sees it reacts positively, as in, “Wow, that’s a great looking bike.” However, as you get closer, you notice it is not just a stylish bike – the components and construction are also outstanding. And as you can see, even the frame is unique and stylish. This bike has a definite touch of class.
The EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike Arrives Fully Loaded
The EVELO Galaxy ST e-bike arrives fully loaded. We received it in a box, and my account of how easy it was to assemble can be found here. Maggie did the assembly pretty much on her own, while I man-handled the camera! The bike ships with assembly instructions, and if you lose them, they are also online here. The only tool you need is a simple pedal wrench, which comes with the bike.
As you can see, this e-bike is pre-fitted with a strong integrated rack, and wrap-around fenders. I especially like the fenders. There is nothing fun about arriving at work with a wet trail of mud all the way down your back. The rear fender goes way down and has an extra mud flap, which I know from experience is extremely effective in keeping mud off your bike and your rear end.
Also notice the integrated rack-top, trunk-type pannier. This is available as an add-on from EVELO’s online accessories shop. This little pannier is stylish and handy. It is cleverly constructed, with integrated panels that can be folded down to the sides for extra space.
Here you can see how the sides of this pannier fold down to provide extra space.
The Big Picture
With this Galaxy E-bike, EVELO has achieved a successful hybrid of classic cruiser and comfort bike. There is a deep step-through frame so that anyone can get onto it. Once on, it offers an upright riding position for a very comfortable ride. The handlebars can be adjusted to get the riding position just right for you. To me, this is an ideal first e-bike for someone who has never ridden an e-bike, or perhaps has not ridden bikes at all for a long time. The step-through design and upright position make the EVELO Galaxy ST e-bike easy to mount and ride. In fact, the step-through is so low that I think one could get on this bike while wearing a long wedding gown (I did not test this theory).
Of course, once you start riding a bike a lot, it starts to need maintenance. Most bikes require quite a lot of maintenance, and ideally, some technical ability to keep all the various oily, moving parts working well together. But with this e-bike, no knowledge and almost no maintenance work is required.
The wheels are turned by a maintenance-free Gates belt drive (instead of a regular chain). Belt drives require no maintenance, are not greasy, and do not rust. They also weigh a lot less than chains, yet last a lot longer. Chains can be a weak point on e-bikes, especially hub-drive e-bikes, as they take a lot of strain due to the power of the motor. This means that a belt drive on an e-bike is a great way to reduce maintenance and upkeep costs. No more cleaning mud and gunk off filthy chains!
Mid-Drive Motor and Battery on the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
The EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike cuts no corners on quality. It is powered by a 350 W Bafang Max hub-drive brushless geared motor, which is housed centrally and very discreetly in the crank drive. Note that crank-drive motors are also called mid-drive motors, because – of course – the crank drive is in the middle of the bike. This is becoming increasingly common, starting to rival the more common placement of the motor in the hub of the rear wheel. Personally, I prefer crank drives over hub drives, but there are certainly pros and cons of both. You can read about the pros and cons of hub motors vs. crank drive motors for e-bikes here.
The primary benefit of a mid-drive motor is that the power of the motor integrates with the gearing. You will find that you become increasingly skilled at mastering this synergy, to get the most of your motor on long uphills. I find this an extremely fun learning process! This e-bike has 8 gears, which you can deploy to maximize the power of the motor.
The Bafang motor is powered by a 36 volts 13 amp hours Panasonic lithium ion battery. I have used these batteries for a few years now, and they are top-notch. This one has plenty of charge: 36 x 13 is 468, so this battery has a whopping 468 Watt hours of charge.
To power up the battery, you use a dedicated charger. As with all electric bikes, a full charge takes several hours. There are red lights to show you when it is charging, and green lights to show when it is done. A nice feature of the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike that is not found on many e-bikes, is that you can charge the battery without removing the battery from the frame. And of course, you charge it from a regular power outlet.
The battery is concealed in an integrated custom rear bike rack, and is so slim that it is hard to notice it.
Check out all the specs and components of the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike here!
Other Components of the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
Other high-end features of the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike include:
- NuVinci® continuous variable transmission for smooth, easy gear shifting.
- Disk brakes for power braking.
- Stylish handlebars with faux leather comfort grips.
- A comfy, stylish saddle with springs.
One of the best things about this bike: all of the cables are tucked inside the frame, offering a streamlined appearance with minimal maintenance. The best place for cables is out of sight, out of mind, in my opinion. That way they cannot rust, and do not snag on things.
This e-bike has disc brakes. I believe disk brakes are essential on electric bikes, to ensure precision braking despite the greater weight and sometimes much faster speed.
Premium and Fully Loaded Editions of the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
This e-bike comes in two editions, Premium and Fully Loaded. This review is based on the Premium edition. The primary difference is that the Fully Loaded edition gives you fully automatic gear changing for about four hundred extra dollars. If you are looking for a super relaxed ride, this would be worth the extra dollars. If you prefer to control your own gearing, you won’t need this option. Personally, not something I would choose.
The other difference is that the Premium comes with mechanical disk brakes, while the Fully Loaded comes with hydraulic disk brakes. The primary difference here concerns maintenance, with hydraulic disk brakes requiring less frequent maintenance. In my experience, both mechanical and hydraulic disk brakes are quite low maintenance. As long as you have your bike serviced regularly (and why wouldn’t you), you should not really have to think much about disk brakes. Both of these variations will give you excellent stopping power. Disk brakes are pretty much essential on e-bikes, given their greater weight and speed. Hydraulic disk brakes are claimed to have greater stopping power, but for most users, mechanical disk brakes will be more than good enough.
One downside with disk brakes is that they have a “running-in” period during which they can be noisy and may even squeal. They tend to be a bit soft during this period too. The instruction manual that comes with the bike tells you how to deal with this and make the noise go away quickly.
How to Use the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
The EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike offers you these options:
- use no power at all and just pedal;
- use just throttle power; or
- use one of the five levels of Pedelec assistance while pedaling.
So, in a nutshell, you will usually ride this bike with throttle power only, or with pedal assist. As I often say, having the choice of both is optimal, as it allows you to choose the right approach for conditions. When riding for fitness, using the pedal assist ensures that you are exercising all the time. But if you are exhausted or your knees are hurting or your heart is over-strained, you can elect to run on just throttle power.
To turn the motor on or off, just press and hold the MODE button near your left hand for about 2 seconds. The bike also comes with instructions on how to switch the lights on, and how to energize the USB port that is located on the left edge of the panel, in case you want to charge your phone or other device while riding. Once it is switched on, you can change the level of pedal assist with the Up and Down arrows. The higher the number, the greater the power.
The centrally mounted backlit LCD display console supplies information, including Current, Average and Maximum Speed, plus Odometer (total miles on the bike) and Trip mileage (miles traveled on the current ride).
Throttle: You control the throttle with a small black switch next to your left thumb. It will not activate until the bike is moving at 6.2 mph. This is a common safety feature on e-bikes. It means that if you are pushing the bike into an elevator, for example, you will not hurt yourself by accidentally engaging the throttle. It does however mean that you cannot use the throttle to pull off from a dead stop.
Pedal Assist: The pedal assist simply kicks in when you pedal, at the level that you chose. One half crank turn after you start pedaling, the motor starts assisting at the level you selected. The short delay is another safety feature. I have ridden e-bikes that don’t have this feature, and it is really disconcerting if you are stopped at a light, absent-mindedly put your foot on the pedal – and the bike suddenly lurches forward!
Auto Shut-off of Motor: As with all quality e-bikes, the motor will cease to assist you the minute you engage the brakes. This is obviously a safety feature. When you first ride an e-bike, you may be surprised at the speed. I remember in my early days almost having an accident once when negotiating an obstacle in the street and under-estimating my speed. Because of that experience, I totally approve of safety features such as auto shut-off of motor upon braking.
Test Riding the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
Maggie I test rode this bike on road and paved trails, and had a lot of fun with it. The bike did really well! The motor is silent, so you don’t have to worry too much about whether people will notice that you have a motor. The bike felt super stable, and handled off road extremely well.
Despite the quietness of the motor, the reality is that most people will realize you have some electric assistance when you pass them on an uphill without breaking a sweat. Personally, that is just fine with me. I am not ashamed of using electricity to cook, shave, or brush my teeth, and I am equally unashamed of using electricity to get up steep hills!
This bike is aimed at those who want a stylish and relaxed cruiser type e-bike. It will absolutely meet the needs of that segment. However, I think there is another segment that this e-bike is ideal for: people who are nervous to try e-bikes. These will most likely be people who have not ridden bikes for many years, and are nervous to get on any bike at all, let alone an e-bike. Well, this bike is so low-slung that you feel really close to the ground when you ride it.
Many electric bikes are really big, and give you the feeling you are far from the ground. That’s fine if you are confident, but not so much if you are nervous. I can honestly say I have never ridden a more accessible e-bike than this one. After the test ride, we battled to get home as a lot of people stopped us to ask questions about the bike. This woman thought an e-bike like this would empower her to get back to cycling after 30 years – and she was less than 5 feet tall!
The Lights on the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
This bike has an integrated rear light and a big reflector as well. It has a front light that is powered by a USB-rechargeable battery (there was no headlight on the test bike, which is why you don’t see it in the photos).
Range of the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
The first question anyone most people ask me when they see me on an electric bike is: “How far does it go on one charge?” If the person asking is twice my size or half my size, I sometimes have to stop myself from answering: “That depends on whether you are riding it or I am riding it!” The point is that there are multiple variables that impact range, including weight of rider, terrain, wind, how much you pedal, etc. I have an entire post about how to figure out the range of electric bikes.
EVELO are honest enough to concede this vital point, stating that: “Different riders in different conditions can expect different performance. … This is why distance-per-charge is estimated across a broad range.” That said, they rate this battery at up to 50 miles per charge. The bike has a Lithium Ion 36V13Ah Battery with Advanced Battery Management Software. As I mention in my book on How to Buy the Best Electric Bike, it’s best to have an electric bike setup in which the battery capacity in watt hours is equal to or greater than the motor capacity in watts. Watt hours = amp hours x volts. So in this case, the watt hours are a very impressive 468, which should power that 350 W motor for well over an hour.
Warranty on the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
Unusually, EVELO offers a four year/20,000 km warranty on their bikes. This is very impressive, being much better than the industry standard. They also offer a ten-day period for you to decide if you want to keep it, exchange it, or return it.
Also, this bike is tested for riders up to 300 pounds, which is about 60 pounds more than most bikes are rated for.
Bottom Line on the EVELO Galaxy ST E-bike
If you are in the market for a comfortable, low-maintenance electric bike for commuting or recreational riding, you really should take a look at this bike. It’s comfortable and relaxed, yet powerful. The combination of the step-through style with a powerful motor and a long-range battery is perfect for anyone looking for an e-bike they can use for just about any commuting or recreational use. It’s a bike you can simply step onto any time, and take it pretty much anywhere that is paved. It’s also great looking, which is always a plus.
Also, if you are feeling nervous about riding a bike again, you owe it to yourself to try this one out!
I would recommend this electric bike to anyone wanting a comfortable, high-quality, low-maintenance electric commuter and recreational bike.
Go Check Out the EVELO Web Site and Deals!
EVELO has a whole range of premium electric bikes, and offers 0% financing options to make it easier to get onto one of these beautiful bikes.
 | Thinking of buying an Electric Bike? Check out my new 2018 edition of How to Buy the Best Electric Bike! Buy it here. | Read all about How to Buy the Best Electric Bike here. |
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