EVOLV Stride E-Scooter Review
For the past few years I have been reviewing cars but lately I've been interested in other forms of transportation with electric scooters at the top of the list. There are tons of options on the market and it can be challenging picking the right one.
This is the EVOLV Stride, an electric scooter that is designed to be low maintenance. Punctures and flat can be annoying but thanks to this scooter being equipped with honeycomb solid tires you can commute worry free.
When it comes to electric scooters in general, there are none that are fully waterproof. They are all water resistance like your smartphone. It is not recommended to ride in heavy rain or through deep puddles as warranty does not cover water damage.
Disclosure: We were loaned the EVOLV Stride for review by Urban Machina. They do not get to see the review or content before it is posted and no money exchanged hands. There are affiliate links in this review.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Since this is my first time ever riding a scooter I wanted to take it easy with a scooter that’s not too overpowered however once I got on I was surprised how easy and stable it was to ride. I’m familiar with longboarding and cycling so I figured that experience would translate over pretty easily.
It comes with 3 drive modes which cap the max speed. (Eco = 15km/hr | Normal = 25km/hr | Sport = 35 km/hr) On top of the drive modes there is also a walking mode which helps give you a boost when you’re pushing the scooter. It’s useful when walking uphill and having some power assist.
The EVOLV Stride is ideal for cruising around the city as it has full suspensions that work in tandem with the dual front shocks to absorb vibrations. I rode it from Brentwood to Pacific Center a few times and it worked great as the path I took is mostly flat and had no problems maintaining high speeds.
At first I thought 35km/hr would be too fast for an electric scooter but when using it in the real world commuting to work I realize that’s a good speed. I was surprised when some cyclist were overtaking me on their manual bikes even when I’m going max speed! Because of that experience, anything that can’t at least do 30km/hr will feel too slow if using as a daily commuter.
It’s equipped with front and rear lights but they’re small. If you plan to ride at night often you may want to consider add-ons.
At first I was hoping for a longer deck since I’m used to a wider stance with my longboards but after I tried to put it in the trunk of my car I realized this is the limit. On top of being able to fit into a sedan trunk, it’s size makes it easier to maneuver in the elevator of my condo/office, and getting around corners at the grocery store. I wish their was a handle on top of the rear wheel cover. It would make it easier to get a grip to move the scooter in and out of cars that have a higher load floor.
acceleration:
The power delivery is very smooth and fast when going full throttle however the hand pedal is light feeling. It will be tricky giving it 20-50% power without it feeling jerky because going over bumps can cause the thumb to wiggle and change how much power it’s sending. To get around that I set my drive mode to cap the max speed and just have my thumb all the way down so any bumps don’t cause the power output to deviate.
It’s challenging to be switching drive modes while in motion since one hand riding is very unstable. I wish there was a button closer to the grips. Maybe a button on the left side where the thumb can reach without removing the hand from the grips, or a twisting mechanism built into the grip to shift gears like on some bicycles.
By default the power doesn’t engage till the scooter is in motion so you’ll have to kick to start. If you connect the scooter to the app you can disable that feature if you want to have an immediate launch.
PORTABILITY:
The scooter can fold down to be carried around like a briefcase. Since the scooter is 50 lbs it’s rare that I’ll carry it around unless I have to go scale stairs or lifting it into the car trunk. The more powerful scooters can be 100+ lbs so that’s something to keep in mind There is front and rear lights but they’re small and not super bright. If you plan to ride a lot at night you may want to consider add-ons. There is front and rear lights but they’re small and not super bright. If you plan to ride a lot at night you may want to consider add-ons. As a commuter, I think this is the sweet spot of enough range, and speed while being in a weight class that is manageable.
RIDE:
The ride quality of the deck is comfortable on pavement . The deck can cruise over bumps thanks to the rear suspensions working in tandem with the front shocks to absorb vibrations. If riding on gravel however, I noticed there’s a bit of vibration going up the stem which can be felt in the handle.
CHARGING:
Charging is done using a laptop style charger. It is not recommended to leave it charging overnight or when not at home as it could damage the battery or cause fire if overcharged. I wish it could display the remaining battery as a number on the scooter. The only way to see this information is to pair it with your phone which I tried, but after a while of inactivity it gets disconnected so I can’t continue to monitor remotely from my desk or tv. It would be handy to have the app not disconnect and add an alarm feature to notify users when scooter is charged and ready to be unplugged.
Answering your questions from instagram:
How fast does it go?
Top speed of 35km/hr before the power is throttled
Would riding an e-scooter long distance from South BBY to UBC be comfortable?
Comfort really depends on road conditions. If you find a route with smooth pavement it will be relaxing if you’re fine with standing for that long. I use a standing desk at home so I'm used to long periods where I’m standing. The suspension and shocks on the Stride help absorb bumps.
My biggest concern is you can't lock these things outside...
There are ways to lock it and some brands have an e-lock feature so wheels won't turn to prevent thieves from pushing your scooter away if they break the lock. The only caveat is with that feature the scooter needs to be on. If you have a decent size battery this may not be an issue. That being said I would not leave something so expensive unattended for long.
overall impression of the EVOLV STRIDE:
The EVOLV Stride is very capable for those looking to commute longer distances regularly since it has healthy amount of range and speed. This works great for me on my route from Brentwood to downtown.
The handle height is not adjustable so it may not be ideal for all riders. You’ll want to test getting on this at the showroom before committing.
The thing that surprised me was even thought it has a top speed of 35 km/hr and 500W powertrain, it struggled with going uphill. I was expecting to be able to climb steep hills at top speed since those numbers are pretty good on paper when comparing with other scooters.
If you’re considering a more budget friendly scooter, you’ll want to be aware that you may end up having to push your scooter uphill if the motors are less powerful.
Knowing this, I’d say a single 500W motor is the minimum you’d want if you’re going up any hill. If your route has lots of long and steep hills you may want to consider getting a scooter with a dual motor but that will be more expensive and heavier!
The Stride has a good balance of speed, weight, and range. It is $1400 CAD so it’s definitely not cheap considering there are 350W electric scooters on sale for $400 which may work if your route is mostly flat. I don’t have any experience testing scooters in the $400-700 range.
If you’d like to try out an electric scooter book a test ride at Urban Machina. They have two locations and 6 brands to try out. There are Black Friday deals happening now from many retailers and manufacturers so do your research! If you opt to buy an electric scooter from Urban Machina using links in this post I’ll receive a small commission.
