For the price it isn't bad, definitely the cheapest option I found for a cargo ebike that carries kids. It does the job.
I haul two kids with it using Polisport seats attached to the large rack - gets them to and from daycare, barely. I live in Nelson, BC - we have a ton of steep grades and the battery can sometimes struggle. I would definitely recommend going with a 48V bike if you have a bunch of hills.
I like that both a front and back rack, as well as foot pegs, were included as part of the purchase price. ENVO also seems to have a ton of dealers in Canada, so service options should be available if it comes to that. We were also heavily considering an Aventon Abound. Chose ENVO because it was quite a bit cheaper, but you always get what you pay for :).
Setup was simple enough, they have an online video on youtube.
My main issues with the bike are:
- Mechanical brakes are stock. For a bike that's supposed to carry kids, this is a truly headscratching choice from the design team. You absolutely have to spec hydraulic brakes on a cargo bike. Even the D35 has hydraulic brakes.
- Battery range is nowhere near what they advertise! I have never achieved more than 30km before running out of juice, and when you get to around 30% charge remaining the bike starts to struggle with power up hills.
- Fender stay was broken when shipped. Customer service was fairly responsive and sent a new part right away, props to that. They've been fairly responsive on the whole.
- Chain rubs against tire in 2 lowest gears. I have a strip all the way around the tire where you can see the rub. This was a setup issue from factory that I fixed.
- Fat tires. Not a huge fan of the 3" tires on the bike. I emailed and asked if I can decrease the tire size, they stated only a 3" tire would fit. That's unfortunate.
- External battery looks a bit silly compared to bikes with integrated.
- No child containment systed (ie. MonkeyBars). We have two seats for now but my 5 year old will be too big for them next year. This would be a huge seller for ENVO so not sure why they don't have a simple containment system. When I asked ENVO they said one might be in development.
Even with the mixed experience on this bike I am still considering other ENVO Bikes like the D50. It's just tough to find independent reviews of ENVO bikes to help when researching bikes. Hope this helps future customers.
