My New Nevo GH Vario – First Impressions
The Riese & Muller Nevo GT Vario HS has been my preferred mode of transport for a couple of weeks now and I have been riding it to work as well over some more demanding terrain. So it seems appropriate that I share some early impressions.
Right upfront, I have to admit loving the change it has made to my cycling habits.
Step-Through Frame Design
The design of this frame is unique, innovative and very functional. The large step-through area (i.e. no top bar completing the traditional triangular frame structure) was one of the aspects that attracted me and being able to step through rather than over was a huge purchase consideration.
I will say though, that it felt very awkward for the first half day. Even now, I sometimes revert to old habits and try to dismount as if getting down from a horse.
Several days have been spent on trails of varying types and not once have I felt any flexing in the frame. The frame feels rock-solid thanks to the use of thick rectangular tubing that has been securely welded at all joints.
Pedal Assist
This is unsurprisingly, the best feature of the bike. Being able to ride up hills with ease where previously I would have struggled, is pure luxury. Last weekend I cycled up the Crafers Bikeway which would normally have been a long hard 11km struggle up some steady gradients. But instead, even without the highest level of pedal assistance, it was a relaxing ride at about 18kph. On the same ride, I investigated the Eagle Mountain bike tracks which should have had me grunting in ‘granny gear’, but again, it was a relaxing ride up the steepest of slopes.
I will go into greater detail in a future post, but I will just note that I think the 300km dual battery range is probably very optimistic, my early experience is that even in ideal conditions, this is likely to be more in the range of 230-250kilometres.
Motor and Hub Gears
The combination of a Bosch Performance Speed motor, Gates belt drive and Enviolo hub gear with no gaps between gear changes delivers a comfortable, dare I say sporty ride that is a real treat to experience.
The system is quiet and uses a torque sensor, cadence sensor, and wheel speed sensor to provide the proportional assist up to 300% of pedal power and capped at 25 kph for the Australian market.
I have found that the motor performs well. There is plenty of ‘grunt’ when needed and the extra assist when adding more from the left-hand handlebar control is very noticeable as well. In Sport or Turbo mode, the change feels as if someone is suddenly pushing from behind.
Again, I will spend more time on the use of gears and assist in a future posting.
Price
This is certainly a top-end e-Bike and the price will not be for everyone. But this is a high quality bike with and for me it is worth every cent and there is not a single regret.
Improvements
I have deliberately not called this section ‘Negatives’ because they did not discourage me from purchasing this bike, it is just that in my humble opinion, they should be addressed.
- There is not a single braze-on on the bike which makes it hard to add water bottle cages or mount a bike pump. I have yet to source a solution but will keep you updated when this has been solved.
- Both mudguards are very close to the tyre and are prone to coming in contact with any mud that may collect on the tyres. Perhaps this is by design as they do a very good job of ‘scraping’ the mud off but I do wonder if the mudguards will become damaged with continual use like this.
So, in summary, I will again say how much I love this bike. It performs well even though it is bulkier than a normal bike and I again look forward to getting out on weekends to explore Australia’s back roads and trails.
Hi Paul, thanks for today’s email update. To be perfectly honest, I’d forgotten about your brilliant site and not been keeping up with it!
I’ve never been a cyclist, until a few months ago when it was suggested I look at an eBike. I wanted to walk the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail and was told using an eBike would be a much more sensible and practical option, so, after lengthy investigation, I purchased one back in November and still cannot believe how brilliant it is!!
I have a 2nd hand Valk MX7 which came with a spare battery and a rear rack. It has 7 bike gears and 5 electric gears. I added a Thudbuster rear suspension post and a Serfas RX Cruiser saddle and they’ve made an enormous difference to the ride comfort.
I also added, from eBay, a rear pannier pack which I will probably replace with 2 Ortlieb bags in the near future and I venture onto longer and longer rides.
I’ll be using your site much more from now on as your touring rides are much more to my liking than those on the ebiker diary page, which is also awesome for riding around Sydney and its environs. I gained lots of valuable information from Richard’s site which, added to that on your pages, will ensure I am using all that accumulated knowledge to my best advantage.
Cheers and thanks heaps
Geoff
Hi Geoff, how great are e-Bikes. I know they take all the hard work out of riding but on the odd occasion I have ridden my ‘other’ bike, I remember why I changed in the first place. Good luck with your cycling adventures and thank you for the feedback. It is truly appreciated.
Cheers, Paul
Great website Paul. I have been riding a Specialized Levo full suspension for 3 years and would never go back. I’m saving for a Reise and Mueller Delite Gx with Rollhoff gear and gates belt. Your post only reinforces this choice.
Cheers Kym Wenham.
You are right Kym, they are a great bike and I love mine. However, I should say that the plastic mounts that connect the front mudguard stay to the wheel strut are not very strong, I have one ‘fixed’ with a cable tie and the handlebar mounted screen is not up to the Aussie sun, I can hardly read mine now and will have to replace it. Less than two years old, but overall, I still love the bike.