The EVRYjourney E-Bike Through a First-Timer's Eyes: Controls, Comfort, and a Hill Climb on Pedal Assist One

Why I Wanted a First-Time Rider on the EVRYjourney

There's a particular kind of skepticism I hear from people who have never ridden an e-bike. They picture something heavy and loud, with a battery bolted onto the frame like an afterthought and a display that needs a manual to decode. They assume it will feel more like a scooter than a bicycle. And to be fair, plenty of what's out there does look that way.

So when Mika took the EVRYjourney electric out for a long ride on camera, I paid more attention to the reactions than to anything on the spec sheet. By the end of the ride, Mika said it plainly: not in the market for an e-bike, never owned one. That is exactly the rider I had in mind when we put a motor on this bike, and exactly the person whose first impressions tell me whether we got it right.

What follows is the full story. What Mika noticed standing next to the bike. How the controls work. What pedal assist actually feels like at different levels. How the bike handled bumps, a curb, a long climb up to a lookout, and a quick descent. And the verdict at the end. I've kept the honest moments in, including the wobble on the first push-off and the part where Mika admitted to cheating and getting lazy on the higher assist levels. Those moments say more about an e-bike than any number I could quote.

It doesn't look like an e-bike, and that's the point

The first thing Mika talked about wasn't the motor or the battery. It was the color, a blue metallic finish, and then the handlebars. Mika described them as beach cruiser style, the kind that sweep back toward you so your hands land naturally and your shoulders stay loose. If you've ever ridden one of our classic cruiser bikes, you'll recognize that shape right away.

Then came the observation I was hoping someone would make without being prompted. Mika said this bike doesn't look like a typical e-bike. The battery sits back toward the rear rather than hanging off the frame in a big block, and the overall effect is a regular bicycle that just happens to have an electric motor. Mika's description of a lot of the e-bikes you see these days was "very industrial looking," and I think most shoppers would agree.

I care about this more than people might expect. Looks aren't vanity on an e-bike. A bike that looks approachable gets ridden. If you feel self-conscious rolling up to the coffee shop on something that resembles a moped, you'll find reasons to leave it in the garage. If it looks like the bike you rode as a kid, only nicer, you'll take it out on a Tuesday afternoon just because the weather is good. Over the years, that second scenario is the one I've seen turn people into everyday riders.

The thinking behind the EVRYjourney

The EVRYjourney started life as a comfort bike, and the electric version keeps that DNA. The frame sits you upright, which is far easier on your back, neck, and wrists than leaning forward over a low handlebar. For many people returning to cycling after years away, that upright posture is the difference between a ride that feels good and one that leaves them sore for two days. We've gathered a whole set of bikes for adults getting back into riding, and the comfort-first approach behind those bikes is the same approach behind this one.

Adding a motor to that kind of frame changes the math for a rider. Hills that used to be a reason to stay home become part of the route. A headwind on the way back stops being something to dread. Distance stops being the limiting factor, and the only real question becomes how much time you want to spend outside. That's what I wanted Mika to experience on camera, and it's what I want you to understand before you decide anything.

If you'd like to see everything we make with a motor, you can browse our full electric bike lineup. For the rest of this article, though, I'm staying with the one bike Mika rode, from the walkaround to the last hill.

A note on how I've written this

Everything here comes from what Mika said and did on the ride. Where Mika guessed at something, like the bike's weight or how many assist levels it has, I've said so. Where an exact spec matters for your purchase, I'd rather point you to the product page, which lists the figures for each version, than repeat a number from a casual comment. A first-time rider's impressions are valuable precisely because they're unfiltered, and I don't want to polish them into something they weren't.

One more thing before the details. When I talk with customers who end up loving their e-bike, almost none of them say it was the top speed or the battery size that won them over. They talk about the first hill they climbed without stopping, or the first ride with a partner who used to leave them behind, or the morning they rode somewhere they would have driven a year earlier. Keep those moments in mind as you read about Mika's ride. They're what this bike is really for.

Before getting on, Mika did what every good test rider should do and walked around the bike. Here's what stood out, roughly in the order it came up, with my notes on why each piece matters once you're actually riding.

Disc brakes, front and rear

The EVRYjourney has disc brakes on both wheels. Mika pointed them out right away and came back to them twice during the ride: once to say simply that the brakes were good, and again on a fast stretch downhill, calling them progressive and adding, "these binders are good."

Progressive is exactly the word I'd want a rider to use. It means braking force builds smoothly as you squeeze the lever instead of grabbing all at once. On a bike with a motor and battery that can carry real speed downhill, that matters a great deal. You want to scrub off a little speed without the wheel skidding, and you want to trust that a firm squeeze will actually bring you to a stop. Disc brakes also tend to stay consistent in wet weather, because the braking surface sits at the hub instead of on a rim that picks up road spray.

Front suspension you can lock out

Next was the suspension fork. Mika noted that you can lock it in and out, and that small detail matters more than it sounds. With the suspension active, the fork absorbs cracks in the pavement, tree roots under the path, and the jolt of rolling off a curb. Locked out, the front end stays firm, which can feel more efficient on smooth pavement or when you're pushing hard on the pedals. You choose based on the surface instead of living with one setting all the time.

Later in the ride, with the assist doing its job and the bike rolling over uneven ground, Mika said, "Love the front suspension." I'll take that.

The rear rack and where the battery lives

There's a rack on the back, and Mika mentioned it's rated for 25 kilograms. Depending on how you pack, that covers a bag of groceries, a change of clothes for work, or lunch for two. If you want to carry more or add bags, our selection of rear racks shows the kinds of setups riders use for errands and day trips.

The battery sits back here as well. That placement is a big reason Mika felt the bike didn't look like a typical e-bike, because it keeps the frame lines clean and uncluttered. If longer rides are in your future, it's worth knowing we carry spare e-bike batteries; just confirm compatibility with your exact model before ordering.

Padded grips with a leather feel

Partway through the ride, Mika mentioned liking the leather touch on the handlebars and called the grips nicely padded. Grips are one of those things nobody shops for and everybody notices after twenty minutes. Thin, hard grips press on the nerves in your palms and can leave your fingers tingling. Padded grips spread that pressure out. Paired with swept-back bars, they let your wrists sit at a natural angle instead of bending back.

Seven speeds, ready out of the box

The bike Mika rode has a Shimano seven-speed drivetrain, and Mika mentioned the gears come pre-tuned, so you aren't stuck fiddling with adjustments when the bike arrives, which can save you money on a shop visit. Every bike with a derailleur needs some attention over its life as cables settle and parts wear, but starting with a well-adjusted drivetrain makes the first few months a lot more pleasant.

People sometimes ask why an e-bike needs gears at all if it has a motor. The answer is that pedal assist adds to your effort; it doesn't replace it unless you're on the throttle. Gears let you keep your legs turning at a comfortable pace whether you're starting from a stop, cruising, or climbing. On the ride, Mika shifted up through the range more than once and kept landing on the same word: smooth. If you like the idea of a full range of gears on a relaxed frame, our 7-speed bikes show other ways we pair that drivetrain with an upright position.

Weight: an honest guess

Mika lifted the bike and guessed it was probably "in the neighborhood of, I don't know, 50 pounds, maybe," then called it very manageable. I want to be upfront: that was an off-the-cuff estimate, not a reading from a scale. A motor and battery add weight compared with a standard bicycle, and the exact figure for each EVRYjourney version is on its product page. If you'll be lifting the bike onto a car rack or carrying it up a flight of stairs, check that number before you buy.

What I take from Mika's comment is the feel. Handling the bike off the saddle didn't seem like a struggle, and once it's rolling, most of that weight disappears. Momentum works in your favor, and the motor handles the hardest part of any ride, which is getting started.

A hybrid at heart

Put those pieces together, the upright frame, the suspension fork, the range of gears, the big tires, and you get something that sits between a beach cruiser and a trail bike. That middle ground is what our hybrid bikes are built around, and it explains why the EVRYjourney felt at home on everything Mika rode, from smooth paths and sidewalks to a long climb and a quick run back down.

None of these parts is exotic on its own. What makes the difference is how they work together. Brakes you trust let you enjoy the downhill. Suspension and tires let you stop worrying about the pavement. Comfortable grips and bars keep your hands and shoulders relaxed. Gears keep your legs happy. When all of that is right, you stop thinking about the bike and start paying attention to where you are, and that's the moment a ride turns into a habit.

The part of an e-bike that intimidates first-time riders most is the controls. People expect a cockpit full of buttons and menus. Mika's walkthrough shows how simple the EVRYjourney keeps it, and once you've seen it, I think most of that worry goes away.

Powering on

There's a small LED screen mounted on the handlebar. To turn it on, you hold the power button down, and the display wakes up. Mika demonstrated it on camera, and it takes a moment at most. There's no app to pair and no setup sequence to work through before your first ride.

What the screen shows

Once it's on, the screen shows your energy level, which is your battery charge, along with your speed. Mika also pointed out the odometer, which keeps track of total distance. That's really all you need. Battery tells you how much help you have left. Speed tells you how fast you're going. Distance gives you a running record of how far you've ridden over the weeks and months, and I'll admit that watching that number climb is one of the quiet pleasures of owning an e-bike.

I like a display that gives you the essentials and stays out of the way. When you're riding, your eyes belong on the path ahead, on people walking dogs, on the car backing out of a driveway. A quick glance down should tell you everything, and then you look back up.

The thumb throttle

The EVRYjourney has a thumb throttle. Press it and the motor moves the bike without you pedaling. That comes in handy when you're starting from a stop on an incline, getting across an intersection smoothly, or just want to give your legs a minute. Mika showed it during the controls walkthrough. The throttle is entirely optional, and plenty of riders hardly touch it, relying on pedal assist instead.

Pedal assist levels, explained simply

This is the bit worth slowing down for, because it's the most common source of confusion for new owners. Mika showed how you step the assist level up or down with the handlebar controls, and the current level appears on the screen. Mika believed it might go up to five, and during the ride used levels one, two, and three.

Here's the important part, and Mika said it more than once: you have to have the assist on at least level one to get any help from the motor while you pedal. If the level is at zero, the motor stays quiet and you're riding a regular bicycle. Mika's warning was that otherwise "you'll be pedaling like crazy." So the habit to build is simple. When you power the bike on, check that the assist reads one or higher before you push off.

How does each level feel? Based on Mika's ride, level one was already a real boost. Pushing off on level one, the reaction was immediate: "Oh, look at that assist. Wow, that's amazing." Later, on a long climb, Mika noted the bike was handling the grade with ease while still on level one. Stepping up to two brought a noticeable jump in speed, and on three Mika joked about not even having to pedal.

Choosing the right level

My advice to new riders is to start on one and stay there for the first few rides. Learn how the bike responds. Get used to the way the motor joins in when you start pedaling and eases off when you stop. Then experiment. Bump it up for hills or headwinds, and bring it back down on the flats. Mika did exactly that, moving up to two or three when the road tilted upward or the mood struck, then dropping back to one to do a bit more of the work.

The level you choose also affects your battery. Higher assist draws more power, so riding mostly on lower levels generally stretches your range further than riding everywhere on the top setting. Your weight, the terrain, the temperature, your tire pressure, and how hard you pedal all play a part as well. That's why range on any e-bike is best thought of as a window rather than a single fixed number, and why the product page gives you a range.

Pedal assist and sore joints

One reason I believe so strongly in pedal assist is what it does for riders who deal with sore knees or hips. You still pedal, so you still get movement and exercise, but the motor softens the hardest efforts, especially starts and climbs, which is usually where joints complain the loudest. We've put together a collection of bikes for bad knees with that rider in mind, and an upright e-bike on a low assist level fits the same idea. If you're managing a medical condition, check with your doctor about what kind of exercise suits you, but for a lot of riders, assist is what makes cycling realistic again.

Riding with the motor off

Early in the ride, Mika switched the assist off "just to pedal" and see how the bike felt on its own. The verdict: "She pedals nice." That's worth knowing. If your battery runs low, or you simply want a workout, the EVRYjourney still rides like a bicycle. Some e-bikes feel sluggish without the motor; Mika didn't find that here.

Then the assist went back on, and Mika's reaction was, "Whoa, look at that. That's nice." Same bike, two completely different rides, separated by a button press. That flexibility is really the whole idea behind pedal assist. You decide how much effort you put in on any given day, and the bike meets you there.

The ride itself covered plenty of ground: flat paths, sidewalks, a few bumps and a small drop, a long uphill to a lookout, and a downhill run back. Here's how it unfolded.

The first few minutes

Right off the start, Mika pushed off on assist and the enthusiasm was instant. A little later there was a slightly wobbly moment, followed by Mika laughing, "All right, that was professional." I'm keeping that in because it's real. Almost every new e-bike rider has a moment where the motor engages a touch sooner or stronger than they expected. It passes quickly. By the next stretch, Mika was settled on level one, shifting up through the gears and calling it nice and smooth.

Tires and ride quality

Mika kept coming back to the tires. "Very comfortable ride. Pretty cushy," was the first comment, and a few minutes later, "The big tires really make a difference here." A wider tire spreads your weight over more ground, which takes the edge off small vibrations and gives the bike a planted, stable feel. Combined with the suspension fork, the tires are a big part of why the EVRYjourney feels calm rather than twitchy, even for someone who hasn't ridden much lately.

Bumps and a small drop

About six minutes in, Mika went looking for something rough. "Let's see how it handles some bumps here." The answer: nice and smooth, with credit going to the big tires again. Then came a small drop off an edge, followed by "still nice, nice landing." Further along, on another bump, Mika said the bike handled it just fine. For a comfort-focused e-bike, that's exactly what I want to hear. You shouldn't have to thread your way around every crack in the sidewalk.

The curb

At one point the route meant getting back up onto a sidewalk. Mika said, "I don't want to jump it," and took it carefully instead of trying to hop the curb. Someone offered a hand, Mika answered, "I think I got it," and did. That's smart riding, and I'd encourage anyone on an e-bike to do the same. Roll gently over low edges, don't launch off them, and if a curb is tall, step off and walk the bike up. There's no prize for style.

The long climb

This was my favorite part of the whole video. The route turned uphill toward a lookout, and Mika stayed on pedal assist one. "This bike handles this grade with ease. And I'm only on pedal assist one." Then: "I don't even have to pedal. This is nice. Beautiful bike. Beautiful day." A bit further up came the line that made me laugh: "I'll even pedal a little."

At the top, Mika stopped to take in the view and said something that makes the case for an e-bike better than I could: "I'm glad we took this bike. I wouldn't ride up here on a regular one. It might be too hard." That's it, really. That's the whole argument. Places you'd skip on a regular bike become places you ride to, and the view at the top becomes part of your week instead of something you only see from a car.

Exploring up top

Back in the saddle, Mika rolled along the high ground with feet held out to the side, laughing, "I'm cheating. Pedal assist one." Then a moment of genuine surprise: "I don't know why I didn't ride on one of these earlier." Mika spotted all the side roads and little pathways branching off in different directions and said there was a lot more up there worth coming back to explore. That instinct, wanting to see what's around the next bend, is the best sign that a bike is working for you.

The descent

Heading back down, Mika read 17 miles an hour on the display while simply coasting. That's where the brakes earned their mention: progressive, smooth, and strong when needed. On a downhill like that, good brakes aren't a luxury. They're what lets you relax and enjoy the ride instead of gripping the bars. Mika also brought up the handlebars again here, how they sweep out like a beach bike, which keeps you sitting tall and in control as the speed picks up.

Mika also noted that the bike coasts really well. That matters more than people think on an e-bike, because the motor isn't always running. When you stop pedaling, you want the bike to roll freely rather than feel like it's dragging. A free-rolling bike is more pleasant on the flats and saves battery, because you're not fighting the machine every time you ease off.

Back on the flats

On the flatter stretches toward the finish, Mika played with the assist levels again, two, then three, admitting, "I'm getting too used to this. Getting lazy," before dropping back to one to do some real pedaling. After a stop at a junction, Mika picked the pace back up on two and three, noting that the bike picks up speed nicely, then rolled over one last bump without fuss. At one point Mika said you could be out there all day riding it around, and watching the footage, I believe it.

What the ride tells you

If I had to boil it all down: the motor makes hills manageable, the tires and fork take the sting out of rough pavement, the brakes give you confidence when the road tips down, and the bike still feels like a bicycle. For riders whose routes are mostly paths, streets, and local loops, that's the right balance. Our neighborhood bikes are built around those same kinds of rides, the ones that start right at your front door and end wherever you feel like turning around.

After a ride like that, the question I always hear is simple: is this the right e-bike for me? Here's how I'd think it through.

If you've never owned an e-bike

Mika is the case study. Never owned one, wasn't shopping for one, and by the end was talking about taking this one home. The EVRYjourney is designed to have a short learning curve: one button to power on, a clear display, a throttle you can ignore if you like, and assist levels that make sense as soon as you know to start on one. You don't need to be a cyclist to ride it well. You just need to be curious enough to try.

If comfort is your priority

An upright frame, swept-back bars, padded grips, big tires, and a suspension fork add up to a ride Mika described as cushy and comfortable again and again. If you've stepped away from cycling because a bike made your back, neck, or hands ache, a frame like this deserves a test ride before you give up on the idea.

If hills have been keeping you home

The climb to the lookout is the clearest evidence in the whole video. On the lowest assist level, Mika handled a grade that would have been a real struggle on a regular bike. If your neighborhood is hilly, or the ride you've always wanted ends at the top of something, pedal assist changes the equation completely.

Riders in their sixties, seventies, and beyond

Many of the riders who reach out about the EVRYjourney are older and want to keep riding without the strain. The upright frame and adjustable assist make it a natural fit, and we've gathered options in a collection of electric bikes for seniors. Choose the level that lets you enjoy the ride while still getting some movement in, and let the bike handle the starts and the hills.

Commuting and errands

The rear rack, the flexible assist, and the easy cruising Mika enjoyed all point toward practical use too. A short commute where you'd rather not show up sweaty. A run to the market. A ride to meet friends across town. If getting places matters as much as riding for fun, take a look at our electric bikes for commuting.

Finding your fit

The EVRYjourney electric comes in different versions, so it's worth comparing the women's electric bikes and the men's electric bikes to see which frame suits you. Our BodyFit tool takes your height and build into account and points you toward the size that will feel right from the first ride.

A few things to check before you buy

None of these dampen my enthusiasm, but all are worth five minutes. Check the listed weight on the product page if you'll be lifting the bike. Look at the motor and battery options for each version and think about the kind of riding you'll do most. Compare the rack rating with what you plan to carry. And think about where the bike will live and charge between rides, so plugging it in becomes part of the routine rather than a chore.

Mika's verdict

At the end of the ride, Mika summed it up: "I was not in the market for an e-bike. I've never owned one. But after riding this, if they let me, I think I'm going to take this one home. Give it a try. You will not be disappointed."

I've heard a lot of reviews over the years, and this is the kind I trust most. Not a list of numbers, but a person who didn't expect to like something and ended the day not wanting to hand it back. A beautiful afternoon, a blue bike Mika clearly fell for, a hill that would have been too much on a regular bike, and a rider grinning the whole way up.

If you've been sitting on the fence, consider this my invitation. Take a ride. Start on level one. Find the hill you've been avoiding. Then see how you feel at the top.