Pegasus Premio EVO 12 Superlite test: It's worth waiting for the 2020 model - with the new Premio Evo 12 Superlite, Pegasus is presenting numerous functional innovations that have a clearly positive effect on the character of the lightweight e-bike.
Keeping an eye out for discontinued models at the end of the season is a strategy that can definitely be recommended to frugal e-cyclists - often enough the model change does not bring that many improvements, apart from a new color and small changes in the equipment. In the case of the Pegasus Premio Evo 12 Superlite, however, this approach should be reconsidered - the 2020 version offers so many new things that a possible offer price for the old model can hardly outweigh.
How come? On the one hand, because the model change at the wheel manufacturer coincides with a generation change at the drivetrain supplier. Bosch has its mid-engines underwent an extensive revision, and the Premio Evo is one of the first e-bikes to benefit from it. The unit has become a full kilo lighter and now weighs just under three kilos; In addition, the inner workings of the powerful "Performance Line CX" version have been redesigned in the same way as the "Active Plus" motor: The additional gear, which matched the crank and chainring with a 2,5-fold ratio, could be omitted thanks to the use of more precise sensors; the omission of the gear stage reduces the internal friction considerably on the one hand, but also the losses in the chain drive caused by the small drive pinion on the other.
In this way, the energy consumption of the motor is reduced, and you can now move quite quickly even without drive support - and that should often be the case with a sporty bike like the Premio Evo Superlite. The weight-optimized trekking bike can be accelerated to 25 km/h and beyond in a matter of seconds thanks to its high-torque motor and then rolls along lightly on the high-quality Schwalbe sports tyres.
The closely spaced twelve-speed cassette also makes it possible to maintain a high constant speed, the second major innovation for the 2020 model year. The high-tech ring offers easy mountain gears as well as fast gears and everything in between - no wonder that hardly any modern mountain bike offers anything else as "1×12".
Pegasus has also adapted the fork of its top model to the standards of off-road bikes: the quick-release has given way to a thru-axle, which ensures optimal alignment of the brake disc and increases the fork's rigidity. This improves the steering precision and the response of the suspension, especially at high speeds.
The above-mentioned revision of the motor has not only made it lighter, but also smaller: a volume reduction of almost 50% gives the wheel manufacturers completely new possibilities, which Pegasus has made good use of. The frame of the Premio Evo looks slimmer and more harmonious; The chain guard and protective disk now almost completely cover the engine. As with all Evo models, the battery is integrated into the down tube; However, in the course of the facelift, the engineers have moved the charging socket upwards. It is now located next to the battery lock under a plastic flap - easier to reach and therefore much more user-friendly.
Now a few more cosmetic measures, and the Pegasus Premio Evo 12 Superlite is done: The sensitive cable of the drive display is now routed inside the handlebar stem, and a new luggage rack has also been specified: With its sloping side sections, it looks much more elegant, side bags can be fasten even better.
Potential buyers of the Premio Evo should like that - after all, this bike is designed for touring and everyday use, and touring cyclists and commuters usually travel with panniers. Together with all the big and small innovations that are hidden behind the number "12", this is a good reason to save yourself the late summer bargain hunt.
