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As of Summer 2019, the Evolve GT Bamboo Street is Discontinued
REASONS TO BUY
Powers up steep hills
Fast
Seriously scary acceleration
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Long time to charge on standard charger
This board is one of the most powerful of the bunch and had enough acceleration to actually throw us from the board if we weren't expecting it. We couldn't find a steep enough hill to stump this board. It is a little on the larger side when compared to some of the other boards.
Carbon or Bamboo, That is the Question?
Evolve also manufactures a carbon version of our Editors' Choice. This board is longer, stiffer, and has a much larger battery, drastically improving the range of the board — all while maintaining the same weight. However, there appear to be some supply issues for this board, as it is only available to pre-order and costs about $500 more. While this might be worth it for the extreme electric skateboard enthusiast, we found that the GT Bamboo was more than enough for our electric skateboard needs.
Our Analysis and Test Results
This board was great all around, and beloved by both expert riders and total beginners, due to the wide range of speed profiles available. While it was a little on the heavy side and did not have the snappiest brakes, there was very little that we could find to complain about on this product. In addition, while we tested this board in its standard configuration for an apples-to-apples comparison with the others, we also tried this board with the off-road wheelset. This completely expands the capabilities of this board and proves to be a ridiculous amount of fun.
Performance Comparison
Just a quick glance at the scores below show why the Evolve netted the Editors' Choice award. Its score topped every other model's by at least 5 points.
Keep reading to see the exact breakdown of how the Evolve handled the grueling battery of tests we put it through, and how it fit with the other models for each of the metrics.
While we don't condone graffiti, we did take advantage of some we found at the skatepark to highlight how the Evolve scored overall.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Speed
One of the first questions on your mind when you see these products is: How fast can that thing go? And the answer is fast. Stupid fast. Fast enough that all of the proper safety equipment should definitely be worn.
This metric made up 25% of the overall score, and the test was split into two parts: maximum speed, and acceleration. The Evolve earned a 9 out of 10, tying with the Boosted Dual+ for the highest score in the maximum speed test, and blew the other boards out of the water with its unmatched acceleration. We timed how long it took for our expert rider to complete a 200' smooth, flat test section, giving him plenty of runway to accelerate and reach the max speed before entering the course
Our lead tester conducting speed tests on the Evolve.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
We averaged the results of three trials to calculate our top speed measurement. The Evolve hit 22 mph with our average, adult male tester on board, perfectly aligning with the manufacturer's claims regarding top speed. We performed a similar procedure for acceleration, though the board was stationary at the starting line, and only traveled a 50' course. The Evolve finished close to a second faster than its nearest competitors, accelerating fast enough to alarm even our veteran testers. This was all conducted with the board in “GT” mode — the most advanced — and beginners can dial back the speed and acceleration until their skill matches the board's!
Range
Range is almost as important of a metric as speed, making up 20% of the overall score. We tested how far each board went on flat ground in an economical riding profile, as well as how long it took to charge the battery.
The Evolve scored a 7 out of 10 in this metric, just narrowly getting edged out of the top spot by the Metroboard Slim Stealth. This board traveled about 18.2 miles over 85 minutes in “Eco” mode before it kicked the bucket, maintaining about 13 mph the entire time. This board did take a relatively long time to charge, clocking in at around 220 minutes with the standard charger. There is also an 80 minute, fast charger that can be purchased.
Drag racing, or cruising around, the Evolve does it all well.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Ride
The ride metric for each board was based on how comfortable it was, how it handled life's rougher roads and unexpected cracks, and the certain je ne sais quoi that (hopefully!) drew us to each board. The Evolve did well, receiving the top score of 7 out of 10.
This board was exceptionally comfortable to ride, having a large deck, and was the most comfortable board of the bunch in the opinion of our veteran electric skateboard testers. This board handled rougher roads and cracks well.
Dirt and mud were no match for the Evolve.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The addition of the all-terrain wheelset turns this board into a veritable off-road monster, with this board zipping over cracks and bumps in the road like they weren't even there, as well as allowing you to ride over some extreme terrain.
All of this combined to make it one of the boards that we were the most drawn to, making this one of the default choices for trips around town, or just riding for the fun of it.
Hills
While all of these models can adequately scoot you around town on level ground, the hill test was what separated the winners and the losers. The test was simple: ride the board up steeper and steeper hills until it wouldn't go anymore. In the case of the Evolve, it powered past the competition.
This board tied for the highest score of the group, with a 10 out of 10. We actually had a hard time finding a hill that was steep enough to stop the Evolve, as this board powered up the steepest hill around (23% grade).
The remote for this board features a small screen to easily display relevant riding data.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Build
This metric dealt with some of the features of these products, such as how responsive the board was to the remote, how ergonomic the remote was, how heavy the board was, whether or not it had regenerative braking, and how helpful the customer support was from the manufacturer. The Evolve did quite well.
This board scored a 7 out of 10 for this metric, only getting slightly knocked down from its weight. At 17.3 lbs, it wasn't the heaviest board we tested, but there were a handful that were lighter. The remote felt nice and solid in our hands, and the board was very responsive to commands from the remote. The manufacturer has both a contact phone number and email, and responded promptly to our questions via email. They also have a warranty and return policy . This board does possess regenerative braking.
Braking
For this metric, we evaluated how the board did at controlling our speed down a steep hill, as well as how quickly it could come to a stop on flat ground.
The Evolve earned the second-highest score of 7 out of 10, tying with the Metroboard for the runner-up position. This model wouldn't quite come to a complete stop when heading down the steepest hills with its brakes, instead slowing down to about 1 mph on the 14-15% grade and about 3 mph on the 23% grade. The story was slightly different on flat ground, with this board stopping abruptly enough to buck testers off if they were unprepared. It had a stopping distance of 20' for our tester when going about 12 mph.
Value
This model performed fantastically throughout all of our tests, and is essentially the Ferrari of electric skateboards. Unfortunately, it comes with a Ferrari level price, not necessarily the best value.
Conclusion
The Evolve has plenty of power for the most extreme riders, has a range to match, and is comfortable to ride. In addition, the all-terrain wheel kit and the fast charger are great upgrades that give this board a chance to outperform its already fantastic performance.
