Devinci E-Milano HD Review

When it comes to commuting rain or shine, day or night, not every bike is fit for the task. Devinci thought it for you and delivers a quality bike with all the essentials you need to begin commuting.

While the sub $2000 category of electric bikes is highly competitive with a new bike coming out seemingly once a week, it’s not often the big, well established brands, have something in their collection. While times are changing and brands are expanding their lineup, Devinci’s E-Milano HD fits the bill without going over budget.

This is the first bike we’ve brought on test with the SR Suntour drive unit. This is a 250w brushless rear hub motor with 60Nm of torque. Paired with a 504Wh 36v battery, the E-Milano HD has a max range of 60 miles.

As a Class 1 electric bike, the top pedal assist is 20mph and there are three pedal assist modes to choose from. I found myself consistently pedaling over the drive unit on flat routes around town, and even a comfortable 14mph with the bike off. Which is good to know if the battery ever dies.

This is all largely in part to the natural rolling efficiency of the bike. With 700c x 42c Kenda tires, the E-Milano HD is a smooth-rolling bike, which is great around town.

Despite “skinny” tires, compared to many other electric city bikes, the E-Milano HD is very smooth around town. It has an aluminum frame that you may think would cause it to be stiff and chattery, but it does a great job at absorbing that road chatter. Increasing that supple feeling is a SR Suntour NEX E25 front fork with 75mm of travel. Now it’s not designed for offroad descents, but it sure does tackle the occasional pothole with style. The fork has a lockout if you’re looking for optimal efficiency, but having it wide open we think is more comfortable.

Tektro M285 Hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors supply the stopping power in a smooth, quiet and predictable way. While a Shimano Altus 8-speed drivetrain gives you ample gearing to tackle steep hills and cruise flat roads with ease.

As a city forward bike, Devinci outfits the E-Milano HD with full fenders front and rear with both front and rear lights. Critical accessories for anyone looking to commute. It even comes with a rear rack to tote some gear around or load up a couple pannier bags.

There are three different sizes of the E-Milano HD. Small, Medium and Large. Our size large weighed in just over 53 pounds and has a fitment range of 5’8″ to 6’2″. What helps to accomdate a larger spread for fitment is a long seat post and adjustable stem. At 6′ tall and the stem at around +10°, the size felt absolutely perfect. If I was looking for more of an upright posture I could angle the stem higher bringing the handlebars up, but felt they were in a good spot for how I ride.

We don’t often talk about it as much as we should, but I’ve been spending more time on shorter wheelbase road and gravel bikes as of late and I was thankful to see so much clearance between the front wheel and the pedals. There’s no potential for wheel bite while pedaling and making a tight turn. Something that I’ve encountered more than once on other bikes while trying to navigate tight direction changes on narrow paths.

Within a few pedal strokes the intuitive pedalling characteristic jumps out at you. The SR Suntour drive unit is smooth and relatively quiet. When cruising around town and having to deal with the stop and go, the power comes on smoothly and the minimal noise creates a very comfortable riding experience, allowing you to ride free of concern that you’ll be able to tackle that next hill and not having your thoughts drowned out by an obnoxiously loud whine of the hub drive.

As the ride progresses you can’t help but be reminded of the skinny tires that are outfitted on the E-Milano HD. While not too long ago a 42c tire would seem very wide for a 700c wheel, in today’s world it is rather slim. This doesn’t impact how smooth the bike is while riding. What really helps that comfort is the SR Suntour fork. It’s a simple fork with minimal adjustment but it has what you need and is responsive to the bumps in the road.

There’s not much to critique on the E-Milano HD, especially for under $2000. I found myself wanting to be critical of the handlebars and adjustable stem. There are no drawbacks to them, but would likely be something I would change to suit my personal preferences.

Whether you’ve been commuting for decades or looking to get your first bike, the E-Milano HD is solid contender for getting out on two wheels. When looking for an electric bike to begin your urban journey it’s important to consider the accessories and brand support you will have with your selection. Devinci is an awesome brand out of Canada that makes high-quality performance bikes. With their commitment to cycling, you know you’ll be getting top-tier support whenever you may need it. Which ideally is seldom if ever.

They’ve done their homework for you. Coming with fenders, lights, and even a kickstand Devinci has outfitted the E-Milano HD to be a prime turnkey bike for the city.

So in short, the E-Milano HD is right for so many people, specifically those looking to get a high-quality bike that’s been thoroughly thought threw to leave the rider prepared not just in accessories but also in the overall build spec.

Coming in at $1949 full retail, the E-Milano HD is everything you really need for a Class 1 electric bike around town. With a range of up to 60 miles you could expand your daily commute to take the long way home. Or on the weekend hop out for a fun extended ride.

Devinci does a good job with their bikes and the E-Milano HD stands up to the Devinci name. A “budget” bike in the grand scheme of things, I’d be happy to ride one any day to get around town and during our testing haven’t hesitated to let people experience an electric bike on a safe, smooth, and comfortable bike such as this.

Overall, the E-Milano HD may not have all the bells and whistles like their E-Cartier, but it has everything you’ll need to ride day or night, rain or shine.

Price: $1949
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large
Weight: 53lbs
Website: devinci.com