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The Bulls Alpine Hawk Evo Is a Stealthy Road Performance E-Bike With Subtle Pedal Assist

You must have one or more reasons why you're looking to buy a bicycle, whether it's a standard bike or an e-bike. Well, if you're a cycling enthusiast looking to hit the road for a 50-mile ride and are not afraid to pedal, but you'd also like some minor assistance, then the Bulls Alpine Hawk Evo probably is for you!
BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO 6 photos
Photo: BULLS
BULLS Alpine Hawk EVOBULLS Alpine Hawk EVOBULLS Alpine Hawk EVOBULLS Alpine Hawk EVOBULLS Alpine Hawk EVO
Bulls has been in the bike market since 1995 and has represented athletic cycling in all bike classes. Lately, it shifted its focus to the production of e-bikes, from MTBs to cruisers or commuters.

At first glance, the Evo looks like your regular road performance bike; you could easily fool most people and tell them there's nothing special about it. Little would they know that it's actually an electric bicycle.

One of the major perks of this bike is its weight - 33.5 lbs or 15.2 kg. Most of the weight reduction comes from its carbon fiber frame. Compared to a standard racing bike, it is indeed a bit heavy - but hidden away in this machine is an electrical part that aids you in long-distance cycling.

BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO
Photo: BULLS
How does it work exactly? It's a two-in-one system with a 255 Wh 36 V motor and a 7 Ah battery, and it's called the Fazua Evation drive system. It's a removable downtube unit that weighs 10 pounds. When locked in the frame, it drives the gearbox mounted in the bottom-bracket area, which also houses the rider power input and cadence sensors that offer superior responsiveness on the road.

The main advantage of this system is that it's entirely detachable, so you can get rid of the extra weight if you prefer a pure riding experience. Or you can simply disable the assist mode, which won't interfere with your pedaling. But worry not; it's a seamless experience nonetheless. It was designed to be as smooth as possible, so you might even forget that you're riding an e-bike.

All other components blend nicely to offer a pleasant riding experience. The brakes, shifter, cassette, and brakes are all from Shimano, while Bulls creates the handlebar, saddle, fork, and stem.

BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO
Photo: BULLS
So how can you control the Fazua drive system? With the help of a simple and compact pod mounted on the bar, you can choose between three assist levels. White is off, and Green is low or, as Fazua calls it, the Breeze mode. Next, we have the River mode, which offers noticeable assistance, and the most powerful one, the Rocket mode, which gives full aid.

Due to the Alpine Hawk's low weight and gearing, riding in the non-assist white mode is entirely possible. The green mode will make you feel like you just upped your cycling game out of the blue. It's more like a very subtle, almost invisible kind of assistance.

The midrange Breeze mode is designed to monitor the rider's input and offer a boost of up to 210 W. The final Rocket mode performs the same, only it supplies a bigger hit of maximum 250 W. You can quickly switch between these modes and find the one suitable for your capabilities and riding conditions.

BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO
Photo: BULLS
With the help of the carbon frame and Schwable Durano Raceguard tires that come by default, the e-bike can withstand rougher roads with minimum impact on the seat and bar, keeping your ride as comfortable as possible.

The Bulls Alpine Hawk Evo costs $5,800, so it's priced slightly lower than other carbon-framed bikes. However, similar models have a bit more qualitative components. What makes it special is the Fazua drive system which isn’t that common.

Overall, it's a good choice, but if you're willing to target this specific segment of performance bikes, you might find that other bikes (admittedly, at a bit of a higher price) might prove to be a better choice for you.
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About the author: Mircea Mazuru
Mircea Mazuru profile photo

Starting out with a motorcycle permit just because he could get one two years earlier than a driver's license, Mircea keeps his passion for bikes (motor or no motor) alive to this day. His lifelong dream is to build his own custom camper van.
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