Aventon Aventure Step-Through Review

Aventon has recently taken the electric bike market by storm with a range of quality models, including the new Aventure. Boasting top-of-the-line integration and features, this fat-tire e-bike is made for adventure as its name suggests. We tested it on a variety of roads, trails, and surfaces, and it impressed us across the board. With a massive 720Wh battery and a powerful 750W rear hub motor, this bike is not only fast, but it also has a very respectable distance range. Add to that predictable handling, stability at speed, a high level of comfort, front suspension, and 4-inch wide tires, and the Aventure is ready to go just about anywhere. Additional features like fenders, lights, and a unique companion app help to take this bike's performance to the next level.

Performance Comparison

Ride Quality

The Aventure has a comfortable and predictable ride quality with versatility enhanced by its front suspension and girthy, 4-inch wide tires. This bike performs well on a wide range of surfaces, from pavement to dirt roads and smooth trails. It comes in 2 frame sizes, so you can be sure to fit the bike to your body size with a comfortable seated position and a wealth of useful features. Powerful brakes and quality components help to enhance the rider experience even further.

With features like an 80mm travel suspension fork and 4-inch wide knobby tires, it's clear that Aventon intended the Aventure to be a versatile adventure-ready e-bike. It is by no means a proper electric mountain bike for use on super rough trails, but it performs well on a wide range of surfaces from paved and gravel roads to smooth trails, sand, and probably even snow. The front suspension helps to smooth over bumps, roots, and small rocks, while the large tires provide additional dampening and traction on soft or loose surfaces. The bike feels very stable at speed, even when brought up to its top pedal-assisted speed of 28 mph or coasting down steeper hills, and it makes a variety of turn shapes well. Despite this bike's size and weight, it remains maneuverable and has a relatively short turning radius at lower speeds. Due to the size of the tires, however, it can feel a little resistant to leaning into longer radius turns at speed, although it doesn't take long to get used to it.

The Step-Through version of the Aventure we tested has a 250 lb rider weight limit and a low-slung frame that makes getting on and off the bike quite easy. This bike also comes in a traditional step-over frame style. The Step-Through comes in two frame sizes, S/M for riders between 4'11" and 5'7" and M/L (tested) for riders between 5'8" and 6'2". This means most riders should be able to match a frame size to their height for a more refined fit than the one size fits most approach of most other brands. Our test bike had an ample range of seatpost adjustment, and our 6'0" tester was able to get the seat at the appropriate height for proper leg extension while pedaling. The handlebar has a somewhat limited range of adjustability in the form of spacers that can be moved above and below the stem, but we found it to be adequate for our comfort during testing. The seated pedaling position is upright and comfortable, with a nice cushioned seat and riser handlebar.

The Aventure comes with a quality build that enhances its ride quality. Most importantly, it comes with powerful Bengal Ares 3 hydraulic disc brakes that have no problem controlling the speed of this heavyweight bike. The 8-speed Shimano drivetrain performed flawlessly for us during testing with crisp shifts, intuitive controls, and an ample gear range. It also comes with front and rear fenders to keep you dry when riding in inclement weather or splashing through puddles or small creeks. A bright headlight and integrated rear lights that function as a brake light are also included to enhance your vision and visibility when riding in challenging light conditions. The Aventure has mounts for front and rear cargo racks which Aventon sells separately.

Our biggest gripe with the Aventure is its weight. At 73 lbs, this bike is definitely on the heavy side, so transporting it can be a challenge. It is a little bit too heavy to carry on virtually any bike rack and moving it up or down a flight of stairs or loading it into the back of a truck isn't exactly easy. This bike is best suited for being stored in a garage or shed and being ridden from the house.

Range

With a large 720Wh battery, we expected the Aventure to ride away from the competition in our range testing. We were surprised to find, however, that it didn't top the charts in this metric, riding 24.65 miles with 1,419 feet of elevation gain/loss in a time of 1 hour and 31 minutes at an average speed of 16.2 mph. This is a few miles shy of the distance traveled by the top performers in this metric, most of which have slightly smaller battery storage capacities. That said, 24.65 miles is still a respectable distance to travel while using just the throttle and not pedaling at all on our rolling test course. Aventon claims a throttle range of 27 miles, and we feel that seems entirely possible on flat ground in perfect conditions.

It is worth noting that the Aventure is quite heavy, weighing in at 73 lbs, and this weight is definitely a factor that we believe could result in a reduction of its range. Likewise, the 4-inch wide knobby tires certainly create a bit more drag than narrower, smoother tires, further reducing its rolling efficiency. The Aventure's 750W motor is also among the most powerful we've tested, and likely uses battery power a little more quickly than less powerful motors. This is especially true when pushing the throttle all the way down for an hour and a half as we did during our range test. We also don't feel the Aventure's average speed during our range test accurately reflects just how fast this bike was going, as we encountered some vehicle traffic that caused us to slow down and stop on several occasions.

Power

With a robust 750W motor (1,130W peak), the Aventure is one of the most powerful bikes we've ever tested. When using the throttle, it accelerates very quickly and has no problem reaching its top speed of 20 mph and maintaining it, even up gradual hills. The 5 levels of pedal assist provide a great range of output and speed, and this bike is capable of Class 3 speeds up to 28 mph.

While performing our standardized range test using the throttle only, it quickly became apparent just how powerful the Aventure was. From the first press of the throttle, the 750W motor made an impression and continued to impress for the duration of our test period. Simply press the throttle with your thumb, and the Aventure springs to life, quickly accelerating up to its top throttle speed of 20 mph. It has absolutely no problem starting from a complete stop, and we were quite impressed by its ability to accelerate and hold speed while going up the gradual hills of our range test course, where most other bikes began to slow and bog down. Unlike some of the competition whose throttle power corresponds to the chosen pedal assist level, the Aventure provides the same throttle power in all settings (except for zero/off). The power can be modulated, however, by feathering the throttle paddle or pressing it intermittently.

The Aventure ships in its Class 2 settings with a top pedal-assisted speed of 20 mph. This bike is Class 3 capable, and bumping the top speed up to 28 mph is easily done through the display's settings menu or the Aventon App. It has five levels of pedal assist that provide support based on a cadence sensor, as well as 0 or off. We found the five levels to provide a great range of support with output and top speed incrementally increasing as you shift up through the levels. For example, the bike tops out at 11 mph in level 1, 21 mph in level 3, and 28 mph in level 5. We think this is a nice feature that allows you to choose how fast you want to go depending on your preferences, the terrain, or the situation. Similar to using the throttle, the 750W motor feels very powerful when using pedal assist, and this bike has absolutely no problem getting up to and maintaining its top speed of 28 mph in level 5. Since it uses a cadence sensor, as long as the cranks are turning, it provides the same level of support regardless of how much effort you put into pedaling. This is generally just fine, but we found it could feel a little herky-jerky if pedaling with an inconsistent cadence and somewhat jumpy if using a low gear and a high output setting.

User Interface

Aventon pulled out all the stops with the user interface on the Aventure. With a color screen, intuitive controls, and a companion app, this is one of the most advanced bikes we've tested. Despite its super clean downtube integration, the battery is also easily removable and can be charged on or off the bike.

The Aventure comes with a color display that is mounted above the stem, centered in the handlebar, where it is easy to view while riding. The screen is 1 3/4-inches wide x 2 1/4-inches tall with crisp numbers and letters, on a black background with bright white numbers and blue graphics. The display shows you everything you need to know about your ride at a glance including battery charge, current speed, pedal assist level, and "ride data". The battery indicator is shown near the top of the page as a small battery graphic with five blue bars each representing 20% of the battery charge along with a numerical percentage. The real-time speed indicator is in the center of the screen, with large numbers displayed in the units (imperial or metric) of your choice. The pedal assist level is shown as a number, 0-5 (or Walk) in the bottom left corner of the screen. The remainder of the bottom of the screen is the ride data field that shows trip distance and odometer as the default and can be switched to show various other data, including average and max speed, trip time and calories burned, and CO2 saved. The display also has a USB port to charge your phone or other devices off the bike's battery.

The controls of the Aventure consist of a remote unit with five buttons and a thumb throttle situated next to the left grip on the handlebar. The throttle is engaged by pressing and holding the thumb paddle in any of the pedal-assist levels, 1-5. There are a total of five buttons on the remote, and their use is relatively intuitive. A small button on the side of the downtube/battery needs to be pressed first, but then the power button turns the bike's power on or off. The light button turns the head and tail lights on and off. The + and - buttons are used to shift up and down through the bike's five pedal assist levels and to scroll through the display's menu when changing settings. Pressing and holding the - button also engages the bike's walk assist mode for pushing the bike along at a walking pace. The i button in the middle of the remote is used to switch the data displayed in the ride data field at the bottom of the screen, and pressing and holding it also accesses the main menu. In the main menu, you can change the display settings (screen brightness, units, trip data), speed limit (Class 2 or 3), and connect to the Aventon App.

The 720Wh battery is nicely integrated into the downtube of the bike's frame. The key is used to lock and unlock it, and it can easily be removed for security or charging off the bike. A relatively standard charging cable plugs into the battery's charging port, which is covered by a large rubber cover to keep water, dust, and debris out. Aventon claims a charging time of 4-5 hours.

Ease of Assembly

Aventon has their packaging and delivery of bikes dialed, and the Aventure arrived mostly assembled with only a few easy steps remaining to complete the job. Due to this bike's heavy weight and the size of the box that it comes in, we recommend a second set of hands to assist with moving it around and removing it from the box. Otherwise, the assembly can easily be completed by one person, even if you aren't that familiar with bicycles.

Once the bike is removed from the box and its protective packing materials, the remaining assembly is easily completed with the included tools and detailed instructions that can be found on the Aventon website. The primary steps remaining include attaching the stem and handlebar, the front wheel, seat/seatpost, and pedals. Once those simple steps are completed, the Aventure is ready to ride. In total, it took around 40 minutes, including unboxing, to get this bike rolling.

Should You Buy the Aventon Aventure Step-Through?

If you're looking for an electric bike to take on adventures, look no further than the Aventon Aventure. With fat tires, front suspension, and quality components, this bike is ready to handle anything short of full-on mountain biking. The Aventure's 750W motor is impressively powerful, and its 720Wh battery gives it a respectable distance range. The Aventon companion app and a quality interface make it easy to control the bike, adjust settings, and record your rides. Add to that a super sleek design with excellent battery integration, and you've got a bike that not only performs well but looks good too.

What Other E-Bikes Should You Consider?

This is a great adventure-ready e-bike. However, if you're in the market for a city commuter, we recommend the Juiced CrossCurrent S2, especially for those who live in urban areas or want to get places in a hurry. If you need a city bike for a hillier metropolitan area, you'll want to check out something with a bit more power, like the Ride1Up 700-Series, which is our favorite e-bike from this round of testing. If you like the idea of wide knobby tires, the Lectric XP 2.0 is a folding model that performs well, costs less, and takes up significantly less storage space, and is more easily portable.