bluetick
New Member
- Region
- USA
I've been riding a RadRover with an upgraded 35 amp controller and "true" 750 watt motor for the last couple of months. When Aventon launched the Aventure it didn't just seem like a RadRover killer, it seemed like an upgraded RadRover killer. So, I bought one. I've been putting them head-to-head and, honestly, while I love the Rover, the Aventure is amazing. But the pedal assist is so different between the two bikes, I thought I'd share my observations.
The pedal assist on the upgraded Rover is highly customizable. This is a key benefit of the KT controller. I have the pedal assist set conservatively and the peak watts set to about 1200. This means PA1 draws about 90 watts, PA2 draws about 210, PA3 draws about 350, PA4 draws about 660, and PA5 draws the maximum.
I find these settings perfect for my riding style and level of fitness. I can maintain 15 mph on level ground in PA1, but it takes effort. This is what passes for exercise in my life. In PA2, I can maintain 15 mph all day. PA3 is great for riding on level roads at around 20 mph. PA4 is for when I’m in a hurry or it’s getting hilly. PA5 is for steeper hills and short bursts of speed in traffic.
On the upgraded Rover, PA5 can handle just about any hill I throw at it. There is a short stretch of technical single track near my house. It includes a very steep technical climb, and the upgraded Rover crushes it. Before it was upgraded it was hopeless.
Also, the pedal assist on the upgraded Rover kicks in almost at once. There is a brief delay of less than a quarter turn of the crank but that’s it. This is critical for handling hill starts, as we’ll see in a moment.
Things on the Aventure are harder to pin down. My first impression is that it is very powerful. However, I took it to that same technical climb, and it failed repeatedly. This was my most disappointing moment with the Aventure.
On the road and on less demanding trails, the pedal assist feels great, but it works very differently from the stock and upgraded Rover. The Aventure pedal assist seems to be tied to speed. If it’s set to PA1, the bike will help you up to about 10 mph and then you’re on your own. PA2 helps to about 15 mph. PA3 goes to 20 mph. PA4 seems to work up to 25 mph. And PA5 just goes. What’s great about this is you can set the pedal assist for a ride and largely ignore it. It still brings max power on steep hill climbs in low PA settings until you get to the speed for that setting.
My only complaint is how slowly the Aventure pedal assist engages. From a stop there is significant delay and even while riding it takes longer than I prefer for the pedal assist to reengage after a period of coasting. I think this is the reason the Aventure didn’t get up that hill. As a rule, I’d compensate for this using the throttle. But, alas, the throttle comes up a bit short here.
On the upgraded Rover, the throttle is very responsive. If it’s on, the bike has power. The more you twist, the more power you get right up to max power with the same speed limit as the bike. This can be configured in many ways, but I like it this way. I only use the throttle in short bursts when I need all that power.
The throttle on the Aventure comes on very gently. It gets to 20 mph in a reasonable time, but the power comes on so gradually it doesn’t mitigate any issues with delayed pedal assist on steep hills. In normal use it’s fine.
The pedal assist on the upgraded Rover is highly customizable. This is a key benefit of the KT controller. I have the pedal assist set conservatively and the peak watts set to about 1200. This means PA1 draws about 90 watts, PA2 draws about 210, PA3 draws about 350, PA4 draws about 660, and PA5 draws the maximum.
I find these settings perfect for my riding style and level of fitness. I can maintain 15 mph on level ground in PA1, but it takes effort. This is what passes for exercise in my life. In PA2, I can maintain 15 mph all day. PA3 is great for riding on level roads at around 20 mph. PA4 is for when I’m in a hurry or it’s getting hilly. PA5 is for steeper hills and short bursts of speed in traffic.
On the upgraded Rover, PA5 can handle just about any hill I throw at it. There is a short stretch of technical single track near my house. It includes a very steep technical climb, and the upgraded Rover crushes it. Before it was upgraded it was hopeless.
Also, the pedal assist on the upgraded Rover kicks in almost at once. There is a brief delay of less than a quarter turn of the crank but that’s it. This is critical for handling hill starts, as we’ll see in a moment.
Things on the Aventure are harder to pin down. My first impression is that it is very powerful. However, I took it to that same technical climb, and it failed repeatedly. This was my most disappointing moment with the Aventure.
On the road and on less demanding trails, the pedal assist feels great, but it works very differently from the stock and upgraded Rover. The Aventure pedal assist seems to be tied to speed. If it’s set to PA1, the bike will help you up to about 10 mph and then you’re on your own. PA2 helps to about 15 mph. PA3 goes to 20 mph. PA4 seems to work up to 25 mph. And PA5 just goes. What’s great about this is you can set the pedal assist for a ride and largely ignore it. It still brings max power on steep hill climbs in low PA settings until you get to the speed for that setting.
My only complaint is how slowly the Aventure pedal assist engages. From a stop there is significant delay and even while riding it takes longer than I prefer for the pedal assist to reengage after a period of coasting. I think this is the reason the Aventure didn’t get up that hill. As a rule, I’d compensate for this using the throttle. But, alas, the throttle comes up a bit short here.
On the upgraded Rover, the throttle is very responsive. If it’s on, the bike has power. The more you twist, the more power you get right up to max power with the same speed limit as the bike. This can be configured in many ways, but I like it this way. I only use the throttle in short bursts when I need all that power.
The throttle on the Aventure comes on very gently. It gets to 20 mph in a reasonable time, but the power comes on so gradually it doesn’t mitigate any issues with delayed pedal assist on steep hills. In normal use it’s fine.