First ebike- Compare Aventon Pace 350, Blix Sol Eclipse, or other options

[M200]

I am looking for first ebike for my wife, 5’9 60 yrs old. Casual rider, some streets in hilly upstate New York, some rail trails, hoping to stay active and get some cardio but not overwhelmed by the hills.

Desired features

• Class 1 or 2 since class 3 not legal in our area.
• 50 lbs or so.
• relaxed posture
• $1500 or so. Looking for good value for our needs but obviously don’t need a lot of bells and whistles. Decent quality and good company support. Don’t mind some basic assembly.
• hydraulic brakes if possible.
• throttle optional. Prefer shift controls on right due to left hand injury
• Due to hills it seems a single speed is not practical..

Test rode a couple different Radpower bikes- much too heavy.
Test rode Aventon 500. PAS 1 was way too much power. wants to get some exercise on the hills.

We narrowed options down to and would like input on Aventon 350 vs Blix Sol Eclipse but are interested in any other options that may meet our needs.
we liked Aventon quality. What is PAS 1 on the 350 like? Some concerns the motor will be undersized for the hills.
Blix Sol Eclipse has wider tires better for a gravel path, heavier,..

Thanks for providing any input!

 

[bgates153]

I am looking for first ebike for my wife, 5’9 60 yrs old. Casual rider, some streets in hilly upstate New York, some rail trails, hoping to stay active and get some cardio but not overwhelmed by the hills.

Desired features

• Class 1 or 2 since class 3 not legal in our area.
• 50 lbs or so.
• relaxed posture
• $1500 or so. Looking for good value for our needs but obviously don’t need a lot of bells and whistles. Decent quality and good company support. Don’t mind some basic assembly.
• hydraulic brakes if possible.
• throttle optional. Prefer shift controls on right due to left hand injury
• Due to hills it seems a single speed is not practical..

Test rode a couple different Radpower bikes- much too heavy.
Test rode Aventon 500. PAS 1 was way too much power. wants to get some exercise on the hills.

We narrowed options down to and would like input on Aventon 350 vs Blix Sol Eclipse but are interested in any other options that may meet our needs.
we liked Aventon quality. What is PAS 1 on the 350 like? Some concerns the motor will be undersized for the hills.
Blix Sol Eclipse has wider tires better for a gravel path, heavier,..

Thanks for providing any input!

I don't know where you are in "upstate NY,", but we are in Syracuse with similar questions (see my post). The Pace 500 is on our short list but I was also concerned about reports of the PAS1 being too strong or "surging." I found a notice from Aventon that they had addressed this issue, but if you have had recent experience I guess not. See this link:

https://www.aventon.com/blogs/aventon_bikes/two-aventon-ebike-upgrades

I prefer to use LBS and have the choice of the Aventons but also the Electra Townie Go 7D, which is available here. It only has mechanical disk brakes but no throttle. So you might consider that.

 

[M200]

Thanks for the input!. The Pace 500 we tested was owned by a friend so no doubt they have since upgraded the controller to accelerate more smoothly. That is very nice.. However our concern was not so much the “jolt” but the assist being too powerful, going too fast at level 1. I will check out the Townie go.

 

[bgates153]

Yes, the too fast was part of the same problem, I too hope it was fixed. I found a few threads on the whole topic that will be of interest if you (and we) choose the Pace 500.

https://electricbikereview.com/foru...-aventon-products-help-solutions-fixes.25542/

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/aventon-controller-modifications.41495/

 

[GenXrider]

"too much power in the lowest PAS".

That's why I went with Ride1up. The Core-5, 500, 700, LMD'T, and probably the Cafe Cruiser all allow you to adjust the amount of power (as a percentage setting) that you want in each assist level as well as the range of assist levels. I have my PAS 1 set to 6% which gives very light assist.

 

[M200]

Thank you for your input!

 

[M200]

We really appreciate the good input.
we test rode a Ride1up 500 and liked the feel although a bit noisy motor. but then realized it is a class 3 which is not an option for us.

we tested an Electra Townie Go 8d and loved it! very smooth and quiet. But it is a mid drive and in a different price category.
Does anyone have experience with the Charge Comfort? wondering how it rides compared with the Ride1up, Aventon 350, or even the Townie Go 8d? Any comments about the Chargebike company and service?

 

[PatriciaK]

If you're still looking, I have this bike and just love it! REI would be your LBS - they service this bike:

Compare Bikes

Compare Electric Bikes We wanted to make it as easy as possible to find the right bike for you with our side-by-side comparison of the different models. If you're still not sure which bike is right for you send us an email at [email protected]. Price Monthly Financing Monthly Cost Best For...

www.espinbikes.com

 

[M200]

PatriciaK, thanks for the tip! We had initially discounted that model due to the weight being higher than our ideal, but after test riding a number of bikes it seems we don’t mind the slight increase in weight.
Since our option to test ride is too far away, could you kindly answer a few questions about the Espin Flow?
1. We were really turned off by Aventon 500 we rode which had a huge whoosh! when applying power. We understand they fixed this on new bikes. But how is the riding experience on the Flow? Is it a gentle application of power And feel somewhat natural?
2. We have a number of pretty steep areas. How is the power on those?
3. Any comments on motor noise?
Thanks for your help!

 

[PatriciaK]

My experience with the Flow PAS is a smooth, reasonable acceleration to about 6 mph in PAS 1, and to about 9 mph in PAS 2 - comfortable and easy to handle. I've never used anything beyond PAS 2 - I'm a slower rider . It feels pretty natural - nothing like the sensation of being shoved from behind that I experienced in other hub drives I've tried. Definitely does not feel like it's taking off on me.

The throttle also works smoothly and gradually, starting off slow, and accelerating as more pressure is applied to the lever

The bike has plenty of power on the hills I've ridden in the Piedmont Triad area of NC - I've never felt like it was having trouble climbing any hills. It's actually quicker responding than my mid drive. I've mentioned before in another thread that if this bike had been available when I bought my mid drive for the very hilly area where I use that one, I probably would have purchased the Flow instead.

The motor is quiet. You can hear it, but it's not loud or distracting.

Another plus, important since Espin is a direct seller - their customer service has been excellent! I had a couple of minor issues after purchasing, which they immediately paid to have REI take care of. Just last week I had a question about removing the grip to install a mirror - they sent me a response, including a video detailing clearly how to accomplish the task, within 24 hours. I've been very pleased with my whole experience with Espin.

Hope that helps...

 

[M200]

This is extremely helpful! Thanks!
just one more question, how does their relationship with REI work? will REI do any tune ups as part of the purchase, or just warranty or repair work?

 

[PatriciaK]

I believe that if you want to, you can have the bike delivered to REI for assembly and checking over - you'd need to ask Espin customer service to verify. I only needed warranty work done, so can't answer that question for sure.

 

[M200]

Thank you.

 

[M200]

So we decided to order the Espin Flow. It seemed to have good features for the money and we like that REI will work on it when needed. Thanks to all for the excellent input.

 

[PatriciaK]

Hope you like yours as much as I like mine!

Be sure to check out the Espin thread here, if you haven't already - good information and tips there.

There is a little learning curve for riding a hub drive bike. Just take it slow, and remember any time you stop pedaling or apply the brakes, the motor will stop. If it ever feels like it's going too fast, just do either of those things - you have complete control .

Is REI going to assemble?