Getting back into biking, selected the Aventon Aventure

[Leaellynasaura]

Good day,

Maybe a decade ago I biked for a few months and really enjoyed it after getting a bike from a garage sell. I never got started up again after the winter, but lately I have been thinking of getting an e-bike. There are bike shops in town, but I did not go and look and ended up just watching a ton of videos and reading reviews. For better or worse I selected the Aventure. I was going to get a Rad Power 6, but the deciding factor ended up being the class 3 capability and the fact I could pick a larger frame size.

I am going to just use the bike to ride around for fun and maybe for some quick errands. I did order the rack thing for the back, but no bags or anything yet.

Possible concerns:

• I ordered it sight unseen with no test rides.
• This forum indicates questionable customer service at least about a year ago.
• Every bike review I seemed to watch for most brands stated "they will state one component, but you will get something else." I don't know how much of a concern this really is.
• Apparently there is a chance the brakes could end up needing to be bled.
• I learned after ordering you can't be pedaling while turning or they hit the pavement. That might have changed my mind, but I did not see that in the videos I had watched.

Good news is it shipped very quick, I ordered it Saturday and it should be here Friday.

 

[Solarcabin]

Aventure

Technical Specifications​

MOTOR 1130W (Peak) 750W (Sustained), 48V Brushless Rear Hub Motor	THROTTLE Throttle on demand - Throttle from a complete stop	DISPLAY BC280 LCD Smart Easy Read Display with Backlight, Colorful screen with app
SPEED Up to 20 MPH on Throttle. Can be adjusted to up to 28 MPH on Pedal Assist	BATTERY Removable Internal Lithium-ion 48V, 15Ah (720Wh)	SENSORS Cadence Sensor, Speed Sensor
PEDAL ASSIST 5 Levels	CHARGER Included is a 48V 3 Amp Fast Charger, 4-5 Hour Charging	RANGE 45 Miles Average
FRAME 6061 Single-Butted Aluminum Alloy with Internal Battery	WEIGHT 73 lbs	PEDALS 9/16' Alloy Platform
FORK Suspension Fork with 80mm travel, with lockout	WEIGHT LIMIT Maximum Payload Capacity: 400 lbs	KICKSTAND Included, Rear Mount
BOTTOM BRACKET Square Taper, Sealed	CRANKSET 170mm w/ 46 T	REAR DERAILLEUR 8 Speed
CASSETTE 12-32T, 8 Speed Cassette	SHIFT LEVER 8 Speed	BRAKES Hydraulic Disc Brakes, 180mm Rotors
CHAIN 8 Speed	RIM Double Wall Aluminum 36h Front & Rear	SPOKES Black Stainless 12 Gauge
TUBES Butyl Rubber, Schrader Valve	HUBS 36H Disc Thru-axle Front, Nutted Rear	TIRES 26 x 4" Ebike Rated Tires
SADDLE Aventon by Velo	SEATPOST Forged Alloy, 30.4mm x 350mm, 2-Bolt Clamp	STEM Threadless, 31.8mm, 7 Degree Rise
SEAT CLAMP Quick Release	HANDLEBARS Aluminum 31.8mm,680mm	HEADSET VP Sealed Bearing Headset
GRIPS Ergonomic Comfort

 

[Ang1sgt]

I am in the same situation that you are in. Deeply involved with what I want and need in a bicycle and concerned over Customer Service Issues.
My other concerns are costs. I am not in the position that some here are where they feel that an E-Bike needs to be BIG BOX and over $3000
to be of any real use.

See if anyone near you has an Aventon and talk with them. Someone in my old neighborhood I found on YouTube has one, actually about 5 e-bikes total but it seems his favorite is the Aventure model. He has some very good things to say about his. Another YouTuber in Chicago has really put his through the paces. Both of these men are larger frame guys like myself and other than loosened hardware and things like that, they are pleased with their E-Bikes.

As a former Shop Mechanic, I can’t keep anything from being modified. I always try and make MY bike MINE and something has to be switched out.
When I change something, I don’t go TOP OF THE LINE, but I go with something that is tried and true and if I have a breakage at some point, I can replace it for a fair price.

As for the Customer Service, seems like Aventon has someone that does respond in these forums from time to time. Is it helping? I am not sure of that. I sure hope that it is helping. This can be an issue with any manufacturer though.

A few weeks ago I test road an Aventon Aventure at one of my local shops. I tend to get attuned to a bicycle straight away and put this one through it’s paces in a VERY large parking lot that had expansion joints, pot holes and then a small dirt area where I could check things out. I started out riding with no assist and no throttle. I wanted to feel the bike and see how I fit on it. After that I put the PEDAL ASSIST on to PA1 to see how that would work. Within a little over a rotation of the pedals the PA took up and I could feel the difference. I tried PA2 and PA3 and those were plenty. In PA3 with the throttle I had plenty of torque and the bike moved out quickly, more quickly that I would be able too with just pedaling by myself.

On the pedal strike issue. I am not sure that that is as big an issue as people think it is. I usually carry enough speed in a corner that I do not need to continue to pedal. Wether I am on a Tandem Bicycle, Recumbent bicycle, Road Bike or MTB, I have never really seen a need.

Good luck with your purchase, and I hope all goes well for you!

 

[Solarcabin]

I don't see any technical issues. It does not have rear suspension or adjustable front suspension which will mean a bumpier and stiffer ride but fine for street and light trail riding.

Where you are a new rider I suggest keeping it in class 2 until you have a few months riding because ebikes are much faster than a pedal bike and handle differently.

Things I always recommend to people looking for an ebike:

-How far is your average ride? The website always gild the lily and faster speeds mean lower range.
-How fast do you really need to go? 20mph is fine for most riding and class 3 is for advanced riders not on bike paths.
-How tall and how heavy are you? Always look at seat height, pedal distance and weight load specs.
-Do you need to lift or carry that ebike? If you have stairs or need to lift it consider that ebike will weigh a lot.
-Do you ride on snow, sand, or muddy roads? Fat tire ebikes have much better traction.
-Do you have back or leg issues? Step through ebikes are easier to get on and you sit more upright.
-Can you control and stop an ebike? You need good hydraulic brakes and understand how to use them.
-Does the dealer have a warranty and replacement parts? Read reviews and know return policies before buying.

OK, looks like a decent ebike and hope you have great and safe fun riding Always wear a helmet and I recommend getting a mirror before you even ride and the Meachow mirrors on Amazon are excellent.

Meachow Ebike or Bike Mirrors Wide Angle Low Glare

Meachow Ebike or Bike Mirrors Wide Angle Low Glare

www.amazon.com

 

[Marci jo]

Good day,

Maybe a decade ago I biked for a few months and really enjoyed it after getting a bike from a garage sell. I never got started up again after the winter, but lately I have been thinking of getting an e-bike. There are bike shops in town, but I did not go and look and ended up just watching a ton of videos and reading reviews. For better or worse I selected the Aventure. I was going to get a Rad Power 6, but the deciding factor ended up being the class 3 capability and the fact I could pick a larger frame size.

I am going to just use the bike to ride around for fun and maybe for some quick errands. I did order the rack thing for the back, but no bags or anything yet.

Possible concerns:

• I ordered it sight unseen with no test rides.
• This forum indicates questionable customer service at least about a year ago.
• Every bike review I seemed to watch for most brands stated "they will state one component, but you will get something else." I don't know how much of a concern this really is.
• Apparently there is a chance the brakes could end up needing to be bled.
• I learned after ordering you can't be pedaling while turning or they hit the pavement. That might have changed my mind, but I did not see that in the videos I had watched.

Good news is it shipped very quick, I ordered it Saturday and it should be here Friday.

Congrats on your new bike! Feels like being a little kid again.
My standard new owner suggests.
- Mirror. Just like driving, helps to see what’s behind you.
- Bright lights. Still too many distracted drivers out there so it’s best to been seen.
Ride it!! Enjoy it!

 

[Leaellynasaura]

The bike got here Friday and my dad helped me put it together and it went pretty smooth. I only rode it that day for a bit via pedals only because it said to charge for 12 hours before use. I road it this morning for 31.5 miles with a lot of max speed at 30 or so mph and it was a lot of fun. No real complaints at this point. The only pedal strike I had was when I was off the bike and sort of pushing it next to a cross walk. I still need to find a phone mount that can accommodate my phone and case. I had to return the one I ordered because it was too small.

 

[Solarcabin]

The bike got here Friday and my dad helped me put it together and it went pretty smooth. I only rode it that day for a bit via pedals only because it said to charge for 12 hours before use. I road it this morning for 31.5 miles with a lot of max speed at 30 or so mph and it was a lot of fun. No real complaints at this point. The only pedal strike I had was when I was off the bike and sort of pushing it next to a cross walk. I still need to find a phone mount that can accommodate my phone and case. I had to return the one I ordered because it was too small.

I use this one and handles larger phones. Good solid mount.

Rockbros Phone Bag and VISNFA Phone Holder

Rockbros Phone Bag and VISNFA Phone Holder

www.amazon.com

Also recommend you get good mirrors right away.

See my mirror and turn signal recommendations here:

What Is Your Favorite Essential Ebike Gear Or Accessory?

Like most Ebikers after I got my Ariel X I immediately started looking for gear and accessories to make the Ebike safer, more comfortable and useful for my riding. One piece of essential gear I absolutely recommend before you even ride you ebikes is a good mirror. I tried several mirrors from...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Leaellynasaura]

Not sure how often I would use, but I made a rack for an insulated drink bag.

 

[Solarcabin]

Not sure how often I would use, but I made a rack for an insulated drink bag.

That's pretty cool! What is that material called and where do you get it?

 

[Leaellynasaura]

It’s the stuff used for overhead fluorescent light fixtures to diffuse the light. It ended up being a bad idea as I cut my leg a few times dismounting and the last time kind of bad before I realized it.

 

[Solarcabin]

Ah Ok!

Saddle bags might be better and I have an insulated cooler bag in one of my saddle bags to haul hot or cold food. You can get a lot of stuff in saddle bags. I also have a tank bag and another rear rack bag if I really want to carry lots of stuff.

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

Congrats! I was talking to a guy on the bike path who was commuting in the morning on an adventure and he said he absolutely loved it! I thought he it was really good looking up close. I got an aventon pace 500 but after seeing the adventure I kind of wish I had that one especially for the front suspension. Ride safe and enjoy!

 

[Leaellynasaura]

I had my first bad pedal strike yesterday and it was very jarring and marked up the pedal a lot. It really caught me off guard because it was not a very sharp turn and I was going up a little ramp for a sidewalk off of a street. It may have knocked something loose in the kick stand as when I got home and put it down the end fell off entirely. I think its missing a bolt or something? I reached out to support for guidance on reattaching it.

 

[Jason Knight]

As a fellow Aventure owner, welcome to the club of being hung out to dry by Aventon's near complete lack of support. Feel bad I didn't see this thread sooner so I could wave you off.

The kickstand falling off is classic. I've assembled three of these now and the kickstand bolts are never dogged down right and they don't seem to put threadlock on them. You likely lost one during the ride and the other fell off when you stopped. At least it was at a stop and not mid-ride.

Owning a bike in general I suggest stocking up on some cheaper easily lost parts. Bolts are definitely on that list. Thankfully the most common sizes -- M5, M6, M8 -- are readily available at most hardware store. Dropping eight or ten bucks on bags of each in different lengths is worth the peace of mind. It's better to have more than you need than none.

The kickstand should have been held on my two bolts, I can't remember which size but I know it's NOT M5's. If you have at least one of them, bring it to the hardware store and check it. With the ones I've worked on I'm putting red "permanent" threadlock on 'em.

When I saw your improvised box first thing I thought was "ouch, that's gonna cut ya!" -- reading on... oh, it did. I made that mistake with an improvised wood box I made for my 3 speed cruiser a decade ago. Bags or panniers better.

With my highly customized Aventure (yes, this started out same as yours) I use a rear bag to hold a bunch of bungee cords and my chain/lock, and have folding panniers on the side. Even the strongest folding baskets can be a bit weak on the bottom, so running a bungee cord around them under load helps stop them from falling apart.

Beware the rear rack from Aventon has the problem of the forward arms sliding loose.

Most racks that use some form of friction fit for those arms have that type of failure, and adding washers is bubblegum and duct tape, not a real fix. I have a Blackburn aftermarket one, that failed in a similar fashion... and quite spectacularly, couldn't find half the parts and had to limp the bike home with the rack held up by bungee cords.

With mine I ended up making my own arms out of some threaded rod and a couple turnbuckles.

It's kind of sad. The Aventure is a really nice bike, even if its name means "causing the non-criminal death of someone else"... but if you have any problems don't expect much if any support from them. You are on your own.

 

[Leaellynasaura]

I did contact support and they ordered me an entire new kick stand the next day even though I was just asking about the screw / bolt I needed. I went to Ace Hardware and out of their hundreds of boxes of stuff I got the screw I needed in the second one by luck. The bolt I guess is in the aluminum piece and can’t come out luckily and I have hopefully fixed it at least temporarily. Do you know if I was supposed to use a washer?

 

[Jason Knight]

I did contact support and they ordered me an entire new kick stand the next day even though I was just asking about the screw / bolt I needed.

How the hell did you pull that off? They no longer take phone calls, and I've used their warranty form and direct e-mails over and over for a MONTH AND A HALF trying to get even a response back about my dead battery. (thankfully I have a spare)

I almost want to scream "bullshit" on that given how they've ignored myself and several other owners, taking months to reply to even the simplest of issues if they respond at all!. That is so utterly unlikely and out of character for them it's absurd.

Though them shipping a whole unit IF you can get hold of help even when all you need is a bolt? Classic Aventon. I needed a new rear caliper because the rear brakes came non-functional on mine, they sent me the whole kit of caliper, hose, and handle. Likewise I used the extra rear hose on the front when I went with the wider cruiser bars and longer fork, and then because they have no strain reliefs on the blasted electricals the front brake sensor to kill the motor broke, so I used the one from the replacement rear handle.

For me the first three weeks of owning it was unsafe to be ridden, and it wasn't until I said screw it and ordered what I needed off Amazon that they finally replied back. And even then it was three more weeks of dicking around before they sent me the entire brake kit for a bike I already repaired.

Makes sense in a way when they're just getting off the shelf mountain bike parts that it might be cheaper to ship you the whole kit than individual components. Economies of scale and all that.

I have hopefully fixed it at least temporarily. Do you know if I was supposed to use a washer?

Generally for anything using bolts like that on a bike you don't need a washer. A decent thread-lock is usually more than sufficient and kind-of how things are designed to work.

That said, who knows? A lock washer to stop the bolt from backing out might not hurt. It's hard to screw up adding extra precautions to things. I wouldn't bother with flat washers, in the case of a kickstand an inner-tooth locker might be the best choice.

Really though a little red "permanent" threadlock is probably all that's needed. Worked good so far for me.

 

[TeamAventon]

How the hell did you pull that off? They no longer take phone calls, and I've used their warranty form and direct e-mails over and over for a MONTH AND A HALF trying to get even a response back about my dead battery. (thankfully I have a spare)

I almost want to scream "bullshit" on that given how they've ignored myself and several other owners, taking months to reply to even the simplest of issues if they respond at all!. That is so utterly unlikely and out of character for them it's absurd.

Though them shipping a whole unit IF you can get hold of help even when all you need is a bolt? Classic Aventon. I needed a new rear caliper because the rear brakes came non-functional on mine, they sent me the whole kit of caliper, hose, and handle. Likewise I used the extra rear hose on the front when I went with the wider cruiser bars and longer fork, and then because they have no strain reliefs on the blasted electricals the front brake sensor to kill the motor broke, so I used the one from the replacement rear handle.

For me the first three weeks of owning it was unsafe to be ridden, and it wasn't until I said screw it and ordered what I needed off Amazon that they finally replied back. And even then it was three more weeks of dicking around before they sent me the entire brake kit for a bike I already repaired.

Makes sense in a way when they're just getting off the shelf mountain bike parts that it might be cheaper to ship you the whole kit than individual components. Economies of scale and all that.


Generally for anything using bolts like that on a bike you don't need a washer. A decent thread-lock is usually more than sufficient and kind-of how things are designed to work.

That said, who knows? A lock washer to stop the bolt from backing out might not hurt. It's hard to screw up adding extra precautions to things. I wouldn't bother with flat washers, in the case of a kickstand an inner-tooth locker might be the best choice.

Really though a little red "permanent" threadlock is probably all that's needed. Worked good so far for me.

Yeah, we've been struggling and actively working to improve the response times. You will see more stories like the above experience where we are quick with responses and resolutions. Our phones are currently on Monday through Friday, 8 AM - 12 PM PST and can be reached at (866)300-3311.

 

[Leaellynasaura]

This is my first time recording a ride. I got a new bell today! I did not have one before and it was hard to signal pedestrians before passing as I don't like to yell. It seems to be working well. Its hard to film while riding lol.

 

[Jason Knight]

Yeah, we've been struggling and actively working to improve the response times. You will see more stories like the above experience where we are quick with responses and resolutions. Our phones are currently on Monday through Friday, 8 AM - 12 PM PST and can be reached at (866)300-3311.

Tried calling yesterday morning, "This number is not in service"... classic. So fake phone number, 4 hours a day office operation, garbage broken support form, no replies at the info@ e-mail used to contact me this time last year, and 8 days deep on the order of another battery that didn't even send a confirmation (though it was billed) and not even shipped.

SO impressed. Want to see how not to run a business, there you go!

 

[Leaellynasaura]

I hit 500 miles today! I need to start researching soon what maintenance actions I need to take at this point as thus far I have done nothing