Known Issues & Problems with Aventon Products + Help, Solutions, & Fixes

[Admin]

No ebike is perfect, this is a thread dedicated to sharing known issues or problems with electric bikes from Aventon as well as any help and solutions you know of. Sometimes that means a DIY fix and other times it can mean a recall, software update or part replacement by a dealer.

Please be respectful and constructive with feedback, this is not a space for hate speech. In many cases, representatives from the company will see feedback and use it to improve their product. In the end, the goal is to enjoy riding and help each other go further and be safer.

 

[rcdanner]

I have Aventon Pace 500 Sport in small frame size. I like the bike.
I have two complaints. The lowest Pedal Assist level PAS 1 is too high at nearly 12mph. Once you pedal the required 1 revolution before assist is activated, the motor quickly accelerates to 12mph in a few seconds. It seems dangerous to be turning slowly and just pedal once and have that high acceleration jolting you forward. The second complaint is no 0 start throttle. You must pedal 1 revolution before the throttle is activated. This is tough starting at a stop light and wanting to get across the street quickly using the throttle but only after that pedal revolution. All my other ebikes I have ridden had the throttle activated from 0 start. I have gotten used to these problems. But I wish Aventon would make this great ebike even better by fixing the two complaints.

 

[GregGritton]

The lowest Pedal Assist level PAS 1 is too high at almost 12mph. Once you pedal the required 1 revolution before assist is activated, the motor instantly accelerates to 12mph.

There seem to be various types of Cadence sensing controllers
- Constant voltage - This drives a constant voltage to the the motor, based on the assist level, with the current limited by the controller. At low speed you hit the controller current limit regardless of the assist level. Thus, you get a hard shove even at low levels. The Aventon and Magnum Metro, among other bikes, has this type.
- Constant power - The controller tries to feed the motor a constant power based on the assistance level. Thus,
at low assist levels you get a gentle push. Rad Power Bikes has this type on the Rad City. I much prefer it to constant voltage. You will still get higher torque at low speeds than at higher seeds but the drop-off isn't too steep.
- Constant torque - The torque stays constant based on the assist level until you are going fast enough to hit max power. I don't know of any bikes that have this, but there may be some.

If you are technically inclined, you can see the torque curves for constant voltage (the default) or constant torque (if you select a custom controller with constant torque) at https://www.ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html. Changing the throttle setting is the equivalent of setting the PAS (pedal assist) level.

Finally, torque sensing bikes work differently, sensing your pedal torque and multiplying that power, giving a fairly natural feeling.

 

[TumaloTed]

Is it possible to swap the Pace 500 constant voltage controller with a constant power controller?? Hope Aventon will consider this down the road, along with puncture resistance tires and a suspension front fork.

 

[TumaloTed]

I'm 5'11" and interested in both the 350 and 500 in a step thru, which only comes in mid-frame size. Any other taller folks that have been happy with their mid size step thru??

 

[Movie Star]

I'm 5'11" and interested in both the 350 and 500 in a step thru, which only comes in mid-frame size. Any other taller folks that have been happy with their mid size step thru??

My wife is 5'11" and is very comfortable on the 500 step thru in medium.

 

[Larrylove]

I just received the step through 500 and I'm 6'1". Got this size so that me and my wife can share. I'll let you know how the sizing works. I'm hoping since its a comfort style ride it won't be a problem.

 

[Bigal1463]

I have Aventon Pace 500 Sport in small frame size. I like the bike.
I have two complaints. The lowest Pedal Assist level PAS 1 is too high at almost 12mph. Once you pedal the required 1/2 revolution before assist is activated, the motor instantly accelerates to 12mph. It seems dangerous to be turning slowly and just pedal once and have that high acceleration jolting you forward. The second complaint is no 0 start throttle. You must pedal 1/4 revolution before the throttle is activated. This is tough starting at a stop light and wanting to get across the street quickly using the throttle but only after that pedal revolution. All other ebikes I have ridden had the throttle activated from 0 start. I have gotten used to these problems. But I wish Aventon would make this great ebike even better by fixing the two complaints.

 

[Bigal1463]

I too have the Pace 500, and yes it does jump off the line as soon as you start to pedal. Actually, you don't even have to pedal a full revolution, probably one quarter. I've overcame this problem by going to zero after turning on the power button. Make sure when you approach a potential stop that you down gear to 1st, 2nd or third gear, so when you do start up it is easier to pedal. I agree that having to start to pedal (about one quarter turn) the throttle will activate. A bit of an inconvenience, but overall for the price, I like it very much.

 

[robrob]

The battery has turned off on a couple of my rides and at least one other person has mentioned this problem on the Facebook forum. I saw the display was blank and tried to turn it back on and couldn't. That's when I realized the battery had turned off. I was able to tap the battery on switch and turn it right back on. I don't like that my ride time and distance gets lost when it happens. If it keeps happening I'll be returning the battery to Aventon.

It's possible the battery moved enough on a bump to disconnect so I'm going to inspect it and see if maybe a little tape between the frame and battery may tighten it up some.

 

[Bigal1463]

The battery has turned off on a couple of my rides and at least one other person has mentioned this problem on the Facebook forum. I saw the display was blank and tried to turn it back on and couldn't. That's when I realized the battery had turned off. I was able to tap the battery on switch and turn it right back on. I don't like that my ride time and distance gets lost when it happens. If it keeps happening I'll be returning the battery to Aventon.

It's possible the battery moved enough on a bump to disconnect so I'm going to inspect it and see if maybe a little tape between the frame and battery may tighten it up some.

Sorry to hear that Robrob. Do contact Aventon, and I hope they can solve your issue. They are very good to deal with .
Good luck

 

[alivengo]

I just received the step through 500 and I'm 6'1". Got this size so that me and my wife can share. I'll let you know how the sizing works. I'm hoping since its a comfort style ride it won't be a problem.

How does the medium step through work for you? I'm considering one for the same reason and I'm 6'1", almost 6'2". My wife is 5'9" -ish.

Thanks!

 

[robrob]

I'm 6'2" and 240 lbs and my wife's Pace 350 medium step through fits me just fine. I can get the seat high enough to fit my legs perfectly and I don't really notice a difference in fit between her bike and my large frame top-bar Pace 500. If we needed to share a bike a medium would work well for both of us.

 

[alivengo]

Thanks for the speedy reply! It seemed fairly adjustable but they recommend it only up to 5'10". My thought is that I would use the bike as a daily commuter, but on the weekends my wife could use it while my son and I pedal our "analog" bikes. She has rheumatoid arthritis and so a step over seems to be ideal. Eventually, I suppose I may upgrade my ride and pass this to her full-time if I truly do commute most days of the week.

I would love to try the bike before buying, but it's a 3-hour drive, and it seems like our weekends are booked for the foreseeable future.

It looks like the stem is adjustable, but only with tools. I suppose that if adjusting the stem becomes a "chore" I can always replace it with a tool-free adjustable stem...

Thanks again!

 

[alivengo]

So this is an issues , problems, and fixes thread, but I wanted to do a quick update. I received my bike last Friday and have been commuting to work this week. I guess the question of fit is an issue, though...

As I mentioned, I am around 6'2" and bought the medium step through to share with my wife. The bike fits me just fine, and I don't even have the seatpost extended all the way. There are markings on the post from 1-12, with 1 as the highest marking (you can extend it about 1" further to the minimum insertion/maximum extension marking); I have it set between 1 1/2 and 2. The upright riding style is different for me (I like it alright now), but it probably helps this frame work for me.

 

[GregGritton]

As I mentioned, I am around 6'2" and bought the medium step through to share with my wife.

How tall is your wife (if you/she don't mind sharing)?

I have a daughter that is 5'6" and am considering buying here an Aventon Pace 350. She tried the small one place and it worked, but I wonder if the medium would also work for her.

 

[alivengo]

She's 5'9". On their website, Aventon recommends the medium for 5'4" - 5'10". The small is listed as being sized for 4'11" - 5'4".

 

[Bigal1463]

Check the web site again.

 

[Bigal1463]

I’m 5’6 and ride a small frame as is recommended by Aventon. My buddy has a medium size frame and yes I can ride that with no problem. Keep in mind, if you get the medium frame and she decides to add a suspension seat post, one like the better posts, it would raise the post 2-3 inches. Something to think about.

 

[robrob]

I posted earlier that my Pace 500 battery was shutting down during rides. Well I realized I was riding the bike in PAS 0 for too long so the bike was doing the auto-shutdown thing. I just have to remember to blip the throttle or switch between Trip A and Trip B or something else every few minutes when not using any pedal assist to keep the bike from shutting off and losing the trip info.