Pace 500 Initial Impression and Mini Review

Hey Robrob, I’m impressed with this bike and especially the price. I like the Barfang 500 watt motor and throttle on command. For the sale price savings, the throttle on command, I would consider this bike. Though it is a class 2 and the tires are narrower, but it’s a strong contender.
 
I ordered the Espin Sport. Due to be delivered next week. The Sport and the Flow (the step through) have good specs and are on sale for $1200. The top speed can be raised to make it a class 3.
 
BET, please give us a quick review of the bike after you've ridden it a while. It sounds interesting.
 
That's a good point and a good technique Bigal. I was used to torque sensing ebikes and was really surprised by the Pace 500 initial acceleration in pedal assist level 1. I warned my wife about it before her first ride. I agree that pedal assist 0 should be the power on default for all ebikes with cadence sensors.

EDIT: Lowering the bike's speed limit does not change the pedal assist 1 speed. I haven't verified this myself yet but I plan to do it, it seems if you lower the bike's speed limit all the pedal assist speeds decrease proportionally. If you cut the top speed from 28mph to 19mph (30% decrease) all the PAS speeds will also be decreased by 30%. I ride my bike for exercise so I never need to go 28mph and keep in mind that European ebikes are limited to 16mph so 19 is still pretty quick.
Hi Robrob: thanks for amending that comment. We also tried it, and it made no difference. It seems to reduce the top end but not change the initial power surge. Hope there will be another solution. Thanks.
 
@phoenixtoohot

How does the Sport compare to the 500? Since my LBS only carries Aventons, I tested a 500 and liked the PAS 0 ride as it was easy to pedal non powered.

if the Sport is like the 500, at $1200, it’s probably a good value comparatively.

I was impressed by the fit/finish of the 500 and wonder if the Sport is similar.
 
Big Nerd, the Aventon pace 500 Is $1399, but if your bike store is in close proximity, then you have to factor that in. From my personal experience, I have lots of praise for the bike and and their corporate office People are very helpful and accommodating. Just quickly looking at the Espin Sport Looks like a lot more bike for the money. ??? Good luck.
 
I just received a Pace 500 that I bought for my wife. I pretty much agree 100% with the OP.

Bike quality and everything seems very nice, esp for the price. I am very happy with all the components and the overall performance!

HOWEVER.... I also feel that PAS 1 is WAY too much, quickly going up to 12 Mph or so. She is actually a slower rider and so far it hasn't been a easy transition. I think there should be something before that, maybe 6 mph or so. If this bike was for me, I would probably be fine with it, but even going around a sharp corner, you pretty much need to stop peddling completely.

This is day-1 so have not really tested it much, will test more during the next few days! I am not sure if this is true but it seemed like after I started to pedal, then use throttle, it works great until I let off. Then it no longer responds unti I start pedaling again. I can see if I made a stop but not being able to use throttle on and off during a ride without having to stop and start pedaling each and every time does not seem right? Is this the case?
 
Hi Banshee, it’s an excellent bike, but you have to learn how to operate it. (I hope I’m saying this correctly). When you turn the power on, drop down to PAS 0. Pedaling without power is very easy. Just make sure that you’re in a lower speed (1 -3), especially if you are near pedestrians or close to other bikers. When you haveclearance, then power up to PAS 1. Play around with the PAS and the throttle. After you become familiar with its capability, then you will appreciate the power and speed. It’s a fantastic bike for the money. I’ve had this bike for more than a year and very much enjoy it And in a short time your wife will also enjoy it. Please follow my advice and everyone will be safe.
 
I agree about PAS 1 on the Pace 500. I wish they had a 350 I could test because I wanted to see how it was comparatively. Not sure why it's so high on PAS 1 (which I knew about due to the posts here) because during my test ride, I didn't even want to try 2 or higher but I guess those are for hills.

I'd consider buying the 500 if it had more of the features that the Espin Sport had even had a higher price (front shocks, lights, fenders, rack) but another issue is I don't get a good vibe from the LBS owner. Nice person but something about them rubs me the wrong way... and I think if I had support issues they might not be very accommodating.
 
Trust me, Aventon is an excellent company and they are very accommodating. Unfortunately during this Covid virus, they as well as all companies have cut back on help. For the price,there are many quality features. The only issue I have is lack of throttle on command, but in time, you will get used to it. Good luck and enjoy it, and don’t forget, there is not such thing as a perfect bike.
 
Hi Banshee, it’s an excellent bike, but you have to learn how to operate it. (I hope I’m saying this correctly). When you turn the power on, drop down to PAS 0. Pedaling without power is very easy. Just make sure that you’re in a lower speed (1 -3), especially if you are near pedestrians or close to other bikers. When you haveclearance, then power up to PAS 1. Play around with the PAS and the throttle. After you become familiar with its capability, then you will appreciate the power and speed. It’s a fantastic bike for the money. I’ve had this bike for more than a year and very much enjoy it And in a short time your wife will also enjoy it. Please follow my advice and everyone will be safe.
Thanks! yes this was our first quick test ride and initial impressions. I agree and I actually did just that, started with PAS0 until she was ready and on a open straight road. I think we will get used to it. Otherwise the fit and quality of the bike is really great, I love every other part of it!
 
I bought a Pace 500 for myself and a Pace 350 for my wife. The Pace 350 does NOT have the same quick acceleration issues as the Pace 500 in PAS 1. I do not like how slow the 350 is when I ride it occasionally, but it is perfect for her. She likes to start out slow, but the bike allows her to ride 10+ miles on the weekends without issues.

I have raised my upper limit to 31 MPH on mine and I really enjoy the surging power of the bike. I ride between 60-100 miles every week using PAS 3 for most of my rides which average 19-20 MPH.
 
The Aventon Pace 500 is a fantastic Class 3 bike if you don’t mind not having throttle on command. The Level is a much better buy for $200. more, but again it lacks throttle on command. I stress this point, because it’s important to be able to start in a stop position especially on an incline. Another issue is jackrabbit starts in pedal assist, especially PAS1. Why Aventon doesn’t deal with these issues? You have a fantastic bike that can be even better. What’s the problem with Aventon?
 
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The Aventon Pace 500 is a fantastic Class 3 bike if you don’t mind not having throttle on command. The Level is a much better buy for $200. more, but again it lacks throttle on command. I stress this point, because it’s important to be able to start in a stop position especially on an incline. Another issue is jackrabbit starts in pedal assist, especially PAS1. Why Aventon doesn’t deal with these issues? You have a fantastic bike that can be even better. What’s the problem with Aventon?
So I see many other systems/controllers that are configurable, but are these completely locked out where no one can change anything? You would think maybe a dealer would at least be able to, but maybe its not possible?

I would like to first change the PAS1 settings to maybe ~50% of its value, and Throttle from a start and without peddling would be a nice option too.
 
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