Reasons not to buy an Aventure.2

[Ben J]

I’m saying you shouldn’t buy it!

There are lots of reviews and long-term ownership reports on the Aventure and they are mostly positive. Those reviews are all true! But there are negatives to the bike. That’s all I’m listing here. If you want a balanced view of the bike, you need to go look at all the positives, too.

You may read these items and think, “eh, that doesn’t matter to me.” Great! If you aren’t bothered by the negatives, then this might be the right bike for you. No bike is perfect.

If you already own the bike, maybe don’t read this?

Post-purchase rationalization is a real thing. We feel happier if we see positive news or reviews about something we already own. I don’t want to make you feel bad about your purchase. It was a great purchase! This is for people who are trying to make a decision.

Why you shouldn’t buy an Aventure.2:

It’s Big

• Doesn’t fit in normal bike racks because it’s too heavy and/or the tires are too wide
  • On cars
  • On public transit
  • In public parking areas (with “slots” for front tires)
  • Where hanging hooks are used
• Where it does fit, it still weighs 75lbs and you have to wrestle it up there.
• The front wheel does not come with a quick release so it can’t go in spots where you have to remove the wheel.
• You can’t just manhandle it around because it’s heavy. Depending on your fitness level, you might not be able to lift it at all. But even if you can, you’ll find yourself doing a 3 point turn to turn around instead of just picking it up.
• Assist power only cancels out “big” when you’re riding. The rest of the time it’s just big.
• It’s conspicuous.

It’s a fat tire bike that is not geared for no-assist riding

• It’s like you took a regular fat tire bike, filled the frame with cement, and deleted all but the 3 highest gears.
• Because of that, it’s more dependent on assist than other bikes.
• Actually I did the math, cement is not heavy enough. You’d need to fill the frame with something like depleted uranium. Seriously. Berm Peak Express, are you listening?

Maintenance

• As soon as you buy it (and at intervals thereafter) you will need service. If you didn’t get the bike from LBS, you may have trouble finding anyone to work on it. Both “ebike” and "DTC” are trigger words for bike shops. Are you ready to buy some tools, watch some YouTube videos, and get your hands dirty?
• To give you an idea: I’ve had mine for 2 months/350 miles. I’ve adjusted the calipers to avoid rubbing (the front multiple times), the derailleur to fix clicking in high gears (from the factory), cleaned and lubed the chain, replaced the brake rotors (harmonic noise), replaced the pedals (failing bearings), and I’m about to true the front wheel (it has picked up about 5mm of wobble, and I’m getting what I think are spoke noises at certain speeds). This is in addition to ordinary stuff (organizing the cockpit, changing grips, seat, seatpost)
• Aventon support is responsive, but they are limited to replacing parts and telling you what the manual says. I know they’re active on social media, but they are not addressing common concerns (some of which I mention here).

The brakes are only just good enough

• It’s a 75lb bike with a 400lb payload capacity with brakes meant for something about half that size.
• You can panic stop on the flat from 20mph, can you do it downhill at 28mph?
• It probably needs a 4 piston caliper on the front at the very least.

There’s not enough variation in the assist modes

• You think it’s 4 assist curves stacked, but really they have the same origin and are only really different at higher speeds (note I didn’t say “higher torques” because you can tell that current bike speed is also an input to the algorithm).
• At low speeds this means there’s a big gap between “OFF” and “ECO” so it’s hard to manage your exertion level if you are in a speed limited environment like a mixed-use path. In most flat situations, ECO is nearly effortless to 15+mph in a situation where unassisted pedaling in gear 1 or 2 would hit 7mph with twice the effort.
• On hills at low speed there’s also not much variation. You would think TURBO would result in “all the assist” but often I see the bike has more to give (according to the power bar, and based on what happens if I mash the throttle)
• Because the current speed influences the assist response, the bike can feel “steppy” where you can be putting out constant effort, then a burst of power that takes you a few mph faster, and when you ease off you are now maintaining that speed at the original effort. This also makes it tricky to manage exertion level by slightly changing speed.
• Assist is greatly influenced by battery level, even in low modes like ECO where it should be possible to smooth them out electronically. There’s a hill near me that I’ve done at 9% battery remaining and 90% battery remaining. In ECO mode, it’s the difference between about 9mph and 13mph. No point in testing in other modes because you would not get more assist in that situation.

Noise Issues

• The front brake caliper is hard to adjust, and hard to keep in adjustment. It moves as you tighten it (making every adjustment a series of tap-tap-tap, tighten, repeat). It will move if you panic stop. It’s slightly easier if you get brake rotors that are flatter than stock. As a result, even if you leave the house with the brake not rubbing, there’s a decent chance it will be rubbing before you return.
• That irritating rotor harmonic vibration at certain speeds (which happen to be the bike’s favorite speeds).
• There’s another noise from the front that some people have which I think is a spoke tension issue.

Ergonomic Issues

• It’s prone to pedal strikes. It’s fine on the flat, and in turns with ordinary caution. But if you go over anything bumpy (and why did you get a fat tire bike if you didn’t want some bumps?) you have to use a lot of care. The bearings in the original pedals were showing play in less than 150mi, possibly due to the hits I took learning not to pedal over roots.
• It needs a suspension seatpost. If you aren’t riding it somewhere bumpy, you probably don’t need the fat tires anyway. At least this can be fixed with money, but they’re not cheap. 10% of the bike’s price?
• The fork isn’t great. It doesn’t smooth out small bumps, but it might save the bike (and you) if you hit a big bump at speed. The only instruction to adjust it are “until it feels good”. Some say he is still adjusting the fork to this day…
• There’s no geometry change between the frame sizes, just more seatpost, so your riding posture will be dictated mainly by your height. Taller riders = more upright, shorter riders = more aggressive.

Very limited firmware/software

• The mode will flip to OFF spontaneously but I haven’t found a pattern (it might be hitting bumps, but it’s not immediate). I’d say once every 50 miles or so, but if it happens once on a ride it’s more likely to happen again. It goes back into ECO without any trouble when you click the button.
• Many features are missing
  • No ability to tune the assist modes (if you own one and you really want to be sad, watch a video on the Specialized Mission Control app)
  • Can’t send or receive data to other devices (e.g. receiving heartrate, or send cadence to a GPS)
  • Range calculation
  • Screen layout customization
• Broken/Useless features
  • CO2 emissions saved (random number)
  • Trees saved (ditto)
  • Calorie counter
• Subpar Features
  • Trip odometer can only be accessed when stationary
  • There are two trip odometers but it’s not clear how stats accumulate between them if you try to switch.
  • Trip odometer is too many button presses to reset (and they both reset together)
  • Battery percent remaining is not very linear
  • USB A port for powering another device does not signal any charge capabilities, so many modern phones will not try to charge from it (though they may drain less of their own battery)
• Usability
  • Everything is small except the speed (not great for old eyes)
  • Useless stats like “total riding time” are front and center
  • Polarized LCD screen orientation makes it impossible to read the display with polarized sunglasses
  • Controller is a big reach. Hard to accurately hit left/right turnsignals (almost impossible with gloves). I’m saying this even after swapping it closer (moving the brakes to more of a 2-finger position) and you can’t really move it much closer without giving up the throttle. As a result, I rarely use the turn signals, and almost exclusively the left one because I can hit it semi-reliably.

 

[Doggyman1202]

• Trip odometer can only be accessed when stationary

Yet, the display will tell you how much in the way of C02 emissions you're not emitting by riding a bike, as if cyclists would otherwise be busy "rolling coal" in a big ass pickup truck, if only they were not on their bicycle. (I'm assuming the display is the same or similar to the new Pace 500.3 a buddy of mine just purchased). I think of many things when I ride, but tree conservation is not uppermost on my mind. I do think about miles traveled and miles remaining until I reach my destination or a necessary turn, so this is a major omission in my book. Generally, I take it for granted that I can glance at a display for that information without having to stop riding and change screens.
I ordinarily would not be perusing the Aventon forum, but I was incredulous, and suggested to my friend that he must be missing something, so I came here to research this oddly missing feature. It looks like it's not him after all. It's the bike.

 

[Ben J]

While trying to get a picture of my serial number I was reminded of an area I forgot: All of the wiring on the bike comes out from an unprotected hole at the bottom of the downtube. This issue is so well known you can buy a 3rd party skidplate for that area.

BTW, my serial number is fully in view in this pic. If someone wants to "steal" it, be my guest. Please tell me what it is, because I can't read it. I'm going to have to go back and take more pictures from different angles to read the stamped numbers.

 

[Doggyman1202]

I personally would not have an interest in the Aventure, as I learned over time that fat tire bikes are just not for me. You do an excellent job of dissecting this machine in a harsh, but refreshingly blunt and candid way though. Nice job.

 

[Asher]

Great writeup. Your first two sections apply to any fat e-bike. It's no coincidence these are almost exclusively the province of D2C brands - because a bike shop will educate you on why fat ebikes are usually a bad idea, vs say, a 2.4-2.6" tire which is the norm for flagship urban ebikes, and often with a rigid fork (see giant, trek, specialized, Cannondale, canyon). And maybe a suspension seatpost. Also, Aventon's commuter model DOES have genuine variable sizing.

Cannondale has a new class 3 $2k hub drive ebike that I think is a harbinger of the big brands finally having competing products at this price level. I'd say it's almost uniformly superior to whatever the startup D2C brands are cranking out, at the same price. And there's also Canyon's new crop of $3-5k class 3 Bosch ebikes that are a great value.

The Empire Strikes Back: Big Bike Brand Offers $2k 28 mph E-Bike w/Torque Sensor (Cannondale Adventure Neo Allroad S)

This is very encouraging. Brands like Juiced, Aventon, Ride1Up arguably exist because the big, bike shop brands neglected this segment of the market for so long. The neglect also created a near monopoly for Bosch at the higher end of the market. Without the Bosch tax, big brands can be quite...

electricbikereview.com

That said, I like to use the throttle slightly when level 1 assist aka eco is too much. Perfect for when road conditions are volatile.

If you want a lot of smart bike features, the Velotric Thunder may be a better bet.

But you learned your lesson, fatbikes are not for you and probably not for most, and a bike shop would nudge you accordingly. Aventon is also clear about framing it as an off road bike.

 

[Asher]

Also, beyond just this bike, the whole online scene for reviewing ebikes is massively hyped and inflated by brands paying influencers, sending free bikes, etc, to the point of it being illegal (not disclosing their content is sponsored). So the straight dope has to be gleaned either by closely reading otherwise positive reviews, or trawling thru forums like this one.

 

[Flashbulb_RI]

I’m saying you shouldn’t buy it!

There are lots of reviews and long-term ownership reports on the Aventure and they are mostly positive. Those reviews are all true! But there are negatives to the bike. That’s all I’m listing here. If you want a balanced view of the bike, you need to go look at all the positives, too.

You may read these items and think, “eh, that doesn’t matter to me.” Great! If you aren’t bothered by the negatives, then this might be the right bike for you. No bike is perfect.

If you already own the bike, maybe don’t read this?

Post-purchase rationalization is a real thing. We feel happier if we see positive news or reviews about something we already own. I don’t want to make you feel bad about your purchase. It was a great purchase! This is for people who are trying to make a decision.

Why you shouldn’t buy an Aventure.2:

It’s Big

• Doesn’t fit in normal bike racks because it’s too heavy and/or the tires are too wide
  
  • On cars
  • On public transit
  • In public parking areas (with “slots” for front tires)
  • Where hanging hooks are used
• Where it does fit, it still weighs 75lbs and you have to wrestle it up there.
• The front wheel does not come with a quick release so it can’t go in spots where you have to remove the wheel.
• You can’t just manhandle it around because it’s heavy. Depending on your fitness level, you might not be able to lift it at all. But even if you can, you’ll find yourself doing a 3 point turn to turn around instead of just picking it up.
• Assist power only cancels out “big” when you’re riding. The rest of the time it’s just big.
• It’s conspicuous.

It’s a fat tire bike that is not geared for no-assist riding

• It’s like you took a regular fat tire bike, filled the frame with cement, and deleted all but the 3 highest gears.
• Because of that, it’s more dependent on assist than other bikes.
• Actually I did the math, cement is not heavy enough. You’d need to fill the frame with something like depleted uranium. Seriously. Berm Peak Express, are you listening?

Maintenance

• As soon as you buy it (and at intervals thereafter) you will need service. If you didn’t get the bike from LBS, you may have trouble finding anyone to work on it. Both “ebike” and "DTC” are trigger words for bike shops. Are you ready to buy some tools, watch some YouTube videos, and get your hands dirty?
• To give you an idea: I’ve had mine for 2 months/350 miles. I’ve adjusted the calipers to avoid rubbing (the front multiple times), the derailleur to fix clicking in high gears (from the factory), cleaned and lubed the chain, replaced the brake rotors (harmonic noise), replaced the pedals (failing bearings), and I’m about to true the front wheel (it has picked up about 5mm of wobble, and I’m getting what I think are spoke noises at certain speeds). This is in addition to ordinary stuff (organizing the cockpit, changing grips, seat, seatpost)
• Aventon support is responsive, but they are limited to replacing parts and telling you what the manual says. I know they’re active on social media, but they are not addressing common concerns (some of which I mention here).

The brakes are only just good enough

• It’s a 75lb bike with a 400lb payload capacity with brakes meant for something about half that size.
• You can panic stop on the flat from 20mph, can you do it downhill at 28mph?
• It probably needs a 4 piston caliper on the front at the very least.

There’s not enough variation in the assist modes

• You think it’s 4 assist curves stacked, but really they have the same origin and are only really different at higher speeds (note I didn’t say “higher torques” because you can tell that current bike speed is also an input to the algorithm).
• At low speeds this means there’s a big gap between “OFF” and “ECO” so it’s hard to manage your exertion level if you are in a speed limited environment like a mixed-use path. In most flat situations, ECO is nearly effortless to 15+mph in a situation where unassisted pedaling in gear 1 or 2 would hit 7mph with twice the effort.
• On hills at low speed there’s also not much variation. You would think TURBO would result in “all the assist” but often I see the bike has more to give (according to the power bar, and based on what happens if I mash the throttle)
• Because the current speed influences the assist response, the bike can feel “steppy” where you can be putting out constant effort, then a burst of power that takes you a few mph faster, and when you ease off you are now maintaining that speed at the original effort. This also makes it tricky to manage exertion level by slightly changing speed.
• Assist is greatly influenced by battery level, even in low modes like ECO where it should be possible to smooth them out electronically. There’s a hill near me that I’ve done at 9% battery remaining and 90% battery remaining. In ECO mode, it’s the difference between about 9mph and 13mph. No point in testing in other modes because you would not get more assist in that situation.

Noise Issues

• The front brake caliper is hard to adjust, and hard to keep in adjustment. It moves as you tighten it (making every adjustment a series of tap-tap-tap, tighten, repeat). It will move if you panic stop. It’s slightly easier if you get brake rotors that are flatter than stock. As a result, even if you leave the house with the brake not rubbing, there’s a decent chance it will be rubbing before you return.
• That irritating rotor harmonic vibration at certain speeds (which happen to be the bike’s favorite speeds).
• There’s another noise from the front that some people have which I think is a spoke tension issue.

Ergonomic Issues

• It’s prone to pedal strikes. It’s fine on the flat, and in turns with ordinary caution. But if you go over anything bumpy (and why did you get a fat tire bike if you didn’t want some bumps?) you have to use a lot of care. The bearings in the original pedals were showing play in less than 150mi, possibly due to the hits I took learning not to pedal over roots.
• It needs a suspension seatpost. If you aren’t riding it somewhere bumpy, you probably don’t need the fat tires anyway. At least this can be fixed with money, but they’re not cheap. 10% of the bike’s price?
• The fork isn’t great. It doesn’t smooth out small bumps, but it might save the bike (and you) if you hit a big bump at speed. The only instruction to adjust it are “until it feels good”. Some say he is still adjusting the fork to this day…
• There’s no geometry change between the frame sizes, just more seatpost, so your riding posture will be dictated mainly by your height. Taller riders = more upright, shorter riders = more aggressive.

Very limited firmware/software

• The mode will flip to OFF spontaneously but I haven’t found a pattern (it might be hitting bumps, but it’s not immediate). I’d say once every 50 miles or so, but if it happens once on a ride it’s more likely to happen again. It goes back into ECO without any trouble when you click the button.
• Many features are missing
  
  • No ability to tune the assist modes (if you own one and you really want to be sad, watch a video on the Specialized Mission Control app)
  • Can’t send or receive data to other devices (e.g. receiving heartrate, or send cadence to a GPS)
  • Range calculation
  • Screen layout customization
• Broken/Useless features
  
  • CO2 emissions saved (random number)
  • Trees saved (ditto)
  • Calorie counter
• Subpar Features
  
  • Trip odometer can only be accessed when stationary
  • There are two trip odometers but it’s not clear how stats accumulate between them if you try to switch.
  • Trip odometer is too many button presses to reset (and they both reset together)
  • Battery percent remaining is not very linear
  • USB A port for powering another device does not signal any charge capabilities, so many modern phones will not try to charge from it (though they may drain less of their own battery)
• Usability
  
  • Everything is small except the speed (not great for old eyes)
  • Useless stats like “total riding time” are front and center
  • Polarized LCD screen orientation makes it impossible to read the display with polarized sunglasses
  • Controller is a big reach. Hard to accurately hit left/right turnsignals (almost impossible with gloves). I’m saying this even after swapping it closer (moving the brakes to more of a 2-finger position) and you can’t really move it much closer without giving up the throttle. As a result, I rarely use the turn signals, and almost exclusively the left one because I can hit it semi-reliably.

Ben - Excellent write up!
I just bought a Pace 500.3 and I'm trying to work out ALL the kinks, wondering if I should keep it or not. Obviously a different bike than yours but has much in common.

• As you noted ECO adds too much assist on level ground, this is frustrating, I'm thinking I will just turn assist off as the bike rolls quite well without power OR I can pedal in 7th or 8th gear on flat terrain on Echo.
• In 7th and 8th gear I can feel the links of the chain vibrate softly though the pedals as I pedal. Anyone have thoughts on what is causing this?
• When I'm going uphill and pedaling, If I hit the throttle (even all the way) it does NOTHING. If I stop pedaling and then hit the throttle and resume pedaling, I get 100% assist. This does NOT happen on flat ground.
• The rear breaks squeal on heavy braking, I've cleaned the rotor and bedded in the breaks to no avail.

No bike is perfect... there is a LOT I like about the Pace 500.3 so I'm trying to figure out if I can get the bike to a point I'm satisfied with it.

 

[Ben J]

In 7th and 8th gear I can feel the links of the chain vibrate softly though the pedals as I pedal. Anyone have thoughts on what is causing this?

You should watch a video on derailleur tuning and give it a go. Sounds like your indexing might be slightly off. Mine was from the factory. However, even with everything else dialed in, 6th gear is not quite as nice no matter what I do.

When I'm going uphill and pedaling, If I hit the throttle (even all the way) it does NOTHING. If I stop pedaling and then hit the throttle and resume pedaling, I get 100% assist. This does NOT happen on flat ground.

Interesting. I saw similar reports on Reddit about mixing throttle+pedal but it wasn't happening to me. But the #1 time I used throttle up hills was to be able to coast over some massive "speed bumps" (actually poorly made rain diverters) right by my house, so I was deliberately not pedaling (to avoid the pedal strike) then hitting throttle, then pedaling more. Luckily (?) I can't repeat that test because they jackhammered those things off the road just 2 days ago.

 

[Flashbulb_RI]

I finally figured out whats going on with the throttle. If any time after I turn the bike on, I hit the throttle while NOT pedaling, I can then throttle while pedaling for the remainder of my ride. If I have NOT used the throttle alone since turning the bike on, it stays 100% non responsive while pedaling. *crazy*

Brakes: I *thought* Tektro brakes where a good brand as I've been 100% happy with the Tektro mechanical disk brakes on my RAD Mission1. With the Tektro hydraulic brakes on my Pace 500.3 I have squealing on the back brake (cleaned rotor, installed new brake pad, bedded in properly to no avail) and grinding/pulsing on my front brake.

 

[Flashbulb_RI]

Also, beyond just this bike, the whole online scene for reviewing ebikes is massively hyped and inflated by brands paying influencers, sending free bikes, etc, to the point of it being illegal (not disclosing their content is sponsored). So the straight dope has to be gleaned either by closely reading otherwise positive reviews, or trawling thru forums like this one.

So True. Many of the YouTube eBike reviews are quite good at describing all the bike's features and give glowing rider experience feedback BUT never have anything negative to say in their reviews as if all the bikes are near perfect.

 

[Ben J]

Finally got my Park Tool CC-3.2 chain checker and I see that after 350 miles my Aventure.2 chain is already well over 0.5% wear (not quite 0.75% yet though).

If you find yourself in the same position, remember to buy two new chains, because the 116L standard length is 6 links short. Hopefully the new KMC chain is made of sterner stuff.

BTW if you were wondering if a Park Tool PCS-9.3 repair stand can hold an Aventure.2, it can, and it's very stable. In hindsight, though, maybe splurge on the 10.2 because the quick release would be nice with a bike you can't lift one-handed.

 

[mschwett]

Finally got my Park Tool CC-3.2 chain checker and I see that after 350 miles my Aventure.2 chain is already well over 0.5% wear (not quite 0.75% yet though).

If you find yourself in the same position, remember to buy two new chains, because the 116L standard length is 6 links short. Hopefully the new KMC chain is made of sterner stuff.

BTW if you were wondering if a Park Tool PCS-9.3 repair stand can hold an Aventure.2, it can, and it's very stable. In hindsight, though, maybe splurge on the 10.2 because the quick release would be nice with a bike you can't lift one-handed.

good god, chain worn to replacement in 350 miles!?!?!? are you lubing it with sand?

 

[Ben J]

good god, chain worn to replacement in 350 miles!?!?!? are you lubing it with sand?

Is that not what they mean by "ceramic lube"?

 

[sc00ter]

Thank you for the detailed write-up. I've discovered that any sub-$2000 ebike will have to do sacrifices in certain areas to meet a price point, whereas a more expensive ebike "should" be more perfect. I was considering a Adventure for a commuter at one point but realized I like smaller wheels. I do like the wider (around 3") tire though. I've owned a few ebikes and hated to learn the hard way that they didn't fit my needs or expectations.

 

[Jason Knight]

The brake caliper thing? With the bolts loose so it can move, use a bungee cord (or even just a rubber band) to hold the front brake handle closed. Not like super tight, just firmly closed. Tighten the bolts, remove the bungee cord, done. It will be perfectly centered every single time.

If the caliper is moving around when you're tightening the bolts, you're doing it wrong.

I also wouldn't say the brakes are barely "good enough", but then I spent around fifteen years prior to owning an e-bike riding a beach cruiser with nothing more than a coaster brake. By comparison the hydraulics on my Aventure are almost too strong. Admittedly I have the original with zoom brakes, though I've replaced the front rotor with something prettier.

Good point about the chain. The stock one that came with mine was too short as if they put the normal 116 on it. Shifting into the lowest gear the derailleur was stretched straight forward and bending the mount. I'm up to 11 extra links now with a third party chain, because I upped the chainring and cogset to 53:11-36.

The gripes about the gearing though? It sounds like you don't quite get what assist is, or that it's still a bicycle. Yeah, powered you really don't need more than the three highest ratios, but unpowered you really need those bottom three. And unpowered happens. You get lost, you have an electrical failure, it's nice to have the option for emergencies.

My biggest gripes two years into owning the original aventure is Aventon's support system is incompetent trash, and after about six months the battery tends to fall out every time you come to a stop. A number of owners use velcro straps to help hold it in, but I found that 9" ball bungee cords -- like those used for camping -- are perfect and more reliable.

https://www.amazon.com/Bungee-Cords-Canopy-Shelter-Resistant/dp/B08FC3TZKJ

And yeah, get the skid plate! They should hire the guy who came up with that.

 

[Asher]

So True. Many of the YouTube eBike reviews are quite good at describing all the bike's features and give glowing rider experience feedback BUT never have anything negative to say in their reviews as if all the bikes are near perfect.

I'm looking at a bike right now that seems like a terrific value 'on paper' and yet there is absolutely zero coverage from the influencer crowd. The scene is a total venal grift.

 

[Doggyman1202]

I'm looking at a bike right now that seems like a terrific value 'on paper' and yet there is absolutely zero coverage from the influencer crowd. The scene is a total venal grift.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to the YT influencers. If they trash the products they review, it won't be long before their supply well runs dry. Generally speaking, I apply "grains of salt" (or shovels of salt in some cases) and do a lot of reading between the lines. I have nothing but respect for the online/Youtube reviewers that can balance criticism with fairness and transparency. (Court and Micah come to mind, but there are others).

With that said, my friend and I were a bit miffed that the influencers all ignored the conspicuous lack of an odometer, trip meter on the latest generation of Aventon bikes. (Technically there is one, but you need to stop and change screens. Who wants to do that?). Those of us that ride for recreation and exercise like to know that stuff at a glance.

The influencing influencers have influenced a lot of riders new to the ebike world that they need fat tire bikes. I know. I fell for the hype early on. Buyers remorse set in quickly. I now roll my eyes when I see another fat tire ebike review, which is nearly every single day. There is absolutely a legitimate market for these things, but it's not as great as the avalanche of reviews would lead beginners to believe.

 

[Asher]

I'm somewhat sympathetic to the YT influencers. If they trash the products they review, it won't be long before their supply well runs dry. Generally speaking, I apply "grains of salt" (or shovels of salt in some cases) and do a lot of reading between the lines. I have nothing but respect for the online/Youtube reviewers that can balance criticism with fairness and transparency. (Court and Micah come to mind, but there are others)

They are violating FCC law by not disclosing that they got comped for their reviews - speaking of YouTubers generally.

You can be a completely honest reviewer and still pretty bad at guiding customers. Unless you already know all the competing bikes, a review is worthless unless it compares products... Which huckster reviewers of course won't do, it would defeat their whole hustle.

As for fat tire bikes, there was just a vid of the Ride1Up CEO basically saying they saturated their commuter rider market so now they're making toys like fat bikes and scramblers. I wish it weren't so, but the toy market is evidently much bigger than the tool (ie commuter) market, in the US anyway. Or at least easier for D2C brands to sell to.

 

[tomjasz]

I kitted a fat bike 5 years ago. I road it, pulled the motor, and donated the FB to the local HS bike club.
A tank sans cannon.