Some thoughts on the Aventon Sinch

[OleCuss]

I haven't had the Aventon Sinch for very long and I'm no bicycling or e-bike expert but I have some thoughts which may be helpful for those considering getting this bicycle or another.

1. It's a pretty nice bike. Feels pretty smooth and the pedal assist and such work pretty well. Seems to be solidly engineered.
2. Along with solidity comes weight. If you are used to hefting a nice 10-speed road bicycle then this bike may surprise you. It's heavy and if you have difficulty lifting you may want to lifting one of these before you buy one.
3. Sizing is interesting. It seems to be marketed for 5'-2" to 6'-5". Well, I'm a bit over 6'2" and I don't get as much pedal extension as I'd like for my legs. It's OK but not great and people who are relatively tall may want to consider whether it suits them. I'm OK with it and I don't think I could do any better with another folder.
4. The handle bar is straight. That doesn't sound bad but that really can be a problem - mostly because the electronic controller sticks up and if you have to turn your bike over for repairs along the road you could easily damage that expensive part. I've gotten a u-shaped handlebar which I hope to install this weekend and that will give at least some protection. I've also ordered (but not yet received) a Handlebar jack which should be very good for repairing stuff.
5. The handlebar is not very long. Not necessarily bad at all, but it makes the thing feel just a little twitchier. My replacement will be a little longer, but not a whole lot. The longer handlebar, however, will make things less compact so there's a trade-off.
6. The way the frame is built I don't really find any really good way to put the thing into the clamp of a bicycle stand. It can be done and can be pretty secure, but it's not really good.
7. In the video(s) you can quickly unfold the frame and latch it into place. Don't believe/trust that. The cables that run through the area can be trapped and/or damaged and you have to take care that they are routed properly as you straighten/close the frame.
8. On YouTube they have videos for installing the fenders and another for installing the rack. The fender video isn't too bad although they really should do new ones as there seems to have been a change in the design which they don't address - not a big deal but they should try to make it easy.
9. The video for rack installation isn't too bad except they tell you to leave out the spacer and I think the spacer must be used for proper clearance and operation of the rear brake caliper. Using the spacer also means you need a longer machine screw. What worked for me was a M5-.8x25mm socket cap screw. I got mine at Fastenal since no one else in my area had something suitable. If you don't have a Fastenal store in your area you can go on-line with them or use McMaster.
10. I also have a case/cover on order for the controller to get hit extra protection. There may be other and better solutions but this is the one I found: https://fasteddies3dsolutions.myshopify.com/ I obviously cannot give a review on it as I've not yet received it.
11. You do have to pedal just a little in order to get any assist or throttle response. I do think this is sub-optimal but for me it is just not a big issue. A retrofit kit might become available to change the requirement for pedaling but I don't think one is available quite yet.

Anyway, so far I think this was the best choice for my purposes and budget - and I think it was designed well and they did a good job of assembly (good welds and all that). Clearly there are some for whom this is unsuitable - including my wife who is too short to use the bike.

 

[Brooks]

2. Ebikes ARE heavy. 65 pounds for the Synch.....I'm not sure I'm ready to go to 75 pounds with the Aventure bike.
4. Never turn a bike upside down! You ruin the saddle.....as well as the view screen.
5. The bike seems twitchie to me at low speeds... but this is a plus for riding in sand. Let some air out of the tires..
It's stable at higher speeds.
6. Use a rope to hang the bike from a tree for roadside repairs, such as fixing a flat, or adjusting the gears. Or prop the bike up from underneath the bottom bracket, like you would do if you had a motorcycle. Dropping the rear wheel is a bitch.
I think I used a class 12.6 30mm long bolt on the rear mount, as I mounted rack and fenders over the rack. I put the large knurled washer between the bolt head and the fender stays.. so the bolt head would not open up the fender stay eyelet when tightening. If the fender stay was touching the brakes, I just bent them out slightly. I never saw any instructions or youtube video.

 

[OleCuss]

Thank you. Much appreciated.

I think the Sinch is listed as 68 pounds. The fenders and rack aren't heavy but it wouldn't surprise me if they bring the overall weight up to 70 pounds. I didn't know the Aventure is even heavier!

I've ordered and now gotten Handlebar Jacks. Yeah, I agree that turning it upside down is sub-optimal but. . . Where I do and will be riding it will be rare to find a tree from which one might hang a bike without trespassing. I really don't think that will be much of an option for me. Propping up is something I'll have to explore.

I'm also considering getting a second seatpost and put a platform (or similar) on it so that the seat is not at risk if I have to flip the thing. So I carry the second post and change post and attach the platform if I have to flip. I could potentially do without the extra post and swap the seat for the platform - we'll see. Other possibilities may arise.

 

[Emoney]

Can I add an extra battery to the sinch? Connecting it to the controller?

 

[OleCuss]

Can I add an extra battery to the sinch? Connecting it to the controller?

I may be misunderstanding the question, but I'm betting the answer is "no".

I do not think that there is any reasonable way one could have a dual-battery setup for the Sinch. I don't think the electronics would handle it well and I think that physically positioning the second battery and connecting it would be rather problematic.

I've considered getting a second battery and then either strapping it to the rack or carry it in a backpack so that when one battery goes out I can swap out the battery and go on. However, the battery is expensive and not all that light - and I'm not sure having a relatively insecurely transported lithium battery is a great idea. But it might happen some day?

 

[Yeti]

I’m also a new owner of a Sinch this spring which I’m quite pleased with. A couple observations that I’ve had. The PAS was just too much for my liking so I set the assist down to 20 which gives me a slower low end though probably sacrificing some top end speed. For starting on a slight upward incline I initiate the walk assist and that helps me get going. I did initially have an issue with the steering tube not being long enough for the handlebar casting to get a sufficient grip on but the super bike dealer fixed that issue. The grips weren’t to my liking so I replaced them with the ones with a palm rest and that improved the comfort markedly. All good now while I appreciate the fat tires on the dirt roads I travel on.

 

[edward sleight]

I haven't had the Aventon Sinch for very long and I'm no bicycling or e-bike expert but I have some thoughts which may be helpful for those considering getting this bicycle or another.

1. It's a pretty nice bike. Feels pretty smooth and the pedal assist and such work pretty well. Seems to be solidly engineered.
2. Along with solidity comes weight. If you are used to hefting a nice 10-speed road bicycle then this bike may surprise you. It's heavy and if you have difficulty lifting you may want to lifting one of these before you buy one.
3. Sizing is interesting. It seems to be marketed for 5'-2" to 6'-5". Well, I'm a bit over 6'2" and I don't get as much pedal extension as I'd like for my legs. It's OK but not great and people who are relatively tall may want to consider whether it suits them. I'm OK with it and I don't think I could do any better with another folder.
4. The handle bar is straight. That doesn't sound bad but that really can be a problem - mostly because the electronic controller sticks up and if you have to turn your bike over for repairs along the road you could easily damage that expensive part. I've gotten a u-shaped handlebar which I hope to install this weekend and that will give at least some protection. I've also ordered (but not yet received) a Handlebar jack which should be very good for repairing stuff.
5. The handlebar is not very long. Not necessarily bad at all, but it makes the thing feel just a little twitchier. My replacement will be a little longer, but not a whole lot. The longer handlebar, however, will make things less compact so there's a trade-off.
6. The way the frame is built I don't really find any really good way to put the thing into the clamp of a bicycle stand. It can be done and can be pretty secure, but it's not really good.
7. In the video(s) you can quickly unfold the frame and latch it into place. Don't believe/trust that. The cables that run through the area can be trapped and/or damaged and you have to take care that they are routed properly as you straighten/close the frame.
8. On YouTube they have videos for installing the fenders and another for installing the rack. The fender video isn't too bad although they really should do new ones as there seems to have been a change in the design which they don't address - not a big deal but they should try to make it easy.
9. The video for rack installation isn't too bad except they tell you to leave out the spacer and I think the spacer must be used for proper clearance and operation of the rear brake caliper. Using the spacer also means you need a longer machine screw. What worked for me was a M5-.8x25mm socket cap screw. I got mine at Fastenal since no one else in my area had something suitable. If you don't have a Fastenal store in your area you can go on-line with them or use McMaster.
10. I also have a case/cover on order for the controller to get hit extra protection. There may be other and better solutions but this is the one I found: https://fasteddies3dsolutions.myshopify.com/ I obviously cannot give a review on it as I've not yet received it.
11. You do have to pedal just a little in order to get any assist or throttle response. I do think this is sub-optimal but for me it is just not a big issue. A retrofit kit might become available to change the requirement for pedaling but I don't think one is available quite yet.

Anyway, so far I think this was the best choice for my purposes and budget - and I think it was designed well and they did a good job of assembly (good welds and all that). Clearly there are some for whom this is unsuitable - including my wife who is too short to use the bike.

i have a sinch .. when i fold it i found that ty wraps work good to hold it together wrap the tires , then the front handle bars to the frame... first time in the back of my suv it started to open up ... ty wraps fixed that !!