Pro street
Member
Hey Whiz, some photos are definitely welcome. I can enjoy your photos in the meantime
some photos
some photos
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Took Delivery of Aventon Level Today
- Thread starter Tom@WashDC
- Start date
Gee_Whiz
Active Member
I'll post some pics tomorrow when I'm able to get out a bit earlier. First impressions are that it rides strictly as a bike far better than I anticipated.. smooth and paced and you don't feel the weight at all.
When using the throttle there is a nice boost but to be honest, it almost feels pointless because the pedal assist is sooo fun.. it literally takes off when you give the pedal about a half a turn and you'll get more out of it by pedaling than just using the throttle which feels a bit like a novelty.
The downside is now I'm curious what other pedal assist only bikes with far more torque like the Riese and Muller or Specialized models feel like on the move..
The bike also gets lot of curious looks.. not sure if it's due to the classic lines or unique look of the downtube on a pedal bike.
Sidebar but does anyone know how to remove the 28-31mph limiter?
When using the throttle there is a nice boost but to be honest, it almost feels pointless because the pedal assist is sooo fun.. it literally takes off when you give the pedal about a half a turn and you'll get more out of it by pedaling than just using the throttle which feels a bit like a novelty.
The downside is now I'm curious what other pedal assist only bikes with far more torque like the Riese and Muller or Specialized models feel like on the move..
The bike also gets lot of curious looks.. not sure if it's due to the classic lines or unique look of the downtube on a pedal bike.
Sidebar but does anyone know how to remove the 28-31mph limiter?
Pro street
Member
Pro street
Member
So you're saying it is a good bicycle even
before it becomes an e-bike, which obviously is great news .
And all the other bikes that you're referring to meaning the high-end bikes are mid-drive that actually have low torque numbers usually not exceeding 70 to 80 NM( newton meters).
( torque ratings ).
different worlds.
that is in comparison to bafang Motors out of China that produce twice to torque. I'm done for the evening . definitely like to continue conversation with all at some point. thank you my pleasure
Pro street
Member
Gee , people look because they're interested and they like what they see. it's a beautiful machine and when they stand and view, I believe they're in awe. because it is not like a normal bicycle, has much more visual appeal to it. hands down
Tom@WashDC
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Loudoun County, VA.
Hey Whiz! Congrats on the delivery of your Level. Looking forward to your opinions after you've ridden a few miles.
Gee_Whiz
Active Member
So just rode about 20miles around the city today on roads and sidewalks mainly, with alot of hills. Here are some preliminary thoughts. For ref im about 6'4 260+
Ride as a bike:
It rides really well as a bike with no motor assist.. You will have to stay in the right gear for your purpose.. but the only time you feel the weight is going up hill.. and even then.. the way the tiresgrip.. it just moves you one pedal at a time.. im actually really surprised how well a machine of this size does ride as a bike.
The highest or lowest.. not sure which but the "8"gear, does feel like it grinds slightly and I'm not sure why.. cant see anything on the chain that would cause it but its not super noticeable and doesn't detract from the ride.
Ride with Cadence assist:
Gives you a really nice boost.. its not as natural a feel as pedal-assist probably is.. but im not sure if that's a bad thing to everyone.. it feels like you're riding a motorized scooter that you pedal.. and its gets you up to speed very quickly. I enjoy the PAS far more than riding on just the throttle.
Throttle:
Not completely useless, as its good for a break from pedaling or when checking your phone for directions, but it doesn't give the boost that you would think on even a slight incline as it quickly loses steam but on flatground it is and can be useful. not being able to start from a stop stinks but if you push the bike forward with your foot and momentum.. you can engage the throttle without pedaling.
Motor:
Unless the motor needs to be broken in, which im not sure of; or if you're under 200 pounds presumably.. It is NOT a moped that you can ride in bike lanes.. so know and understand that going in. It does however have decent power at my weight. I was able to get up to 28mph with much effort on flat ground, but could maintain 22-24mph with normal pedal revolutions so not much effort. I cut about 7min from a 30min route I take normally. Its strong enough for most I would imagine but it isnt a rocketship like some may think when they imagine an e-bike. I am curious what a Bafang feels like in comparison but those are also two different ballparks in terms of machinery.
Hills:
Ehh.. This one I need to test more.. but id say its good not great on hills.. I bike often and am pretty fit and have relatively steep hills I take on my routes, but usually have to walk them with my BMC Hybrid; not sure of the "grade" of them though(anyone know how to check that?). The motor seemed to lose power and drain battery VERY quickly on hills.. I rode what I would consider a steep hill and a few moderate ones and the moderate ones I took at about 13-15mph on PAS 5 in a high gear and the steep one I took at about 7mph and with alot of pedal effort.. but I did make it up the hill whereas on my hybrid.. I cannot.
Stability:
VERY stable. No rattles.. no clunks.. Very consistent and predictable at all times and the tires are wonderful. They handle different terrain well and grip the road like its on rails.. Wonderful tires. I lockout the fork so I cant weigh in on that.. but even with the fork rigid, it. handled uneven DC roads very well.
Battery:
I rode the throttle alot today to see how I felt about it.. I also rode quite a few hills and the battery would jump around alot.. so it may need to be calibrated with use? It would go from 75% to 50 after a strenuous task.. or sometimes from 1 bar to about 40% after long throttle use or an incline. But it didnt run out of battery on a 20+ mile tour on alot throttle and some PAS.
Frame and build quality:
A+ Its a high-quality looking bike, polished, seamless welds, great paint job, nice lines.. its really attractive and even better looking in person. Where the charging and key slots are, make a ton of sense and the battery downtube gives it a unique and curious look which I enjoy
Brakes:
Huge brakes and excellent braking power. You tap em.. you immediately slow down. you slam them on.. you come to halt.. no skidding.. no instability.. you just stop.
Seat:
Feels fine but I will probable replace it with something else. The paint has already worn off of it somehow so now its silver vs black.
Other stuff:
The front reflector doesn't seem to fit anywhere.. cant make sense of the connector piece. It is heavy but thats known.. but its a nice solid weight. Rack seems fine. Not alot of additional settings for the computer. Pedals match the bike in terms of quality, the kickstand is thick and stable. Front fender goes on crooked for some reason and I haven't sorted it out so I took it off. No where to put bike locks really, so I have them at a weird angle tethered to the rack.. but it works lol. The water bottle holder moves a TON and very easily.. but id rather have one than not have one.. so its appreciated.
Value:
I think the value that you get with this bike at the price point that INCLUDES free shipping.. is immeasurable.. its like having your own personal iron man suit every time you want to bike around. It does what it aims to do extremely well, while also having a nice clean look and at a reasonable price point. They didnt seem to cut any noticeable corners and its really impressive its just a beautiful, well-made, fast and stable bike and more people should own them imo.
Ride as a bike:
It rides really well as a bike with no motor assist.. You will have to stay in the right gear for your purpose.. but the only time you feel the weight is going up hill.. and even then.. the way the tiresgrip.. it just moves you one pedal at a time.. im actually really surprised how well a machine of this size does ride as a bike.
The highest or lowest.. not sure which but the "8"gear, does feel like it grinds slightly and I'm not sure why.. cant see anything on the chain that would cause it but its not super noticeable and doesn't detract from the ride.
Ride with Cadence assist:
Gives you a really nice boost.. its not as natural a feel as pedal-assist probably is.. but im not sure if that's a bad thing to everyone.. it feels like you're riding a motorized scooter that you pedal.. and its gets you up to speed very quickly. I enjoy the PAS far more than riding on just the throttle.
Throttle:
Not completely useless, as its good for a break from pedaling or when checking your phone for directions, but it doesn't give the boost that you would think on even a slight incline as it quickly loses steam but on flatground it is and can be useful. not being able to start from a stop stinks but if you push the bike forward with your foot and momentum.. you can engage the throttle without pedaling.
Motor:
Unless the motor needs to be broken in, which im not sure of; or if you're under 200 pounds presumably.. It is NOT a moped that you can ride in bike lanes.. so know and understand that going in. It does however have decent power at my weight. I was able to get up to 28mph with much effort on flat ground, but could maintain 22-24mph with normal pedal revolutions so not much effort. I cut about 7min from a 30min route I take normally. Its strong enough for most I would imagine but it isnt a rocketship like some may think when they imagine an e-bike. I am curious what a Bafang feels like in comparison but those are also two different ballparks in terms of machinery.
Hills:
Ehh.. This one I need to test more.. but id say its good not great on hills.. I bike often and am pretty fit and have relatively steep hills I take on my routes, but usually have to walk them with my BMC Hybrid; not sure of the "grade" of them though(anyone know how to check that?). The motor seemed to lose power and drain battery VERY quickly on hills.. I rode what I would consider a steep hill and a few moderate ones and the moderate ones I took at about 13-15mph on PAS 5 in a high gear and the steep one I took at about 7mph and with alot of pedal effort.. but I did make it up the hill whereas on my hybrid.. I cannot.
Stability:
VERY stable. No rattles.. no clunks.. Very consistent and predictable at all times and the tires are wonderful. They handle different terrain well and grip the road like its on rails.. Wonderful tires. I lockout the fork so I cant weigh in on that.. but even with the fork rigid, it. handled uneven DC roads very well.
Battery:
I rode the throttle alot today to see how I felt about it.. I also rode quite a few hills and the battery would jump around alot.. so it may need to be calibrated with use? It would go from 75% to 50 after a strenuous task.. or sometimes from 1 bar to about 40% after long throttle use or an incline. But it didnt run out of battery on a 20+ mile tour on alot throttle and some PAS.
Frame and build quality:
A+ Its a high-quality looking bike, polished, seamless welds, great paint job, nice lines.. its really attractive and even better looking in person. Where the charging and key slots are, make a ton of sense and the battery downtube gives it a unique and curious look which I enjoy
Brakes:
Huge brakes and excellent braking power. You tap em.. you immediately slow down. you slam them on.. you come to halt.. no skidding.. no instability.. you just stop.
Seat:
Feels fine but I will probable replace it with something else. The paint has already worn off of it somehow so now its silver vs black.
Other stuff:
The front reflector doesn't seem to fit anywhere.. cant make sense of the connector piece. It is heavy but thats known.. but its a nice solid weight. Rack seems fine. Not alot of additional settings for the computer. Pedals match the bike in terms of quality, the kickstand is thick and stable. Front fender goes on crooked for some reason and I haven't sorted it out so I took it off. No where to put bike locks really, so I have them at a weird angle tethered to the rack.. but it works lol. The water bottle holder moves a TON and very easily.. but id rather have one than not have one.. so its appreciated.
Value:
I think the value that you get with this bike at the price point that INCLUDES free shipping.. is immeasurable.. its like having your own personal iron man suit every time you want to bike around. It does what it aims to do extremely well, while also having a nice clean look and at a reasonable price point. They didnt seem to cut any noticeable corners and its really impressive its just a beautiful, well-made, fast and stable bike and more people should own them imo.
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Tom@WashDC
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Loudoun County, VA.
Whiz, good review of the Level.
Out with my wife today for a 25 mile ride. Just stopped off for lunch at a cafe. A few miles to go.
Out with my wife today for a 25 mile ride. Just stopped off for lunch at a cafe. A few miles to go.
Gee_Whiz
Active Member
His and hers looking good out here! How is your wife handling the low level PAS? Does she keep it on 0 until she gets started? It's definitely a JOLT when you hit that pedal lol
Tom@WashDC
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Loudoun County, VA.
Yeah when we first started riding the Level, the PAS 1 start mode took some getting used to. In fact she was a bit timid about it and would not use the PAS at all, she only used the throttle. Now she never uses the throttle, we keep it in PAS 1 all the time. When I ride alone, I usually never go below PAS 2.
the bike does cause me to get a bit reckless. I gotta keep myself in check. It’s too damn much fun!
Gee_Whiz
Active Member
Lol it really is fun. I thought that I would be using the throttle so often but the pedal assist is really really good. I want to try Torque sensing as well.. But Aventon really did a heluva job here
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Gee_Whiz
Active Member
This is what I was looking for! TY; ill give it a try and post some Hill grades.Gee Whiz, there's a nice little app called Off Road Inclimeter
Here's a little video showing how it performs in real-time
Notice it also has pitch and roll
You can also get of these if you want
but the Off road app works so much better
Brian10956
Member
I’m really enjoying Reading this conversation on the Aventon Level. I’m new to this blog and due to past health problems I’ve been away from biking for some time. Using an ebike will hopefully allow me to get back in the sport, for the last week I’ve been glued to YouTube and I came very close to ordering a folding bike the Lectric XP as it would be easier to put in the back of by Outback but if I pull the front wheel I could do the same with the Level. In another blog someone mentioned to me that being an x biker I would not like the 20”x4” folding bike as much as a full sized and he recommended to me that I look at a Specialized ,I did but what I liked cost much more than I want to spent just to get back into it. I think I will move the Level up to the top of my list . I just need to see what else I will need to get with it to start the ball rolling. For picking the correct size I’m not sure which will be right for me I’m 6’ about 215lb. I wear 36-32 jeans. Not sure if the medium or large is the way to go
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Tom@WashDC
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Loudoun County, VA.
Hi Brian, welcome to the discussion! I am 5'7" 185 lbs and I chose the step thru M/L and it works great for me. My wife is 5'2" 112lbs and she has the S/M, which works for her, but I would judge it is a bit small for me. Based on your height and weight you would do well to choose the M/L.
Brian10956
Member
Tom ,I have a question about that fomtor adjustable stem. I like to ride with a more upright stance how mush higher is this addition over stock. Do you know of ones that will raise the bars even more. I road a friends Rad rover and I was comfortable with the higher swept back bars I just wasn’t crazy about the rest of the bike.
Brian10956
Member
Thanks, unfortunately in the video he’s filming probabily with a selfie stick you never get to see his posture while biking I like to do leisure riding more upright but I will get down when there is wind resistance. Would you know if Aventon charge sales tax to out of state deliveries.
Tom@WashDC
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Loudoun County, VA.
Brian, I was not charged tax in Virginia. I've included two pics of my Fomtor adjustable stem, and a stock photo of the standard stem that comes with the Level. I am going to rotate the angle even higher on my next ride as I still want to sit more upright. As you can see from the degree markers I still have a good ways to rotate the handle bars higher and closer to me. I have it set at 35 and can rotate all the way to 90. The 35 adjustment was a marked improvement for me over the stock stem.
Tom ,I have a question about that fomtor adjustable stem. I like to ride with a more upright stance how mush higher is this addition over stock. Do you know of ones that will raise the bars even more. I road a friends Rad rover and I was comfortable with the higher swept back bars I just wasn’t crazy about the rest of the bike.
Brian10956
Member
Thanks Tom I’ll probably do the same if I get the Level . The Level seems to be the best choice for the money considering the quality of the parts used. Since I’ve been away from biking I need to also get some accessories. I know I need a new helmet my old one was in my garage and mice did a number on it. Most other accessories will be down the road until I see what I really need. Immediate needs will be an emergency kit with some tools and flat repair and pump, I may put that green stuff in the tubes also. Considering a front and rear led strobe to increase visibility. Do you think the bike needs a seat post with built in shock , if so I read good things about the Suntour SP12NCX Suspension Seatpost . I’ll let everyone know what I decide later in the week I want to call Aventon to get a feel on how they deal with customers. I’m my shop so far I’ve seen some vendors that will probably be out of business. It’s amazing how many companies seem to be selling the same thing with a cosmetic twist on it. As far as color is the level black or a dark shade of gray just curios for picking a helmet color.
thanks again for the pictures and hopefully the Covid inoculation will be out soon so things can get back to normal.
thanks again for the pictures and hopefully the Covid inoculation will be out soon so things can get back to normal.
Tom@WashDC
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Loudoun County, VA.
I concur with MMC. The color is charcoal, with a very rich looking automotive quality paint job. The bike gets a lot of compliments, and I have yet to see a nicer quality paint job. The other accessories I've added in addition to the Fomtor stem:
(Sunrimoon) helmet with LED, compliments the bike color scheme.
Flashing LED lights, great price, great value.
Rear Seat Bag
Mirror
Handlebar grips -SQLab 702's
Most of the bike trails in my area are well paved and smooth. Some of the older trails have not been repaved and have some buckling from tree roots. I have decided to get the Suntour SP12NCX Suspension Seatpost, which should be the end of my accessory hunt.
As far as service goes, I reached out via email to Aventon on an issue I had and the Aventon Tech was very responsive within a day.
(Sunrimoon) helmet with LED, compliments the bike color scheme.
Flashing LED lights, great price, great value.
Rear Seat Bag
Mirror
Handlebar grips -SQLab 702's
Most of the bike trails in my area are well paved and smooth. Some of the older trails have not been repaved and have some buckling from tree roots. I have decided to get the Suntour SP12NCX Suspension Seatpost, which should be the end of my accessory hunt.
As far as service goes, I reached out via email to Aventon on an issue I had and the Aventon Tech was very responsive within a day.
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