Finally, an E-MTB You Can Afford: Aventon Ramblas First Look Review

The Aventon Ramblas, which sells for a reasonable MSRP of $2,699, is interesting for several reasons.

First, the bike marks Aventon’s first official foray into pure mountain biking. Second, it’s the brand’s first bike to feature a mid-drive motor.

While Aventon’s fat-tire Sinch folding bike and big-wheel Aventure models include trail-worthy qualities that make proper mountain bike trails accessible on those platforms, they fall firmly into the category of more casual adventure or commuting bikes than true mountain bikes made to huck off jumps, drops, and slice through tight corners and technical terrain with speed and control.

The Aventon Ramblas seeks to fill that gap and did a great job.

I spent a few days on the Ramblas, covering some of the most popular mountain bike trails in Austin, Texas. The riding is rocky, full of roots, and often connected by bike paths with varied surfaces.

The Ramblas proved to be an excellent hardtail trail bike. It was easy to use and as fun on roads and bike paths as on chattery single track.

In short: The Aventon Ramblas provides a stellar entry-level e-MTB platform for riders who want to spend time on single track and more technical terrain. It is simple to use and comes equipped with reliable components that provide the look and feel of a capable trail bike at a great price.

Aventon Ramblas

$2,599 at Aventon Bikes

(Photo/Aventon)

Specifications

• E-Bike Class: 1
• Motor: Aventon a100 mid-drive, 100 Nm torque
• Battery Size: 708 Wh
• Wheel x Tire Size: 27.5" x 2.4" (S), 29" x 2.4" (M, L, XL)
• Drivetrain: SRAM NX 12-speed
• Suspension: 130 mm travel fork
• Weight: 54 lbs. (L)

Pros

• Affordable
• Mid-drive motor has handling advantages
• Comes with dropper post
• Simple to upgrade

Cons

• Spring fork is not tuneable and has no lockout
• Battery cover can rattle

Mark Wilson

Aventon Ramblas Features

The Aventon Ramblas weighs 54 pounds in size large. It has Aventon’s a100 mid-drive 36V motor, boasting 250W of sustained power (750W peak) and 100Nm of torque. The motor has an IP67 waterproof rating, meaning the bike can cross creeks and ride in rain or muddy conditions.

The down tube of the bike includes a fully integrated 708WH 36V battery. Aventon says the bike can run for up to 80 miles, depending on the terrain and level of pedal assistance.

A SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain moves the bike without the motor, and SRAM DB8 mineral 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes provide the stopping power.

The front of the bike has a RockShox 35 Silver R fork with 130mm of travel, and the saddle sits on a dropper post with 150mm in sizes medium and up and 125mm for small.

Other features include:

• Integrated head and tail lights
• Optional kickstand
• 9/16 alloy flat pedals
• 29-inch aluminum wheels with Maxxis Rekonn 29×2.4 tires (27.5 for size small)

Aventon Ramblas First Impressions

The Ramblas was a breeze to set up straight out of the box. The package includes all the tools you need to get the job done, and the instructions were easy to follow. Once I got the bike together, the first thing that struck me was the paint.

It’s easy to see the light-to-dark gradient online, but in person, the paint job had iridescence that made this bike pop. After a couple of hours of charging, the bike was ready.

I spent a reasonable amount of time on the road getting used to the controls. As a Class 1 e-bike, the Ramblas does not have a throttle, and its maximum speed is 20 mph. It operates with three different levels of pedal assistance: Eco, Trail, and Turbo. Riders can customize levels of assistance, max torque, and pedal response for each mode with the Aventon app for a more personalized feel.

In Turbo mode, the bike felt zippy and fast. It was effortless to pedal the bike to the maximum speed and hold it there. In Trail mode, I could feel myself working a little harder to get the bike up to its top speed, precisely what you should expect. Eco mode dialed the power back even more, but I still could feel the drive from the motor.

Riders operate the e-bike controls with three buttons mounted at the left grip. They were easy to find and quick to toggle through to bring up different ride data or to cycle through varying levels of pedal assistance quickly. I could also turn the integrated lights off and on with long presses.

The motor produced a light hum while engaged, but it was tranquil.

Aventon Ramblas on the Trail

Once I got the Ramblas on dirt, the bike came alive. The spring fork, which does not have a lockout, felt almost too plush on the road, and I worried that I might find myself bottoming out or wishing for more resistance, considering my body weight and the more than 50 pounds of bike underneath me.

Off road, however, the fork performed flawlessly. It gobbled up rocks and roots and soaked up big hits with ease. I felt a considerable amount of bob while standing to pedal, but while seated and on smoother trails, the fork provided plenty of cushion, comfort, and support, albeit without the option to lock it out.

With the fully powered Turbo mode engaged, the bike instantly surged forward with speed and power. As soon as I pedaled, the bike wanted to reach its top speed quickly. The bike was so powerful that Turbo mode felt entirely overkill on twisty trails.

Trail mode offered a much more refined feel that resembled mountain biking on a standard bike. As it was configured out of the box, Trail mode was much more responsive to pedaling inputs, so the bike responded perfectly to what I wanted it to do.

Trail mode also made reaching the bike’s top speed harder, which was ideal for rocky single track where 20 mph is far too fast. I appreciated that the mid-drive motor meant a heavy hub motor didn’t hamper the wheels. I could coast freely and maintain more speed than I have been able to on other e-bikes with rear-hub motors.

The bike also felt more balanced, which made descents fast and fun. I could still pop the rear wheel around in corners, which would be nearly impossible on an e-bike with a heavier rear end.

The bike climbed a lot like a standard mountain bike. Since the NX Eagle drivetrain drives the motor, I could feel the bike responding to my expectations. I had to pedal harder to get over technical, rocky climbs and shift through my gears appropriately to maximize the bike’s efficiency.

The bike was so quick and responsive that I often found myself forgetting to shift, only to hit a climb in my highest gear and almost not be able to hit the summit. In the lower gears, it carried me uphill like a rocket.

I liked that even with power, the bike still rewarded line choice and conscious, attentive shifting rather than performing more like a motorcycle. That way, it stays true to the riding style required for hard-tail mountain bikes.

Final Thoughts

I had a stellar time on the Aventon Ramblas. It was everything I would expect from an entry-level hardtail mountain bike and more. It held up extremely well to hard rides over jagged and rocky terrain. Nothing came loose or failed. Even after blasting through creek beds and mud, I never noticed even the slightest problems with the motor or battery.

For me, the biggest drawback of the bike is the spring fork, which has no lockout or tuning ability. However, it’s tough to complain at an MSRP of $2,699. Cost savings have to happen somewhere. Many newer riders may not recognize the need for a tunable fork until later in their mountain bike journey.

I also found that the battery cover on the lower side of the down tube rattled. That was a little annoying. But after strapping a small gear bag around the down tube, the problem disappeared.

The bike’s components were not at the top end of the spectrum but were reliable. Additionally, the mid-drive motor made the bike compatible with all kinds of wheels and drivetrains so that upgrading would be simple.

The bike’s top speed of 20 mph is quick enough to make the Ramblas an incredible commuter and a dedicated mountain bike.

For the $2,699 price, riders would be hard-pressed to find a bike that checks all of the boxes that the Ramblas checks. With a few upgrades, this bike could take a rider from a newbie to a seasoned veteran. It’s also a great option for cost-conscious riders who may not need high-end bells and whistles.

While other Aventon bikes can go nearly anywhere, the Ramblas is a bike that indeed can go everywhere.

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