Aventon Aventure Review: Affordable Fat Tire E-Bike for Fun Off-Road Commutes

The Aventon Aventure is an all-terrain e-bike pegged for commutes and low-key adventures off the beaten path.

One of the most affordable entry points for an off-road e-bike, the Aventon Aventure is designed to provide most of what the casual rider is looking for.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t meant to haul you up and down your favorite local mountain biking runs. This is a long-range town bike and low-weight hauler that can tackle unpaved routes and fly across paved ones.

Aventon Aventure E-Bike Review

The Aventon Aventure reminds me of a beach cruiser that could actually cruise on a beach. It even has a wide seat, full fenders, and a step-through frame.

This frame of reference is the best way to inform what the bike does best, which is cruise long distances with smooth pedaling and a big assist to glide up and over grassy berms, fire road hills, and packed gravel trails. It doesn’t handle like a mountain bike or even a traditional fat tire bike, but then again, it’s not supposed to.

The Ride

I took the Aventure on quite a few commutes through the neighborhood and across town along city bike paths with off-road sections (some official, some not).

The most fun was aiming the bike at short but steep hills and feeling the torque of the bike kick in to maintain the speed. Switching from smooth surfaces to dirt is barely noticeable in some instances, though the handling differs once you enter uneven and flowy trails.

I liked being able to park the bike and bring the removable battery inside to charge. It fast-charges in a few hours but takes about 5 hours for a full charge.

I tested the Aventure with the rear and front racks added on ($40 and $50, respectively). With bungees, the rear rack held a backpack — freeing my back from the additional sweat — while the front rack carried lighter loads like take-out orders on its wide frame.

At 5’10”, I’m right in the middle of the medium/large size range. Typically, I’d adjust the seat height so that my knee has the slightest bend at the bottom of a pedal stroke. But that’s more for road cycling than commuting on an e-assist bike.

I chose to embrace the casual feel of the upright posture created by the bike’s geometry. After all, I had an assist on knee-taxing climbs, so I didn’t fret having the seat in a slightly lowered position. If anything, it felt true to style and kept my center of gravity lower as well.

I let others ride the bike for short test runs, and they all returned with smiles on their faces. It’s likely that the casual nature of the bike and the e-assist can cover size differences among the Aventure’s two-sizes-fit-all frame options.

Aventure Specs

The fork has 80 mm of travel and is fine for bumpy commutes. Just don’t get it in your head to start jumping off every curb in town. Locking out the fork on paved roads will result in some jostles but grant you a noticeable boost in speed.

Five pedal-assist settings range from 11 mph up to 28 mph (when unlocked). Aventon’s reported range testing says the Aventure will assist for 53 miles on level one and 19 miles on level five for a 45-mile average range.

Our rides varied in speeds but seemed in line with this average. Obviously, if you stop pedaling altogether, you’re looking at less range.

The Aventure comes in two sizes: S/M (4’11” to 5’7″) and M/L (5’8″ to 6’2″).

Unlock More Speed

The Aventure can become a class III bike through the companion app. That means it will top out at 28 mph rather than the 20mph cap for class II bikes. Check your local trail and bike path rules to find out which class bike settings you’ll need and whether a throttle is permitted.

For me, riding at the top speed of 28 mph on roads introduced issues with other traffic. Drivers and other riders see a fat tire bike and will pull out in front based on that appearance, not my actual speed. On trails and bike paths, I kept it under 20, which was plenty fast. I still had more control than a tri-guy on his aero bars.

The Aventure can also run with the throttle unplugged or totally removed if local rules require that.

It’s Not Like Riding a Bike

One big difference with e-bikes is the torque. It’s what they’re good at, but it also makes for an adjustment when you’re accustomed to traditional bikes. The Aventure has a bit of lag to engage its assist, which is fine when accelerating along a straight route but has a different feel in turns and when starting from a stop.

As a result, I got in the habit of backpedaling while braking and in turns to avoid pedal strikes and make sure I didn’t engage the e-assist.

Another adjustment is learning to cross streets from a stop. Here, the slight lag in the e-assist makes sense. You want to be able to nudge the bike forward without boosting yourself into traffic. It turns out using the trigger throttle only was the easiest and safest way to get the 70-pound Aventure to zip across the street.

Mentioning the weight, it’s not an issue when riding. It’s noticeable when maneuvering the bike when you’re stopped or off of it. That’s another reason I enjoyed the sturdy kickstand. Because you’re saving some money on the heavier build, it’s essential.

Pros

• A zippy, upright ride
• Easy-to-read color display
• Integrated lights
• Removable throttle
• Sturdy kickstand

Cons

• Heavy
• Delayed e-assist engagement

Who’s It For?

I’d recommend the Aventon to anyone who commutes on crunchy trails and wants a speed boost on long-range rides to the edge of town. Again, this isn’t a bike for taking technical descents or even jumping off curbs.

Beyond commuting, I see the Aventon as a reliable grocery-getter and errand accomplice, especially with the add-on racks. The front rack is fixed to the steer tube so it moves with your steering, keeping the load balanced through a turn.

Additionally, this e-bike is an all-day explorer whose off-road capabilities can fill in the gaps in a town’s bike paths and roads.

Overall, this all-terrain e-bike still leans toward the commute aspect more than off-road capabilities, but it’s still both. If you’re looking for an entry-level e-bike that can take you from pavement to dirt, the Aventure affordably fills that niche.

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