Aventon Aventure.2 review: A 28 mph go-anywhere fat-tire electric bike gets better

Aventon significantly expanded its market reach when the company rolled out its first Aventure e-bike in 2021. Now the brand has updated the hot-selling e-bike with key upgrades. And of course we made sure to get an early look at the bike to tell you exactly how it looks, feels, and rides. Check out my complete review of the Aventon Aventure.2 below.

Aventon Aventure.2 launched

The Aventon Aventure.2 electric bike was just launched today with orders now open on Aventon’s site.

The e-bike includes a number of upgrades, but perhaps the most important is the inclusion of a new torque sensor.

For those that have had the pleasure of riding an e-bike with a well-designed torque sensor, you’ll know that it seriously improves the riding experience. When you press on the pedals, you get near-instantaneous pedal assist response. It’s fast, it’s intuitive, and it just feels better.

But that’s not the only upgrade. The Aventon Aventure.2 comes with several new pieces of kit including a rear rack as standard equipment, upgraded taillights with built-in turn signals, and a new pedal-assist layout with four power levels.

You can check it all out in my review video below, but you’ll want to keep reading afterward for even more detail.

Aventon Aventure.2 video review

Aventon Aventure.2 tech specs

• Motor: 750 W continuous-rated rear geared hub motor (1,130W peak-rated)
• Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle, 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist
• Throttle range: 27 mi (43 km)
• Pedal assist range: 20-60 miles (32-96 km)
• Battery: 48V 15Ah (720Wh) frame-integrated, removable
• Charge time: 5 hours
• Max load: 250 lb. (113 kg) rider + 55 lb. (25 kg) cargo
• Frame: 6061 single-butted aluminum
• Weight: 77 lb. (35 kg)
• Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, 180 mm rotors
• Extras: Color LCD display with speedometer, wattmeter, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, odometer, tripmeter, left side thumb throttle, included front and rear fenders, included rear rack, integrated headlight and tail lights with turn signals, torque sensor, kickstand
• Price: $1,899

Sustainable e-bike packaging

Real quick, I want to start with the packaging. I know this is an e-bike review, not a box review. But Aventon deserves credit for replacing nearly every single piece of plastic and foam packaging normally included in e-bike packaging with more sustainable alternatives from recyclable material.

Plastic sleeves are replaced with cardboard. Foam is replaced with expanded fiberboard blocks. Even the plastic cable ties are replaced with kraft paper rope. It’s frankly incredible. Bravo.

Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled e-bike review.

How well does this adventure e-bike ride?

The Aventure.2 is a big bike, there’s no tip-toeing around that. But it doesn’t feel quite as big as it looks. Somehow the e-bike retains a level of grace that doesn’t seem to fit its big and brawny appearance.

That translates into a fat-tire e-bike that actually works quite well on the road too, even if it was designed to handle the trails as well.

But off-roading is where this e-bike shines, and it’s also where that new torque sensor makes the biggest difference. Getting rolling on a big, heavy e-bike like these fat-tire e-bikes can be tricky, especially if you’ve forgotten to downshift (or just didn’t downshift far enough before stopping).

A torque sensor gives you near-instant motor response when you step on the pedal, instead of the laggy response of a cadence sensor that can take a pedal revolution or two to kick in. That’s a game-changer off-road where tricky terrain can compound a rough start.

The top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) likely won’t have too much of an impact on most off-roaders since you rarely ever get the chance to go that fast on trails. But back on the road, rolling away from a stop sign or a green light is easier than ever with the new sensor setup and the higher speed makes this a serious commuter contender for anyone who regularly shares the road with cars.

If you do most of your commuting in the bike lane though, go easy with the Class 3 speeds. This is a big and heavy e-bike to come barreling down on other riders.

There are also four new levels of pedal assist selectable on the color LCD screen, and a color-coded label makes it easier to see which level you’re in at a quick glance.

For on-road riders that enjoy fat-tire e-bikes for their ability to nearly erase potholes, you’ll be happy to see two other inclusion: a rear rack and turn signals.

The rear rack is no longer behind a paywall but instead comes as standard equipment. And don’t get me started on how awesome these turn signals are. In the past I’ve ribbed e-bikes with turn signals when those signals were so close together that they failed to serve their indicator purpose. But with Aventon’s signature taillights mounted on either side of the rear wheel as integrated frame lighting, the turn signals are actually far apart and quite apparent in their role as directional indicators.

I still think riders shouldn’t completely rely on e-bike turn signals since most drivers are not expecting to see a blinking indicator on a bike. So I generally still use hand signals, but it’s nice to have a turn signal setup that gives you the best chance of drivers correctly interpreting your intentions.

I also really like how Aventon gives you plenty of options for frames. Not only is there a step-through AND a step-over option, but both are available in two frame sizes.

Not everything here is rosy though. I was a bit bummed to see Aventon stick with the same 48V 14Ah battery size. That 672 Wh battery is fine, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not as big as I would have liked. It will give you plenty of range if you’re sticking to lower pedal assist levels, such as Aventon’s real-world range rating on Level 1 at 60 miles (96 km).

The 30-mile (48 km) range rating on throttle-only riding isn’t bad either, but riders who generally go faster off-road will likely burn through that battery even quicker. If they could have found a way to stuff one more row of cells into that battery for a 17.5Ah setup and an 840Wh capacity, I’d be over the moon. But as it stands, the Aventure.2 still gets great range on pedal assist on the road and respectable range off-road or on throttle. Though that doesn’t mean I can’t still beg for more.

The only other downside for me is just that the bike is kind of huge. It’s big and heavy. But that’s what you get with an adventure e-bike. You’re not going to traverse the same terrain on a 20″ folding e-bike, so you’ve got to pack more in to go explore rougher and tougher places.

All told, you’re getting one hell of a bike here for a more than reasonable price of $1,899. Punchy hydraulic brakes, a good suspension setup with comfort-enhancing fat tires, awesome LED lighting in the front and rear, and a torque-sensor to boot! There’s just so much to be happy about with the Aventon Aventure.2 that I almost feel bad complaining about the average-size battery or heavy weight. Almost, but not quite. I’ll still complain. But I’ll do it while wearing a huge smile on my face as I sling sand and rocks around my local trails on this fun and adventurous e-bike.

Oh and by the way, if you want a deal on Aventon’s original cadence sensor-based Aventure, that model is now on sale for $1,499. That’s a freakin’ steal!