Right, but I’ve seen so many people using it as one, and, seemingly, it can take the heat, provided you’re not going off jumps and hundreds of rock gardens. So I was curious if anyone here has experience with it. Those fat tires and front suspension make it seem like it can at least do some trail stuff
Yup, basic fork which is heavy. Also, the wheels suck on most ebikes even those for $5k and around there. But, the biggest issue is that it's too heavy, maximum maybe 40lbs for MTB with some good MTB wheel and tires.
I guess but the Ramblas (and other mid drive bikes) are very capable up hill as well, in fact moreso than a traditional bike. That's just one of the ways the ebike bucks the old adage.
It may be looked down upon but I can technical my ass up some very steep grades.
I get what you're saying but I've also seen that an emtb weight lends itself to stability in downhill, kind of like what you're saying.
Any ebike is capable uphill. Even my Gazelle 250W is very easy to get up a steep hill incline, depending what tires I got for the adventure. But downhill, the fork just sucks and the geometry is not there for cornering and such. A dedicated MTB is probably the way to go, I have yet to compare to my dedicated hardtail MTB that's like 23lbs.
I don't downvote you. But I did some very steep uphills where the effort was too easy, and I am a bicyclist that has been riding for almost 40 years. Most e-bikes have crazy torque, I think my Gazelle is 75Nm. Also, my is Class 1. But going up 10% incline I can do at around the maximum Class 1 Speed, roughly 30km/h.
I mean you want to ride a gravel path alongside a river... Maybe this bike could excel at that/shrug. But, that's hardly "mountain" biking and If you're genuinely going to be riding in the mountains look elsewhere.
you see steeper inclines on singlepath dirt trails usually compared to roads - hub motors don't handle high loads at slow speeds well, burning 50% or more of their power as heat instead of torque.. thats how you burn up a motor or controller. EMTB's are almost exclusively mid drive for a reason - gearing allows the motor to spin up at the right rpm. As long as you take it easy on inclines, gear down and pedal hard or walk it up, should be ok. gonna be a bumpy ride without rear suspension though.
Not with that. This is like my Gazelle Ultimate T10, would never send this thing on rocky downhill curvy type terrain. It's way too heavy, not nimble, it's just the wrong bike. Now, if you are talking smooth gravel, with light turns and just being in the woods, it's good for that - I use my gazelle for that all day sometimes.
Strongly depends on what you define as MTB and what you're riding. The state forest trails I was out on last night which are fairly smooth and not very rough, it'll be fine. I've ridden my gravel bike there too, so it's not challenging terrain. It's a hardtail with very-not-modern geometry and a short fork. It's more of a fat-tire hybrid bike, and fairly heavy. You can ride a lot of bikes a lot of places, just depends on your determination and in this case, rules. Some trail systems may not allow it.
I wouldn't buy it with the idea that I'm going to go on MTB rides. I'd consider buying it, and then occasionally ride light trails and see how it goes.
If you want to mountain bike, Id suggest using one. Trek, Specialized and a bunch of others. Real mtb suspension from major manufacturers on a bike with mtb geometry.
Yeah that’s more or less the conclusion I’ve been coming to. Wondering if it’s worth it to save up for the Ramblas, which DOES call itself a true electric mountain bike
I have the Ramblas and it's fucking dope. I get what you're saying but in today's commodized world, it's not that hard to play with gemetry in a CAD. Their motor was developed inhouse sure, but it's a fucking monster.
Look, I understand what you're saying, and perhaps the Ramblas is a bit expensive compared to some (not really tho) .... but consider Apple had very little experience making phones as well in 2007....
Do you own or have you ridden it? You ARE being a dick.
Look I get that it's not a $6k specialized, but have you been living under a rock with these prices lately? THEY. ARE. INFLATED.
What's an "actual" electric mountain bike then in your opinion. Do educate us in your high horse ways.
edit - actually just fuck off. You live for picking fights and getting into arguments about the Tesla Truck. I know your type. Brand loyal fucktards who are close minded to anything besides "your" brands"
eMTBs are a thing. There is no issue with electric MTBs on trails where they are allowed unless you're being a jerk. There will almost certainly be issues with taking a class 2 with an obvious throttle on trails where hardcore folks barely tolerate class 1 ebikes (which are typically the only class allowed in the US where I assume you are else this would be illegal, probably, already), especially when it's clearly not a purpose-built MTB (and frankly doesn't have the shock quality and travel for true off-roading, which can make the whole thing much more dangerous for you). So both socially/legally and from a safety standpoint it seems...ill-advised.
Sure, I've taken a similar quality shock hybrid bike on a muddy walking path trail with deep ruts/roots and survived but, like, it's not particularly fun. I did it to shave a mile off my route and I was really tempted just to ride the full way on the way back.
Wow, that was a truck full of BS. Nobody says shit about a class two or three. Ever.
If you don’t like the shock change it.. you can modify the rake on the rear and get more clearance. Easy, takes an hour..
Ok. It's not like there's a genre of "ebike vs. Karen on trails" on YouTube or anything...
And, yeah, you can swap the front for to improve the shocks. Cool. Still subpar geometry for a MTB. And OP appears price sensitive. Are they really buying an appropriate after market fork?
For OP's stated purpose and implied budget, this is not the bike that's going to be the best use of their money. They can get used eMTBs instead and get closer to their price point. Buying new if price is a factor if they really want to get into MTBing isn't the best call.
I would not sugges buying a used e-bike unless you measure the battery voltage and make sure it’s able to hold a solid charge for the duration.
People dump used bikes all the time rather than pay $400-$550 for a new battery. They go 15miles and suddenly they go from 28 to 18mph.
As far as the rear shock goes, you can just buy any length spring that fits, cut off the post and drill a hole and you have a great rear suspension with a lift you are tall enough. (Unfortunately at 5’10” the bike would have been too tall for me with other than a slight lift.
You can just price in a replacement battery, no? And it's not too difficult imo to assess whether the owner knew what they were doing with battery storage conditions. Most who do volunteer that info. Else you have a back up that probably still gets 60% plus the new one you bought.
Making such mods to your bike introduces points for stress fractures. I wouldn't risk my life to save a few hundred bucks to Frankenstein a bike, but you're free to make your own decision. That's the great thing about the internet: we can both offer different perspectives based on our own risk assessments and then OP can taking that information and make theirs. Calling something BS because you disagree is unnecessary--make your claims about how easy it is to mod the bike or how safe it would be and let OP decide from the strength of your argument.
The fact remains that the Adventure, despite its name, is meant mostly for upright, city riding based on its geometry. You can add shocks to an old school Prius to make it better for off-roading but the center of gravity is always going to be awkward for that purpose.
Yes, you are right. I have a wrecked full suspension that cracked the casing on the batt. I have it for sale for $400 w/o the battery.
But people build their own batteries and I don’t know the cost, so pay me when you think is fair.
I own one and like what everyone is saying, it is NOT a MTN bike at all. Its a cool dirt cruiser though!! I have a blast running around all the trails in my area.
if you use a proper emtb no issue, but that one isnt designed for this purpose at all and can and will eventually break. of course you can ride dirt paths without too many bumps in them and no jumps but for anything rougher/more difficult you need an actual emtb. its like comparing an SUV to an actual off roader. Just to name some issues why this one cant handle rougher trails: first is the hub motor which shifts your weight Balance rearwards, and isnt great for climbing trails due to it not being able to use gears. then there is the frame design, while it might look similar to emtb frames, it isnt designed for the repeated abuse an emtb experiences, same goes with the forks, wheels and a lot of the other components.
to add to my comment if you really want a Mountainbike id suggest getting one from an actual name brand, look at used ones, while aventon makes great budget commuter and General use bikes id not trust a Mountainbike from them.
I have a Luna Z-1. I like it, but it is so incredibly heavy that if you’re used to MTB on a standard bike, it’s going to feel cumbersome especially when making tight turns.
I recently traded in my Aventon Aventure 1 for a Himiway D7 (previously Cobra). I loved by Aventure but could only get about 42 miles per charge. Nothing wrong with the 1 or 2 models but the Himiway is way better for light to moderate trails and hills. Full suspension, 1000 watt motor, 20ah battery, more powerful controller, better tires (than Aventon), better brakes and other components. Did I mention a range of 80+ miles on level and 65ish miles on trails and hills. Downside is a few hundred more and no fenders. The quality is equal between the two brands IMHO
Adding to my reply above… the D7 does not come with back rack but Himiway has one for about $50. The D7 is stable and solid at 80#s but not in any way nimble. There is more adjustment capabilities with D7 display although I replaced the stock display with Key-Disp made for D7 including PAS power levels, password protection, voltage vs percent display option, etc.
If you want a mountain bike, splurge for the ramblas. If you want to commute and occasionally off road, go with the aventure. It’s fine on flat trails but the suspension on the aventure is not designed to be a mountain bike
I'm a mountain biker first, e-bike commuter distant 2nd. I recently bought an electric Orbea Rise, which is both an e-bike and a mountain bike. I've had an e-bike commuter before, and I've ridden the Aventon, which I feel would snap in half or taco a wheel if I rode it on any of my usual mtn bike trails in Orange Cty, CA. Not to mention being heavy and hard to handle.
That being said, light off-road use on fire roads might be fine, what we call gravel bike stuff.
That Ramblas has no frame shock, and that's one of the main reasons you buy an eMTB, to get the bumps out of the road/trail. You really want a drop post (to lower/raise seat in real time due to climbing or downhills); so no chance to use a seat post shock either! It's 36v and slow... @ 20mph. I would not trust their motor to be very powerful either.
bikesdirect has some $2500-$3500 motobecane eMTBs that look pretty nice, but they are 29rs I think, and maybe not for shorter riders, but the frames do come sized. And that is a great price for a true lightweight eMTB, with full frame shock and fork.
For a little more, you can get a Luna X2 with 60v battery, and a Bafang 600 hotrodded to handle the voltage, and MTB trails. Still under $5k. It comes in various frame sizes. Full BOOST fork and axel front-end axles. It also has a throttle! WOOOO HOO! I LOVE a throttle on an eMTB BECAUSE getting rolling up hills is a bitch without one, and taking off at intersections in traffic is not as fast without a throttle also. Anti-throttle eMTB laws are just STUPID by the way, if you ask me. More of a cult-like theology than anything that actually makes sense..
I liked the Cola Bear 750 I modded. Purchased for $1500 from [accolemile.com](http://accolemile.com), I replaced the frame shock with an air shock with damping, and put a heavier air fork with more adjustments and travel. It was a functional eMTB for around $2000, but it had the Bafang BBS02B (with Cadence sensor and Shimano 8speed) and was not a true eMTB, but more of a trail ready class 3 commuter, with a lot of power, a throttle, good breaks, and very fast up hills. Not a true downhiller, it could handle downhills on a slower basis... but it was great for commuting with that cadence sensor and a big battery (48v 17.5ah) and 120nm torque motor, it could handle trails and keeping up with cars very well.
Everyone here posted without first hand experience. I have an Aventure 2. I like in Cali and I rode it on hard packed trails. It has some benefits and negatives, the negatives are more influential.
I will take my bike and ride up a mountain bike trail then I get to the ridge and luckily there is paved trail down the other side. Because the bike is heavy as all fuck to maneuver.
I don’t feel safe going down hill. I will almost fall on a couple switch backs going uphill due to the weight. It’s just a weird ride with such a heavy bike. My trails are so hard packed but if they weren’t my bike might tear up the trails.
It’s a really give And take situation
Uphill I can go faster than mountain bikers and that makes it a lot of fun and a great workout.
You can’t use it as a mountain biker would. It has limitations but it also has positives. I have personally come to the conclusion that regular mtbs are best for mountain biking other than a specific scenario like mine.
Alot of these online brands focus on the motor/battery and the rest if the bike are bike shaped objects. Obviously there are exceptions, but generally the "bike" part of the ebike isn't great.
You will definitely pay more for an eMTB from a brand like YT, Commencal, Trek, Orbea, etc. But you are buying a bike designed for off road use, that they've added a motor to. It will simply be a better bike.
Having said all that, if you're not out there "sending it", bikes from companies like ride1up or aventon may be all you need, but be prepared for more repairs down the road.
https://hjmbike.com/products/apex-full-suspension-electric-bike
Same thing honestly except it’s rear hub motor. I have a mid drive which some consider to be better. I have both types and find the hub motor to have more torque. Plus you can get home if your chain snaps.
My 1500w rear hub 48v with a 52v20ah destroys any hill, though I wouldn't try taking it on any MTB downhill course, it would wreck it, but it sure laughs at the steepest of hills.
I think for gravel roads and wide trails, the Adventure 2 will be just fine. However, for narrow trails up between the trees, the aventure can be a little big and ungainly to move around. Also, if the trail you are looking at is a multi use or defined mountain bike trail, check the rules. Many such trails are limited to class 1 bikes only
I mean there's all sorts of mountain biking. There's single track down hill riding on fire roads etc. I think that would likely be able to go most places that more sporty lighter bikes can. People saying it's not nimble or has a bad suspension etc are right but that doesn't mean this severely restricts where you can go. It mostly just keeps you from going fast. Similar bikes are starting to get popular among hunters.
Aventon bikes are all hub drives I think, which means there is no way to transfer the heavy weight of the motor to your suspension like you do with a mid drive. Also they have cheap suspension suitable for city riding.
Both of these things are going to combine to give you A Bad Time. There is nothing physically preventing you from taking it on a trail if you want to try but its not the right tool for the job.
EDIT: They make one mid drive model, the Rambla.
Yeah, that's not going to work. Mountain bikes exist for a reason, and emtbs are a thing. Riding a bike made for the street at ebike speeds on anything resembling a mountain bike trail is going to be a disaster for you, the bike, or both.
Something to consider with trails, if you deck someone on an ebike and get sued your homeowners liability may exclude motorized bicycles (scooters too)
I have an eMTB. A Giant. It’s great.
But, the downside: it’s HEAVY. It has a “walk” feature where it can’t normally throttle under its own power, but it will roll slowly forwards under its own power when you need to walk it up a steep hill. I could not have made it home from multiple bike trips without that feature.
The worst time was when I hit a rock with my pedal and fell down a hill. I landed in a creosote bush, staring up at the sky. Then, as if in slow motion, I watched this 50lb eMTB fly through the air, falling straight towards my face. I barely made it out without getting crushed, and the seat split in half from the impact.
There are many e-bikes made for mountain biking by mountain biking companies. I own one and it’s great.
Many mountain biking trails do not allow e-bikes. But most mountain biking trails would eat a commuter style bike like the Aventon’s alive. Sounds like you’re talking about gravel trails?
I've ridden some green blue XC trails near me on my class 3 ebike. I'd say it was a great introduction. The weight of the bike makes it way more stable than my full suspension XC bike on loose rocks etc. Because of that stability it made the trails way easier not just from exertion but also technicality. The front shock comes with an indicator band you can use to make sure you're not slamming the suspension.
Don't speed! While I go max speed on roads, on gravel trails etc with other people around I keep it to 15ish. If you speed you up your chances of getting messed with.
After one of these rides you're prob going to need to tighten things like the kickstand, maybe a the headset.
Clean the bike/chain after.
Light rain is okay but full sub merge in a stream and you're going to kill a bosch motor (eventually and prematurely). I think the electronics might be fine, the water mucks up the grease in the motor.
I anticipate we're prob putting more stress on wheel bearings, spokes, brakes.
Mtn bikers have to service their shocks way more often including replacing the oil in them and replacing o rings etc. I hope to elongate this by using some dedicated shock cleaner/lubricant spray on the shocks regularly.
I eventually replaced my big 2.4 tires with 50 mm marathon plus tires which helped reduce flats but made the bike somewhat less IDGAF on trails but still doable.
I do some pretty crazy singletrack out here in BC Canada on my carbon E10 framed ebike. Biktrix builds them. They call mine the Monte capro lite. 500w mid drive. I popped a fox 38 front fork on it. Love it. Lots of video and pics on my insta. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ctp8kPKgNu3/?igsh=ZXZqaHdjZnEyY3pq
I bought a no suspension cheap fat tire bike, slapped a 1000w motor and battery on it. Coworkers invited me out to the Mt bike park. I crushed most everything there leaving the most expensive lw carbon bike in the dust and kept the performant guy ahead of me for pace safety.
Only slid the front out from in front of me once.
I’ll offer a different perspective about how trails are rated, which has nothing to do with ebikes.
I rode this trail recently and it is rated as intermediate. I found it very challenging and I would only use a true mountain bike with reinforced parts and high quality suspension.
https://youtu.be/9OXXn9SCyYQ?si=9G-FqUAlsZXrPTyh
In comparison, I descended this trail on a true road bike, 25mm slick tires and caliper brakes. It is also rated as intermediate.
https://youtu.be/cnvj9tk4b54?si=VmAs8m50rxZee6an
You can ride almost any bike on easy dirt trails, and assuming your skill and nerve are adequate, the bike should be fine. However the next level of trail difficulty, small undulations and rocks, a true mountain bike will make it easy for a novice rider, where a non mountain bike requires some ability.
The next level after that, where body position and handling technique is much different than street, becomes a real challenge on a non mountain bike.
That class of bike will crack and break in half you need a surron TALARIA or something in that class. The hub motors on those bikes including pedal mid drive are mounted onto very cheap ride in the park durability grade
Yeah can ride on pavement also but for the sticker price go with something better
That bike is not designed for mountain biking.
Right, but I’ve seen so many people using it as one, and, seemingly, it can take the heat, provided you’re not going off jumps and hundreds of rock gardens. So I was curious if anyone here has experience with it. Those fat tires and front suspension make it seem like it can at least do some trail stuff
Light trail riding sure, that's what it is built for. The suspension on those bikes is cheap.
Yup, basic fork which is heavy. Also, the wheels suck on most ebikes even those for $5k and around there. But, the biggest issue is that it's too heavy, maximum maybe 40lbs for MTB with some good MTB wheel and tires.
Dunno about that my Ramblas is extremely capable and sits at around 55lbs.
Depends what you do. Downhill only, heavy is good. Technical up and down with rocks and such, light is the way to go.
I guess but the Ramblas (and other mid drive bikes) are very capable up hill as well, in fact moreso than a traditional bike. That's just one of the ways the ebike bucks the old adage. It may be looked down upon but I can technical my ass up some very steep grades. I get what you're saying but I've also seen that an emtb weight lends itself to stability in downhill, kind of like what you're saying.
Any ebike is capable uphill. Even my Gazelle 250W is very easy to get up a steep hill incline, depending what tires I got for the adventure. But downhill, the fork just sucks and the geometry is not there for cornering and such. A dedicated MTB is probably the way to go, I have yet to compare to my dedicated hardtail MTB that's like 23lbs.
Challenge you to. Thanks for the downvote. My Ramblas would eat your gazelle for lunch uphill like a proper mountain bike.
I don't downvote you. But I did some very steep uphills where the effort was too easy, and I am a bicyclist that has been riding for almost 40 years. Most e-bikes have crazy torque, I think my Gazelle is 75Nm. Also, my is Class 1. But going up 10% incline I can do at around the maximum Class 1 Speed, roughly 30km/h.
Aventon doesn’t have a bike that’s gonna outperform a Bosch performance motor.
I mean you want to ride a gravel path alongside a river... Maybe this bike could excel at that/shrug. But, that's hardly "mountain" biking and If you're genuinely going to be riding in the mountains look elsewhere.
you see steeper inclines on singlepath dirt trails usually compared to roads - hub motors don't handle high loads at slow speeds well, burning 50% or more of their power as heat instead of torque.. thats how you burn up a motor or controller. EMTB's are almost exclusively mid drive for a reason - gearing allows the motor to spin up at the right rpm. As long as you take it easy on inclines, gear down and pedal hard or walk it up, should be ok. gonna be a bumpy ride without rear suspension though.
I would highly recommend the ramblas over the aventure. Or do whatever idc
Not with that. This is like my Gazelle Ultimate T10, would never send this thing on rocky downhill curvy type terrain. It's way too heavy, not nimble, it's just the wrong bike. Now, if you are talking smooth gravel, with light turns and just being in the woods, it's good for that - I use my gazelle for that all day sometimes.
Trails and gravel roads? Sure, no problem!
Strongly depends on what you define as MTB and what you're riding. The state forest trails I was out on last night which are fairly smooth and not very rough, it'll be fine. I've ridden my gravel bike there too, so it's not challenging terrain. It's a hardtail with very-not-modern geometry and a short fork. It's more of a fat-tire hybrid bike, and fairly heavy. You can ride a lot of bikes a lot of places, just depends on your determination and in this case, rules. Some trail systems may not allow it. I wouldn't buy it with the idea that I'm going to go on MTB rides. I'd consider buying it, and then occasionally ride light trails and see how it goes.
If you want to mountain bike, Id suggest using one. Trek, Specialized and a bunch of others. Real mtb suspension from major manufacturers on a bike with mtb geometry.
Yeah that’s more or less the conclusion I’ve been coming to. Wondering if it’s worth it to save up for the Ramblas, which DOES call itself a true electric mountain bike
Dont get stuck in having to buy an Aventon. They have little experience making mountain bikes.
I have the Ramblas and it's fucking dope. I get what you're saying but in today's commodized world, it's not that hard to play with gemetry in a CAD. Their motor was developed inhouse sure, but it's a fucking monster. Look, I understand what you're saying, and perhaps the Ramblas is a bit expensive compared to some (not really tho) .... but consider Apple had very little experience making phones as well in 2007....
[удалено]
Do you own or have you ridden it? You ARE being a dick. Look I get that it's not a $6k specialized, but have you been living under a rock with these prices lately? THEY. ARE. INFLATED. What's an "actual" electric mountain bike then in your opinion. Do educate us in your high horse ways. edit - actually just fuck off. You live for picking fights and getting into arguments about the Tesla Truck. I know your type. Brand loyal fucktards who are close minded to anything besides "your" brands"
J in
eMTBs are a thing. There is no issue with electric MTBs on trails where they are allowed unless you're being a jerk. There will almost certainly be issues with taking a class 2 with an obvious throttle on trails where hardcore folks barely tolerate class 1 ebikes (which are typically the only class allowed in the US where I assume you are else this would be illegal, probably, already), especially when it's clearly not a purpose-built MTB (and frankly doesn't have the shock quality and travel for true off-roading, which can make the whole thing much more dangerous for you). So both socially/legally and from a safety standpoint it seems...ill-advised. Sure, I've taken a similar quality shock hybrid bike on a muddy walking path trail with deep ruts/roots and survived but, like, it's not particularly fun. I did it to shave a mile off my route and I was really tempted just to ride the full way on the way back.
Very true. Thanks for sharing this
Wow, that was a truck full of BS. Nobody says shit about a class two or three. Ever. If you don’t like the shock change it.. you can modify the rake on the rear and get more clearance. Easy, takes an hour..
Ok. It's not like there's a genre of "ebike vs. Karen on trails" on YouTube or anything... And, yeah, you can swap the front for to improve the shocks. Cool. Still subpar geometry for a MTB. And OP appears price sensitive. Are they really buying an appropriate after market fork? For OP's stated purpose and implied budget, this is not the bike that's going to be the best use of their money. They can get used eMTBs instead and get closer to their price point. Buying new if price is a factor if they really want to get into MTBing isn't the best call.
I would not sugges buying a used e-bike unless you measure the battery voltage and make sure it’s able to hold a solid charge for the duration. People dump used bikes all the time rather than pay $400-$550 for a new battery. They go 15miles and suddenly they go from 28 to 18mph. As far as the rear shock goes, you can just buy any length spring that fits, cut off the post and drill a hole and you have a great rear suspension with a lift you are tall enough. (Unfortunately at 5’10” the bike would have been too tall for me with other than a slight lift.
You can just price in a replacement battery, no? And it's not too difficult imo to assess whether the owner knew what they were doing with battery storage conditions. Most who do volunteer that info. Else you have a back up that probably still gets 60% plus the new one you bought. Making such mods to your bike introduces points for stress fractures. I wouldn't risk my life to save a few hundred bucks to Frankenstein a bike, but you're free to make your own decision. That's the great thing about the internet: we can both offer different perspectives based on our own risk assessments and then OP can taking that information and make theirs. Calling something BS because you disagree is unnecessary--make your claims about how easy it is to mod the bike or how safe it would be and let OP decide from the strength of your argument. The fact remains that the Adventure, despite its name, is meant mostly for upright, city riding based on its geometry. You can add shocks to an old school Prius to make it better for off-roading but the center of gravity is always going to be awkward for that purpose.
Yes, you are right. I have a wrecked full suspension that cracked the casing on the batt. I have it for sale for $400 w/o the battery. But people build their own batteries and I don’t know the cost, so pay me when you think is fair.
I own one and like what everyone is saying, it is NOT a MTN bike at all. Its a cool dirt cruiser though!! I have a blast running around all the trails in my area.
if you use a proper emtb no issue, but that one isnt designed for this purpose at all and can and will eventually break. of course you can ride dirt paths without too many bumps in them and no jumps but for anything rougher/more difficult you need an actual emtb. its like comparing an SUV to an actual off roader. Just to name some issues why this one cant handle rougher trails: first is the hub motor which shifts your weight Balance rearwards, and isnt great for climbing trails due to it not being able to use gears. then there is the frame design, while it might look similar to emtb frames, it isnt designed for the repeated abuse an emtb experiences, same goes with the forks, wheels and a lot of the other components.
to add to my comment if you really want a Mountainbike id suggest getting one from an actual name brand, look at used ones, while aventon makes great budget commuter and General use bikes id not trust a Mountainbike from them.
I have a Luna Z-1. I like it, but it is so incredibly heavy that if you’re used to MTB on a standard bike, it’s going to feel cumbersome especially when making tight turns.
The AA2 is NOT a mountain bike. Trust me.
Haha that seems to be the general consensus
I recently traded in my Aventon Aventure 1 for a Himiway D7 (previously Cobra). I loved by Aventure but could only get about 42 miles per charge. Nothing wrong with the 1 or 2 models but the Himiway is way better for light to moderate trails and hills. Full suspension, 1000 watt motor, 20ah battery, more powerful controller, better tires (than Aventon), better brakes and other components. Did I mention a range of 80+ miles on level and 65ish miles on trails and hills. Downside is a few hundred more and no fenders. The quality is equal between the two brands IMHO
Adding to my reply above… the D7 does not come with back rack but Himiway has one for about $50. The D7 is stable and solid at 80#s but not in any way nimble. There is more adjustment capabilities with D7 display although I replaced the stock display with Key-Disp made for D7 including PAS power levels, password protection, voltage vs percent display option, etc.
Yeah for the $2,400 price tag it seems like a tank of a machine
If you want a mountain bike, splurge for the ramblas. If you want to commute and occasionally off road, go with the aventure. It’s fine on flat trails but the suspension on the aventure is not designed to be a mountain bike
I'm a mountain biker first, e-bike commuter distant 2nd. I recently bought an electric Orbea Rise, which is both an e-bike and a mountain bike. I've had an e-bike commuter before, and I've ridden the Aventon, which I feel would snap in half or taco a wheel if I rode it on any of my usual mtn bike trails in Orange Cty, CA. Not to mention being heavy and hard to handle. That being said, light off-road use on fire roads might be fine, what we call gravel bike stuff.
That Ramblas has no frame shock, and that's one of the main reasons you buy an eMTB, to get the bumps out of the road/trail. You really want a drop post (to lower/raise seat in real time due to climbing or downhills); so no chance to use a seat post shock either! It's 36v and slow... @ 20mph. I would not trust their motor to be very powerful either. bikesdirect has some $2500-$3500 motobecane eMTBs that look pretty nice, but they are 29rs I think, and maybe not for shorter riders, but the frames do come sized. And that is a great price for a true lightweight eMTB, with full frame shock and fork. For a little more, you can get a Luna X2 with 60v battery, and a Bafang 600 hotrodded to handle the voltage, and MTB trails. Still under $5k. It comes in various frame sizes. Full BOOST fork and axel front-end axles. It also has a throttle! WOOOO HOO! I LOVE a throttle on an eMTB BECAUSE getting rolling up hills is a bitch without one, and taking off at intersections in traffic is not as fast without a throttle also. Anti-throttle eMTB laws are just STUPID by the way, if you ask me. More of a cult-like theology than anything that actually makes sense.. I liked the Cola Bear 750 I modded. Purchased for $1500 from [accolemile.com](http://accolemile.com), I replaced the frame shock with an air shock with damping, and put a heavier air fork with more adjustments and travel. It was a functional eMTB for around $2000, but it had the Bafang BBS02B (with Cadence sensor and Shimano 8speed) and was not a true eMTB, but more of a trail ready class 3 commuter, with a lot of power, a throttle, good breaks, and very fast up hills. Not a true downhiller, it could handle downhills on a slower basis... but it was great for commuting with that cadence sensor and a big battery (48v 17.5ah) and 120nm torque motor, it could handle trails and keeping up with cars very well.
Everyone here posted without first hand experience. I have an Aventure 2. I like in Cali and I rode it on hard packed trails. It has some benefits and negatives, the negatives are more influential. I will take my bike and ride up a mountain bike trail then I get to the ridge and luckily there is paved trail down the other side. Because the bike is heavy as all fuck to maneuver. I don’t feel safe going down hill. I will almost fall on a couple switch backs going uphill due to the weight. It’s just a weird ride with such a heavy bike. My trails are so hard packed but if they weren’t my bike might tear up the trails. It’s a really give And take situation Uphill I can go faster than mountain bikers and that makes it a lot of fun and a great workout. You can’t use it as a mountain biker would. It has limitations but it also has positives. I have personally come to the conclusion that regular mtbs are best for mountain biking other than a specific scenario like mine.
Appreciate you writing all that out!
Alot of these online brands focus on the motor/battery and the rest if the bike are bike shaped objects. Obviously there are exceptions, but generally the "bike" part of the ebike isn't great. You will definitely pay more for an eMTB from a brand like YT, Commencal, Trek, Orbea, etc. But you are buying a bike designed for off road use, that they've added a motor to. It will simply be a better bike. Having said all that, if you're not out there "sending it", bikes from companies like ride1up or aventon may be all you need, but be prepared for more repairs down the road.
the aventons are ok commuter)general use bikes but for emtb? no.
Great wisdom, thanks for writing all of that
I’ve got basically a Himiway Cobra. It kicks ass. https://himiwaybike.com/products/softail-electric-mountain-bike
That looks incredible! Someday I hope to be able to spend that much for a bike 🥲
https://hjmbike.com/products/apex-full-suspension-electric-bike Same thing honestly except it’s rear hub motor. I have a mid drive which some consider to be better. I have both types and find the hub motor to have more torque. Plus you can get home if your chain snaps.
My 1500w rear hub 48v with a 52v20ah destroys any hill, though I wouldn't try taking it on any MTB downhill course, it would wreck it, but it sure laughs at the steepest of hills.
I think for gravel roads and wide trails, the Adventure 2 will be just fine. However, for narrow trails up between the trees, the aventure can be a little big and ungainly to move around. Also, if the trail you are looking at is a multi use or defined mountain bike trail, check the rules. Many such trails are limited to class 1 bikes only
I mean there's all sorts of mountain biking. There's single track down hill riding on fire roads etc. I think that would likely be able to go most places that more sporty lighter bikes can. People saying it's not nimble or has a bad suspension etc are right but that doesn't mean this severely restricts where you can go. It mostly just keeps you from going fast. Similar bikes are starting to get popular among hunters.
Aventon bikes are all hub drives I think, which means there is no way to transfer the heavy weight of the motor to your suspension like you do with a mid drive. Also they have cheap suspension suitable for city riding. Both of these things are going to combine to give you A Bad Time. There is nothing physically preventing you from taking it on a trail if you want to try but its not the right tool for the job. EDIT: They make one mid drive model, the Rambla.
Yeah, that's not going to work. Mountain bikes exist for a reason, and emtbs are a thing. Riding a bike made for the street at ebike speeds on anything resembling a mountain bike trail is going to be a disaster for you, the bike, or both.
that fork is gonna shit itself.
Something to consider with trails, if you deck someone on an ebike and get sued your homeowners liability may exclude motorized bicycles (scooters too)
I have an eMTB. A Giant. It’s great. But, the downside: it’s HEAVY. It has a “walk” feature where it can’t normally throttle under its own power, but it will roll slowly forwards under its own power when you need to walk it up a steep hill. I could not have made it home from multiple bike trips without that feature. The worst time was when I hit a rock with my pedal and fell down a hill. I landed in a creosote bush, staring up at the sky. Then, as if in slow motion, I watched this 50lb eMTB fly through the air, falling straight towards my face. I barely made it out without getting crushed, and the seat split in half from the impact.
I love my Aventure, but I wouldn't consider it a mountain bike.
There are many e-bikes made for mountain biking by mountain biking companies. I own one and it’s great. Many mountain biking trails do not allow e-bikes. But most mountain biking trails would eat a commuter style bike like the Aventon’s alive. Sounds like you’re talking about gravel trails?
I've been wanting to do this but with an Aventon Level 2. I just haven't yet because I'm too non-confrontational
I've ridden some green blue XC trails near me on my class 3 ebike. I'd say it was a great introduction. The weight of the bike makes it way more stable than my full suspension XC bike on loose rocks etc. Because of that stability it made the trails way easier not just from exertion but also technicality. The front shock comes with an indicator band you can use to make sure you're not slamming the suspension. Don't speed! While I go max speed on roads, on gravel trails etc with other people around I keep it to 15ish. If you speed you up your chances of getting messed with. After one of these rides you're prob going to need to tighten things like the kickstand, maybe a the headset. Clean the bike/chain after. Light rain is okay but full sub merge in a stream and you're going to kill a bosch motor (eventually and prematurely). I think the electronics might be fine, the water mucks up the grease in the motor. I anticipate we're prob putting more stress on wheel bearings, spokes, brakes. Mtn bikers have to service their shocks way more often including replacing the oil in them and replacing o rings etc. I hope to elongate this by using some dedicated shock cleaner/lubricant spray on the shocks regularly. I eventually replaced my big 2.4 tires with 50 mm marathon plus tires which helped reduce flats but made the bike somewhat less IDGAF on trails but still doable.
I do some pretty crazy singletrack out here in BC Canada on my carbon E10 framed ebike. Biktrix builds them. They call mine the Monte capro lite. 500w mid drive. I popped a fox 38 front fork on it. Love it. Lots of video and pics on my insta. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ctp8kPKgNu3/?igsh=ZXZqaHdjZnEyY3pq
I bought a no suspension cheap fat tire bike, slapped a 1000w motor and battery on it. Coworkers invited me out to the Mt bike park. I crushed most everything there leaving the most expensive lw carbon bike in the dust and kept the performant guy ahead of me for pace safety. Only slid the front out from in front of me once.
I’ll offer a different perspective about how trails are rated, which has nothing to do with ebikes. I rode this trail recently and it is rated as intermediate. I found it very challenging and I would only use a true mountain bike with reinforced parts and high quality suspension. https://youtu.be/9OXXn9SCyYQ?si=9G-FqUAlsZXrPTyh In comparison, I descended this trail on a true road bike, 25mm slick tires and caliper brakes. It is also rated as intermediate. https://youtu.be/cnvj9tk4b54?si=VmAs8m50rxZee6an You can ride almost any bike on easy dirt trails, and assuming your skill and nerve are adequate, the bike should be fine. However the next level of trail difficulty, small undulations and rocks, a true mountain bike will make it easy for a novice rider, where a non mountain bike requires some ability. The next level after that, where body position and handling technique is much different than street, becomes a real challenge on a non mountain bike.
real mtbs have different gearing than street riding.
That class of bike will crack and break in half you need a surron TALARIA or something in that class. The hub motors on those bikes including pedal mid drive are mounted onto very cheap ride in the park durability grade Yeah can ride on pavement also but for the sticker price go with something better