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First Thoughts On The Aventon Abound

The Aventon Abound is a rather slick looking multi-use e-bike that can haul, carry, and can basically replace the use of a car. This is a heavy duty cargo hauler, and depending on the accessories you add, can satisfy a multitude of tasks.

Aventon has a nice variety of bikes on offer, and the Abound is their latest addition. It is their first foray into the cargo e-bike world, and from first appearances is a solid and mechanically sound bike. Having said that, I look forward to seeing how I can utilize the Abound in my daily life. She’s a heavy-duty step through bike with various options to load up the kids, or bring home the groceries. I, for one, want to see if the Abound can eliminate local car trips while taking this multi-purpose electric bike out for an in-depth test and review.

Out of the box

As I was awaiting the delivery, the shipping updates showed a 105 pound box on its way. Not having done a deep dive into the specifications beforehand, I did not really think about the weight. I get that all the pieces, components, battery, heavy duty frame, and electric motor add up, but that is one solid bike being delivered.

Turns out, it’s an 81 pound bike before adding any accessories. Coming from a bicycle perspective, that is two to three times the weight of many of my bikes, as my road bike is under 20 pounds. Every single bike in my world has it’s purpose, so this one fits a whole new category. Subsequently, this Aventon Abound needs that base weight to support the rider and its cargo. And that means that being able to handle this bike will take some getting used to, I would think. In hindsight, I was wrong. The Abound is smooth, easy to handle, and the weight was never even a thought.

Assembly Of The Aventon Abound

Assembly was fairly straightforward. Flip the Stem up, attach the runner boards, front mud guard, and pedals. I scanned the code to see how I could get some help with the build, but it did not work for me at the time. Neither here nor there, as it wasn’t that hard, and I’m sure the directions will be up and running by the time you read this.

A really fun and nice surprise was that I had a little helper who was over the moon excited about this cargo bike.

Front suspension

The Suntour front suspension is there for a smoother and plusher ride. Especially so when loaded down with additional passengers or cargo. The occasional pothole, crack, or pavement transition will be encountered, and the shock can certainly absorb those to make for a safer ride. I still envision these being on mountain bikes, but I do see the value. The downside is the added weight.

Hydraulic Disc Brakes

Aside from all the wonderful features a bike like this has, brakes are your most critical safety component. You have to be in control of the bike, as well as be able to stop on a dime. The discs have proven to be consistent and solid when braking. Disc brakes made their way into the mountain biking world decades ago. More recently, gravel and road bikes are sporting a simpler and lighter version. The Tektro brakes are a no-brainer for this Aventon Abound, and are a highly engineered piece of equipment purely for your safety.

Battery Pack And Motor

This is where all the magic happens, and some of you care deeply. You likely have a mechanical mindset, and want to know what is behind it all. Others trust the technology, and that it will simply go when the power button is pushed.

The battery pack is tucked away inside the frame. A couple of spare keys come with the bike to allow that battery to stay locked and secure. I have not looked up the replacement price of that battery, but I’d rather that it didn’t walk off while parked out in the great big world. Therefore, I am taking good care of that battery, cord, and charging station connection.

The Aventon Abound has a 750W, 48 V Brushless Rear Hub Motor. Being able to go full throttle from a complete stop to accelerate into traffic is liberating and a solid safety feature. It’s got enough oomph to provide the power needed to get me up to 20 miles per hour in mere seconds. The internal lithium-ion 48V, 15Ah battery is removable, and has a 4-5 hour charging time. All that said, it’s a good combination to provide the power assist as needed for whatever type of level of rider you may be.

Front Light

The light shines bright and is adjustable to meet your needs. My lights are always on for each and every single bike ride to be more visible during the day! That said, at night this light threw some serious Lumens allowing the path to be nicely lit up.

Backlit LCD Display

The LCD Easy to read Display with Backlight has a colorful screen with many of the functions that are important to you. I usually stick to the basics, like speed, distance, and time. In this case, the battery level is good, as well as the power mode that you are on.

Waterproof Storage Bag

This storage case is designed to be tucked in nicely, and is surprisingly voluminous. I’d like to think flats and mechanicals won’t occur, but having the ability to store basic tools and repair kit goes a long way for some peace of mind. Getting stranded is never fun.

Dropper Post

The seat post with a dropper is a feature that is usually reserved for a mountain bike as it traverses technical terrain. In this case, the dropper comes in handy as it appears I may have three or four different sized riders taking turns.

The back of the seat has a super grab bar for the rear passenger. It’s good, because it is firm, and you can avoid the possible uncomfortable reach around the waist with a stranger on the back.

Pedal (Torque) Assist And Throttle

Torque assist is where it’s at. I honestly feel like I’ve been given super boost afterburner powers. There are 4 levels: eco, tour, sport, and turbo, and playing around with those will help you focus on which one works for you and when.

The Plus symbol is for moving that power up from Eco to Tour to Sport to Turbo, and vice versa. The left and right buttons are the turn signals. On the go at 20mph, having to move my hand over which is not as intuitive as I would like. I am having to look down which is not something I feel is safe in heavy traffic. Hence, I move the power button beforehand to a position I will like, or when I’m at a stoplight or something.

Brake Lights And Turn Signals

The brake light is a real bonus, I think, as it relates to being more visible. A slight touch of the brake could be a life-saver. In addition, the occasional night ride will truly make me a beacon, and hopefully a relevant and visible participant on the roads. These roads are becoming more and more dangerously, so here’s hoping for the best. In addition, a unique feature are the rear turn signals. As you’ll see below, the left and right turn signals are located on the control panel I think those are great, although hitting the turn signal buttons isn’t as intuitive as it should be. More on that later.

Platform Pedals

Heavy duty and wide pedals are good. I have some speedplay pedals on my road bike which are the size of a silver dollar. These are providing stability and allow me to maneuver confidently.

Running Board

Solid running boards are positioned perfectly to allow for safe placement of the feet. May they be Men’s size 11, or kiddo size 5.

Gear Shifter

The 7 speed option is nice. Without electric assist power, this heavy bike takes some real muscle and balance to get going. I have found myself in a slight conundrum a few times while trying to get going after a full stop. After that, I have relied on the boost and torque to get me through that intersection with speed. Going to one of the lower gears will also aid in making that easier.

Taking The Aventon Abound Out On The Road

I consider myself to be a pretty hard-core cyclist. The general feelings when the electric bikes started to become popular had a slight negative undertone in several of my cycling circles. I don’t think it was mean spirited or anything. There’s something to be said when pushing yourself to the limit, and at the push of a button, an e-bike whizzes by you. The Mountain bike and trail communities, I think, had (and still have to an extent) deeper rooted feelings and discussions. This Aventon Abound won’t be crushing the all-terrain trails, but I do feel like I’m on a small motorcycle at times.

On the flipside, getting more people out on bikes is always a good thing. And that is benefit number one for me. Secondly, removing a few cars while we’re at it, adds all that much more credit for more e-bikes. And lastly, the Aventon Abound is a super suitable vehicle to replace the large and heavy automobiles that our society has been designed around over the past century. Electric vehicles spearheaded by Tesla are on such an upward trajectory and are definitely a game changer. However, they still take up space, and can cause a lot of damage and death in an accident.

We took a family trip to Italy this past year, and e-bikes are everywhere. There the focus isn’t so much on getting people out on bikes as it is to replace the noisy smoky scooters. A very positive step in the right direction with more people on E-bikes. In the US, we are seeing more people come on out to ride their bikes, and I think that’s a good thing. In addition to taking the place of car trips is what I’m really liking. It’s got room for groceries, and room for a kid or two if you want.

Always better to be safe than sorry, and my Hiplock does the trick

The four levels; eco, tour, sport, and turbo are appropriately named. It basically comes down to 4 different levels of torque assist to aid you as you pedal. I really do have to point out that the torque assist is super smooth as it basically feels the power input, and reacts to reciprocate by adding additional speed.

The eco provides support, but only a slight boost as you get going. On the flipside, Turbo gives enough of a kick to get you flying fast, really fast. With all of these levels, you ultimately get up to 20+ mph, but it just depends how hard you want to work based on your fitness level, incline, or wind you might be facing. I’ve come to realize that I am mostly in the hardest gear (#7). And that’s because once I am up to speed, I feel like I can easily push that harder gear.

I don’t go up super big inclines in town, so I haven’t seen the need for going down to an easier gear much. The torque assist is basically acting as my gear shifters. The only issue is at a complete standstill when I want to get back up to speed. I have found my rhythm with this bike, but that is something to be aware of as you take the Aventon Abound out on the road.

I’d say, I would feel comfortable getting three 12 mile roundtrip work commutes out of my Aventon Abound. Hence, I’d have to charge it roughly 2-3 times per week. Weekly gas savings would equal about $12-15 just for the work commutes. Add in a few other errand bike rides, and I can confidently say that the pure gas savings are at least $20 per week for me. Depending on how much use I will see going forward, I am estimating a $40-$50 per week savings going forward.

I live in an PUD (Planned Unit Development). It’s in the City of Denver, and was planned with front porches, alleys, and utilities in the back of the home. In addition, trails, parks, open spaces, community centers, pools, and restaurants are all within easy range. We as a family, our using the Aventon Abound every single day for the close and easy commutes. We cruise to the gym, coffee shop, grocery store, swim practice, and to meet friends. Every time a day goes by, and the car didn’t leave the garage is a solid victory for me.

The ride quality is good. Stable maneuvering, quick braking, strong acceleration are all positives during my one month trial riding journey. The ride is smooth no matter. I don’t know how much of a role the shock absorption plays in that department, but every little bit helps.

I actually went to Costco to see how much I could bring home. The 35 pound dog bag was the main attraction as I loaded up in front of the store. I made it home safe and sound. Plus, my dog was happy.

Nitty Gritty Important Takes On The Aventon Abound

Power, Turbo, Torque

The power boost button is easily accessible with the left thumb. And let me tell you, I want to give extra praise for how intuitive and smooth the torque assist acted as I was cruising my city streets. The Torque with the various power modes provides good and fast acceleration no matter what situation I find myself in.

Control Panel

The “control panel” is easily set up before you get going. Push the plus bottom to go into one of the modes; eco, tour, sport, and turbo. While driving it’s not as automatic to change without taking a look down. Where I have more of an issue with the design is the left and right turn signals (the arrows) require me to look down most of the time.

When coming up on a stop or turn, and I want to signal while focusing on cars in my lane as well as ones entering the intersection, I did not feel comfortable going for the turn buttons. I’d rather use the typical hand signals at this point. This is where I urge Aventon to take a look at something within thumbs reach of either hand.

Accessories

I got a basket as an accessory, but I will shortly add the seat pad as part of my total package. I’ve tied a pillow to the back for my little one, because the bumps were too much with just the back rack. For the moment, I have enough storage, but if I ever need more, the front rack and/or basket could be an addition. The basket is large which is an amazing feature. The amount of stuff I could haul was awesome. Consequently, I found a web bungee cord system which nicely secured all of my gear.

A comical version of the Abound’s carrying capability. We were short on rice and Naan for an indian dinner feast.

Simultaneously, one minor thing to keep in mind is that my heel does brush it on occasion during the backwards upswing. If you subscribe by the rule that the point where the metatarsal meets the front toe lines up with the crank, then I am cutting it quite close to the basket. Some folks do ride with the more flat part of the foot securely planted on the pedal. And if so, you should not have any issues.

Handling

The maneuverability of the Aventon Abound for its weight and length is really good. I ride 5,000 plus miles per year, so I feel like I have a good handle on a bike’s mobility in traffic and all the surface conditions. That said, it took me a ride or two to grasp the weight and balance distribution of the bike. It’s longer and heavier than any bike I’ve ridden, and I own a vintage classic Dutch steel granny bike. With time, I figured it out though. Furthermore, I’ve had my ten year old on the back, so safe and steady is definitely at the forefront.

Equally important, I am impressed with the weight to balance aspect of the Abound. It’s low to the ground with two 2.4″ wide 20″ tires. Hence, the handling is actually rather smooth once you get the hang of it.

Get up and go versus braking.

I consider the power boost a safety feature. Getting up to speed or crossing a road in a fraction of the time gets me out of the way of heavy vehicles. I’d say with pedaling and full power thrust, I’m up to 20mph in about 30 to 40 feet. Surprisingly, making a solid brake can be done in 10-20 feet. The hydraulic disc brakes are a powerful force in being able to safely and quickly stop. My little rubber rim brakes are no match.

I played around with a super hard stop during many of my initial rides which caused a slight tire skid, but still had me in control and stopping super fast. On the other hand, stopping smoothly while applying both brakes maybe sacrificed a few feet, but I was in total control.

I added my favorite Swallow cage to provide refreshments

Specifications

• MOTOR – 750W (Sustained), 48V Brushless Rear Hub Motor
• THROTTLE – Throttle on demand – Throttle from a complete stop
• DISPLAY – LCD Smart Easy Read Display with Backlight, Colorful screen with app
• SPEED – Up to 20 MPH on Pedal Assist
• BATTERY – Removable Internal Lithium-ion 48V, 15Ah (720Wh)
• SENSORS – Torque Sensor
• PEDAL ASSIST – 4 Levels
• CHARGER – 48V 3 Amp Fast Charger, 4-5 Hour Charging
• RANGE – Up to 50 Miles* on PAS 22 Miles on Throttle
• FRAME – 6061 Single-Butted Aluminum Alloy with Internal Battery
• WEIGHT – 81 lbs
• PEDALS – 9/16′ Alloy Platform
• FORK – Suspension Fork with 50mm travel, with lockout
• TOTAL WEIGHT LIMIT – 440 lbs
• REAR RACK WEIGHT LIMIT – 143 lbs
• CENTER STAND –Included, Center Mount
• BOTTOM BRACKET – Square Taper, Sealed, Torque Sensor
• CRANKSET – 170mm w/ 52 T
• REAR DERAILLEUR – 7 Speed
• CASSETTE – 14-28T, 7 Speed
• SHIFT LEVER – 7 Speed Twist
• BRAKES – Hydraulic Disc Brakes
• CHAIN – 148 Link, 7 Speed
• RIM – Double Wall Aluminum 36h Front & Rear
• SPOKES – Black Stainless 13G Front / 12G Rear
• TUBES – Butyl Rubber, Schrader Valve
• HUBS – 36H Disc Nutted Front, Nutted Rear
• TIRES – 20″ x 2.4″ Puncture Resistant, Reflective Sidewalls
• SADDLE – Selle Italia
• SEATPOST – Dropper Seatpost, 30.9mm x 440mm
• STEM – Folding, Height Adjustable, 31.8mm, 9 Degree Rise
• SEAT CLAMP – 34.9 mm Quick Release
• HANDLEBARS – Aluminum 31.8mm, 700mm
• HEADSET – Sealed Bearing Headset
• GRIPS – Ergonomic Comfort
• FOOTBOARDS – Aluminum
• STORAGE BAG – Polyester, EVA Waterproof
• DIMENSIONS – Bike Box: 167 cm x 37 cm x 73 cm
• Built Bike: 191 cm (l) x 112.5 cm (h)
• Rear Rack: 28 in (l) x 6.75 in (w)

Final Wraps On The Aventon Abound Cargo Bike

I have pointed out a few things that could use another design thought or two, but don’t let that impact your decision on a very capable, well-built, fun E-Cargo bike. In addition, this Aventon Abound is a solid alternative mode of transportation. The plusses are through the roof with comfort, safety, storage, ease of handling, built-in lights, etc. Furthermore, the power assist and torque sensor puts the Aventon Abound in a superior quality cargo e-bike category.

In conclusion, I feel this is a super addition to my stable of bikes as it suits my purposes as a commuter, kid transporter, and substitute to driving my car.

For more information or to purchase, please check out www.aventon.com