The Aventon Abound is surprisingly zippy for a cargo e-bike. It is primarily the electrical bike equal of a compact SUV, made to haul all the things from packages and groceries to a child or two. The Abound won’t look as nimble as different electrical bikes, resembling Aventon’s personal Aventure 2. However the bike is unexpectedly fast to stand up and go, even loaded up. And whilst you’ll most likely find yourself spending further on equipment — of which there are a number of — it is extremely well-equipped, making it one of many greatest electrical bikes we have examined for its worth and class.
Beginning at $2,199, the Abound is analogous in worth and dimension to one among our different favourite cargo e-bikes, the $1,999 Rad Energy RadWagon 4. The 2 are roughly the identical dimension and weight; every has a built-in rear cargo rack; they’ve 750-watt rear-hub motors with comparable battery capacities (the Abound’s is 48Wh bigger); they’ve seven-speed shifters to assist on hills; and each are class 2 e-bikes to allow them to attain speeds as much as 20mph with pedal-assist or throttle alone.
From there, the Abound pulls away from the RadWagon with further options that make spending the additional $200 greater than worthwhile. Aventon used a dropper seat submit, for instance, to boost and decrease the seat peak by squeezing a deal with underneath the entrance of the seat — a very useful function for sharing the bike with a number of individuals. Likewise, the handlebar peak might be adjusted effortlessly with a quick-release clamp.
The dropper seat submit enables you to alter seat peak shortly.
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For security, the Abound has a headlight and a rear brake gentle. However Aventon went a step additional and added flip indicators so you may let anybody behind you understand which approach you are turning. They’re simply triggered with directional buttons on a small management pad inside attain of your left thumb. The management pad additionally turns the bike on and off, letting you progress by way of the bike’s 4 pedal-assist ranges — eco, tour, sport and turbo — and navigate settings on the center-mounted show.
The LCD show is backlit and full coloration, making it simpler to learn even in vibrant, direct solar. The Abound additionally has Bluetooth, so you may join a telephone to it and use Aventon’s cell app to see present journey metrics and total journey historical past and likewise join with different Aventon riders. The show even has a USB port on the underside for charging a telephone whereas driving.
From left to proper on the handlebar is the thumb throttle; a management panel with the ability button, flip indicators and pedal-assist choice; the full-color backlit LCD; and a seven-speed twist shifter.
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Shifting down the bike’s steering tube, there is a latch releasing a hinge that permits the tube to fold in half. This makes it simpler to move or retailer. I’ve a small, crowded storage and regularly get my shirt or backpack snagged on a handlebar, so I actually admire this function. I did discover it added a tiny quantity of flex or wiggle to the handlebar, nevertheless. One different factor up entrance value noting: As a substitute of a inflexible entrance fork, the Abound has a suspension fork that makes the journey cushier.
The Abound’s pedal-assist system makes use of a torque sensor as an alternative of a cadence sensor discovered on the RadWagon’s system and plenty of different e-bikes. The torque sensor provides again what you place in, so the tougher you pedal, the extra energy you get from the motor. The result’s a extra conventional and pure biking expertise. A pedal-assist system with a cadence sensor makes it simpler to go quicker with much less effort for the reason that motor kicks in no matter how arduous you pedal.
The combo of the seven-speed cassette and torque sensor provides you a clean journey even absolutely loaded with cargo.
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For those who desire to do much less work if you bike, a cadence-sensor system is likely to be higher. The journey tends to be jarring when the motor kicks in as you pedal and shoots you ahead. With the torque sensor, you do not really feel the motor kick in the identical approach as a result of it is merely matching how arduous you pedal, supplying you with a smoother journey total.
Sturdy and trendy
The general construct high quality of the Abound is incredible. There’s little to assemble out of the field, and Aventon features a folding multitool, so you do not want any instruments to get it able to journey. The one factor that may’ve made meeting simpler is an extra-long hex key for the 2 bolts on either side that connect the included footboard to the body.
The 720-watt-hour battery slots into the body and is coloration matched — the Abound is available in blue or sage inexperienced — so it is barely seen. The body has a key lock on the high of the battery stopping it from being shortly popped out and stolen. It will be nice if Aventon took it a step additional subsequent time and likewise prevented the bike from beginning until the important thing was turned to a begin place.
Aventon features a small zippered case that is excellent for a lock, restore package or different belongings that tucks neatly into the body beneath the seat and in entrance of the rear wheel.
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The battery can final for as much as 50 miles relying on the rider and cargo, driving situations, the extent of pedal help used and the way a lot the throttle alone is used. As you turn to the totally different pedal-assist modes, the LCD will give an estimate of what number of miles you may journey on the remaining cost. The battery recharges in roughly 5 hours utilizing the equipped charger, and might be charged in or out of the body.
Learn extra: Finest Cargo E-Bike 2023
Cargo bikes can look considerably clunky as a result of they’re designed to hold and haul stuff. Aventon made the Abound look extra like a cross between a midsize cargo bike and a step-through cruiser minus the fats tires. The bike is low to the bottom, which makes loading and unloading simpler. All the bike helps as much as 400 kilos, and the rear rack is nice for 143 kilos of that.
The seat pad (not included) can be utilized with or and not using a handrail. A seize deal with on the again of the seat provides riders one thing to carry onto.
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I examined the Abound with the seat pad ($63) and handrail ($122) designed to carry as much as two kids. The design is ideal for youthful children who might be picked up and lowered onto the seat. For older riders, the handrail is likely to be a decent match, and it is also a bit of awkward to get out and in of. My children are 11, 12 and 14, and though all of them match, they most well-liked to leap on the seat and maintain onto the seize deal with in the back of the motive force’s seat. The handrail will also be used for further safety for cargo, but when your main want is to haul greater than children, Aventon has a number of choices:
- Entrance basket: $70
- Rear rack basket: $159
- Entrance utility rack: $70
- Entrance bag: $60
- Pannier: $85
- Rear rack bamboo board: $65
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Even with none add-ons, it is easy sufficient to strap stuff to the rear rack (possibly not your children, although) in case you are undecided but of your cargo-carrying wants. My level is the Aventon Abound is able to begin hauling instantly. It is also a pleasure to journey with or with out cargo. However what actually places the Abound out in entrance are the extras Aventon packed on, resembling its good LCD show with Bluetooth, the footboards, built-in flip indicators, entrance suspension, dropper seat submit, storage bag — the record goes on and on. The worth-packed Abound raises the bar for cargo e-bikes.
