When it comes to ebike styles, fat tire ebikes are one of my favorites. The big tires and large frames typically make for a comfortable ride. They’re also a versatile style of bike, able to handle a lot of different use cases. And since ebikes have motors that help move the bike, the rolling resistance that comes with having fat tires isn’t a problem.
I have a lot of different fat tire ebikes that I ride, but most recently, I’ve been riding the Aventon Aventure 2. This is an entry-level fat tire ebike from Aventon, one of the largest ebike manufacturers in the United States. The Aventure 2 is an update on their popular Aventure 1, with a few upgrades that make for a potentially better riding experience.
After putting several hundred miles on my Aventon Aventure 2, I thought it’d be useful to share my experience with his bike, some reasons you might want to get it, and some of the negatives that I’ve noticed after riding it for a while.
If you’re interested in my video review of the Aventure 2, you can check it out here:
Quick Overview
As usual, with all my ebike reviews, I like to first go over the general specs of the bike. Here are some of the basic specs to know about the Aventure 2.
- Top Speed: 28 mph (need to unlock the speed limiter using the Aventon app)
- Motor: 750-watt rear hub motor
- Range: Up to 60 miles of advertised range
- Tires: 26×4 fat tires
- Battery: 48V, 15Ah (720Wh)
- Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc brakes
- Shifter – 8-speed Shimano shifters
The Aventure 2 comes in two frame options – a step-over and a step-through frame. I opted for the step-through frame, which I think is the better choice because it makes getting on and off the bike easier.
In terms of looks, this is a sleek-looking bike. The battery for the Aventure 2 is integrated into the frame, which gives the bike a clean appearance. One nice thing is that the Aventure 2 uses the same battery as their other bikes, which means if you have other Aventon bikes, you’ll be able to use the same battery. Having an extra battery on hand is nice when you need to take longer rides.
In terms of power, the bike uses a 750-watt rear hub motor. The top speed of the Aventure 2 is 20 mph out of the box, but you can use the Aventon app to increase the top speed to 28 mph. Aventon advertises 60 miles of range on a full charge, though you’re unlikely to get that with normal usage. I’m not sure what the range is in a real-world setting, but I haven’t had any range anxiety riding it around. The display gives good information about your battery percentage, so you’ll have a good idea of how much battery you have left from the display.
The other mechanical parts of the bike are about what you’d expect. The Aventure 2 uses Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, which are fairly standard amongst fat tire ebikes. You have an 8-speed Shimano shifter which provides good gearing. The 26×4 fat tires help the bike conquer any terrain and weather conditions. The bike also has a front fork suspension, which helps make for a smoother ride. You also get a rear cargo rack and fenders, both of which help with commuting.
The big change with the Aventure 2 compared to the Aventure 1 is the change in the pedal assist from a cadence sensor to a torque sensor. Most entry-level ebikes opt for a cadence sensor, which is a simpler pedal assist sensor that measures the rotations of your pedals to determine motor power.
In contrast, a torque sensor bases the motor power on the pressure the rider places on the pedals while pedaling. The advantage of this is that it provides a more natural riding experience, but it does require a bit more work when pedaling compared to a cadence sensor. For the most part, Aventon has opted to go with a torque sensor for all of their newer bikes, which should be considered a good thing. There are advantages and disadvantages to the torque sensor, but it seems like most people prefer the torque sensor when given the choice.
My Experience With The Aventon Aventure 2
I’ve been using the Aventure 2 as my regular commuting bike and as a food delivery bike (I deliver food with apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats). So far, I’ve had a good experience with it. The bike is powerful and feels well-built. It’s also a comfortable ride that should fit most riders.
For commuting, the Aventure 2 works out well since it has nice fenders and a good rear rack. To carry things on the rear rack, I use panniers or secure things to the rack using straps. The fenders keep dirt and water off me when I ride. The suspension and large tires make the bike well-suited for dealing with bumps and potholes when riding in the city.
As a food delivery bike, the Aventure 2 works out well also because it has a lot of range and is fast. The step-through frame also makes it easy to get on and off the bike, which is really important when you’re delivering food and constantly getting on and off the bike. I also got a front rack for the Aventure 2 but ultimately decided to remove it since I didn’t like the way it looked and it didn’t feel very functional to me. I had one delivery for example where I dropped the customer’s order since I didn’t have it secured on the front rack:
One important thing to note is how different this bike feels once you unlock it. When I first rode the Aventure 2, I didn’t unlock it with the Aventon app, so it was capped at 20mph. As a result, the ride felt sort of sluggish. When riding it, I would quickly hit that 20mph limit, and then I was essentially pedaling entirely using my own power if I wanted to maintain that speed.
Once I unlocked it, however, the bike felt like a different bike. Unlocked, the Aventure 2 has a top speed of 28mph so normal pedaling can keep you at around 25 mph or so without exerting much energy. If you get this bike, I highly recommend unlocking it so it has a top speed of 28mph. Even if you don’t need to go that fast, it’ll still make the bike feel faster and more powerful.
The other feature worth discussing is the torque sensor. Aventon has switched to torque sensors for their new models of ebikes, replacing the cadence sensors they used to use. The advantage of a torque sensor compared to the typical cadence sensor is that it gives the bike a more natural feel when pedaling since the motor power is based on the pressure you apply to the pedals. I generally consider torque sensors to be better than cadence sensors but it definitely gives the bike a different feel compared to a cadence sensor, mainly in that you have to pedal harder to reach higher speeds.
Which sensor you prefer is going to be based on your personal preferences and while I do like torque sensors, I think their advantages are overblown by many. My advice if you’re unfamiliar with the difference between these pedal assist sensors is to test ride bikes with both sensors so you can get a sense of how the different sensors change the ride experience.
The Main Reasons To Consider The Aventon Aventure 2
There are dozens of fat-tire ebikes to choose from, so why would you consider the Aventure 2 over other options?
The main reason would probably be so you can get service from a local bike shop. Of the direct-to-consumer ebike manufacturers, Aventon is one of the few that also uses a dealer model. That means you can purchase Aventon ebikes from a local bike shop and have them service your bike. As ebikes get more popular, more shops will work on any brand of ebike, but it’s not a guarantee, and having a shop that you know will work on your bike is very helpful, especially if you aren’t particularly handy with bikes.
The dealer model that Aventon uses also means you can test-ride their bikes before you purchase them. This is a big advantage since it means you can see how a bike feels before you purchase it. As much as you can read reviews and look at photos, you really can’t know how a bike will feel until you can ride it. That being said, while test-riding a bike is nice, it still can be difficult to get a good feel of a bike after only riding it a few times around the block.
In terms of specs, I think the Aventure 2 offers good specs for the price point. You get a powerful motor and hydraulic disc brakes. Having a torque sensor is also very nice for an entry-level fat-tire ebike. The ability to unlock the bike to 28mph makes this bike really good for people who want the extra speed.
Finally, Aventon is a big brand located in the United States and while there are no guarantees, it does provide a little more comfort that you’ll be able to get parts and support from them now and in the future.
Downsides Of The Aventon Aventure 2
There are a few downsides I’ve noticed with the Aventure 2 that I think should be mentioned. The most noticeable thing to me is that the pedals are low to the ground, making it so when you take sharp turns, your pedals will sometimes scrape the ground. This can be addressed by being aware of your pedal position when making turns, but it can be annoying (and potentially dangerous depending on how aware you are and how sharp of a turn you’re making). My advice when turning on the Aventure 2 is to avoid overly sharp turns that bring your pedals too low to the ground. You’ll get used to this with some more riding.
Another minor nitpick is with the front basket. This is an optional accessory that I got to give myself additional cargo space. After using it for a bit, I decided to take it off because I felt it got in the way and wasn’t particularly useful. The main downside is that the basket doesn’t hold anything well because it’s open in the front. If you don’t strap things down. it’ll fall off. It’s also too high up, which means if you put anything big in it, it’ll get in the way of the handlebars. There was also a bit of an optical illusion where it made me feel like my handlebars weren’t aligned properly with the front wheels. My advice is to skip the front basket and stick to the rear rack for cargo.
Final Thoughts
The Aventure 2 is a good bike that offers a lot of value for the price point. This isn’t the cheapest entry-level fat-tire ebike, but it is at the same price point as other entry-level fat-tire bikes from similar companies. The big selling points for the Aventon Aventure 2 are the torque sensor and the ability to unlock the bike to 28mph. Also, being able to buy and test ride the bike at a local bike shop, as well as get it serviced makes it a good option for someone who wants to get a fat-tire ebike and be that sure they can get it serviced somewhere.
I hope you found this review of the Aventon Aventure 2 helpful. I have a lot of fat-tire ebikes and this one is one I’ll be riding for a while. I’ll be sure to follow up with updates as I put some more miles on it.
If you are interested in purchasing the Aventon Aventure 2 and would like to support us, you can get it using our Aventon referral link.
Disclosure: Aventon sent us the Aventure 2 to review. We did not receive payment for this post and Aventon did not review this post or have any editorial say over it.
This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($800) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- Fifth Third Bank ($200) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
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