US company Aventon has upgraded two of its most popular city e-bikes with improved batteries and new features – without a huge price hike.
Not so long ago, you'd be hard pressed to find a good quality electric bike for under $1,500 / £1,000 / AU$2,000, but that's changing quickly as components prices drop and manufacturing processes become streamlined. If you're in the market for an e-bike and don't have several grand burning a hole in your pocket, you've now got plenty of options to choose from – including the new Aventon Pace 350 and Pace 500.
As Electrek reports, both new bikes have redesigned frames, with an integrated battery that locks into the downtube, but can be removed for easy charging. There are also new head and tail lights (the latter of which is built directly into the bike's frame), and a new LCD ride computer on the handlebar. This can be connected to Aventon's smartphone app, allowing you to customize your bike's settings, plot routes, and track your rides.
These are class two e-bikes, meaning they can be ridden without pedalling, and have a swift maximum speed of 20mph with the motor engaged. Aventon cites a typical range of 24 miles for the Pace 350 if you ride using the motor alone, and 30 miles of the Pace 500.
The biggest drawback of these two new bikes is the weight, as is often the case with road e-bikes; the new Pace 350 is 49lb (22.1kg), while the Pace 500 is 52lb (23.6kg). That's slightly lighter than our current top-rated e-bike, the Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0, but definitely too hefty for many riders to shoulder easily and carry up a flight of stairs.
More cheap e-bikes to consider
The 2022 Aventon Pace 350 is on sale now for $1,399 (about £1,000 / AU$1,900), while the updated Pace 500 is $1,699 (about £1,300 / AU$2,300) – both of which are very reasonable for e-bikes with these specs. They aren't the only options in that price bracket though, and there are plenty of other choice if these powerful but chunky road bikes don't quite fit the bill.
For example, if you want something that's easier to carry and store, the Mycle Compact is an excellent class one folding e-bike that packs down small and can be yours for a remarkably affordable £799 (about $1,000 / AU$1,500).
Looking for a city e-bike, but need something lighter and sleeker than the Aventons? The Halfords Carrera Impel starts at £1,099 (about $1,500 / AU$2,000), though only in the UK. Riders elsewhere in the world should take a look at the Rad Power Bikes RadMission 1, which sells for $1,199 (about £910 / AU$1,600).
