Review: Aventon Level 3

I bought my first ebike more than five years ago, and it cost about the same as the Level 3, the brand-new all-in-one commuter from Aventon. It was a very fun ride when it was working, but it wasn’t a great bike. I got a month or two of mileage before it needed a new motor and brakes.

I say this because the main concern I have with entry-level, direct-to-consumer ebikes is their durability. Aventon has, time and time again, provided our team with review units that look great, work well, and don’t break down in catastrophic ways. After a few dozen miles on this new commuter, I can say it’s a great beginner ebike for most people.

There are very few affordable ebike brands that compete with Aventon’s level of quality, usability, and reliability. Add to that built-in fenders, lights, a 70-mile battery, and easy tracking features, and it rolls past a lot of the pack.

An Everyday Bike

A good commuter ebike, while heavy, should feel rigid and tough enough to take citywide abuse, and that’s one place where Aventon, with its dual-wall aluminum frame design around the battery, excels. The large step-through model feels as solid as a motor scooter when you lift it off its kickstand, and it doesn’t flex at all when my 210-pound, 6'2" frame takes the saddle.

One thing I love about Aventon is that the brand’s engineers clearly pay attention to what cyclists actually use on their bikes: The Level 3 has built-in fenders, lights (including rear turn signals), and shocks up front and in the seat post. You get a robust but oddly sleek-looking rear rack to strap things like saddle bags or a milk carton to. The included pedals have studs that make them grip your feet a bit better than the flat pedals that come with most ebikes.

A color screen in the middle of the handlebars shows your range and current power setting but oddly not the time—something that Aventon's spokesperson says might be added in the future with a software update. (It’s there on the smaller screen on other bikes Aventon makes.)

All of this makes for a very easy “get on, ride” experience. Beyond adjusting how high the seat is, there really isn’t too much to do but strap on a helmet, check the tire pressures, and hit the road.

I love step-through ebike frames, not just because it allows my much-shorter wife to borrow the bike when she’s wearing a skirt but also because when a bike is this heavy (67 pounds), it makes it much easier to balance and hop on and off. I never felt sketchy hitting an intersection or trying to keep my bike upright when I had a saddle bag full of groceries.

The gearing and drivetrain is entry-level Shimano Altus stuff and includes an 8-speed trigger-controlled transmission. It also comes with decent Kenda tires that provide plenty of grip, even on slippery Portland roads.

There is a built-in 4G connection that allows you to GPS track the bike—nice for thefts and also in case you, like me, forget where you parked your bike at the Portland Timbers game. The 500-watt motor was more than powerful enough to get me over hills, even with gear or food in tow.

Even for my large, 210-pound body, the range proved more than enough for long commuting rides. I took it over 20 miles across town in a single session, over big hills, and still ended at my destination with over 20 percent battery. If I hadn’t run the bike at full speed the entire way and had pedaled more on the flats instead of using the thumb throttle, I would easily have made it with half my battery left.

Good for Most

Most folks aren’t riding 40 miles a day on their ebikes. They’re riding just a few, and this bike is more than capable of doing that. The included charging brick easily charges the bike in a few hours. You will really need to charge only once a week if you’re doing a shorter commute or just riding a bit around town.

There aren’t a lot of downsides to this model, but the main one is the gearing. I just wish that the top gear allowed me to keep up with the 20-mile-per-hour speed limit on the motor with more ease; I sometimes felt like I was pedaling like a crazed hamster when trying to go max speed.

At lower speeds and assistance rates, the gearing works just fine, so you’re better off riding slower when you want to pedal, then using the thumb throttle to go full speed. I generally prefer mid-drive ebikes for this reason; they use the actual drivetrain of your bike rather than a motor on the hub of the rear wheel to deliver the power, so things pair better together. That said, it’s nice to have the option of a thumb throttle when you’re feeling lazy and just want a glorified electric scooter to take you home, which isn’t offered by mid-drive ebikes.

For daily commuting, trips to the farmers market, and occasional long weekend rides, the Aventon Level 3 is a great choice. The price is right, the specs are solid, and it’s a confidence-inducing ride that has every feature most folks will need. Just snag a good helmet and a solid bike lock. These bikes look more expensive than they are.