Review: The lightweight and smooth Aventon Soltera.2

With the Aventon Soltera.2, maybe it happens as you cross an intersection. Maybe you’re easing your way down the bike trail. Maybe it occurs to you, as you cross a pedestrian bridge or maneuver around an idling bus. But at some point, I can almost guarantee, you will suddenly think: Oh, right—the Soltera.2 is an ebike!

Aventon has churned out new ebike models this past year, including the Abound cargo bike to the Pace 500.3. The original Soltera was the company’s first lightweight model; now, Aventon has released the Soltera.2, a pavement-ready hybrid that weighs a mere 20.8 kg.

From a distance, the Soltera.2 doesn’t even look like an ebike. There’s no blocky battery or industrial-scale body. The frame is slim and smooth, right down to the removable battery. The tires are narrow and smooth, in the style of a suburban hybrid. The Soltera.2 comes in two versions, one step-through and the other with a high top-tube. As more and more ebikes come off the line looking like prototypes for a Batman movie, the Soltera.2 is a lean, clean alternative.

Slim battery design makes the Salter.2 look like a regular bicycle

Tell Your Friends

In an ideal world, pedal-assist and gear-shifting smoothly cooperate, so you can start, stop, and accelerate without any surprises. Many ebikes fall short: There’s a delay with the pedal-assist, resulting in sudden jerks. For many ebikes, pedal-assist levels have less to do with ease of movement than top speed; pedaling is a repetitive chore, with almost no tension on the pedals.

The Soltera.2 is the portrait of this ideal world. It has seven gears and four levels of pedal-assist, which propel the bike to a serviceable 32 kph. Transitions are silky; you barely notice the 350-watt motor pushing you along, yet suddenly you’ve reached your maximum speed.

The full-color interface for the Soltera.2 is nearly identical to other Aventon models, presumably because it works so nicely: You have a speedometer and battery icon on a display the size of a playing card. The headlight is bright, the brake lights are built into the frame, and the turn signals are exceedingly helpful in low-light conditions. These are all qualities a traditional hybrid does not have.

Easy to read and colourful display

Finally, the Soltera.2 fits comfortably on a standard car rack. It’s lighter than most ebikes, of course, but the traditional diamond frame hangs comfortably on the rack’s arms, especially the non-step-through. This is a huge asset for people with smaller cars and budget racks, who need to schlep their rides from one location to another. The same goes for bus racks, which aren’t always equipped to haul 40-kg loads.

Wish List

There’s a reason most ebikes come with thicker tires: The road can be cruel, especially at higher speeds. The Soltera.2 is a Class 2 ebike, but 32 kmp is still a decent velocity. The tires are narrow and the bike has no suspension at all, so you’re “going to feel the road.” That’s all well and good in a flash city with fresh tarmac, but in an old industrial town like mine, I found my teeth chattering much of the way.

Also, don’t let the nimble design fool you: 20.8 kg is very light for an ebike, but it’s not so light that you can toss it over a guardrail or heft it up a stairwell. To maintain its low weight, the Soltera.2 doesn’t come with a built-in luggage rack, so tourers and commuters will have to add that separately.

Finally, like any Class 2 ebike, the Soltera.2 isn’t overwhelmingly fast, which we think is just fine. But for those with need for more speed, this bike can be unlocked to a Class III ebike that reaches 25 MPH on pedal assist (accessible through Aventon app). Soltera.2 will also operate with the throttle unplugged and removed, should you want to ride in an area where throttles are prohibited.

Ideal User

The Aventon Soltera.2 is designed for urban cycling, full stop. You shouldn’t take this over loose gravel, paths, or any kind of off-road. You may even think twice about poorly paved streets.

But what you do in the city covers a wide range: a relaxing ride through the park, a group-ride down a multi-use trail, a daily commute to the office – the Soltera.2 is well suited to all these activities. You can navigate traffic and lock up easily, without the bulk of a larger machine.

The inconspicuous design may also help against theft. We should all seek secure places to lock up, but an ebike that looks like a traditional hybrid bicycle may not attract the same level of criminality, especially when the $300 battery is being charged elsewhere.

In short, the Soltera.2 is another win for Aventon, whose fleet gets more diverse with each release. We look forward to seeing what they come up with next.