The Aventon Level.2 is a hybrid commuter e-MTB, really made to cut between the city streets and country paths.
It is aimed at the beginner market, so isn’t made for the gnarliest of terrain or war on the trails.
But is designed to be versatile across different terrain with comfortable features that can be ridden by the masses.
Trying to bridge the gap between two different types of terrain is never an easy thing, and we can see how many manufacturers get it wrong.
So does Aventon pull it off with the Level.2?
Let’s find out in our Aventon Level.2 review….
Aventon Level.2 Review
Price: $1,699
Peaks:
- Ease of use
- Comfortable
- Price
- Versatility
- Luggage rack
Troughs:
- Heavyweight
- Motor
- Gets found out on lumpy terrain
- Suspension
Weight/Frame
The Aventon Level.2 has an aluminum framed commuter e-bike that can also go off-road when required and from the outside, it looks a little bit of a shopper with a rack for luggage fitted to the rear and conservative geometry that is made for the ease of use.
That’s a positive point-it’s easy to hop aboard the e-MTB, and it feels comfortable, opening up the bike to the mass market and doesn’t take a great deal of skill to master.
You sit pretty high and upright in the saddle, which isn’t the best for descending-and once we get into the other features-you’ll soon realize this isn’t a bike for the wild and rowdy terrain.
and it’s pretty heavy-too; the Aventon Level.2 weighs in at 28.1kg, which is a bit cumbersome on tricky terrain.
It is provided with a luggage rack, which really comes in handy for daily errands and also weekend excursions. The high load-bearing capability allows you to pile loads of gear on there when the situation calls for it.
The Aventon Level.2 step-through only comes in 2 frame sizes – regular, which the company says is suited to people who are between 5ft 3 and 5ft 10 tall, and a large frame size, suited to people who are 5ft 10 to 6ft 4.
Battery
The Aventon Level.2 commuter e-bike comes with a 672Wh LG Cell battery – not the most advanced or intelligent model we have ever seen, but it still gives an admirable range. 48V, 14Ah 672Wh LG Cell battery
We managed to get just under 100km on one charge, over relatively flatter terrain, which is quite a long ride for a beginner bike.
If you add a few big climbs into the mix, the top-end figure does start to drop, purely because of the sheer weight of the bike.
That’s worth remembering because if you add a lot of climbing to the fray and hammer on the assist, you will run out much sooner.
If you do run out, it will take around 5 hours to get your battery back up to 100% of charge from empty – middle-of-the-road in the market.
It isn’t the most complicated battery we’ve ridden with and it can feel a little simplistic in the way it releases its power at times, but at the price you’re paying, we wouldn’t expect a top-spec model.
100km is still a good distance on a cycle of this size and price.
ℹ️ Be cautious with your assistance use on hazardous technical sections – the bike’s heavyweight, combined with its immense power, could lead to a nasty accident if you aren’t careful or don’t have the strength to cope with it.
Motor
It is equipped with a bespoke motor. It can output 500Wh over a long time, and the peak power is around 750Wh.It’s not the most potent either. The Aventon Level.2 torque of just gets up to about 50Nm total.
Aventon Level.2 Motor In consideration of the weigh of the bike which is relatively heavy, 50Nm isn’t enough to propel you up troublesome climbs without a significant slice of human effort too.
And that is multiplied again if you are carrying a heavy load on your luggage rack.
Motor: Throttle-activated or pedal-assisted. Depending on the country in which you buy the bike, throttle-activated is actually banned in some countries, where extra licensing is also required, like the UK).
The improved torque sensor in the new Aventon Level.2 e-bike does improve the riding experience, though-it feels natural and therefore composed on the trail.
The motor also has a walk-assist mode, to help you push the bike if it’s laden with gear or groceries.
Motor Display
The Aventon Level.2 display does simple things well.
The amount of battery life is displayed as a percentage, which is a big tick from us, and you also get several other data points – such as how much distance you’ve traveled, your speed, among a few others.
The handlebar-mounted screen is large enough to read easily and easy to flick between your various riding figures. No fuss and certainly not advanced, but does the simple tasks successfully-that’s enough for us on an entry-level bike.
Suspension
And it is here that you see that the Aventon Level.2 is not built for a lot of adventurous trail riding.
It has only 95mm of travel at the front end and it is a hardtail-that is to say the bike really suffers when things get lumpy and bumpy.
There just isn’t enough cushioning to deal with the impact and you soon start to feel it through your arms and back.
The forks are a custom model and somewhat disappointing in performance, so keep this in mind.
Wheels/Tires
The Aventon Level.2 also comes shod with 27.5-inch aluminum wheels front and rear.
This gives a firm footing on the trail and copes well with the bike’s heavy (ish) weight – they also have a reasonably wide tread, which helps the bike feel stable when you’re carrying extra gear on the back.
The wider tread helps increase the balance of the bike and makes it even easier to ride for those who are new to e-MTBs.
Both you receive a pair of the hybrid tyres custom made on there, so the bike can make the switch from your urban to country environment.
They are nice and pacy on the concrete while still having a little bit of bite in the tread so you can build up traction off-road too.
Brakes
The Aventon Level.2 features a bespoke hydraulic disc brakes system, whose most basic model does just enough to bring the bike to a stop when you need it to, unless you happen to be really pulling it out and fitting a lot of additional weight to the rear end.
It is no-thrills part, does about just enough.
Drivetrain
The Aventon Level.2 is equipped with an 8-speed Shimano drivetrain.
We feel that for a heavy bike, which may well have some extra loads too, the gearing is a bit sapped.
Occasionally, it can feel a bit sluggish and because you don’t have a super powerful motor, on the climbs, the bike can be particularly labored.
A few more gears would ease that issue and relieve some pressure on the rider.
Price - $1,599
The Aventon Level.2 has come down slightly to $1,699 and for an entry-level e-MTB, we think that’s fair.
It’s pretty capable, which just about manages crossing from city to country, and its luggage carrying makes it pretty versatile.
Some areas need vast improvements, suspension and the brakes however, this really is a low price for an e-MTB so you expect a few issues.
If you just want to spin to work or head on an easy-going weekend adventure, this will do enough for you – if you want to be a bit more adventurous, this bike won’t offer enough fun factor.
How Does it Compare?
It appeared in our 2023 Best Entry Level Electric Mountain Bikes guide, so it’s about time we pitted the bike against another e-MTB from the list.
That bike is the Cannondale Neo Allroad EQ.
Let’s take a glance at the cost first. The Cannondale clocks in at $1,825, or $126 pricier than our Aventon. Both landed on our lists of best electric mountain bikes under $2,000.
It’s another hybrid commuter, only this one is meant to span the city streets and the country paths – with similar design qualities and limitations.
The Cannondale is a winner in terms of weight – it comes in just over 23kg, and it is 5kg lighter than our Aventon.
That makes the bike way more manageable and tractable on trails – it still has a conservative geometry but feels easier to handle.
But you lose out on the battery side of things, as the Cannondale only comes fitted with a 418Wh model, much smaller than the 672Wh LG model on our Aventon. The Level.2 has a better top range figure accordingly.
The motors on both bikes are under-gunned: the Cannondale, with 45Nm at its disposal, and 50Nm on our Aventon. Because it’s substantially lighter, however, the Cannondale climbs much better.
The Cannondale, like our Aventon, is also a hardtail, and it boasts only a minuscule 50mm of travel in its forks, less than the small amount of travel that’s seen on our Aventon. This makes both bikes truly awful descenders and only capable of incredibly simple gravel paths or forest roads.
I also found it came with rather terrible custom brakes and a 7-speed drivetrain, whereas our Aventon has 8 gears. Both bikes lack the trail ability pretty badly, but the bigger battery, a little more travel from the fork, and the more advanced motor on the Aventon Level.2 spec have it decidedly more advanced, and this bike takes the win in comparison.
What Makes the Aventon Level.2 a Commuter-Friendly Choice?
Final Thoughts
The Aventon Level.2 is a basically entry level commuter e-MTB that can also take in a slice of simple off road action.
Ease of use is one of the main selling points, and the bike is limited if you want to take on adventurous terrain-in fact, it can’t just venture out into the wild.
If you want an honest commuter, with a reasonable range, which will take the baggage to drag down some gravel sections or forest roads on weekends, that is not a bad option.
Very attractive at a budget price and that is one reason why it sells in such high numbers.
Not advanced or groundbreaking but a trustworthy steed for daily riding.
Worth a shot, we reckon. So, what are you waiting for?
