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Aventon released its newest model on Tuesday, and it feels like a bit of a blast from the California-based company’s past.
The Aventon Soltera is a throwback to the company’s roots building simple, functional and affordable single speed and fixed gear non motorized bicycles. Like those first bikes (that’s right, Aventon got its start building traditional bikes, not e-bikes), the Soltera is an e-bike that places a premium on aesthetics and affordability.
It’s cheap — with a starting MSRP of $1,199 for the single speed variation or $1,299 if you want a 7-speed drivetrain — and the frame design echoes those of the company’s now-discontinued line of fixed gear bikes, such as the cult-loved Aventon Mataro.
It’s not identical, but the Soltera’s design has shades of Aventon’s now-discontinued line of fixed gear and single speed bicycles.
The Aventon Soltera: A lightweight, affordable and nice looking city e-bike
The Aventon Soltera is designed as a low-profile city bike; it’s light enough (a claimed weight of 41 lbs) to be carried up a flight of stairs and it takes a more minimalist approach to motor size, componentry and extras.
It’s powered by a 350W brushless rear hub motor and a 36V, 10Ah (360Wh) battery that’s hidden inside the downtube of the frame. You can choose between a single speed and 7-speed drivetrain, though you’ll pay a little extra for gears. The type of brakes you get depends on your gearing choice, as the single speed version comes with Tektro caliper brakes (the type that clamp on the rim) and the 7-speed version comes with Tektro mechanical disk brakes.
The geometry isn’t as aggressive as the fixies that inspired it, but Aventon says the Soltera is designed with a more athletic riding style in mind. The rider’s weight is slightly more forward, placing you in a more pedal-forward riding position that lends itself to good handling. You can choose between a more traditional high-step frame shape or a more accessible mid-step frame with a lower standover height. There’s also two sizes: regular and large.
The Soltera is also available in a mid-step frame that’s more accessible and has a lower standover height.
At just 41 lbs it’s not the lightest e-bike we’ve seen, but it’s certainly lighter than many.
We’re glad to see the Soltera coming with Aventon’s full color display.
The Soltera may be a simpler and more affordable e-bike, but it still has many of the features we’ve really loved on Aventon’s more expensive e-bikes. Features like the full-color LCD display that boasts one of the most user-friendly battery readouts in the biz and a tail light that’s neatly nested in the right-hand seat stay.
Unlike many of the lightweight and lightly-powered city e-bikes on the market, the Soltera is a Class 2 e-bike withs a thumb throttle in addition to pedal assistance. Both forms of assistance are limited to 20 mph.
Affordable and simple electric city bikes have been growing in popularity over the past year, with Aventon being the latest in a series of well-known e-bike companies to launch a bike in the category. Despite their simplicity, we’ve found this style of e-bike to be loads of fun when they’re in their natural habitat of flat urban areas. They’re not perfect, as the smaller motor and single speed drivetrains can be somewhat limiting on hills, but they’re a great way to get your leg over an e-bike without having to entirely drain your bank account.
The Aventon Soltera is available for ordering right now, so go nab one while they’re in stock. Also keep an eye on ElectricBikeReport.com for a full review of the Soltera in the near future.
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