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There they go again: the e-bike company Aventon hits it out of the park with a spry, spunky, step-through version of its Sinch folding bike.
Christmas is almost 10 months away on the regular calendar, but on the CleanTechnica calendar of zero emission personal mobility, Christmas started on February 22, when the Los Angeles company Aventon launched a stylish new step-through version of its Sinch folding e-bike that will satisfy the urge for a carbon free ride without the expense of an electric car, and it comes in cherry red, too.
If Aventon doesn’t ring any bells, it will soon. CleanTechnica’s own Jo Borrás awarded the company two different slots in his rundown of the best e-bikes and motorcycles for 2022.
Here’s what Jo had to say about the first iteration of the Aventon Sinch folding e-bike, in the folding fat-tire category:
“I rode the Aventon Sinch for the first time at the Electrify Expo in Orange County last year, and it really surprised me. Folded up, it’s bigger than you think. On the move, it feels chunky and fun — if you’ve ever ridden a Honda Ruckus, you’ll get it immediately. It’s a stupid fun bike that soaks up uneven surfaces and sandy beaches with ease, but that won’t break the bank. What more could you ask?”
In the utility bike category, Jo cited Kyle Field and Derek Markham of CleanTechnica on the Aventure Adventure e-bike, calling it an “absolute tank of a bike” and an “excellent mid-life crisis motorcycle,” respectively.
Jo might want to add the new Aventon Soltera e-bike to the “best bike” list whenever he gets around to an update. I had a chance to ride a Soltera last week, which is the company’s full sized, non-folding, diamond frame skinny tire e-bike. The Soltera isn’t stupid, chunky, tanky, or midlife crisis-y but it sure is fun, powerful, and more fun.
“Imagine the aggressive riding style you’d expect from a single-speed [or: fixed bike], but on an ebike,” the company enthuses. “The more aggressive design allows riders to take better control and improve their agility while weaving through city obstacles.”
This bike is a knockout thanks in part to the asymmetrical, semi step-through frame, especially when it comes in a juicy seafoam green. It begs to be shown off around city streets, but the single-speed action also does a great job out on the back roads, which I found out because the Soltera arrived by mail at my door in the dead of winter, which put the kibosh on my usual 20-mile round-trip commuter trial for e-bikes. That would have been the perfect opportunity to put the bike through its urban paces, but there is a self imposed 40-degrees Fahrenheit, dry weather floor on that route, taking into consideration traffic along a heavily traveled suburban city-to-city route with trucks, buses, and no bike lanes.
Still, there’s only so long you can keep a seafoam green e-bike in a cardboard box in the basement. As soon as the temps climbed into the high 30s last weekend, I threw it together with the nice tool set provided. That went pretty quickly, partly because the headlight was already attached. The rear light is actually two lights cleverly integrated into the rear fork, which is a real plus.
I climbed on board, then realized I had somehow tightened everything up with the front fork turned around even though it was clearly marked “left” and “right,” so I fixed that with the nice tool set, and managed to hit the road before the sun set across the Hill of Doom, which is a long stretch that goes straight uphill, steeply, at the beginning of a 13-mile two-lane road that loops around a nature preserve near me.
The Soltera looks like a purring tiger of an e-bike and the Hill of Doom proves it. The bike cycles through power modes effortlessly and gives you a punchy, springy glide downhill on those skinny tires. I didn’t even notice the absence of a gearshift, and when I got back home I still had almost 80% of the battery in hand, even after liberal usage of the electric motor on the uphill climbs.
By the way, for us short bike riders this diamond frame trend in bicycle design is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Things were different back in the olden days, when diamond frames were strictly for girls. Boys would not ride a diamond frame bike or else they might turn into girls. That might sound really stupid but that’s how people were thinking back then. Apparently the original idea was to maximize the draping of the long skirts that girls used to wear in the older olden days, and the idea stuck around for decades after skirts got shorter and it was considered okay for girls to ride bikes in pants, like boys.
That was then, and nowadays everybody is riding diamond-frame bikes of any size. It doesn’t matter how short you are (well, within some limits). I’m 5’3″ and the full sized Soltera was a perfect fit. The seat is adjustable with a clamp, and Soltera engineered its clamp to provide an unslippable grip without having to apply any great effort.
I was so excited to get on the road with the Soltera that I didn’t bother reading the instructions for unlocking the throttle. Well, the power modes alone were so satisfying that I didn’t miss it on the 13-mile loop, Hill of Doom or not. However, I do like to use a throttle for commuting in traffic, so stay tuned for a followup review involving that 20-mile city-to-city trip with no bike lanes and a throttle.
In the meantime, Aventon is already out with another new e-bike we are just dying to try, and that is the new step-through version of the Sinch folding fat-tire.
Here’s the rundown from the company:
“The powerful motor and stealthily integrated battery mean that you will never be short of power, and 5 levels of pedal assist and a no-nonsense, no-need-to-pedal throttle mean that you can go as hard or as light as you want. The 20″ x 4″ fat tires take you anywhere and provide excellent stability, whether on the pavement or the trail. Trust in the tires beneath your foldable electric bicycle as you go wherever your heart takes you with confidence.”
It’s all true! Well, based on riding the Soltera around, that is definitely what I would expect from the folding Sinch.
Here’s what you get for an MSRP of $1,799, a few clams more than the single-speed Solterra, but well worth it for the flexibility of seven speeds and the convenience of storing or transporting your e-bike when space is short:
— Motor: 48v, 500W Brushless Rear Hub Motor — Display: BC280 LCD Color Display with Backlight, w/ App Connectivity — Brakes: Mechanical Disk Brakes — Weight: 68 lb. — Drivetrain: 7-Speed — Frame Type: 6061 Double-Butted Aluminum Alloy with Internal Battery — Tires: 20” X 4.0” — Assistance: Throttle + Pedal Assist Modes — 20 mph — 40 miles average battery range
If you’re not into cherry red, the new e-bike also comes in a respectable looking dark green hue.
Follow me on Twitter @TinaMCasey.
Photo: Folding step-through Sinch e-bike in cherry red (courtesy of Aventon).
Tina specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.
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