Bike maker Aventon is rolling into new territory with a high-performance hardtail eMTB that features the company's brand-new high-torque A100 mid-drive motor for the promise of a "smooth and thrilling ride on any terrain."
Zipping down dusty trails at speed is great fun whether you're riding with or without motor assist, but when faced with a challenging incline, ebikers could have the advantage – so long as the motor is up to the task.
Though Aventon's new mid-drive motor is rated for 250 watts of sustained power, it can peak at 750 W in turbo mode and delivers 100 Nm (73.7 lb.ft) of torque to help power uphill climbs – which "sets it apart from other mid-drive motors like Bosch, Brose, Yamaha and Shimano, which only provide 90 Nm of torque." A 698-Wh UL 2849-certified removable downtube battery made with LG 21700 cells is reckoned good for up to 80 miles (128 km) of per-charge riding.
Three levels of pedal-assist are available up to 20 mph (32 km/h) for Class 1 on the street, with a torque sensor making for a more natural riding experience as it responds to input at the pedals rather than cadence. The motor is also protected from dust ingress and brief dips in wet stuff to IP67 standards, and a backlit LCD color display caters for at-a-glance status checks. The compact display also works with a mobile companion app over Bluetooth for assistance fine tuning.
The hardtail Ramblas is built around a 6061 alloy frame rated to carry up to 300 lb (136 kg) in total, and comes with an "ebike rated" RockShox suspension fork that absorbs bumps with 130 mm of travel. The rider is able to adjust rebound to match their style or trail conditions, too.
Three of the four available frame sizes roll with 29-inch wheels, while the smallest drops to 27.5 inches – all are wrapped in 2.4-inch-wide Maxxis rubber boasting an "aggressive tread pattern that grips loose surfaces while still rolling efficiently on hardpack." The eMTB offers plenty of gearing options courtesy of a SRAM NX 12-speed groupset, and four-piston hydraulic brakes – also from SRAM – provide reliable stopping power.
Rounding out the key specs is a KS dropper seatpost that can whip the saddle out of the way at the push of a handlebar lever during technical sections. Sans rider, the Ramblas tips the scales at 56 lb (25.4 kg).
Where previous Aventon ebikes have been focused on the low-to-mid end of the market, its "first-ever electric mountain bike equipped with an intelligent mid-drive motor" marks a move into a higher price bracket with a suggested retail price of US$2,699 – that's in line with Trek's Marlin+ 6 model but is much less expensive than a full-squish Yamaha. The promo video shows the new eMTB in action.
Product page: Ramblas
