Weight: 41 pounds
Motor: 36V, 350W brushless rear hub motor with torque sensor
Battery: Removable Lithium-Ion 36V, 9.6Ah (360Wh) with LG cells
Display: LCD color with backlight
Drivetrain: 7-speed Shimano
Throttle included: Yes
Max assist speed: 20 mph
Maximum range: 46 miles
Charging time: 4-5 hours
Assist levels: 5
Simplicity often leads to the best ride. Such is the case with Aventon’s Soltera.2, an update to the original Soltera I reviewed for Tom’s Guide. Like its predecessor, there’s nothing too fancy about the Soltera.2, not even the price tag. It’s all meant to be utilitarian, simple, easy to use, and as grab-and-go as possible.
If you’re a commuter looking for a simple, inexpensive bike to get you to and from work, the Soltera.2 is an admirable choice, and is our new top pick among the best budget electric bikes. While the motor could use a bit more kick, it’s good enough for most riders except those who need a significant amount of assist on steep or sustained hills.
Aventon Soltera.2 review: Price and availability
The Soltera.2 is available for sale starting August 8, 2023. It costs $1,399 and can be purchased on Aventon’s website. You can also add on plenty of accessories directly through the checkout process on the Aventon website.
Aventon offers financing through Affirm should you want to break up the bike’s cost into smaller payments.
The Soltera.2 comes with a 2-year warranty, free shipping, and a 14-day return period should you not be satisfied with your purchase.
Aventon Soltera.2 review: Design
The Soltera.2’s build maintains the traditional bicycle silhouette, save for the thicker down tube where the battery is integrated. It rolls on 700c wheels with 38mm tires, which is a good combination of speed and traction for city riders.
My test bike arrived in a box with lots of environmentally conscious packaging. Almost all of it was recyclable, which is notable since many bikes still arrive with plastic packaging wrapped in zip ties.
Once out of the box, the bike was easy to assemble. The trickiest part is adjusting the mechanical disc brakes and tweaking the Shimano drivetrain. If you’re not familiar with basic bicycle maintenance procedures, you may want to leave this up to the local bike shop.
Aventon says the bike is water-resistant with an IPX4 rating. That means you can leave this outside in a light rain, though you probably wouldn’t want to expose it to constant moisture.
It’s a class II ebike, which means it has a max assist speed of 20mph and has both a throttle assist and a pedal assist feature.
The hub motor is integrated into the rear wheel of the bike. A torque sensor detects how much effort you’re putting into pedaling, and then amplifies that source. If you need more than that, just hit the throttle.
The frame is available with both a high top tube and a step-through design. It comes in four different colors.
Notably, Aventon includes integrated rear lights with turn signals and a braking flash. The brake lights activate automatically when you hit the brake levers. The turn signals are operated using the buttons mounted on the handlebars. (Just remember to hit the button again after you’ve turned, to deactivate the signal).
Aventon Soltera.2 review: Performance
The Soltera.2’s simplicity is striking. It would be fair to call it a plain bike, which may seem insulting. But honestly, if you’re looking for a low-key bike that will get the job done without too many bells and whistles, the Soltera.2 fits the bill nicely.
In other words, it does everything a solo commuter needs it to do, without hiding any drawbacks behind unnecessary bells and whistles. It’s inexpensive, simple, and a rather nimble ride.
The frame and fork feel solidly built but are noticeably stiff, which can lead to a jarring ride in certain situations. I lowered my tire pressure to around 35-40 psi (I weigh about 190 pounds) to take the edge off some road chatter. That worked well, though overall the ride quality errs toward stiffness.
The bike’s handling is nimble and quick. This actually took a bit of adjustment; I was expecting a commuter bike like this to have a slacker head tube angle that would lead to a more stable steering feel. But once I got used to it, it became fun to zip quickly around potholes. Just keep in mind that if you’re looking for a languid steering experience, you may want to look elsewhere.
The Shimano shifting worked wonderfully after a few adjustments out of the box and provided enough gearing to get up and over short and steep hills, even with the motor turned off.
The motor itself feels slightly underpowered. On flat roads, this wasn’t a problem and I was able to max out the throttle and power-assist up to 20 MPH very quickly. But once I encountered hills, the motor started to lag. On one sustained but mild pitch, the motor faded quickly from the maximum 20 MPH down to 11 MPH.
This led me to believe that it would be difficult to get the Soltera.2 started from a dead stop on a hill, but this wasn’t the case. I got it going fairly easily, though I did need to shift to the easier gears on the Shimano drivetrain to make that happen.
While the motor is slightly underpowered, it did well in enough flat to rolling situations that it felt appropriate for most riders. But if you need a lot of assist to get up sustained hills, the Soltera.2 might not be quite enough power for you.
Aventon Soltera.2 review: Battery life and performance
The Soltera.2 features a removable Lithium-Ion 36V, 9.6Ah (360Wh) battery with LG cells. I wanted to get a sense of the battery life on my first ride with the Soltera.2. So I rode for just over 10 miles, primarily using the throttle with a few instances of PAS use in the first 5 miles.
After those initial 5 miles, I was able to burn through about ten percent of the battery life. That’s not surprising, given the rolling terrain and the nearly-full-throttle use.
On the way back, I used a mix of throttle and PAS but erred toward throttle use. After ten miles I was down to 67% battery life.
That may sound like a big drain. But it’s in keeping with Aventon’s advertised 46-mile range, which cites a 160-pound rider. I weigh around 190, so that factors into the advanced draw. I also rode in 95-degree heat, which can have an effect on battery life. All told, the 46-mile advertised range seems accurate.
Before I rode the bike, I charged it from about a 30% charge. It took just over two hours. Aventon says a full charge takes about 4-5 hours from 0%.
Aventon Soltera.2 review: Accessories
I am writing this review before the Soltera.2 has officially been released, so accessories specific to this bike are not yet available for sale on the Aventon website. But the website store is quite extensive and easy to navigate, so once the bike is officially released, it will be easy to find accessories like racks for the Soltera.2. In the meantime, the accessories store on the Aventon website already stocks plenty of add-ons that will work for any bike.
Aventon Soltera.2 review: The competition
The Ride1Up Turris matches many of the features of the Soltera.2. It features a more powerful assist and is a bit more comfortable to ride. But it’s also 14 pounds heavier and features a front suspension fork that seems largely unnecessary.
The Propella 9S Pro also falls into a similar category and matches many of the Soltera’s features. It costs $1,099 and weighs 41 pounds, just like the Soltera. It has nine gears in the Shimano drivetrain compared to the Soltera’s 7 gears. And the motor feels more powerful in most conditions. But it also doesn’t have an integrated battery; it sits outside the frame rather than within it, which exposes the battery to more dirt, water, and sunlight. It also doesn’t have a throttle.
These are just two examples of bikes in this very crowded pricepoint. Be sure to check out our guide for choosing the best budget e-bike to see more options.
Aventon Soltera.2 review: Verdict
Riders in search of a simple, easy to use ebike that will get them to work and back through flat or rolling terrain will like the Soltera.2. It’s nimble and fun to ride after a brief learning curve.
While the motor could stand to be a bit more powerful, most riders will still benefit from the PAS and throttle. But if you need a lot of help getting up steep or sustained hills, you may want to look elsewhere.
Given the quality and brand reputation at this price point, the Soltera.2 is an easy recommendation for riders looking for an inexpensive and simple ebike for commuting solo.
