Home » Latest » Aventon Abound SR Review: A Smart, Affordable Shorttail Cargo eBike with Room for Improvement

Aventon Abound SR Review: A Smart, Affordable Shorttail Cargo eBike with Room for Improvement

Arleigh

October 31, 2024

Aventon’s latest eBike release brings a shorttail electric cargo bike to the masses with the new Aventon Abound SR. This is the “little sister” to the Aventon Abound Cargo Bike, and it is a knockout of the park for a hub-based motor cargo bike minus a few nuances they can quickly fix with a software update and basic part change. This article will be a long one, so grab a beverage, and let’s dig in.

Aventon Abound SR Cargo Bike Basics

MSRP: $2,199
Sizes: One Size Fits most heights 4’11” – 6’3″
Cargo Bike Style: This is a shorttail cargo bike, so you’ll only carry one human up to 143 lbs
eBike System: UL 2849, Class 2 – Aventon 750W Hub Drive with 80Nm of torque, max assistance at 20mph, a throttle, and battery
Bike weight: 80 lbs before any accessories
Wheels and Tires: 20 x 3″
Max gross vehicle weight: 440 lbs
Rear rack max weight: 143 lbs
Optional front rack max weight: 33 lbs
Colors: Currently available in Stealth Black, Cobalt Blue, and Purple Haze

Bike Fit and Sizing

The website claims this one size fits most bike can fit 4’11” – 6’3″.

The suspension seatpost that came with my review bike was insanely short. It has only 31cm of usable length compared to the 40cm of the standard Abound. After an easy test ride, I took the seatpost from the Abound and have been using it on this Abound SR for the last couple of weeks.

The Abound SR loses the folding stem of the Abound but has an adjustable up-and-down stem. The BMX-style handlebars help with the bike’s handling and stability. The headset adjustment on mine requires a headset wrench that I don’t have (45mm) and is even larger than any of my adjustable wrenches! This handlebar style is going to be what you are stuck with, so hopefully, you don’t want anything very swept back.

Aventon brings a Smart eBike to The masses

This bike is already in a league of its own regarding pricing, max capacity, UL 2849 safety testing, and available accessories, but it launches a whole new level of tech for Aventon! Many of the features seem to be pulling from Bosch’s Smart System, but in their own unique way.

Aventon Control Unit (ACU)

There is a black box you’ll find right above the kickstand. This is the “ACU” and brains of the smart tech. Without a subscription, you can electronically lock the motor and engage the mechanical locking kickstand. Once you sign up for their IOT, with a free 12-month subscription*, you now have a 4G connection with remote locking, tracking, Geofencing, and more. The 4G didn’t work very well in my cell service wasteland of forest, but did finally connect when I traveled towards the dense city area. I note this because I couldn’t sign up at my house since the bike doesn’t connect to my phone’s wifi, and I would never know if someone stole the bike out of my garage since the 4G doesn’t work there.

Aventon has options for remote locking and Geofencing which allows for eBike rental, bike share, and tracking your kids but I wasn’t able to test many of these features due to the 4G coverage in my area.

*$20 a year after the first 12 months

Electronic Motor Lock and Locking Kickstand

When you “Lock” your eBike, it is two stages:

1. The bike can be turned on but a message to unlock your bike is displayed on the controller and no assistance will be provided
2. A physical pin pushes into the kickstand locking it into place until your bike is unlocked from your phone

I really love the concept of this tech, but in practice, it has some friction points that are, thankfully, just a software update. To disengage the alarm and kickstand lock, you have to turn on your bike and either connect to the app and tap “Unlock” or use the remote and your pin (I haven’t been able to get the 2nd option to work.) Both are annoying, especially if you have a toddler on the back trying to escape or take off their helmet, or you are in a busy downtown area, and your alarm is going off because you bumped the bike. Bluetooth should be connected anytime your phone is nearby and unlocks when your bike turns on if the app is open.

The electronic locking kickstand is activated by locking the bike. I want the kickstand to lock anytime I am using the kickstand, and not just when I want the bike to be alarmed. There were also times that I turned off the bike, causing everything to lock down, before the kickstand was down, so the pin was out but the kickstand wasn’t down. I had to turn on the bike, wait for it to connect to my phone, and then unlock, push down the kickstand, then lock it all back.

My last concern with this locking kickstand is how it will withstand adverse weather or dirt. Will it work when there is a bunch of built-up snow or ice? My guess is no. As Community Pedal Power pointed out in their review, the good news is that the bike does not rely on the lock mechanism for the kickstand to work as the Tern GSD Gen 2 does.

With all that complaining, this locking kickstand concept should be put on all cargo bikes for safety and security.

Ride Tune and Over-the-Air Updates

Two more features that feel very Bosch Flow App are the Ride Tune and Over the Air Updates.

The system update was easy, have a good connection with your phone and push the update.

I haven’t been able to access the Ride Tune due to an error in the app. I figure this is a preproduction concern that will be worked out in the coming weeks.

Keyless Battery

Aventon claims that the remote passcode unlocks the battery, and there is no physical key. I haven’t figured this one out yet, but I will update you once I do!

Initial Riding Report

I received a preview test bike a few weeks back and was instantly wowed. The Aventon Abound is a good cargo bike, but they refined the riding characteristics for the Abound SR. It feels much more stable, the fit is more dialed in, and the built-in tech really has me excited about Aventon’s future. All my feedback is from riding this “preproduction” model, so some things may have changed.

The 3.0 tires are plush, sometimes making the suspension fork and seatpost seem redundant. This is not a very common size for higher-end tires. The only thing the local bike shops can source with an eBike rating is a Vee Tire Co. Speedster Tire—20 x 3.0, which costs $70 per tire. The Abound SR tire from Aventon is available to order online for $43. I say all this because it may be challenging to find a replacement tire if you are on the go.

I’ve been testing the Abound SR with only a Thule Yepp Nexxt child seat. Aventon sent one of their new Captain Chairs to try, but it doesn’t work as I need it to (see below), so I haven’t been able to truly put 143 pounds on the back. However, the cargo I have been able to test out makes it feel much stiffer and more predictable in corners and fast downhills than the original Abound.

I Still Don’t Love Hub Drive Motors

My wife rode this to breakfast the other morning, and it was the first time she had ridden a hub drive motor. She has been spoiled to living a life of Bosch motors on all of the cargo bikes I’ve had her ride, and she was pretty frustrated initially with riding the Aventon. Her main complaints are that the assistance levels aren’t progressive and as sensitive as the Bosch motors. On Bosch, you can stay pedaling at the same effort and cadence, but as you turn up the assistance levels the bike will pick up the difference. On a hub drive motor you have to pedal harder for the assistance to kick in. This is also where the throttle comes in handy.

Here are her quotes as the ride progressed:
The first 1/2 mile: “It’s like riding a motorcycle that you can pedal”
Heading home: “If someone hasn’t ridden a Bosch eBike they will probably not know the difference”
The final thoughts: “It’s not that bad and has a lot of features for the price”

For me, I like my bicycle to ride like a bicycle, and that is a Bosch-equipped eBike. If the scooter vibe doesn’t bother you, and this price point is ideal for you, then do it. I recommend to test ride a Tern Quick Haul ($2,499) just to have the ride comparision.

Available Accessories for the Aventon Abound SR

The initial launch of this bike is really aimed at a younger eBike crowd. The oversize tires (but not fat, thank goodness), the BMX handlebar and the available accessories all show images of 20-somethings cruising down the boulevard. There are certainly a handful of missing accessories that I would love to see. Still, I do appreciate that some of the critical cargo bike accessories, like a sturdy kickstand and wheel protectors, are included in every bike instead of an upgrade.

Aventon Captain’s Chair $136

The name and look directly knock off the Tern Captain’s Chair setup. This is something you’ll put a kid 8 years and up, or an adult would also love to have the backrest. The chair’s frame measures 13.5” in rail length, 18” in width, and 9” in height, while the spacious seat pad offers a comfortable 17” x 13” seat and a supportive 13” x 14” seat back. Aventon says it is designed explicitly for the Abound SR. I’ll check to see if I can make it work on the Abound.

Aventon Rear Handlebar $33

The rear handlebar is another accessory that looks familiar, with different mounting holes.

Aventon Side Pegs $24

Flip out pegs for your feet.

Missing Accessories at Launch

Now, there are some accessories that I hope they are working on, like a wrap-around rail system for kids 3-8 years old or something to mount to the top of the deck to be a large platform for Eurocrates. These full-length side decks could, I believe, be mounted based on the number of bolt holes available on the side of the frame, and larger dedicated panniers would utilize the longer deck length.

Hopefully, these are coming to really round out this bike to more people!

All-in Pricing

Here is where Aventon always blows me away and why I think it is a great place to start if you are testing the waters of cargo biking but not ready for the Bosch or Shimano price tag (and reliability) – the “all-in pricing” of how much it cost to outfit your bike to be able to carry a kid or cargo home with you.

Let’s imagine that I wanted to start biking with my 9-year-old to and from school, to the movies, coffee, etc. With all the accessories I would need to carry her safely and throw our backpacks on the front rack, the “all-in pricing” with tax to my zipcode in North Carolina is $2,602. Now, I do need other things like a lock, a floor pump, or maybe a helmet, etc. But the pricing to get rolling is so much cheaper than any other UL-2849 compliant cargo bike, AND the rear rack max weight is 143 lbs, much higher than the Tern Quick Haul that is typically my go-to in this price range with Bosch equipped eBike System. There is also no reason to even think of looking at the Specialized Haul ST unless you work at a Specialized dealer, or really want to support your local Specialized store.

Downfalls of the Aventon Abound SR

A handful of nuances poked at me along the way, but they never made it that I didn’t pick this bike over any others.

The bike is heavy – 80 lbs without accessories is heavy for a shorttail cargo bike. For comparison, the Tern HSD P10 is 60.8 lbs, the Quick Haul D8 is 50.3 lbs, the Rad Runner 3 Plus has a lower MGVW at 330 lbs, rear rack limit of 130 lbs, and weighs 75.5 lbs.

The tech can be a friction point – There are 2 points of friction and annoyance here:
1. The electronic locking kickstand is activated by locking the bike. I want the kickstand to lock anytime I want it to, not when the alarm is also activated and potentially going to start chirping at me.
2. To disengage the alarm and kickstand lock, you have to turn on your bike and either connect to the app and tap “Unlock” or you use the remote and your pin. Both are annoying, especially if you have a toddler on the back trying to escape or take off their helmet, or you are in a busy downtown area, and your alarm is going off because you bumped the bike. I believe the Bluetooth should be connected anytime your phone is nearby and unlocks when your bike turns on.

Seatpost was too short – I hope this was an oversight in the preproduction model I was reviewing

The headset needs specialized tools—really specialized tools. I have a bike shop at my fingertips, but the headset wrenches and adjustable wrenches available aren’t big enough. If it is that specialized, this should come with the bike.

More accessories, please – I have been carrying my toddler around primarily and would really like a rail system around him. I also haven’t installed the Captain’s Chair yet because I can’t install the toddler seat that I can tell while using the Captain’s Chair. I often switch between carrying one of 3 kids aged 18 months to 9 years old, and I typically solve this by a rail system around the child seat and popping on a pad when I remove the child seat. With the current accessories available, there is a huge age gap of 3-8-year-olds who can’t ride this bike with their family. (It reminds me of when the Tern HSD originally came out!)

Hub-based motors aren’t my preferred option – This is specific to me, but I always enjoy riding the mid-drive motors from Shimano or Bosch. They ride like you ate your Wheaties today instead of feeling like something is pushing you along. I also live where there are short, punchy hills, and loaded down the hub-based eBikes don’t always get me over the crest, even with a torque-based sensor.

Competitors and Potential Buyers

Some other reviewers have commented that this is going to give the Tern HSD a run, but I don’t see the HSD buyer looking at a hub-based eBike, and the rear rack limit on the HSD is 176 lbs now. Instead, I see the Tern Quick Haul, Xtracycle RFA, Rad Power Rad Runner 3 Plus, and Aventon’s own Abound.

This is a buyer specifically looking for a cargo bike that is concerned about safety but still is minding their budget and may not be bought into the more premium offerings of Bosch eBikes. They don’t mind the 80 lb+ weight or don’t understand what that weight truly feels like to manage, and they like the idea of eBike tech on a budget.

Initial Conclusion of the Aventon Abound SR

Even with all the nuances, this bike is a knockout of the park if you are okay with the ride of a mid-drive motor. If you are looking at something for the next 1-2 years to replace your car trips with bike trips, it will be hard to beat the Abound SR to get started. There are some key missing accessories, and I really wish Aventon would standardize their batteries to be swappable between bike models. Still, for the same price as the Rad Power RadRunner 3 Plus with a higher capacity and a huge dealer network, this is surely my go-to for a hub-based shorttail cargo bike right now.

Did you make it this far in the review? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

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Disclaimer: This bike was provided for review