🗂️Keep in Mind The Aventon Pace 500.3 E-Bike Is Beginner Friendly but High Performing

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If you’re looking for a solid city-commuter e-bike with a surprisingly brawny motor and a stylish look, look no further than the Aventon 500 Pace 3. Aventon has secured its niche within the crowded e-bike market by aiming for the juncture between “high performance” and “beginner friendly,” and the Pace 3 hits that bullseye. It’s casual-friendly and easy to ride, with a no-problem step-through frame and reassuring upright posture, but the hydraulic disc brakes, torque-sensing assist, and powerful motor mean you’re not sacrificing performance for ease of use.

Pros and cons of the Aventon Pace 500.3​

Pros​

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  Great for beginners
  
  
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  Torque-sensing drive is intutive
  
  
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  Powerful motor
  

Cons​

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  Lack of suspension
  
  
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  Throttle is a little sensitive
  

Specs​

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  Price: $1,799 (currently on sale for $1,599)
  
  
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  Classification: Class 2
  
  
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  Motor: 500W 48V Brushless Hub Motor
  
  
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  Weight limit: 300 lbs
  
  
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  Speed: Up to 28 MPH with Pedal Assist
  
  
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  Assist: 4 levels of torque-sensing assist
  
  
• 
  Battery: Removable internal lithium-ion 48V 12.8Ah (614Wh) with LG cells
  
  
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  Recharge time: 4-5 hours
  
  
• 
  Advertised max range: Up to 60 miles with pedal assist, 30 miles with throttle only
  
  
• 
  Display: Full color, backlit LCD display
  
  
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  Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
  
  
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  Drivetrain: 122 Link, 8 Speed
  
  
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  Tires: 27.5" x 2.1" puncture resistant, reflective sidewalls
  

Two perspectives on riding an Aventon Pace 500.3​

I’ve been riding different electric and analog bikes for years, and I found the Pace 3 to be a solid ride—it’s a nice commuter e-bike—but since it’s geared toward just-starting-out e-bikers, I had my wife take it out a few times to get a beginner’s perspective.

“Before I rode it, it was scary because it has an engine and I’m a wimp, but once I got it on it, there was nothing to it. I practiced going up and down the block a few times and I was like, ‘got it; let’s go!’ It’s like riding a bike. It’s not like riding a motorcycle. It feels like a beach cruiser with a little extra.” She added that she has "ridden this bike more in the past month than [she has] ridden any bike in the last 20 years.”

I didn’t have exactly the same reaction as my wife. She found the upright posture of the Pace 3 comfortable. I’m used to a more forward posture which feels more stable to me, but the “relaxed” position seem to be the choice for most, especially newer riders.

That “most of your weight on your butt” stance and the Pace 3's lack of suspension on the forks and seat make it not the most forgiving bike for bumps. It’s not terrible—like most e-bikes, the tires are meant to be ridden fairly soft, which helps a lot—but it would have been nice if the suspension seatpost came standard instead of as an add-on from Aventon.

I found the thumb-controlled throttle a little overly sensitive at first, but I prefer twist-controlled throttles in general. Until you get used to them, it’s easy to give a thumb throttle more juice than you want and end up jerking forward a bit.

The Aventon Pace 500.3's look: tomorrow’s bike today​

Credit: Stephen Johnson

The Pace 3 looks like the future. It doesn’t look like those e-bikes that mimic the look of motorcycles, but it doesn’t look like a traditional bike, either. The simple lines, cruiser-style handlebars, integrated battery, and cables that run through the frame suggest a bike from a science fiction movie. It even has brake lights and turn signals. That said, a couple of colors beyond “Ghost White” and “Blue Steel” (metallic light blue) would be nice.

Under the hood of the Pace 3: a 500w motor and torque-sensing assist​

Credit: Stephen Johnson

Despite its “ready for beginners” nature and non-threatening look, the Pace features a 500-watt 48-volt brushless hub motor that packs real power. It’s a category 2 e-bike with a throttle speed of 20 miles per hour, but the pedal assist will take you up to 28 mph—as fast as e-bikes are generally allowed to go. If you’re just starting out, those kind of speeds might concern you, but the iPhone and Android app that comes with the bike lets you set your own top speed, down to a turtle-like 12 mph.

The Pace 3's torque-sensing pedal assist is a step up from the cadence sensing of previous generations of Pace bikes. Instead of providing motor assistance by monitoring how often you’re turning the cranks, torque-sensing assists based on how much force you’re using to pedal. The result is a more natural feel—it’s like having stronger legs instead of feeling like your pedaling is turning on a motor. Torque sensing is more energy efficient too, so the Pace’s battery lasts longer.

The cockpit: the Pace 3's controls and screen​

Credit: Stephen Johnson

The Pace 500.3's backlit, colored LCD display is easy to read and understand, even in bright sunlight. It details the remaining battery power, assist level, miles traveled and time of your current ride—pretty standard. The bike’s four assist levels are given names like “eco” and “touring” instead of numbers, which is a little annoying until you get used to it.

The controls by your left handgrip let you turn the assist on and adjust the assist power, and there are even turn signal buttons for lights on the back fender—not the most useful feature in the world, but pretty cool anyway. All of this will be intuitive if you’ve ever operated any kind of vehicle—no instructions necessary. There's an integrated headlight and rear light for nighttime rides, and the LED brake lights go on when you squeeze the brake levers. Pretty snazzy.

If you want to change the top-speed on your Aventon Pace and go a little more in-depth on the customization options, here's a how-to guide.

How long does a battery charge last on a Pace 500.3?​

Aventon says the battery will last up to 60 miles with pedal assist and 30 miles with throttle only. Any battery life estimate varies depending on hills, rider weight, and how heavily the motor is assisting, but that estimate isn’t far from my experience.

Credit: Strava/Stephen Johnson

Just riding it around on flat ground seems to use a reasonable amount of battery, but as a stress test, I took this bike on a hilly 22-mile ride that included a trip over Mount Hollywood, a 1,333 foot climb. I used the assist to try to keep pedaling at as steady, natural rate as possible as I ascended the hill/mountain and easily passed the spandex-clad “real” cyclists while only breaking a moderate sweat.

When I got to the summit, around the halfway point of the trip, I was surprised to see that I’d only used 10% of the battery’s power. The entire ride used about 35% of the battery—not bad for that much elevation gain, especially given how heavily I leaned on the throttle on the way home.

The frame, brakes, and gears of the Pace 3​

Overall, the old-fashioned, non-electric or electronic bike parts of the Pace 3 seem solid. The hydraulic disc brakes performed admirably, even when leaning on them hard during steep descents, and the Shimano Altus derailleur shifts through its eight gears quietly and efficiently when you pull the trigger controls. At 50 pounds, the Pace 3 is surprisingly light, so it’s viable as bicycle even if you totally run out of juice.

I’ve ridden the Pace 3 for about 90 miles overall, and the bike felt solid for every one of them. Even when going downhill at 35 mph or so (top speed based on my own fear level with a newer bike) it never felt out of control, wobbly, or alarming in any way. I wouldn’t take it out on a long gravel road or down a mountain bike track, but a few experiences with broken-up, gnarly concrete didn’t cause any issues.

Overall: This might be your dream bike​

If you’re thinking of making the move into e-bikes, you should consider finding a local bike shop that sells Aventon bikes and trying out the Pace 3. It’s beginner-friendly, but if you end up going from “beginner” to “enthusiast,” you’ll appreciate the Pace 3's torque-sensing assist, hydraulic brakes, and powerful engine. And even if you only ever use it twice a year, those rides will be effortless and fun.
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