Aventon Soltera Review: Single Speed, Affordable, and Fun

Aventon Soltera Review: Looking for a fun and affordable single-speed electric bike? Look no further than the Aventon Soltera! This unique electric bike is perfect for anyone that needs to get around town without breaking the bank.

With a super-lightweight frame and a price tag under $1,200, the Aventon Soltera is a great option for anyone looking to spend less on an electric bike and doesn’t need a bunch of gears or power. Keep reading our honest review to find out more about this unique ebike.

Aventon Soltera Review: The quick review

If you want a lightweight eBike that can get you through the city in a breeze, check out the Aventon Soltera. We easily recommend this bike over the KBO Hurricane (another belt-drive electric bike) because it simply has better get-up and go.

With most eBikes and the variable pedal assist levels, we typically only stay in one gear most of the time – unless we are going up super steep terrain. The pedal assist levels replace the need for switching gears about 90% of the time, at least for us.

The only other comparable bike we’ve reviewed is the Charge City (read our full Charge City Review), but the Charge City is over $500 more expensive. It does come with a couple more features, like more gears (more on that in a second), a rear rack, and more collapsable frame.

However, the Aventon Soltera is the best city bike we’ve tested. It’s lightweight, easy to ride, easy to assemble and we were pleasantly surprised at how fun it was to ride a lightweight bike for a change.

Wait a second… what’s a single speed e bike?

A single speed e-bike is exactly what it sounds like – an eBike that only has 1 gear.

That means you can’t shift up or down in the Soltera eBike. Single Speed Bikes tend to be lighter weight and easier to maintain (no derailleur or shifter to break down).

The tradeoff is that you can’t pedal as easily up hills, but with a throttle mode (more on that in a second) it’s not a big deal.

Soltera Review: The Good Stuff

Folks always make it sound like there is a lot of bad when starting with the good, but there really isn’t. But in the name of starting with a positive, let’s start with the good.

The Weight

At only 41 pounds – this bike is super lightweight. Sure, it’s a little heavier than a regular bike, but not by a lot. That’s even more impressive when you look a the Soltera eBike. It doesn’t look like an eBike at all.

The looks

I’ll give it to Aventon here. Their eBikes always have a special level of flare and added bonuses that I simply love. They make their eBikes look awesome, down to the paint job.

The Soltera is no different. Road Bikes are supposed to look like road bikes – not a giant fat tire machine (check out our best electric fat bikes if you are interested in that sort of thing). Many electric bikes look electric, and this one doesn’t.

That’s a very good thing. The integrated battery seamlessly into the downtube looks awesome and doesn’t scream “electric bike.” The extra design accents and paint job add to the overall look – they don’t detract from them.

Sweet little extras like the integrated rear lights

Once again, the looks on this bike are simply perfect. The Soltera has some really cool integrated tail lights in the back of the frame. These lights turn on and off with a simple switch that’s integrated light control into the brake levers.

The lights are a really nice touch, and they work well too. They cast a good amount of light in both directions, so you’ll be able to see and be seen while riding at night.

Easy to assemble

Granted, I’ve assembled an eBike or two (or actually close to 20 now) and this bike was incredible easy to assemble. Part of it was due to the lack of hydraulic disc brakes (or even mechanical disc brakes), but that’s ok. It took me about 30 minutes to get the bike assembled and ready to hit the streets.

Most bikes take me about 1 hour plus (all eBikes tend to have a really random part of the installation that doesn’t go correctly, for some reason), but this eBike was a breeze.

The instructions were clear and easy to follow. Huge kudos for that!

Adequate Rear Hub Motor

I was a little worried when I saw this urban riding machine only had a 350w brushless rear hub motor. Most electric bikes we test have at least a 500w rear hub motor, some even have 750 watts.

However, with less weight come less power needed to push the electric bike. The Soltera reaches the top speed of 20 MPH pretty easily – either through throttle or pedal assist.

In short, aventon e bikes did a great job pairing this with a great motor.

Rim Brakes

You might be super surprised to see the Rim Brakes in the positive section here. I actually reached out to Aventon to find out why it had the rim brakes of standard disc brakes. They said it was a way to keep the cost down and the weight down, very honestly.

I haven’t ridden a bike with Rim brakes in years – single I rode a “regular bike.” But the Caliper Brakes on the Rim worked surprisingly well and make the install process much quicker.

I did not do a direct stopping power test compared to other electric bikes with more sophisticated caliper brakes (disc), but the Soltera stopped with ease, even when I was very intentionally testing it.

They are paired with the integrated brake lights, which is even better – I love the touch of having brake lights work when you squeeze the brakes. It’s an extra touch not all ebikes have.

The Aventon App

I’m a techno-geek like the rest of them, and up until testing the Aventon Soltera, I thought it was dumb that any ebike company would have an app.

Doesn’t Apple do enough workout tracking for everyone?

Well, the Aventon App does a lot more. It allows you to customize your bike, track your rides (and the bike path you take) and a lot more. I don’t think I’d use the app a lot, since the Soltera comes with a pretty awesome LCD Color Display already, but the Aventon App complements the bike – it doesn’t detract from it.

It gives you much more insight into ever ride – from distance travelled to average speed and a lot more.

Pedal Assist Levels

As I mentioned earlier, the pedal assist level of the Aventon Soltera basically takes the place of gears in this bike. The electric assist is a great addition, and it kicks in as soon as you start pedaling.

There are three pedal assist levels to choose from – low, medium, and high. I found that the low level was good for a leisurely ride around town, while the high pedal assist level was good for a more aggressive ride (or when I needed to get up a hill).

You can also use the throttle without any assistance from the pedals if you’d like.

Overall, we really love this bike for someone that needs to get around the city AND pick up their bike a lot. It doesn’t have any gears, which is ok when paired with pedal assist and throttle. It’s a great no-frills bike for the city

The Price

At only $1,199, this bike is a great deal. It’s one of the most affordable eBikes on the market – especially when you compare it to other name-brand electric bikes.

The Aventon Soltera is a great electric bike for the city with a few key features that make it stand out from the competition. These include a 350w brushless rear hub motor, rim brakes, and an easy-to-use app. At only $1,199, it’s also one of the most affordable eBikes on the market.

Soltera Review: Flaws, but not deal killers

OK, time for the not-so-great parts of the Soltera electric bike. No electric bike is perfect. Let me just throw that out there. If it is perfect, it probably costs more than you want.

With any bike, there are tradeoffs, especially with a limited budget.

The single speed

Honestly, this wasn’t the trade-off that I thought it would be. Aventon selected a really great mid-range of speed to compliment the powers of the e bike.

However, if you’re a seasoned cyclist that likes to bomb hills, this bike might not be for you. You can definitely still take this bike up a hill (I did). It won’t even take a bunch more power on your end – since you still have the motor.

When climbing steep hills, I honestly only noticed the single speed when first starting. And I mean VERY first starting – like 2-3 turns of the pedals. After that, it was super easy.

It has no problem reaching the top speed of 20 MPH, but the Aventon Soltera just takes a couple extra turns to get there.

Starting… even on flat ground

I’ll be honest, I complain most of the time that eBikes pedal-assist comes on too easily. In many eBikes, it can feel like a jerk.

The Soltera is the one eBike that I’ve tested that I feel like the pedal assist doesn’t come on fast enough.

I feel like the Pedal Assist in the Soltera could be about 1 second quicker to kick on than it does, especially in the Soltera single speed. It just takes a little extra for the pedal assist to kick in. When you are working a single speed Soltera, it just seems to be a little slow off the start. But not a big giant deal.

Thumb Throttle

When riding, I typically prefer a half twist throttle over a thumb throttle for some reason. I don’t know why – but for some reason, thumb throttles tend to feel a little cheap. I don’t know if that’s just me or a general consensus. I’m sure a ginle speed is cheaper and a better fit for a road bike like this one.

The half twist throttle is just my preference when riding and going for a throttle assist.

No Fenders

Once again, when riding in the city, you may not need fenders.

However, the front wheel and rear wheel do not have fenders. Not a deal killer for city riding (unless you face a bunch of puddles every day), but this can be a small problem.

No Rear Rack

Once again, a super small thing, but the lack of a rear rack makes it hard to store things when riding this bike.

This eBike is truly designed for a very specific purpose – a single speed bike for a city rider. If that’s your deal, then this is a great purchase and a good investment.

Single Speed is not the only option – also available in the 7 speed

Even better news, there is not just the single speed version of the Soltera. There is also the Soltera 7 Speed Version available.

It only adds $100 in extra cost and 2 pounds of extra weight to the already light weight frame. If you just can’t get over the fact you are getting a single speed e bike, then you might want to look at the 7 speed version.

The only reason I would consider the 7 speed soltera over the single speed is if you live where there are a lot of hills.

Otherwise, the belt drive will be less maintenance and will probably add to the life of your bike over time.

Step Through Design

Not only is the 7 speed version an option, but the Soltera also comes in a Step Through Design, too.

It’s the same price and not that drastic of a difference in frame. Other eBikes, like the RadRover 6 (read our full RadRover 6 Review) are drastically different in the step through and non step through designs. This bike is not that drastic.

Different Sizes

It’s also available in a large and regular size. The regular size is designed for people 5’1″ – 5’7″ and the large version is design for people 5’7″ – 6’4″ – it’s hard to imagine someone 6’4″ riding this road bike, but it’s a possibility.

I really like that Aventon is thinking about the different ways this e bike could be used and providing great solutions. I’m 5’9″ and tested the regular size I didn’t feel like it was too small for me at all.

Soltera eBike Review: Final thoughts

The Soltera is a great bike for someone looking for a single speed eBike to get around town. It’s lightweight and affordable, and comes in both a single speed and 7 speed version. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a rear rack or fenders, which can be a small inconvenience if you’re riding in the city. But, overall, a great bike for the price.

Aventon also offers a step through design, which might be a better fit for some people. And finally, it comes in two different sizes – regular and large – to accommodate a wider range of riders. If you’re looking for a lightweight and affordable eBike to get around town, the Aventon Soltera is a great option!