Lectrix XP 3.0 vs Aventon Sinch 2

Intro

The folding e-bike category has exploded with numerous different models that meet a variety of rider needs, often simultaneously. Easy to stow? Check. Affordable? Check. Good for commuting or running errands? Check. Most are versatile and provide users with the ability to park their car and get around in a more cost-conscious and environmentally sound way. In our comparison of the Lectric XP 3.0 vs. the Aventon Sinch.2 we will take a look at how different folding e-bikes all have individual strengths that make them more desirable to certain buyers.

Both the Lectric XP 3.0 and the Aventon Sinch.2 come equipped with a frame that folds in seconds, a 500W hub motor, a suspension fork, mechanical disc brakes, lights and a rear rack. Beyond that, many of the individual features differ. These differences are mostly a matter of degree, enough to be worth considering, but not big enough to make for a radically different e-bike.

Among those differences we see, the Aventon Sinch.2 is spec’d with an 8-speed drivetrain, which gives it more hill-helping gear than the 7-speed Lectric XP 3.0. The Lectric XP 3.0 features a rear rack that is integrated (that is, welded) into the e-bike’s frame, while the Aventon Sinch.2 includes a rear rack as well, but it is only bolted on. Both e-bikes roll on 20-in. wheels with fat tires. How fat? Well, the Lectric XP 3.0 uses 3-in.-wide tires, which are wide enough to provide a comfortable ride and excellent traction in turns, but the Aventon Sinch features 4-in.-wide tires for even better comfort as well as a traction upgrade.

One of the big questions we are asked about folding e-bikes is just how safe they are. Understandably, people want to know if they could suddenly cause a problem in the middle of a ride. The answer with all of the designs we’ve reviewed here at Best Electric Bikes, including these two, is that they are safe. Both the Lectric XP 3.0 and the Aventon Sinch.2 are designed with a latch that includes a fail-safe switch; if the latch isn’t properly secured, the frame will begin to fold up; there’s no was to sit on one of these e-bikes if the mechanism isn’t properly secured.

For the shopper considering these two e-bikes the similarities are substantial and the differences mostly minor, but not nothing. Let’s consider why someone might choose one over the other.

Key specs of the Lectric XP 3.0 vs. Aventon Sinch

	Lectric XP 3.0	Aventon Sinch
Class	2/3 if unlocked	2
Motor	500W hub motor	500W hub motor
Battery	499Wh	672Wh
Drivetrain	7-speed Shimano	8-speed Shimano
Brakes	Mechanical disc brakes	Mechanical disc brakes
Notable features	Includes rack, fenders, lights and kickstand	Includes rack, fenders, lights and kickstand

What we like about the Lectric XP 3.0:

• Super-easy to fold up and store
• Carries more than most folding e-bikes thanks to its integrated rear rack, which can support the weight of a child
• One of the best deals in e-bikes on the market

What we like about the Aventon Sinch:

• 672Wh battery provides more range than can be achieved with most folding e-bikes
• 8-speed drivetrain will make the hills easier
• 45mm-travel suspension fork and 4-in.-wide tires will give a very comfortable ride

Read our review of Lectric XP 3.0 |Read our review of Aventon Sinch

Conclusion

The bird’s-eye view of these two bikes—both fold and are easy to store, both feature good-quality 500W hub motors, both include a suspension fork and wide tires, both come with lights and a rear rack—makes them seem nearly identical, but as we’ve shown, these are not the same e-bike.

So which one is better? Well, there’s no one answer for that. That might frustrate some readers, but it points to how important it is for a buyer to have considered just what they want to do with their e-bike. For the parent who’d like to go for rides with their toddler, either e-bike will work once a child seat is added, but the Aventon Sinch.2 will allow a parent to drop their kiddo at school, right up to … well, once they’ve decided they are cooler than mom or dad.

For anyone dealing with rough or potholed roads where they live, both the Lectric XP 3.0 with its 3-in.-wide tires and 50mm-travel fork and the Aventon Sinch.2 with its 4-in.-wide tires and 45mm-travel fork will help smooth those roads a good deal, but we give the edge to the Sinch.2 because of its wider tires. Our one caveat here is to be sure not to pump the tires up to too high a pressure; most riders will be able to get along with somewhere between 15 and 30 psi, depending on how heavy the rider is.

For the rider who lives in a place more like San Francisco than Chicago—hilly, not flat—the Aventon Sinch.2 also gets the nod thanks to a wider-range 8-speed cassette that will make pedaling up hills easier. Also, we find it easier to shift the trigger shifter on the Sinch.2 as well.

There’s one other detail dividing these two e-bikes, and it may be the biggest difference of all. The Lectric XP 3.0 is equipped with a cadence sensor, while the Aventon Sinch.2 is equipped with a torque sensor. Practically, what this means is that with the XP 3.0, when the rider begins pedaling, there will be a slight delay (about ¾ of a pedal stroke) before the motor kicks in. With a torque sensor, the power is there the moment the pedals begin to turn. And with a torque sensor, the harder the rider pedals, the more power it exerts, spurring the motor to accelerate exactly when the rider does. A torque sensor feels a bit more superhero, where a cadence sensor feels more like a motor has been switched on. A cadence sensor won’t care how hard the rider is working, where a torque sensor won’t force the motor to go all-out unless the rider is, too. We call it the difference between getting activity and getting a workout.

We hold both these e-bikes in terrific regard. Neither would be a bad choice, but as we’ve illustrated, they each present different strengths. Taking the time to consider just how an e-bike will be used—prior to purchase—will help someone make the best decision for their needs.