Aventon Soltera 2 ST Review 2024

Intro

Lightweight e-bikes like the Aventon Soltera.2 ST don’t seem to draw as much attention as other e-bikes. There hasn’t been a big push to make e-bikes that are both lightweight and affordable. At 46 lbs., the Soltera.2 ST is one of the lightest e-bikes we’ve reviewed; the majority of what’s out there for less than $2000 tends to weigh more than 60 lbs., often more than 70 lbs.

Were it possible to simply lop 30 lbs. off an e-bike, what the rider would experience would be an e-bike that is not only easier to pick up (duh!), but handles with greater agility and feels more poised in almost any situation. The e-bike would handle in a way that would leave the rider feeling more in-sync with the e-bike. It’s an experience that increases a rider’s confidence. These effects are true for any rider, but the slimmer the rider, the more a lightweight e-bike’s benefits become apparent.

The Aventon Soltera.2 ST is a commuter with a step-thru design. Rather than go with a big motor and sizable battery, Aventon made a number of strategic choices: They spec’d a 350W brushless, geared hub motor and a 346Wh battery. They chose wheels that roll quickly once up to speed and they went with 1.5-in.-wide tires which offer reasonable comfort while rolling quickly and providing crisp handling. If these choices don’t seem immediately appealing, this might: The Aventon Soltera.2 ST weighs only 46 lbs., making it one of the lighter e-bikes we’ve reviewed. Anything less than 50 lbs. is noteworthy where weight is concerned.

With a suggested retail price of less than $1500, the Aventon Soltera.2 ST makes for a value-focused e-bike. While many e-bikes in this price range try to demonstrate their value by adding accessories like fenders and racks, Aventon left those off the Soltera.2 ST because those can be added after the fact and instead focused on features that improve the ride of this e-bike, namely disc brakes and 7-speed Shimano drivetrain.

E-Bike Category: Commuter

Who the Aventon Soltera.2 ST Electric Bike Is for: This is a terrific e-bike for anyone looking for an affordable commuter, but it is especially suited to smaller riders looking for an e-bike that weighs less than 50 lbs.

Aventon Soltera.2 ST E-Bike Specs

• Battery: 346Wh lithium-ion
• Expected Range:
• Charger: 2A
• Motor: 350W brushless, geared
• UL Certification: 2849 (entire electronics system including battery)
• Pedal Assist: 4 PAS levels
• Throttle: Included
• Display: Color LCD
• Headlight: Included
• Taillight: Included
• Frame: 6061 Aluminum
• Fork: 6061 Aluminum
• Fenders: N/A
• Kickstand: Included
• Handlebars: Alloy, 620mm wide
• Grips: Ergonomic comfort
• Drivetrain: 7-speed Shimano, 14-28t cassette
• Brakes: Mechanical disc brakes
• Pedals: Alloy, with reflectors
• Saddle: Aventon by Selle Royal
• Tires: 700C x 38mm

In-Depth Aventon Soltera.2 ST Review

Aventon Soltera.2 ST Review: Comfort, Handling, and Ride Qualities

E-bikes in the sub-$2000 price range tend to be on the heavy side, i.e., north of 60 lbs. That’s not a knock against any particular e-bike or e-bikes in general; it’s a simple fact. For a person who weighs 130 lbs., a 70-lb. e-bike represents more than 50 percent of that person’s total body weight, which will make managing it a little tough at times. But for someone who weighs 210 lbs., that same e-bike is only a third of their total body weight, which will likely be easier to handle.

We bring this up because of many notable features of the Aventon Soltera.2 ST, one of its more significant features is its weight: just 46 lbs. Low weight makes an e-bike easier to manage when not in the saddle, like when putting it away or loading onto a rack. However, it’s in riding the e-bike that the low weight will make the most noticeable difference. How the e-bike turns, how it slows and—especially—how it accelerates. Less weight will make the Aventon Soltera.2 feel more maneuverable and graceful than most heavier e-bikes.

When an e-bike maker offers an e-bike in a step-thru frame, they usually only offer it in a single size. The legacy manufacturers like Specialized and Trek are more likely to over a step-thru in multiple sizes, but most direct-to-consumer manufacturers offer but a single size. Not so with the Aventon Soltera.2 ST, which comes in two sizes.

Both sizes feature a relatively short reach—398mm (15.6 in.) for the “regular” size and 414mm (16.2 in.) for the large size. Less reach plus less weight equals an e-bike that is particularly well-suited to women and smaller men—think adolescent boys who haven’t finished growing yet. With so many one-size e-bikes, it can be difficult to find models that fit people who fall outside more than an inch or two outside average height for their gender. The Aventon Soltera.2 ST is a welcome alternative to allowing anyone to find an e-bike that fits.

Some shoppers might be disappointed to find that the Soltera.2 ST doesn’t come with fenders or a rear rack. Leaving those items off affects this e-bike in two ways. First, fenders and a rear rack would make the Soltera.2 ST heavier, possibly taking it above the 50-lb. threshold. Second, those items cost money, whether they are included or sold separately. Leaving them off helps to keep this e-bike’s cost down, and producing an e-bike that can retail for less than $1500 is an achievement.

Aventon Soltera.2 ST Review: Motor, Battery, and Drivetrain Performance

There are two ways to help an e-bike’s acceleration and climbing power. The traditional way manufacturers do this is by spec’ing a powerful motor. But a bigger motor means it draws more electricity and that means that significant range requires a big battery, and so ever bigger motors require ever bigger batteries.

The second option comes from the inverse of the first. By making an e-bike as light as possible, a smaller motor and battery can accomplish more. And while most manufacturers don’t pursue this strategy, it’s a viable one. The Aveton Soltera.2 ST pairs a 350W brushless, geared hub motor with a 346Wh battery.

A 350W hub motor will accelerate more modestly than bigger motors, of course. When our colleagues at Electric Bike Report tested the Soltera.2. ST, its hill-climbing performance was a bit leisurely under a 180-lb. rider; it ascended a ⅓-mi., 12 percent grade at an average speed of 9.1 mph in PAS 5. That same rider was unable to ascend the hill on throttle alone. For a rider who may weigh 40 lbs. less than that tester, its acceleration and hill-climbing will be markedly better. In their speed test, riding in PAS 4 gave the tester a satisfying 19.7 mph average speed.

Before anyone gets concerned that an e-bike with a 346Wh battery won’t have much range, let’s recall that the basic rule of thumb for solid range comes from matching an e-bike’s battery capacity with its motor’s power. So an e-bike with a 750W motor and a 750Wh battery is effectively the same as a 350W motor paired with a 350Wh battery. In fact, a rider can reasonably hope to achieve more range with this 346Wh battery and 350W motor than someone with a 750W motor and a 672Wh battery—provided the same PAS level is selected.

Aventon estimates that the Soltera.2 ST can cover 46 mi. per charge. Yes, a larger battery would increase its range, but that would increase this e-bike’s weight from its current 46 lbs., which would alter this e-bike’s handling and overall personality.

The 7-speed Shimano drivetrain features a 14-28t cassette, which provides a 200 percent gear range. That’s enough range to serve a rider in a flat to moderately hilly environment, but it’s noticeably less than we find with some e-bikes going for a few hundred dollars more. One nice thing that Aventon did for the Soltera.2 ST is they gave it an under-the-bar trigger shifter which is both easier to use and smoother in operation than the thumb shifter we usually see with this drivetrain.

Aventon Soltera.2 ST Review: Braking, Safety & Warranty

Mechanical disc brakes don’t get held up as a noteworthy feature on e-bikes, but there are times when they provide the perfect stopping solution for an e-bike. With the Aventon Soltera.2 ST, mechanical disc brakes provide not just a good solution, but the right solution. Here’s why: Mechanical disc brakes are less expensive for a manufacturer to spec, so they help keep an e-bike affordable. Also, in the value-driven end of the market, mechanical disc brakes weigh less, so if a manufacturer wants to keep an e-bike lightweight, mechanical is the way to go. And if an e-bike weighs less than 50 lbs., mechanical disc brakes offer plenty of stopping power.

Aventon paired the Tektro mechanical disc brakes with 180mm rotors, which will give riders plenty of stopping power even if they live in an especially hilly location.

Our sister publication, Electric Bike Report, tested the Soltera.2 ST and in their brake evaluation the Soltera.2 ST stopped in a distance of 21 feet 9 inches, which is dead-center average in brake performance.

One other little benefit for shoppers committed to value both in the purchase and long-term: Mechanical disc brakes require less maintenance than hydraulic disc brakes and that service is quicker and therefore less expensive when it is required.

Rider safety comes in many forms, but control is a central feature in any rider’s safety. To be safe, a rider needs to be able to control their e-bike and an e-bike that is lighter in weight and keeps the overall riding experience simple gives riders confidence by keeping the ride predictable.

Aventon’s warranty is a mixed bag. They offer a two-year warranty on the frame, fork and all electronics as well as all Aventon-branded components. If the buyer registers their e-bike within 90 days of their purchase, Aventon provides a lifetime warranty on the frame and fork. Aventon provides their branded accessories a one-year warranty as well. That’s not bad, but they offer no warranty on third-party components such as the drivetrain and brakes. Big manufacturers like Trek and Specialized offer a one-year warranty on those parts.

Aventon Soltera.2 ST Review: Recommendation/Final Verdict

When it comes to selling anything with a motor, be it a car, a drill or an e-bike, one of the tried-and-true ways to capture a shopper’s attention is to point out a big motor. In a society where we frequently equate “more” with “better,” it can be difficult to attract attention with an e-bike with a small-ish motor. The Aventon Soltera.2 ST presents an intelligent design where a smaller motor and battery are paired with an e-bike that dispensed with many of the choices that drive up an e-bike’s weight: fat tires, a suspension fork, fenders and a rear rack.

While a 350W motor would perform poorly in a 75-lb. e-bike, in a design that weighs just 46 lbs., Aventon’s 350W brushless, geared hub motor has the oomph necessary to allow a rider to toodle along at nearly 20 mph. As a Class 2 e-bike, that’s as much performance as someone can reasonably ask for. Not everyone wants to accelerate like they’ve been shot from a cannon, and so long as the e-bike reaches a good cruising speed, it is doing its job.

Compared to an e-bike with fat tires and a suspension fork (and another 30 lbs. of weight), the Aventon Soltera.2 ST offers a different riding experience. With narrower tires (we’re talking 1.5 in. instead of 4 in.) and no suspension fork, the rider will have a sharper sense of handling and of the road surface. For anyone who gravitates toward sportier cars, the Soltera.2 ST offers a similar sense of handling: quick, graceful, positive.

We sometimes worry about consumers looking for an e-bike who might be on the smaller side. Whether that’s a woman built for yoga or a guy with the slender build of a runner, there are plenty of people who aren’t especially big, but there aren’t many e-bikes in this price range aimed at people who want a simpler e-bike.

We rarely see e-bikes in this price range with a torque sensor, so that’s an unusual feature for the Soltera.2 ST, but it’s a good fit because it ties the e-bike’s acceleration to how hard the rider pedals. The more athletic the rider, the more they will draw the best performance possible from this e-bike. The Aventon Soltera.2 ST provides a remarkable mix of value, performance and ride quality.

Thank you for reading through our review of the Aventon Soltera.2 ST. Still have further questions? Wondering how it compares to a similar e-bike we’ve reviewed? Let us know in the comments below!