Originally Posted by
shed
Thank you for all your help. I get the Unicorn aspect of my ask. I guess my head was at the Aventon Soltera II has most of what I want, and I'd happily pay an extra grand for more range and/or specs and/or lightness, but that doesn't seem to exist and/or is not possible.
Weight is where I will compromise the most say 50lb max (heck it's not like I'm not carrying way more extra weight on my body than an extra 10lb)
The weight is a double-edged sword. More weight usually means more power and more range; you can't have that without more weight. ....EXCEPT that with a lighter bike, you will have more range in the respect that it's no big deal to pedal a lighter bike home if you should run it empty!
I definitely looked at reviews/specs of the Specialized Vada and it was kinda everything apart from the throttle, and I've generally been a trek/specialized owner in the road and hybrid bikes I've owed and like both brands, sp perhaps will test at my LBS.
On the throttle front, as someone who's done a lot of regular biking, I definitely see why it could be viewed dimly, but I rented one with a throttle a few weeks ago, and I loved it just on getting up to speed quick after a stop and the last 5 mins of a ride when I was tired.
Out of interest, what's the deal with not having throttles on ebikes; is it technological? Regulatory (I'm in US, Cali fwiw)? Tradition? Bike manufacturers fearing it will reduce their ability to state a good range?
It's regulatory and also was a strategic decision by the bike companies. Regulatory in that Class 1 eBikes are allowed anywhere a regular bike is allowed. Strategic I guess because the companies are trying to sell them as bikes, but with a boost. Personally, I think that was VERY short-sighted, and the Chinese sure did jump quickly to fill that niche!
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Anyway, my advice after reading all this is to do a little more soul-searching and either:
A) Go with the Solterra, as it's light(ish) and won't be an issue to pedal home if you run it down, or
B) Get the Aventon Level.2. It'll add another ~20 lbs. but you'll have the power and throttle that you wanted. It's heavier than the Solterra, but not so heavy that it's not pedalable. The tires are efficient. When I ride mine un-powered, I find myself going 13 mph on level ground; about the same as my regular hybrid bike, (Trek Verve 3) but it just takes longer to get up to speed on account of weighing 30 lbs. more. Up hills, it can be tough. I've found Aventon's 60 mile range spec to be accurate if I use power sparingly. (only against headwinds and when going uphill. Since it has a torque sensor that reacts quickly, I don't find myself EVER using the throttle. Components are good, fit & finish are good.
I did an in-depth review in this thread and the embedded videos:
https://ebikesforum.com/threads/aven...w-thread.3764/