2022 Aventon Pace 500 Review

Video Review

Written Review

What is going on, awesome peeps! Today we’ve got yet another Aventon review to dig into. This one is the Aventon Pace 500, and just like the Soltera we recently reviewed, this is e-bike looks great, and rides even better. 

Aventon does an excellent job at producing high-quality electric bikes that fly under the radar. To the trained eye the Pace 500 is obviously electric, but because of how streamlined the battery integration is, this ride doesn’t scream “hey everyone, I’m electric!” 

Tucked inside a recess in the downtube is a well-hidden 48 volt, 12.8 amp hour battery with LG cells. This battery locks in place with a unique key, which is a great feature if you plan to use the Pace 500 as a city commuter. Leaving your e-bike unattended in a public bike rack can be a little anxiety inducing, but having a battery that doesn’t just pop out with a press of a button makes for a warm and cozy feeling. 

This battery powers the 500 nominal watt rear hub motor. This is kind of the Goldilocks of e-bike power. It’s not so much power that you’ll drain the entire battery with a few sprints, and it’s not so little power that you can’t get up a hill without pedaling. It really is just right for most applications. This motor feels peppy and takes the ill out of hills. Seriously, it’s got enough oomph that you could just ride the Pace 500 like a moped with the throttle only if you wanted to. And if you did, you’d probably get around 25 miles or so. But if you primarily use the cadence sensing pedal assist and put in some of hard earned sweat and tears, you’ll extend that max range to radon 48 miles per charge. Pretty good for a commuter. 

The Pace 500’s backlit, multi-color LCD display is, well it’s not a Picasso, but it’s a work of art in it’s own right. This display is easy to read in direct sunlight and the screen is large enough that you don’t have to lean in close and squint to make out the numbers. That’s actually a really good safety feature, because it means you’ll be spending less time looking at the screen and more time focused on the road. Thumbs up, Aventon, thumbs up. 

This display has all the standard metrics like current speed and battery level, odometer, trip meter, but it also has health metrics like calories burned and number of trees saved. Pretty cool. And the independent button pad is an Electrified Reviews favorite. 

If you want to dive deeper into your riding stats, you can download Aventon’s app for iPhone and Android, and, really you can just have a field day. There’s a lot to explore in there. 

Now, let’s talk about the lighting, because frankly it’s worth talking about, and also this is a review. The headlight on the Pace 500, which is the same one on most Aventon e-bikes, is one of the brightest stock headlights we’ve seen, and it has a great beam pattern to boot. It’s, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s actually bright enough to use as a primary light source for night riding. 

The Pace 500 also has two red light on the rear of the frame which activate when you hit the brakes, just like the tail lights on a car. When the headlight is on, the tail lights are constant on, and then flash brighter when you depress the brake levers. Oh, and there’s motor inhibitors built into the brake levers too, which instantly cuts power to the motor to ensure the shortest possible stopping distance. Combined, these features make for a great and incredibly safe and visible ride in low-light conditions.

Right, so let’s dive into the mechanical components now. 

The Pace 500 has a Shimano Altus 8-speed derailleur with a 12-32 tooth freewheel paired with trigger shifters, which are far more comfortable to use compared to the Shimano SIS Index thumb shifters that are often seen on comparable e-bikes. 

To bring the Pace 500 to a lightning quick stop we’ve got Tektro Aries hydraulic disc brake with 180 mm rotors in the front and rear wheels. Hydraulic disc brakes offer superior stopping power compared to mechanical disc brakes and they dissipate heat better than rim brakes. So if your commuting path has long descents, this is a must-have feature. 

There’s two frame sizes for the Pace 500, a regular and large, and two colors, tan and black. Now, the Pace 500 is a hard tail with solid forks, so, yeah, it’s a stiff ride. The 27.5 x 2.2 inch e-bike rated Kenda slicks dampen some of the vibration, and they have reflective sidewalls which is a nice bonus, but if you want a smoother riding experience we recommend getting an aftermarket seat post suspension. If you haven’t tried them before, trust me when I say they are awesome. 

The Pace 500 is also relatively light at just 52 pounds. Because this frame is a traditional high step, that top tube serves as a great handle to pick up the bike and move it around when needed. 

The adjustable-angle handlebars are pretty aggressively swept back, which does narrow the overall width, but it also makes for a super relaxed and upright riding posture. The rubber ergonomic grips are great too and overall the Pace 500 is just really enjoyable to ride. 

With a starting price of $1,699 USD, the Pace 500 is packed to the brim with pleasantly surprising features. Aventon offers a 1 year warranty and financing, and even a 14-day return policy. So, if for some reason you pick one of these up and then think, “Grrr. I hate e-bikes,” you can just send it back. 

All in all, like all of the e-bikes we’ve reviewed from Aventon, the Pace 500 is superbly designed and well-thought out with upgrade points in all the ride places. We classify this ride as a value buy and feel confident that if you’re looking for a strong commuter that’s going to last, you’ll be happy with this one. 

See the Aventon Pace 500 website: https://www.aventon.com/products/aventon-pace-500-complete-bike?utm_content=6457160134_101872005960_42694956668