Review: Aventon Current
The Aventon Current Is An All Mountain Ripper ATV Kind Of E Mountain Bike
Ever since I first started seeing news and first ride reports of the Aventon Current E Mountain bike, I have been super intrigued about it. I rode and reviewed the Aventon Ramblas earlier this year and was impressed with that bike, but I really wanted to check out it's full suspension counterpart. A friend of mine, Benny Pellegrino, got his hands on one the later part of this summer and he has been telling me how much he loved it! As an affiliate partner of Aventon, I had been reaching out to Aventon every so often to see if they could at least get me a loaner to ride for a bit and they were finally able to make that happen. I got the bike last week and got it put together. Benny hit me up and asked if I wanted to head down to Richfield, UT for a couple days and ride while the weather was still good and the trails were dry. After a text and a couple quick phone calls we had plans dialed and we headed down to get some riding in as well as get some footage and content for this review.
The weather was perfect and some previous rain left the trails in perfect condition. We were able to ride most of the Pahvant trail system the first day and then headed over to the "gray zone" the next day. I didn't have a chance to get any volume spacers in the fork and shock or set up my tires tubeless, but I didn't have any punctures or flats and aired up the fork and shock with more air than I normally would so I wasn't constantly bottoming out. This made the top end of the suspension feel a bit harsher than I like but it didn't stop me from having two amazing days of riding in the desert! We got to ride everything from smooth flow with perfect berms, steep technical desert chunk and some crazy outer space type spines and steep flow on some of the grippiest dirt I've ever ridden.
First Thoughts
The first few miles of riding I noticed how I felt instantly at home on the Current. I felt like I was always perfectly centered and balanced and never had to move forward or back on the bike both on the ups and the downs. The reach, seat tube angle, rear center and pretty much everything else felt spot on. The only thing I think I would personally change is throw on a higher rise bar and the seat tube length could be a bit shorter for me. I have a PNW Loam bar with a 50mm rise that I think would be perfect for this bike and I plan to throw it on sometime this week. The biggest thing I noticed was the Auto mode on the motor. I always had the right amount of assistance. If the hill got steeper or I put in more pedaling effort the auto mode seemed to magically know exactly how much power to put down to get me up the hill.
The Builds
Benny and I were both on Aventon Current E-MTB's. Just different builds. I was on the ADV build which is the lower priced budget build that sells for $3,999 and Benny has the EXP build that costs $5,999.
Current ADV Specs
Weight - 56lbs（M）w/o pedals. tubes installed ( The ADV I am riding is an XL)
Total Weight Limit - 300 lbs
Rider Height - 5'3" - 6'1"
Speed - Class 1 (Convertible to Class 3)
Range - Up To 105 Miles
Frame - 6061 Aluminum
Fork - Rockshox Psylo Gold 150mm (44mm Offset)
Shock - Rockshox Deluxe Select+ (210x55)
Rear Spacing - 12x148mm
Fork Spacing - 15x110mm
Motor - Aventon Ultro X
Motor Torque - 110Nm (120NM in BOOST Mode)
Motor Power - 750W Peak (850W Peak in BOOST Mode)
Support Level Percentage - 450% (600% in BOOST Mode)
Display - Integrated Top Tube Display with Touch Screen
Battery - 800Wh Integrated Battery
Battery Weight - 9.2 lbs
Charging time from 0% to 100% - 6 hours
Charger - 42V 4A charger
Smart Features - Jump Tracking, Overrun, Wheel Lift Control, 4G/GPS, Anti-Theft, Touchscreen, BOOST mode, and AUTO Assist mode
Rear Derailleur - SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission (12-SPD)
Shifter - SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission
Chain - SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission
Chainring - SRAM 34T
Chainring BCD - 104
Crankset - 6061 Aluminum, ISIS splined, 160mm
Chain Guide - 32-24T Compatible
Pedals - 9/16" Alloy Platform
Cassette - SRAM XS-1270 T-Type 10-52T
Front Wheel - 29", Double-Wall Aluminum, Tubeless Compatible, 32 Hole
Rear Wheel - 29", Double-Wall Aluminum, Tubeless Compatible, 32 Hole
Tires - Front: Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5" EXO (Tubeless Ready), Rear: Maxxis Minion DHR II, 29x2.4" EXO (Tubeless Ready)
Brakes - Front Brake - SRAM DB8 Stealth Rear Brake - SRAM DB8 Stealth
Front Brake Rotor - SRAM Centerline 200mm 6-Bolt
Rear Brake Rotor - SRAM Centerline 200mm 6-Bolt
Saddle - Selle Royal SRX
Seatpost - 31.6mm XFusion Manic Dropper Seatpost. S/M: 150mm, L/XL: 170mm
Seatpost Clamp - 34.9mm
Stem - 50mm Length, 35mm Clamp
Handlebars - Aluminum, 35mm clamp, S/M: 780mm width, 20mm rise, L/XL: 800mm width, 30mm rise, 5° upsweep, 7° backsweep
Headset - ZS56 Upper/Lower
Grips - Aventon Lock on grips
Current EXP Specs
Weight - 52.7lbs (M）w/o pedals. tubes installed (Benny rides the size M)
Total Weight Limit - 300 lbs
Rider Height - 5'1" - 6'3"
Speed - Class 1 (Convertible to Class 3)
Range - Up To 105 Miles
Frame - Carbon Front Triangle, 6061 Aluminum Rear Triangle
Fork - Rockshox Lyrik Select 150mm (44mm Offsett)
Shock - Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+ (210x55)
Rear Spacing - 12x148mm
Fork Spacing - 15x110mm
Motor - Aventon Ultro X
Motor Torque - 110Nm (120NM in BOOST Mode)
Motor Power - 750W Peak (850W Peak in BOOST Mode)
Support Level Percentage - 450% (600% in BOOST Mode)
Display - Integrated Top Tube Display with Touch Screen
Battery - 800Wh Integrated Battery
Battery Weight - 9.2 lbs
Charging time from 0% to 100% - 6 hours
Charger - 42V 4A charger
Smart Features - Jump Tracking, Overrun, Wheel Lift Control, 4G/GPS, Anti-Theft, Touchscreen, BOOST mode, and AUTO Assist mode
Rear Derailleur - SRAM S1000 Transmission (12-SPD)
Shifter - SRAM AXS Transmission Shift Pod
Chain - SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission
Chain Guide - 32-34T Compatible
Cassette - SRAM XS-1270 T-Type 10-52T
Chainring - SRAM T-Type 34T
Chainring BCD - 104
Crankset - ISIS 160mm
Pedals - 9/16" Alloy Platform
Wheelset - Front Wheel - 29", Double-Wall Aluminum, Tubeless Compatible, 32 Hole
Rear Wheel - 29", Double-Wall Aluminum, Tubeless Compatible, 32 Hole
Tires - Front: Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5" EXO (Tubeless Ready), Rear: Maxxis Minion DHR II, 29x2.4" EXO (Tubeless Ready)
Front Brake - SRAM Maven Base (Hydraulic, 4-Piston)
Rear Brake - SRAM Maven Base (Hydraulic, 4-Piston)
Front Brake Rotor - SRAM Centerline 200mm 6-Bolt
Rear Brake Rotor - SRAM Centerline 200mm 6-Bolt
Saddle - Selle Royal SRX
Seatpost - 31.6mm XFusion Manic Dropper Seatpost. S/M: 150mm, L/XL: 170mm
Seatpost Clamp - 34.9mm
Stem - 50mm Length, 35mm Clamp
Handlebars - Aluminum, 35mm clamp, S/M: 780mm width, 20mm rise, L/XL: 800mm width, 30mm rise, 5° upsweep, 7° backsweep
Headset - ZS56 Upper/Lower
Grips - Aventon Lock on grips
Size and Fit
Geometry
Climbing
Getting to the top of the hill aboard the Aventon Current is a delightful experience. So delightful in fact, the bike and everything it's doing just kind of disappears into the background while you make your way up. As I mentioned before, the bike feels super balanced and me and Benny both agree that you just kind of feel like you are able to just sit and pedal away without really having to shift forward or back on the bike much. It just feels comfortable. The suspension stays pretty active but the mid-stroke is supportive enough that you stay high in the travel while pedaling seated or standing. The real beauty of climbing on the Aventon Current is the Auto Mode. It is truly a set it and forget it situation. There is no need to continually switch between each pedal assist mode throughout your ride. AUTO Mode dynamically adjusts motor output based on the slope of terrain. When the trail gets steep, AUTO mode increases torque and wattage to help you power up the climbs. When things flatten out, AUTO mode dials back the power as slope angle decreases, so you can maximize battery capacity while still getting all the assistance you need when it counts. The only time I really felt like using any other mode was on super steep sections when I needed the BOOST Mode to get max power and torque out of the motor. There is plenty of power on tap for almost any climb. At 270 lbs there were a couple super steep sections I couldn't quite make where Benny at 150 lbs was able to float right up. But those sections were in some weird places that are normally being ridden on motos.
Descending
Everyone knows the majority of us climb to the top so we can go back down. And the Current does a damn good job of it. I would say the leverage curve of the Current is more on the linear side of the coin. However with volume spacers and some tuning you can make this bike a fairly progressive bike too if that's your thing. I know some riders that are on the Current have put coil shocks on their personal bikes and they said it works really well. The 140mm of rear travel does an amazing job of keeping things under control when the trail gets rowdy. While the travel numbers are in the trail bike category, the Current doesn't get hung up on gnarlier black diamond trails with bigger hits, drops and chunk. We were riding trails like Spinal Tap, Juniper Drop and Telegraph down in Richfield and the bikes never felt overwhelmed or over their heads. The Current does super well in tech and flow. Benny said he feels like the Current is that ATV style of bike or what a lot of folks would call a quiver killer. In skateboarding terms this bike would be for that skater that does slappy's on curbs, skates bowls and vert, and is hitting rails and ledges. Or for the snowboarder that wants to ride deep pow days, carve groomers and roll through the park or hit all the side hits. The Current is just as at home riding fast flow with berms as it is jibbing little trail features or getting rowdy and steep tech or skidder trails.
Who This Bike Is For
The Current is the bike for someone who is probably looking for one bike to do it all. It's for someone that likes to ride a variety of trails with a bike that has a full power motor and a big battery for big days in the mountains or desert. The Current also fits the bill for someone on a budget but still wants a fun and capable bike that has the best bang for your buck build and specs. The Current is going to be for the person who likes their bikes on the playful side of coin vs a point it straight and just plow through stuff type of bike. Like mentioned above, this is the ATV bike that is an amazing all rounder do it all steed.
*If this bike peaks your interest feel free to purchase through any of the links on this page or links on the YouTube video as we are an affiliate partner with Aventon. Your purchase helps support our site and channels and lets us bring you reviews like this one.
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