The speed test shows us the maximum speed this bike reaches at each pedal assist level (PAS). The Aventon Soltera.2 Step-through is equipped with a relatively modest 350W hub motor. On many bikes, that might not bode well for acceleration or top speed, but thanks to its light weight – just 46 pounds – the Aventon Soltera.2 ST makes excellent use of its hub motor.
The Soltera.2’s 350W motor features a brushless gear design that is controlled by a torque sensor rather than the much more common cadence sensor.
In our speed test, we ride the e-bike in question with the engine off and at each of the different PAS levels to see what speeds a rider can expect depending on their choice. Because conditions such as rider weight, surface conditions, terrain and wind can play a role in an e-bike’s performance, these results should be considered relative.
In our first test, we say a fairly normal speed of 10.6 mph with the engine off. This reflects a moderate effort that would allow us to have a conversation with another driver. When we set the PAS to Eco mode, the motor kicked in to assist at 7.0 km/h, accelerating the Soltera.2 ST up to 23.9 km/h, which was a great result. All too often we see e-bikes that do not offer any significant support in Eco or PAS 1 mode. Not only was the support noticeable enough, but it was also fast enough to satisfy someone looking to balance speed and range.
In tour mode, the Soltera.2 Step-through accelerated by another 3.5 km/h and increased our speed again to 27 km/h, enough to provide a noticeable increase. When we activated sport mode, the e-bike accelerated another 2.4 km/h, which corresponds to a speed of 30 km/h. It wasn’t a particularly satisfying jump, but it made a difference.
The Soltera.2 ST reaches a top speed of exactly 32 km/h in Turbo mode, which is an increase of 2.2 km/h compared to Sport mode. Considering it’s a Class 2 e-bike (max assist of 20 mph, plus throttle, which also tops out at 20), actually hitting 20 mph is pretty awesome.
That the Soltera.2 step-through was able to reach 20 mph in turbo mode is great proof that a 350W motor can deliver enough power to be effective, and as we mentioned earlier, this is for Partly attributed to this e-bike’s 46 mph-pounds. Weight.
Another factor in the performance of this e-bike is its tires. Where we often see big, fat knobby tires that provide the driver with a comfortable ride, the Aventon Soltera.2 ST is equipped with an almost smooth 38 mm wide (1.5 inch) tire. This tire has a much smaller contact patch on the ground, which helps the Soltera.2 Step-through accelerate and reach top speed with relative ease. It’s a little less comfortable than a larger tire, but it pays off again, which will be shown in our range test.
As already mentioned, the Aventon Soltera.2 ST is equipped with a torque sensor. A torque sensor communicates with the motor in a different way than a cadence sensor, fundamentally changing the way the motor engages. With a cadence sensor, the motor waits for a signal to tell it whether the rider has started pedaling. Most cadence sensors require between half and three-quarters of a pedal stroke to bring the motor to life, so there will always be a delay, both on and off.
For a torque sensor, the sampling rate is thousands of times per second, rather than large fractions of a pedal revolution. The difference becomes clear as soon as the driver presses the first pedal – the engine reacts immediately. In addition, the engine behaves in proportion to the driver’s effort. As the rider pedals harder, the controller detects an increase in torque and follows that trend.
This means the rider can precisely control the speed of the e-bike by simply varying how hard they pedal. And our results in our speed test don’t reflect that there was room to pedal both harder and softer.
