This Incredible E-Mountain Bike Should Be Twice the Price: Aventon Current ADV Review

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I’ve never understood some hardcore mountain biker’s staunch opposition to e-mountain bikes. What’s their problem? Do they like to have fun?

Then, it hit me. They’re jealous that e-bikers are having more fun without having to put in the effort. Similar to the long, skinny skiers of the 90s who shunned parabolic and powder designs, these crusty mountain bikers need to get with the times.

Before you lecture me about improper usage of e-mountain bikes, damaging trails, over-crowding, etc., spare me. I live in Tahoe. Many local mountain bikers have an e-bike in their quiver, and the literal thousands of tourists that visit each weekend do, too. And, believe it or not, I’ve never seen an e-biker cause a mountain biker harm or vice versa.

Okay, with that out of the way, let me hop off my pedestal and get down to what you came here for—The Aventon Current ADV, one of the most hyped-up e-mountain bike releases in recent memory.

Here’s the TLDR: The Aventon Current ADV costs less than $4,000 but performs like a much more expensive bike from a big-name brand. I’ve had more fun on this bike than any other in my life.

Check out the specs below. Keep reading for my review of the Aventon Current ADV.

Aventon Current ADV Specs

• Size tested: L
• Build tested: ADV
• Motor: Aventon Ultro X(110Nm, 120Nm in BOOST, 750W Peak, 850W Peak in BOOST)
• Travel: 150mm front, 140mm rear
• Wheel size: 29″
• Weight: 56 lbs.
• Brakes: SRAM DB8 Stealth
• Derailleur: SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission (12-SPD)
• Fork: Rockshox Psylo Gold 150mm
• Shock: Rockshox Deluxe Select+
• MSRP: $3,999.00

Geometry, Sizing, Components and Tech

If you’re looking for an in-depth analysis of the Aventon Current ADV’s geometry, you’ve come to the wrong place. Instead, check out Devon McCoy’s review of the Aventon Current on BIKE Mag. He knows way more about bikes and can give you the nitty-gritty details you’re looking for. He reviewed the higher-end EXP model, though, just a heads-up.

If you’re stumbling upon this review as a skier who pretends to be a mountain biker in the summer and wants to know if the Aventon Current ADV is fun, I’ve got you covered.

In short, I’ve never had more fun riding a bicycle than on the Aventon Current ADV.

For starters, the bike felt familiar from the get-go. While the RockShox Psylo Gold fork isn’t the plushest I’ve felt beneath my hands, it was easy to set up, adjust, and get ready for the trail. The same can be said for the Rockshox Deluxe Select+ in the rear.

The bike’s suspension can feel a little clunky when tackling Tahoe’s rockiest terrain, and the fork is louder than the Fox 36 Performance Plus on my trail bike, but I’m more than pleased with how they perform.

The aluminum frame and integrated touch-screen on the top tube are gorgeous. I was worried that Aventon’s first go at a full-suspension e-mountain bike would look a little rough around the edges, but the lines are clean, the paint job is nice, and I’ve noticed more than a few heads turn out on the trail.

SRAM’s lower-end DB8 Stealth brakes are perhaps my only hangup with the Current ADV build. While they provide excellent stopping power, I’ve noticed the bite point can start to vary on a long ride. This usually corrects itself after a bit of time, but it’s not the most confidence-inspiring feeling when the levers lock up or lose pressure.

Considering the bike is less than $4,000 out of the box, a brake upgrade could be in my future. When the value is this good, why not make it even better, ya know?

Range, Motor Performance, and Power

The Current ADV uses Aventon’s proprietary Ultro X motor, and it’s a beast. With peak power and torque that rival Avinox’s best motors, it’s hard to fathom how this bike is so affordable.

It would be like buying a Toyota Camry with a Ferrari engine, but still at the same cost as the Camry. It doesn’t make sense.

My friend has a very nice SL e-bike that costs three times as much as the Aventon Current ADV. Yes, his bike is lighter and has nicer components, but when we ride together, I very rarely wish that we could switch bikes. Typically, while he’s boosting and pedaling hard on steep climbs, I’m cruising on trail mode at a leisurely pace. When he has to walk his bike, I throw the Current ADV into boost, lean forward slightly, and blast up the pitch like it’s nothing.

As a skier who doesn’t care much about lesser-performing components like the drivetrain, suspension, and brakes, I just want to rip a bike around, have fun, and forget about it. The Ultro X motor allows me to do that.

The maximum battery range for the Current ADV is advertised at 110 miles, and while I’ve never come close to that, I’ve been able to log 20-, 30-, and sometimes even 40+-mile rides across varying terrain. These rides typically average between 2,500 and 4,000 feet of vertical gain, more than enough for me to get my fill of downhill thrills.

Trail Impressions

I started this review by saying that I’ve never had more fun on a bicycle than on the Aventon Current ADV, but I’ll provide more details for those interested.

I have ridden the Current ADV more than 300 miles across pavement, single track, fire roads, scree, and just about every other surface one can find in the North Lake Tahoe area. The bike excels on smooth, flowy singletrack and jumps, but it can hang with longer-travel bikes on rougher terrain.

It took me 5-10 rides to adjust to the bike’s heavier weight (56 pounds), but after some trial and error, I started to feel comfortable with cornering and riding at speeds I would on my trail bike. This became particularly evident on Truckee’s famous Jackass Trail (now called Donkeytown).

Like any old-school downhill trail, Jackass requires a bit of pedaling on the downhill. It’s manageable, but you wouldn’t want a downhill or long-travel enduro rig on that trail; it would be too much bike.

With the Current ADV’s power, however, I found that I only needed one or two pedal strokes to get back up to speed after a tight berm or a techy section. It was lovely.

With the bike’s power, I was able to clear jumps I’d never attempted. It was liberating.

Speaking of liberating feelings, my favorite rides on the Current ADV are when I decide to explore something new.

On one ride, I “unlocked” a new freeride zone on a peak I would never have even dreamt of climbing on my trail bike. I then pedaled six miles up a steep fire road to a secluded alpine lake, jumped in, dried off, and rode flowy single track all the way back to my house. It was incredible.

Personal Preferences

I’m not much of a tinkerer. Sure, I like fixing my bike when it breaks (if only my judgmental conservative “manly-man” ex-father-in-law could see me now), but I’d much rather set-it-and-forget-it.

When it came to dialing in the Current ADV’s power settings, I opted for the default and rolled with it. I haven’t had any problems, and I honestly don’t see myself ever using the bike’s phone app to make any changes. You can if you want, but I’ll pass.

The only changes I made to the Aventon Current ADV were the contact points. The grips and pedals that came with the bike are nice enough, but I put them in my parts bin and opted for what I’m familiar with.

As mentioned before, I will probably change the SRAM DB8 Stealth brakes in the future for something a bit more consistent.

Who Is The Aventon Current ADV for?

The Aventon Current ADV is the perfect do-it-all full suspension e-mountain bike for skiers on a budget. Want one rig you can take anywhere without breaking the bank? Look no further than the Aventon Current ADV.

That’s not to say that the Aventon Current ADV isn’t for diehard mountain bikers, in fact, I would beg to differ. In my experience, diehard mountain bikers love to complain about how much everything costs, but the Current ADV feels like the first mountain bike I’ve ridden that should cost more. This gives me a “I-can’t-believe-I ‘m-getting-away-with-this” feeling that most mountain bikers in $10k of debt can’t relate to.

Want a better build kit and a carbon frame? Turns out that won’t set you back all too much either—the Current EXP build (with high-end SRAM and RockShox components, the same motor, and a front-triangle carbon frame) will set you back $5999. That’s still cheaper than most acoustic bikes these days.

What does that mean? Well, if you want what could be the best value e-mountain bike to ever exist, but perhaps not the very best performing when it comes to suspension, drivetrain, and brakes, the Aventon Current ADV is undoubtedly for you.

Related: Is This Full-Power E-MTB The Cure To A Skier’s Off-Season Blues?