Aventon invited me to a pre-launch press briefing on its new Level.3 commuter e-bike in Long Beach, California. The Level.3 has several significant upgrades from the Level.2, including increased range and an adjustable suspension seat post, but the greatest upgrade is the Aventon Control Unit (ACU).
The ACU is a proprietary technology that incorporates 4G, Bluetooth connectivity, and GPS tracking. It enables a host of security, convenience, and personalization features. The Level 3 isn’t the first Aventon model with the ACU; the Abound SR utility and cargo e-bike was the initial ACU-equipped e-bike.
Aventon personnel told me the company started with the Abound SR to gain experience with the technology and gather user feedback. Customers liked the experience, so in the future, Aventon will include ACU technology in most, if not all, of its new releases.
I’ll test and review an Aventon Level 3 later, but in this article, I’ll focus on the promised benefits of the ACU. I’ll also list and describe the features of the Level.3, including the updates and upgrades from the Level.2. This isn’t a review. My reactions come from a few pleasant rides in Long Beach on a brisk winter SoCal day.
Purpose and features of the ACU
The Level.3 ACU was developed to improve the overall e-bike experience, but it doesn’t change the e-bike’s top speed, torque, acceleration, or physical comfort. I’ll cover those essentials below. The ACU allows Aventon to answer concerns e-bike owners say matter to them.
The concerns primarily involve security or safety, protecting the bike from theft or harm. The ACU has user convenience features, including GPS and Bluetooth for locating your bike. Another ACU feature is over-the-air (OTA) updating, which is huge because, with OTA, Aventon can add new features and updates to keep your bike running and up-to-date. In the event of a software issue, Aventon can send an update wirelessly with OTA, so you don’t have to take your bike to a dealer.
Aventon ACU features, functions, and benefits
- 4G connectivity—Because the e-bike is connected by 4G, you don’t have to keep it in sight or in Bluetooth or WiFi range to control its functions.
- GPS – Your smartphone has GPS, but it only tells you where you are, not where your bike is. When your bike connects with 4G, it can signal its location.
- Unusual activity detection – The ACU has motion sensing and can detect when someone moves it or bangs into it.
- Geofencing – Do others ride your bike? With geofencing, which uses GPS tracking, you can receive an alert if they go outside an allowed area or into an area you’ve restricted. If you set it up that way, this function can also turn off pedal assistance and throttle power.
- Startup password — both a convenience and a security method, you can create and use a password to use the bike. Someone could pick the bike up, but they could never ride it.
- Keyless battery – Removing the battery to charge it in the house or as a security measure is convenient, except if you need a key that you can’t find. The Level.3 has a keyless battery system that you can unlock with the Aventon app or via a control icon on the bike’s display.
- Integrated electronic rear wheel lock – You might notice in the photo the Level 3 has a long kickstand. If you set the lock in the app, the kickstand cannot be raised and the rear wheel is locked.
- And (maybe best of all for some), using the ACU is optional –
While compiling the list of ACU features and benefits, I realized they matter more to experienced e-bike riders than to newbies. Someone shopping for their first e-bike might wonder what all the fuss is about and might be thinking, “Hey, I just want to get on and ride. I don’t need a 4G connection, geofencing, or another password.”
That’s OK. You don’t have to use any of the ACU features. They’re not for advanced riders only, but if you don’t need them, don’t use them.
During my day in Long Beach with the Level.3, I focused on the pleasant riding experience in a busy city and harborside tourist area, sharing the wide sidewalks with pedestrians, prams, and pets. However, I never left the bike alone, and if I wanted to pop into a coffee shop, even for a minute, the Level.3’s innovative features would have been a blessing.
You can save the ACU’s bag of tricks for later. Having them without needing them is a lot better than needing them without having them. I will test them all when I review the Level.3.
Level.3 e-bike: the numbers that count
The Level 3 is available in step-through and step-over versions and is priced at $1,899. It has a 36V, 500-watt brushless rear hub motor and is configured as a Class 2 e-bike with a 20-mph top speed and a maximum 70-mile range.
You can reach the top speed with three levels of pedal assistance or a thumb throttle. To ride 70 miles without recharging the battery, you will need to keep it at the lowest pedal-assistance level and ride smoothly and relatively slowly, probably at 12 mph or less.
Range mileage varies with many factors, especially high speeds, throttle-only use, cargo, and rider weight. The Level.3 is rated to carry a maximum of 300 pounds, but the bike weighs just 67 pounds.
The bike’s 36V 20Ah battery provides a maximum of 708 Wh of power and can recharge completely in about 5 hours with the standard 4A charger.
Level.3 e-bike: upgrades and updates from Level.2
In addition to the ACU, which is a very big deal, and 10 miles extra range, which is also important for a commuter e-bike, the Level.3 has other significant updates from the previous model.
The upgrades include an adjustable handlebar stem and an adjustable suspension seat post. I appreciated the adjustable stem, which allows you to raise or lower the handlebar and tilt the bar down flat racer style or up and back for a more upright posture.
The suspension seatpost helps soften bumps during your ride, especially since the bike has no rear suspension. However, there is an adjustable front fork suspension, and Aventon upgraded to Magura hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm disc rotors front and rear.
Other upgrades include a gravity-cast aluminum frame and the electronic wheel lock. Integrated stem and headset cable routing keeps everything neat up front without dangling wires and cables.
The Aventon Level.3 commuter bike is available now in matte black and matte aurora in the step-over version and glacier mint and sandstone in the step-through version. It also has a wide assortment of options, including the mirror, phone mount, and water bottle holder in the photo above.
I look forward to thoroughly testing the Aventon Level.3 for a full review.
