Aventon Pace 500.3 review

Should you buy one?

The Pace 500.3 is discontinued in the US, and Aventon Canada marks it discontinued too. You can only buy one used or as leftover stock. It’s worth buying used if you ride mostly on pavement or concrete paths, you want a step-through frame that’s easy to get on, and the seller’s price is well under the current successor’s. Torque sensor, throttle, turn signals and hydraulic brakes are all on it.

The current successor on Aventon’s US site is the Pace 5 REC Step-Through at $1,799 as of Oct 24, 2026. The Pace 4 that replaced the 500.3 in April 2025 is now marked discontinued as well. I haven’t ridden either one.

Skip a used 500.3 if your rides go off pavement onto gravel. There’s no suspension, front or rear, and you feel the bumps. Also skip it if you want fenders already installed, because they weren’t standard.

Who rode it: I tested ours for several weeks (0:08 in the video) and rode it myself at about 200 lb (4:44). My wife rode it too, on the Regular frame. Aventon sent it; I didn’t buy it.

See Aventon’s current bikes (affiliate link).

Who it’s for

• Paved path and concrete trail riders. On the concrete trail where I filmed, not having suspension didn’t make much difference.
• Riders who want an easy step-over. The step-through frame is easy to get on and off. The Regular frame fits my wife perfectly (2:42), which is why we went with Regular over Large.
• People who want a natural-feeling pedal assist. It uses a torque sensor, not a cadence sensor.
• Longer, relaxed rides. The palm-rest grips are some of the most comfortable I’ve used, and they make long rides more comfortable.

Who should look elsewhere

• Gravel riders. If your route goes on and off gravel, choose an Aventon with a front suspension fork. Of the bikes in the table below, that’s the Aventure 3 at $1,999.
• Riders over 300 lbs with cargo. That’s Aventon’s total weight limit for this bike.
• People who want fenders on day one. Fenders weren’t standard, and I wish they were (4:58).

Pace 500.3 vs Soltera 2 vs Aventure 3

I’ve reviewed all three. Here’s how the Pace sits between them, using Aventon’s published specs.

The Soltera 2 column comes from Aventon’s US Soltera 2 page, fetched Oct 24, 2026; it also lists colors Matte Midnight Black and Baja. The Soltera 2 now has hydraulic brakes too, so the real gaps are motor, battery and tire size: the Pace has about 78% more battery and a 500W motor against 350W. The Soltera 2 is 8 lb lighter. The Aventure 3 adds suspension and fat tires for 22 lb more weight.

What the specs mean on the road

The motor and hills

Aventon rates the rear hub at 500W sustained and 864W peak. I’m about 200 lb, and it had no problem getting me up any incline I tried (4:44 to 4:53). The trail in the video has gentle grades, not steep hills, so take that as a light-hill result.

How it rode

• Bumps (3:55): with no suspension you feel a lot of them. On smooth concrete it’s not a big difference.
• Grips (0:41): the palm-rest grips are my favorite, and they make long rides comfortable.
• Throttle (0:51): it works from a standstill, so you can get rolling without pedaling.
• Shifting (2:04): the thumb-and-index-finger trigger is easy to work while riding.
• Dusk riding (about 1:48): the footage shows my wife riding toward the camera with the headlight on as it got dark. The light is mounted right behind the display.
• Two riders, two fits (about 2:13 and 2:38): I ride it in one segment and my wife rides the same Regular frame in others. The stem and seat adjustments made that work (2:50).

I didn’t time speeds, test braking distance or run the battery down.

Torque sensor

This is Aventon’s upgraded torque sensor. It feels very natural: the assist follows how hard you press the pedals, not just whether they’re turning, so pushing harder on a climb gets you more help. You get four assist levels: Eco, Tour, Sport and Turbo.

No suspension

This is my main complaint, and it matters more or less depending on where you ride. There’s no front fork suspension and no rear suspension. The seat and tires are all that absorb bumps, and you feel a lot of them. On the concrete trail in my video, that’s not a big deal. Once you start moving between trail and gravel, you’ll want suspension.

Tires

Aventon lists 27.5 x 2.1 inch puncture-resistant tires with reflective sidewalls. A viewer asked whether they’re solid or air. They’re regular tubed tires: Aventon lists butyl tubes with Schrader valves.

Battery

The battery is very neatly built into the step-through frame. I prefer it when the battery matches the frame color, but it still looks good. Aventon lists 48V 12.8Ah (614Wh) with LG cells, UL 2849 certification, a 48V 3A charger and a range of up to 60 miles. I didn’t range test this bike, so I can’t confirm the 60 miles.

Hydraulic disc brakes

The Pace has hydraulic discs front and rear (0:49, 2:18). Hydraulic brakes use fluid instead of a cable to push the pads. Aventon’s Canada page doesn’t name the brake brand. I didn’t measure stopping distances.

Controls and safety features

• Left side: front hydraulic disc brake, a thumb throttle that works from zero, and the control pad.
• Turn signals: Version 3 added left and right signals. The integrated tail lights on both sides blink amber at the bottom, and the color touchscreen shows which signal is on. Press the button again to cancel it.
• Headlight: hold the + button to turn the front LED headlight on or off.
• Display and app: the full color display connects to Aventon’s app, which tracks your rides and shows where your bike is.
• Right side: the thumb-and-index-finger shifter, which I really like, plus the rear hydraulic disc brake.

Turn signals help most where you share the road with cars, because you can signal without taking a hand off the bar.

The drivetrain has a single chainring up front and 8 gears in the back, so there’s no front derailleur. Aventon lists a 12-32T cassette and a 48T crank.

The details I liked

Aventon put a yellow-tinted paint protection film where a chain slap guard would usually go. It keeps the frame looking clean and stops the chain from chipping the paint as it bounces.

The Pace is very customizable (2:38), which helped us dial in the fit for my wife.

Fit and sizing

Aventon lists the Pace 500.3 Step-Through for riders 4’11” to 6’1”, with a 300 lb total weight limit. The listed bike weight is 54 lbs, and 7.5 lbs of that is the battery. That’s far easier to move around than the 76 lb Aventure 3. If you need to lift the bike onto a rack, the difference matters.

Speed and class

A viewer asked how fast it goes. Aventon’s own Pace 500.3 manual page settles it: pedal assist engages “at preset speeds up to 20 MPH,” the throttle goes up to 20 mph, and it calls the bike a Class II e-bike. That matches the Canada spec table’s “Speed Class 2.” The “top speed of 28 mph” in the Canada description is the ceiling if you raise the limit. Electric Bike Report raised theirs to 28 mph in the Aventon app, and the throttle stayed at 20. I didn’t change ours. If you raise it, the bike rides as a Class 3 in pedal assist, so check your local rules first.

Sources: rideaventon.zendesk.com Pace 500.3 Manual and Assembly page and electricbikereport.com/aventon-pace-500-3-review/, both accessed Oct 24, 2026.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Torque sensor feels natural
• Enough motor to get a 200 lb rider up every incline I tried
• Throttle works from zero
• Turn signals and integrated tail lights
• Hydraulic brakes front and rear
• Grips and shifter I really like
• Step-through frame; the Regular size fits my wife perfectly

Cons

• No suspension, so you feel the bumps
• Fenders not standard
• Brake brand not listed by Aventon
• No longer sold new in the US

Full spec sheet and geometry

These are Aventon Canada’s listed specs for the Pace 500.3 Step-Through. They fill in the parts I didn’t cover in my video. None of them are my test results.

Sizes

The two sizes differ by 30mm of standover and about 40mm of minimum saddle height. The Regular’s 415mm standover is about 16 inches. If your inseam is near the bottom of the range, look at the minimum saddle height first.

Source: aventon.com/en-ca/products/pace500-3-step-through-ebike, accessed Oct 24, 2026.

Accessories you may need

Our rear rack came in the box from Aventon, not yet installed (5:05). Aventon lists the rack as a separate accessory, and fenders as compatible, so a bike bought new may not include either. Plan on buying fenders if you ride in the wet. As of Oct 24, 2026, Aventon Canada lists:

I haven’t tested that seatpost. The 30.9mm seatpost size is the number to match if you buy a third-party one.

What owners said in the comments

These are viewer comments on my video. They’re commenters’ experiences, not mine.

• The ride is harsh without suspension. One owner called it “a bit of a teeth rattler” and said adding a suspension seatpost made all the difference. That lines up with what I said about the lack of suspension.
• Creaking where the battery sits. One viewer asked if anyone else heard a creak from the frame where the battery mounts, which went away when the battery was out. We didn’t hear that on ours. If you hear it, check that the battery is fully seated and locked before assuming it’s the frame.
• Seat height. One viewer pointed out that my seat was set too low for efficient pedaling, while my wife’s was set right. Fair point. With your leg nearly straight at the bottom of the stroke, you pedal with less effort.

Source: comments on my YouTube video (wYQ2Uo6fWxg), read Oct 24, 2026.

Warranty: which one applies to you

• US buyers: Aventon’s US warranty page sets terms for bikes bought on or after Jan 1, 2026. The lifetime frame coverage applies only to the original owner who registers within 90 days. The battery is covered for two years or 300 cycles. Most other parts get one year, and wear items and labor aren’t covered. Bikes bought before 2026 keep the warranty they shipped with.
• Canadian buyers: Aventon Canada’s Pace 500.3 page lists a two-year warranty from the date of purchase and a lifetime frame warranty. It doesn’t spell out the US page’s 2026 conditions.
• Used buyers in either country: the 500.3 is discontinued, so most used ones were bought before 2026. Ask for the original receipt. Aventon requires proof of purchase and says coverage is only partly transferable.

Sources: aventon.com/pages/warranty and aventon.com/en-ca/products/pace500-3-step-through-ebike, accessed Oct 24, 2026.

Used-buyer checklist

• Battery key and charger. The battery locks into the frame. Make sure the key and the 48V 3A charger come with it.
• Battery creak. If you hear creaking at the battery mount, check that the battery is fully seated and locked.
• Turn signals and lights. Press both signal buttons and check that the amber lights blink on each side.
• Throttle from zero. It should pull from a stop.
• Brakes. Squeeze both levers. A spongy hydraulic lever may need a bleed.
• Speed setting. Ask whether the limit was raised to 28 mph in the app, and set it to what’s legal where you ride.
• Rack and fenders. Find out what’s included, since neither was standard.
• Price check. The Pace 5 REC Step-Through is $1,799 new as of Oct 24, 2026, so a used 500.3 should cost well under that.

Recall check

As of Oct 24, 2026, I found no CPSC recall for the Pace 500.3. Aventon’s only CPSC e-bike recall I could find covers the Sinch.2 folding bike, a different model.

Sources: cpsc.gov and the eridehero.com recall list (updated Mar 23, 2026), accessed Oct 24, 2026.

FAQ

Is the Aventon Pace 500.3 worth it used? Yes, if you ride pavement and the price is well under the $1,799 Pace 5 REC Step-Through. I called it a very solid baseline e-bike: you don’t get a lot with it, and the price reflects that (0:26).

Pace 500.3 vs Pace 4? I haven’t ridden the Pace 4. On paper (Aventon US page, Oct 24, 2026), the Pace 4 has a 36V 500W motor with 60 Nm, a 733Wh battery, a 70-mile rating, 58.2 lbs, a 50mm suspension seatpost, Tektro hydraulic brakes, GPS and 4G, three assist levels and colors Flint, Mica and Blue Steel. It ships as Class 2 and can be converted to Class 3. 4G is free for the first year. Its last listed price was $1,599, and it’s now marked discontinued.

How far does the Pace 500.3 go on a charge? Aventon says up to 60 miles. I didn’t run a range test on it.

Are the tires solid or air-filled? Air-filled, with tubes and Schrader valves, per Aventon.

Is it water resistant? Aventon Canada’s Pace 500.3 FAQ lists an IPX4 rating for this bike. That covers splashes from any direction. It doesn’t mean you can submerge the bike.

Which size does your wife ride? She rides the Regular frame and it fits her perfectly. Aventon lists the bike for riders 4’11” to 6’1”. Use the Regular and Large saddle heights in the geometry table to choose.

Can you get a wider seat? I didn’t swap ours, so I can’t recommend a specific one. The seat is cushy, and it’s one of the few things soaking up bumps on this bike.

Can I unlock 28 mph? Aventon’s manual says it ships at 20 mph. Electric Bike Report raised the pedal-assist limit to 28 mph in the Aventon app. Check your local laws first.

Has the Pace 500.3 been recalled? I found no CPSC recall for it as of Oct 24, 2026.

Can I add suspension? Not a fork, since it ships with a rigid fork. One owner in my comments added a suspension seatpost and recommended it. It takes a 30.9mm post, and Aventon Canada sells its own for C$242.19 as of Oct 24, 2026.

What’s the difference between the Regular and Large? Aventon lists 415mm standover on the Regular and 445mm on the Large, and the Large’s saddle starts about 40mm higher.

Price

As of Oct 24, 2026, Aventon Canada lists the Pace 500.3 Step-Through at C$1,999 and marks it discontinued. The US page redirects. The current US successor is the Pace 5 REC Step-Through at $1,799. If you’re buying used, also budget for fenders.

See Aventon’s current lineup (affiliate link).

Related reviews and guides

• My Aventon Soltera 2 review
• My Aventon Aventure 3 review
• The Aventon lineup explained
• E-bike classes explained
• E-bike laws by state
• Compare e-bike specs

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 (ESV)