Aventon remotely locks all users out of their bikes and goes on weekend holiday

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Vermicellitooterelli@reddit

After hearing about this im not sure if I want to purchase an aventon.. I live in canada. Rad power bikes seems the next best?

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EmergencyMiddle916@reddit

I was just researching that brand yesterday. Have you any experience with them? I was looking at ebikes under $2000 CAD and that brand came up.

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Smurf06@reddit

We went to far with the tech on these bikes lol. Let's dial back some.

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KatakanaTsu@reddit

Really gives the 'can't drive car because it needs to update' vibe.

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ScienceMajestic8716@reddit

I don't want my bike, or car, or toaster or fridge to ever talk to the internet.

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passwordstolen@reddit

But then you end up with a half dozen remotes. I like that the stove,refrigerator and grill notify my phone that food is ready.

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ScienceMajestic8716@reddit

Did you have to install 3 different apps for them ?

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Outside_Brilliant945@reddit

Oh, you need to lower your toaster setting. I just got a push notification. I hate burnt toast. 😁

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For real, I’m experiencing this exact problem right now. I’m 1300 miles from home (on my own with three younger kids), in a foreign country, and can’t charge my car anymore, and all signs point to it being a software glitch (it keeps saying my charge has completed, which apparently is not an uncommon issue). I’ve been in a small hotel room since yesterday and have no idea when I’ll be able to keep driving home 🙃

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WordMiser@reddit

Is disconnecting (and then reconnecting) the low voltage battery an option on your car? Resetting the computer on my EV works well when things get weird.

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AccountForDoingWORK@reddit

I don’t have any tools to do that, the car’s been towed already and the dealership has it if that’s what they need to do :/

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WordMiser@reddit

Good luck! I hope it gets resolved quickly.

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NxPat@reddit

Hp printers have silently entered the chat

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leesiemama@reddit

Fr

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_midnight_mane_@reddit

See, the thing that infuriates me about this, as a tech lover, is that we could have these kinds of advanced features and have everything work exactly the same, without the stupid unnecessary step of connecting to a remote server. Now the whole bike is ruined, and it makes high tech features that could be legitimately useful less appealing. It's like someone made a lovely soup with all the best ingredients and then threw a turd into it. But people who aren't tech savvy enough to realize the risk will buy these bikes and not realize until it's too late. I hate it.

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Johns-schlong@reddit

I could see the reason for it. If it's device side the codes could be intercepted, or you could be unable to use another device to unlock your bike if you got a new phone unexpectedly. That being said what if aventon goes chapter 11 and sells all their assets? All their owners are screwed? They just leave all bikes permanently unlocked?

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account_not_valid@reddit

This is happening constantly with all ITOT crap. Even if the company doesn't go broke, they'll either enshitify their service, or just stop supporting it.

I don't trust any product that can be bricked remotely by a company.

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Hubie191@reddit

"Enshitify." I LOVE it! I instantly knew what it meant, as I'm a federal employee who turns wrenches on our submarines...

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Jef_Wheaton@reddit

The term has been around for a few years. 99% Invisible recrntly did a podcast about it. Enjoy! https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/666-enshittification/

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hbHPBbjvFK9w5D@reddit

Cory Doctorow coined the term "enshittification" and even wrote a book about the topic.

His keynote talk at DefCon last year laid it all out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EmstuO0Em8

But if you like the guy, suggest checking out his Pluralistic blog and his podcast at https://craphound.com/

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Hubie191@reddit

Thank you.

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Hubie191@reddit

Very interesting podcast subject. I've complained about Apple's proprietary items for years, but that was minor compared to other intrusive devices. Time STILL equals money. Honestly, THE most accurate film I've ever watched is "Minority Report." Thank you for your gracious response.

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DoeBites@reddit

You’ll love r/enshittification

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hbHPBbjvFK9w5D@reddit

This has happened with wheelchairs, pacemakers and cochlear ear implants.

Imagine being unable to walk, or ending up in the ICU, because the company that made your appliance screwed up some code on a server.

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_midnight_mane_@reddit

If it's device side the codes could be intercepted, or you could be unable to use another device to unlock your bike if you got a new phone unexpectedly.

As for the first point, I'm not sure how you're envisioning them being intercepted, but that seems highly unlikely to me. The second seems like a non-issue. Either way the "solution" introduces its own unacceptable level of risk, as we are seeing in this thread.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

When I bought the bike I literally didn’t even consider that this could be the case. I don’t know much about Bluetooth, but they could have used NFC if interception was an issue and they simply can’t unencrypt things on the bike, so I assumed they’d figured this out. Using a remote server for auth is not acceptable in my view

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Arkitakama@reddit

Or the new vulture- I mean VENTURE capitalist owners start charging a monthly subscription to unlock your bike. Congrats, you're now renting the bike you own.

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guisar@reddit

When, not if

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TurnkeyLurker@reddit

Ah, but here's the catch: you pay monthly for that turd. And you can pick the color!

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PicaDiet@reddit

I have a Stromer ST2 I bought in 2018. It was the first "connected" ebike I was aware of. A bluetooth app on my phone locks and unlocks it when I am within 3 feet. It has gone through a bunch of software revisions, but I am always asked whether or not I want to update now or later. If it is stolen, an integral GPS signal will pinpoint the ebike as long as the battery is inside it.

Stromer's parent company, Swiss manufacturer BMC bought the small brand a few years ago and pulled out of the North American market. I assumed that would mean my ebike would be bricked. Quite the opposite though. It works exactly as it always has. I don't know about the GPS Theft Recovery Mode, but my guess is they would still alert local police if I put it in Theft Recovery mode. I know they can brick it from anywhere as long as the bike gets cell reception.

There is no reason for a manufacturer to deactivate an ebike if it can't connect with it. The only reason for that kind of constant surveillance would be to monetize your data. If Aventon is doing that, it should be made known to anyone considering buying one. What a pain in the ass!

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JohnOfA@reddit

My Level 2 is fine. Does this only impact newer models?

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boncros@reddit

yep.

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Fantastic-Aside7041@reddit

can't you still control it on the bike itself? if not i would never buy one.

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hysys_whisperer@reddit

No, on the ones with a locking kickstand, you can only unlock or lock it via the app through their servers.

Everything else works fine without the app, but no way to put both tires on the ground if the kickstand is locked down.

If aventon goes out of business, there's going to be a LOT of borked bikes.

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bobthebobbest@reddit

Lmao, if my Aventon had this “feature” I would not have bought it.

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Minute-Historian1878@reddit

Can you imagine if you were expecting to go to work and this happened? Good lard!

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Wild_Mountain1780@reddit

Worse yet, if you were expecting to get home from work and this happened!

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VinceTheVibeGuy@reddit

Jesus Crisco!

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youandican@reddit

him and Cisco were a friend of my. While Pancho drink the wine.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

You don’t know it has this feature until it’s too late. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined the app works like this

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Uncommented-Code@reddit

I was at the bike shop yesterday to buy an ebike and I specifically asked what features need the app and if the bike can be operated without an app. I also specifically said that I want to avoid a situation where I'm dependent on the manufacturer to stay in business and operational to use my bike.

On one hand, I kinda get how you could forget to ask it. But on the other hand, it's 2026. It's unfortunately a reality that you have to check any electrical appliance for that kinda stuff before you make a purchase.

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Wild_Mountain1780@reddit

My experience is that the sales people will say lots of stuff that isn't true. Sometimes it's to sell a product and sometimes it's because they don't know their product that well. Never rely on a salesperson's answer. Do your own research.

This isn't an Aventon specific response. I've just had lots of shitty salespeople give me bad answers over the years. Frankly I don't even like to buy expensive electronics in stores because of this. I'd rather pour over reviews. And yeah, half of them are fake too, that's why I tend to read the bad ones more than the good ones.

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Uncommented-Code@reddit

My experience is that the sales people will say lots of stuff that isn't true. Sometimes it's to sell a product and sometimes it's because they don't know their product that well. Never rely on a salesperson's answer. Do your own research.

Good advice, fully agree. I usually ask sales people but verify. I never trust customer service.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to find much info in the app. But from when I test-rode it the information seemed plausible with what I saw (I have a degree in electrical engineering and work as a sysadmin, I have an intuition) and when I can go get the bike I will have an appointment with them where I can test this myself.

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CoralBegonia347@reddit

proprietary app staying alive forever, you’re not fully owning the product anymore you’re renting access to part of it.

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bobthebobbest@reddit

If the bike shop had said “and there’s an app” I may not have bought the bike. If there’s some kind of app functionality with my Aventon, I don’t know about it. And I like it that way.

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ESK8StreetSurfer@reddit

This is untrue. You can unlock the centerstand on the display. Just hold the + and - button at the same time to access the menu screen.

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hysys_whisperer@reddit

That's only true if you didn't lock it using your phone, which otherwise defeats any antitheft Cafe lock usefulness if you dont.

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cs_124@reddit

Would be pretty easy to put a Bluetooth module in the bike computer. I bet it has one, even.

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kashuntr188@reddit

Wait. So if the company goes under, then the servers die, meaning your bike is then bricked??

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hysys_whisperer@reddit

The kickstand is bricked, not the bike, but yes.

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cs_124@reddit

But if they didn't have cloud integration for kickstand behaviour, how will I put my kickstand down in California when I'm in Hawaii?

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IngsWarrior_@reddit

No. If that happens you remove the non working one and replace it with one that you control with your foot.

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jedadkins@reddit

Everything else works fine without the app, but no way to put both tires on the ground if the kickstand is locked down.

If aventon goes out of business, there's going to be a LOT of borked bikes.

Time to break out the angle grinder

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DJSeku@reddit

Actually, most of Aventon’s hardware can be defeated with a 3mm hex driver.

*Including* the battery lock module and wheel lock module.

Source: Was former Aventon service technician.

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Relative-Display-676@reddit

This is why I always carry multitool with my bike 😉

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Hubie191@reddit

Similar to why I always carry a knife: in case there's cake. Or you need to stab someone...

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Astronautty69@reddit

The cake is a lie!

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Hubie191@reddit

https://i.redd.it/px9uc7qc8j0h1.gif

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account_not_valid@reddit

Scuse me, im off to nick some batteries.

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DJSeku@reddit

This is why I still recommended Aventon owners remove their batteries and bring them inside with them if they planned on leaving their bike for any amount of time…

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BenTheHokie@reddit

It's my bike, officer! I swear!

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hysys_whisperer@reddit

Yes, but then you don't have a very expensive motorcycle style kickstand.

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SexiestPanda@reddit

Send an invoice to aventon

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CubesTheGamer@reddit

Scratch Aventon off the list I’ll ever buy from. That’s ridiculous.

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blackdvck@reddit

Just remove the kickstand ,I really don't see a great issue if it's just the stand . I can replace the stand easily enough I'm sure ,it should just be one 6 or 8 mm Allen key to remove the stand . Or am I missing something here ? I see the value of a locking stand ,it's a great idea except for the current problem which is just madness .

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captfitz@reddit

That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I work on products where we have to make decisions about access and it's industry standard to default to local control when cloud access is lost. Everyone knows not to build a system that assumes a 100% perfect connection to your servers, that's considered basic 101-level knowledge.

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salamandroid@reddit

Especially on something that moves. I can't believe anyone would use it want this feature on a bicycle.

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hysys_whisperer@reddit

Yep, you also cannot unlock it if your phone has no cell service and you locked it before you left your house.

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alr12345678@reddit

I set mine up to lock and unlock with a code on the bike itself.

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SyndicWill@reddit

Which model do you have?

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_your_face@reddit

That’s some really shitty design

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Hungry_Freaks_Daddy@reddit

I always figured I would upgrade to one of these after my starter bikes….not a chance in hell now. I’ll diy one

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cs_124@reddit

Someone gave me a messenger bag with a light-up LED grid on the back which is supposed to be able to do turn signals and/or serve as a taillight. Problem: Every function is controlled by an app which requires a sign-in to access. Problem? Company no longer exists. They don't even have a website, obviously can't create a username as the server isn't even online. Made a bunch of really lofty claims about 'navigation' and 'automatic turn detection', but didn't include a remote or even let you use the app with the warning "for x, y, z features, you'll need to create an account."

Never, ever buy a product that cannot be controlled at its most basic levels unless a cloud connection is established (unless, you know, it's something where cloud connections are part of the deal normally).

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mrwhitewalker@reddit

Yes, OP for some reason uses the app when it should only be used for things like updates.

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AmericanBillGates@reddit

Simmer down Steve Jobs.

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SyndicWill@reddit

Maybe people just don’t know how to use their bikes, but my abound lr at least can unlock without an internet connection using the menu on the bike itself

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echocall2@reddit

My Ramblas ADV still works fine, but I don't think I have that lockout feature. At least I don't use it

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Synergyforge@reddit

They had a technical issue. My partner's bike was unable to connect or receive firmware updates and the app wasn't useful. We called them, and they confirmed their engineers were on the problem. It was resolved by the next day. This could happen to anything that relies on the cloud.

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Calm_Entertainer3221@reddit

You can unlock the bike via the control panel on the bike. You don't have to use the phone app.

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wlexxx2@reddit

why does no one seem to know this?

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Calm_Entertainer3221@reddit

People can't think anymore because their phone has replaced thought.

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wlexxx2@reddit

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....................................k

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Altruistic-Cress-540@reddit

Well Tech Bro's an Hoe's great job you have manage to piss off your own generation glad I don't ride a Techy Bike whats next ?

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Relative-Ad-8679@reddit

Thats why I d.i.y all my own bikes

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wakanda_banana@reddit

Are you kidding me? What an awful design. It’s like they designed it similar to cars with kill switches to lock you out when you don’t comply

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Heifzilla@reddit

Sometimes I roll my eyes at my luddite husband because he is so unreasonable about adopting some technologies, and then I read stuff like this. If you really sit down and think about it, if the cloud just went poof, most of us would be absolutely screwed on so many levels. But we don’t like to think about it.

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terminashunator@reddit

Damn, that sucks for those that have app controlled bikes.

looks at my Aventure 1 and 2.

App control on bikes is kinda dumb. From what I can tell, people are locking their bikes with an app, then unlable to unlock it? Why not just not lock the bike?

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

There is an actuator that physically locks the rear wheel via the app. A hands free “cafe lock.” It was a cool idea to me (I also assumed it used nfc or Bluetooth, not requiring their servers being online years from now) but after experiencing Aventon support and outages the last 2 weeks and being trapped after work an extra 90 minutes, I regret my purchase

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ZucchiniAlert2582@reddit

You can unlock this via the menu on the bike display. Did you setup the keypad pin? The app connection isn’t the only way to use the wheel lock.

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Wants-NotNeeds@reddit

There's no manual override? You can't just enter a PIN using a handlebar controller?

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rolandofeld19@reddit

My daughter's bike uses the handlebar password. The app is currently throwing some weird cannot connect error.

Is this outage crappy? Yes. Did it brick her bike or make it unusable? No. Is it a problem if some people are unable to ride? Yes.

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so_many_wangs@reddit

You can lol

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EtchVSketch@reddit

Lmaaooo no way fr? Idk why tf I'm even on reddit at this point.

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youandican@reddit

yeah it was cool to you up to the minuted it didn't work and you needed to use your bike. It is just plain stupid to depend on someones app to use your bike or any device you own.

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fenrirs-chains@reddit

Security.

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youandican@reddit

If you believe that is what security should be like, have at it. Yeah, really secure, when you get locked out of your own equipment.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

I understand that you watched a Louis Rossman video and are feeling quite superior, but an app that sends an unlock and lock signal over a Bluetooth connection offers convenience. It is surprising that there are remote calls being made on every bike connection.

For your info, almost all DTC bikes now have an app now. Cycleanalyst even has a companion app if you go DIY. The issue is Aventon’s implementation, not the fact that they have an app instead of another embedded device to allow configuration changes

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Minimum_Tough_5389@reddit

Why would you ever consider buying a bike that requires an app to use?

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Separate-Command1993@reddit

NFC support seems to be in everyone’s best interest

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thunderflies@reddit

I wouldn’t trust a software lock to keep my bike from getting stolen anyways, just use a good heavy chain lock or U lock and be done with it.

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FigNinja@reddit

I would be inclined to use both, but not if it required the app contacting a remote server. If it were something like a local connection to the phone with a key or fob as a physical backup, I would be for it. Being able to prevent the wheel from turning is a nice bit of extra security. They just designed it poorly with a single point of failure locking the user out.

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ZucchiniAlert2582@reddit

The bike can be unlocked with a user defined keypad combination entered on the display. The OP is posting FUD. I’m sure there were a handful of people who used their phones to unlock and had forgotten their keypad ‘pin’, but this is mostly a non-issue.

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FigNinja@reddit

That's good to hear.

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thunderflies@reddit

Yeah requiring a phone home to the server was a horrible unforced error in design

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ZucchiniAlert2582@reddit

Not a requirement; you don’t have to set up any of these features if you don’t want to.

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Minute-Historian1878@reddit

Planned obsolescence?

gif

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LuckyRub233@reddit

Yeah, should have all been done on the local side

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Try2Relax@reddit

I was just looking at the level 4 yesterday and they demo’d unlocking using the handlebar controller pin.

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footsnax@reddit

The biggest shock for me here is that it isn't just a bluetooth connection. Why the hell would it need to connect to a server?

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youandican@reddit

perhaps they have plans to eventually make it a pay to use service.

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prefix_code_16309@reddit

I can imagine the day coming where your ebike display works for a year free of charge, $9.99 a month to remain active after that. Only a matter of time until ebike manufacturers figure out how to make riding your bike a subscription model.

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footsnax@reddit

If they do they don't exist to me anymore. There's a billion brands out there and everything in the 2-3k range is just different combinations of specific factors. Same range, same weight, same builds.

It only takes one mistake to just completely take a brand off the list. This was a huge fuck up.

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youandican@reddit

I do not put it past any company to use or make something that could possibility bring them in more cash. We have seen this in the computing industry, as in SaaS. That idea seems to be spreading to other areas and industries. Not everything made has to be or should be connected to the internet or to have to use a stupid fucking app to use it.

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footsnax@reddit

I don't know why but my brain immediately defined "SaaS" as snakes as a service. I work in games so the "aaS" thing is a default but I just thought it was funny I couldn't immediately identify the first S in that.

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youandican@reddit

I have to admit that was funny. Good one. Thanks for the laugh

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LordEmrich@reddit

Pretty sure it's definitely gonna be a pay to use service. I don't have the Aventon but have the Segway Xafari and Myon and they all come with the Airlock (the feature that locks the rear wheel), as well. That entire service includes the GPS tracking and automatic ride tracking of the bikes.

Segway shows that it will be $60/year whenever they do start charging for it; which isn't that bad. You get a year for free when you first get the bike I'm assuming they don't have the pay service figured out yet cause they gave me another year free on my Xafari.

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youandican@reddit

Just another way to milk more money from the user.

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pieterbos@reddit

Local app control on bikes is fine. App control on bikes that goes through servers, with no local bluetooth option to override it is really stupid.. Luckily many other brands do have local bluetooth control.

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mrwhitewalker@reddit

You can unlock the bike with your combination, its actually the more common workflow. Using the app to unlock is just dumb, can it be unlocked via app, sure. But its an extra option not the main.

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terminashunator@reddit

Then why are people claiming they've been locked out, if they can use a combination?

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

You might be confused despite making so many posts. It is not the default or common options on the new models.

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mrwhitewalker@reddit

And youre just hating for something you are doing wrong. I have the level 3 and unlocking the bike when you turn it on is normal. Via the passcode, you know the main way to unlock the bike.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Ok older model. My time is a bit too valuable lately to be learning secret workarounds for a bricked bike but I’m glad you have time man.

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JuniorKey9708@reddit

Total deal breaker

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UncleTupelo1082@reddit

Get a Velotric !

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Erich417@reddit

I was literally about to pull trigger on 2 Aventon's with smart features, welp....

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Brave-Biscotti-8195@reddit

Let me know if any of you are planning to build your own from amazon. I'll provide blueprints and technical details if you need help!

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apathetic_duck@reddit

I went for a ride on Friday while the app was down and just locked and unlocked my bike via the controls on the bike...

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SafeModeOff@reddit

"This is because the bike phones home to their servers every time you connect to it" this should be illegal, or at least forced to come with a giant warning sticker about it. Ridiculously bad design

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quarkdoll@reddit

async did this too, with the same situations occurring; this was years ago now and one would imagine that other manufacturers would have learned from it

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ancientstephanie@reddit

The app may fail, but in my experience, password will always work, even with the servers down.

If you have a password set, enter it and the bike will unlock. If you don't have a password, just turn the bike on, go into the menu with up and down held at the same time, and unlock it from there. Either way, no app or servers required.

Unless you've locked it down via geofencing or put it into stolen mode, the app and the servers are just a convenience.

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Miao_Mix@reddit

Crazy how many people recommend these bikes when it becomes a brick when the app’s not working SMH bikes should never be like this, apps should just be a secondary form of unlocking

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Charli3q@reddit

Apps are a secondary form. OP not knowing a combination to unlock, and requiring the second form of unlocking is the issue here.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

More like they accept Apple Pay and also a sort of unique dance as payment, but you’re at a self checkout and the phone number on the machine goes to voicemail

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Charli3q@reddit

Nah. The physical credit card and a combo lock are the comparative ones just like the tap to pay and the nfc internet based security.

I get the frustration. It is valid. But we are talking about user error here, too.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Incorrect, unfortunately. I wish you were right

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Charli3q@reddit

So you never ONCE thought about setting your pin in case you were out and about and lost your phone. At all? Did it never occur to you that you may not have your phone at some point in a ride??

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FiveAlarmDogParty@reddit

In an ironic twist; the app is a secondary form of unlocking and OP either forgot their passcode or didn’t know this. The passcode is how I’ve unlocked mine since day one and I use the app from time to time

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ZucchiniAlert2582@reddit

Many people who buy their bikes never set up the connectivity features. There is the option to set a display button combination to unlock the bike (no internet connection necessary).

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m2keo@reddit

Yeah glad mine is just put in the key, power on and go. Don't care for any apps, key cards, server log ins, none of that BS I don't need.

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AwarenessUnhappy7153@reddit

That is fucking retarded.

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texas1982@reddit

Just think. Congress approved remote kill switches in cars recently. It's about to get much much worse.

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Bouwman13@reddit

I love tech too, but companies seriously need to stop treating basic transportation like a subscription service waiting to happen. That trend is getting exhausting. So I think a physical PIN on the bike as primary + app as backup would make way more sense. Designing it the other way around feels backwards honestly.

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TheExodu5@reddit

I have an Abound LR. This is FUD. I enter a pin on the control unit. Unlocked. No server calls. You do not need an app.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Oh cool, how do you unlock the kickstand via the display? What is FUD btw isn’t that for when you’re buying bitcoins?

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TheExodu5@reddit

RTFM. Page 24.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Damn grandpa got jokes, looks like maybe your older model doesn’t have the same features as the new one. Maybe you should save up and get the newer bike

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Light_Butterfly@reddit

Here I was thinking I was at disadvantage with my bike with a simple on/off switch....

I'm glad now it's not connected to any servers.

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Writing_Particular@reddit

Has there been any response from them?

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SwiftUnban@reddit

This is why I built mine, it’s mine and free to do as I please with it

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honestjake1@reddit

my velotric is mine and i am free to do as i please with it

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Botched_Euthanasia@reddit

Can you bleed the brakes?

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percocetnyet@reddit

"Dont buy any other ebike except aventon and yada yada" so glad I didn't listen to people on this subreddit lmfao

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wlexxx2@reddit

just get a plain bike without a network

terrible

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Orionsbelt@reddit

In the market for an Ebike, this probably takes them out of consideration

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Inciteful_Analysis@reddit

It's not clear if OP is telling the full story. You should get that before deciding.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Yes he should get all sides, like this guy’s too https://www.reddit.com/r/Aventon/comments/1t7ol7k/comment/oksowhp/. Here are the facts: - The app requires a data connection to aventon’s remote servers on every connection to your bike - if aventon went out of business, users with certain models would lose access to: their kickstands, regen braking, power curve adjustment, and others

Here is the opinion of Aventon shills in this thread: you are stupid if you use the app lock/unlock feature on the new model. Everyone knows you hold +/- at the same time for 3 seconds and can scroll thru a menu to unlock the bike

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haoqiebike@reddit

Hi, this is probably the dilemma that technology brings. People often crave a more advanced technological feel while simultaneously complaining about malfunctions. But let's be realistic, any function can malfunction; it all comes down to our choices as consumers! Ultimately, for an electric bicycle, providing a comfortable ride is enough.

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youandican@reddit

thanks, but no thanks, I will just keep my old bike - No fucking App required! Time to tell these companies no, I'm not buying this shit.

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tikkimannequin@reddit

Guess I will not be recommending this to my friends and family any longer.

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Capitan_Rich@reddit

No direct control of the bike? Fire'em

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kurisu7885@reddit

Makes me glad I didn't get one of theirs....

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Iskandar206@reddit

This makes me feel better about my janky DIY bike. It doesn't look nearly as nice as an Aventon, but at least it's not bricked randomly.

I just need to get better at cleaning up wiring and unused connectors.

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SadHighlight7044@reddit

This is why I own a bike that doesn’t have this tech. No middlemen to worry about between me and my ride.

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Bensbarqs47@reddit

So glad I have the sinch 2.0 and don’t have to deal with this kind of bullshit

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S0PRAN0OO3@reddit

Well that solves the "should i by an Aventon" question for me. Thanks

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w3H774m@reddit

I’m riding my Aventon level 2 right now just fine. But I haven’t used the app since the day I bought it.

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ChristianLS@reddit

My Abound has been great, but yeah I haven't touched the app. I guess this just affects ones with locking kickstands, which mine doesn't have?

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TheFlightlessDragon@reddit

So glad I ride a “dumb” bike.

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hubertron@reddit

Huh? Put the passcode in on the bike and ride? I have locked and unlocked it at least 6 times in the last 2 days.

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BeatLaboratory@reddit

Electronic shifting? Fine. When it “has” to connect to a server there is no value in that that’s absurd.

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ur_ynome@reddit

This is the kind of shit that makes me glad I put a bafang on a good bicycle.

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GigabitISDN@reddit

This is exactly why I went with a Pace 500.3 when my wife was looking for a new e-bike, rather than the 4.

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CORockhound@reddit

This is why you don’t buy a garbage bike hahahahahaga

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Siege_LL@reddit

It means I'll never buy one....not from them or anyone that uses similar tech.

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-TRlNlTY-@reddit

I stopped buying products that use apps and internet access when it is not needed. I even checked my microwave before buying it.

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MaybeOdd@reddit

Wow, so me never bothering with the app is saving me big here, huh?

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VinceTheVibeGuy@reddit

Oh hell no. Why does a bike need to connect to WiFi?

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Brilliant-Algae-9582@reddit

You ca disable this feature. I just setup a code to unlock it upon powering up.

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Wants-NotNeeds@reddit

Hindsight is 20/20. Is it too late for OP? Stuck until their app problems are resolved? IDK

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ArguingwithaMoron@reddit

Can you not just remove the kick stand with a regular tool kit?

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Ctrykttn@reddit

You still have access to your bike via the controller. ON THE BIKE. Not the app. Im sorry, but some of these commentary need to learn how their bikes actually operate

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Ok great, read my latest post 30 mins ago

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iMogal@reddit

thanks for the warning. ill never buy one.

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Ctrykttn@reddit

Our two bikes didnt have a problem! It was only a problem if you wanted to use the Aventon app. The bikes still functioned.

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Shilvahfang@reddit

Lol, who would buy a bicycle that needs internet to work? What a stupid design.

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dreamaliddledream@reddit

*laffs in cheapo dropship bike that works just fine*

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fredmant@reddit

Glad I bought a Velotric Breeze

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steellz@reddit

They better add an override requiring like an NFC tap or something

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lordredsnake@reddit

I used to have the phone lock turned on on my Bosch eMTB. That was all well and good until the bike cut off during a night ride, in the middle of the woods, and my phone was dead, so I couldn't unlock it.

Turned that feature off and have never been tempted to turn it on again.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

There are a lot of people saying “I do things the old and I’m doing great” which is awesome, but can any of you tell me this: If Aventon went out of business and I want to tweak sport mode to use more power, or I want to disable regen braking on the new REC 4, what do I do?

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PothosEchoNiner@reddit

That’s a crappy design, but it’s not all users. It’s a tiny fraction who opted for the electronic smart lock and don’t know their passcode. My Aventon never connects to the internet and I’ve never used an Aventon app. It’s just an e-bike.

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presidentmax@reddit

Same as a few others, I didn't have any problems over the past few days on my Aventure 3, I have my bike set up to lock/unlock when I power it on/off with the password, but I basically don't use the app because it does next to nothing if the bike is turned off.
The remote lock on the app seems completely pointless tbh, if I'm close enough to the bike to lock/unlock it, why wouldn't I just do it on the display itself?

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schnuggibutzi@reddit

Perhaps Aventon did not pay their AWS bills? Perhaps they don't have the proper levels of AWS support to guarantee uptime/redundancy etc. Perhaps Aventon will offer different tiered subscriptions. You want 100% uptime? Sure, that's $ 9.99 a mth. with first mth. free. Its really 99.95 % uptime.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

The idea that a request needs to be sent to a remote server every time you connect for some reason is insane for latency alone. It bothered me, but now that I’ve been locked out of my own bike features several times? I’m manning the keyboard 🫡

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TopRepulsive4766@reddit

Personally, I wouldn't buy an ebike with a feature like that (unless it could be diabled).

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alr12345678@reddit

it can be disabled. No need to use app for this

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Inciteful_Analysis@reddit

Is the app required to unlock or can it be unlocked via display?

Tying a bike's functionality to internet access and a remote server is insanity. They have these things called keys that can limit access more easily.

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schnuggibutzi@reddit

Just bought a Level 3 from an Aventure. The battery died on my Aventure and I purchased from a LBS because of "stellar" service yada yada yada. Happened to me Friday in the blazing sun. Could barely see the screens in the sunlight. Called the LBS and got a voice message " We are sorry, the weather is beautiful ,our shop is slammed and we cannot answer the phones". Reached them yesterday and they were clueless about the situation. Screwed both ways.

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HattoriHanzo9999@reddit

Oh man. Hopefully Aventon never gets bought by PE, or users will wake up to their bikes locked and on a subscription registration page.

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abercrombezie@reddit

I remember reading how neat it was that you can brick your bike from remote in case it's stolen. Now this doesn't seem so great.

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MrTechRat@reddit

Sounds like a perfect reason to not buy this brand.

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AntEaterApocalypse@reddit

Reason #428198 why I would never buy a bike that requires an internet connection of any kind in order to function.

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hroaks@reddit

It doesn't require it. He chose the app lock feature which is completely optional

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UsernameTaken1701@reddit

100% why I’ve been avoiding these bikes. This is a great opportunity for YouTube reviewers to show how independent they are by reporting on this, but I’m not holding my breath.

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Ohgodwatdoplshelp@reddit

I have the cargo bike and the step through, I didn’t even realize these could be locked via app, I always lock mine with a heavy duty lock. Just got back from a ride on mine, no issues because I dont screw around with the app

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psilocyan@reddit

I love my Level but purposely have never used the app because a) it’s unnecessary b) I don’t want my bike “connected” to anything

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toodlesandpoodles@reddit

I will never buy a bicycle that requires a smartphone app just to function.

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windoneforme@reddit

I feel the same. The thing should be able to turn on and ride without any connections ect. However they could make it to where it has the GPS find my bike phone connection in tandem with the rest of the electronics. Nice to have those features and abilities, but it shouldn't affect the basic usability of the vehicle if they stop working.

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LuckyRub233@reddit

I’m glad that I did my own conversion. No uplink to the hive mind. No complicated computer system. Just simple electical wiring and a simple motor. Works (mostly) when you want it.

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unseenmover@reddit

Can you disable the lock function?

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SadisticPawz@reddit

Keep DIY strong.

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Dick_Nation@reddit

I think anyone who buys something app controlled like this, frankly, has gotten what they deserve. None of these companies ever should've been trusted with that power in the first place, and not only because of this specific issue. You wouldn't give anybody the physical keys out of your pocket, so why are you giving them the digital ones? It's shit that people have to learn it the hard way, but entirely too many people are blind to what they've done to themselves.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

I will admit to being a bit of a dummy. I very highly value regen on any EV and overlooked some simple tests that could have saved me some headache. The reason I’m posting this is to make it clear that aventon’s budget is very disproportionately in advertising and the app PHONES HOME EVERY TIME YOU CONNECT

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Minute-Historian1878@reddit

So my thought process is this: If this has been an ongoing problem for two weeks and it has already left you stranded, why would you continue using this anti-feature? If you can't disable it, why would you continue using your kickstand that triggers the problem?

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Because if you know the street fighter code (which I found through obscure Facebook groups since their support is useless) you can workaround the lock. Other settings related to braking and power are completely bricked while servers are down

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Minute-Historian1878@reddit

I would cash in on a warranty.

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LDSBS@reddit

I recently got an aventon and was debating about whether to install the app, now I’ve decided not to. Thanks for posting, I’m sorry you can’t ride your bike now.

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Silver_Cheetah_7063@reddit

Thanks for the post. I'm just starting to look at ebikes and now I know to put my phone in airplane mode, turn on only Bluetooth, and make sure every feature of the app works before I buy.

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Dondraco762@reddit

I will never buy a bike from them

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AskMeHowToLose@reddit

I was literally just considering purchasing one of their bikes - guess not anymore.

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so_many_wangs@reddit

OP doesn't really know what they're talking about to be honest, I would still consider them. The thread he linked to was mine from the other day, but I was still riding the bike just fine lol

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AskMeHowToLose@reddit

Do you use the app to lock and unlock your bike? If not then of course you wouldn’t experience the same issue as OP.

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so_many_wangs@reddit

Theres two ways to lock/unlock the bike. While you CAN use the app to lock/unlock, most people use the actual control pad on the bike to do so. OP I guess could not figure out how to get into the settings screen, something the manual and all instructional videos about the bike make very clear.

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Charli3q@reddit

But you can use a code to lock and unlock your bike thats not bound by the app.

OP either never configured the code, or forgot it, leaving them with a cloud based option thats mostly existing for convenience and not core function.

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FiveAlarmDogParty@reddit

FWIW I just got my Aventon and I’ve been loving it and I only unlock it via passcode. Not all of OPs complaints apply to all models. I just checked mine (Pace 4) and it’s fine. The app is a bonus but not required to run the bike

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AskMeHowToLose@reddit

I get that the app isn’t required. But it was an appeal, and if that function can brick my bike while I’m at work or somewhere - I’m not going to invest in a vehicle that can be locked because the manufacturers mistake after the fact. Like the people whose teslas start updating at the charging station and suddenly they’re stuck in a target parking lot - not gonna be me.

I’m not biking short distances, so I’m not gonna get stranded 20 miles from home like that.

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ch3k520@reddit

My Bosch motor lock has never given me trouble.

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Mysterious-Safety-65@reddit

wow... I'd sort of thought these were OK bikes... Definitely a dealbreaker for me.

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FiveAlarmDogParty@reddit

As pointed out by many others - the feature OP is referring to isn’t mandatory it’s a bonus. 99% of riders have a passcode on their bike that will unlock it. Source: have an Aventon and I’ve been using it fine during these so called “outages”.

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

What do you mean so called outage? Were their servers online?

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dianas_pool_boy@reddit

You get what you pay for.

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terraherts@reddit

This has more to do with enshittified design than price. Plenty of expensive shit uses app/cloud based controls too, and they even manage to trick their users into thinking it's a "premium" feature they're supposed to pay extra for.

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Minute-Historian1878@reddit

More dangerous?! I can see my Tesla and all the cars in the lanes around me on my HUD! I don't even need to look at the - CRASH!

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bellboy94@reddit

Dang was just looking at aventon bikes. If this cant get disabled somehow thats a deal breaker.

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mrwhitewalker@reddit

Youre gonna be fine, OP doesnt know his combination so hes complaining. Unlocking your bike via your combination is the normal way

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bellboy94@reddit

Okay good to know its not locked out. Was looking at the level 4 adv bike from them

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mrwhitewalker@reddit

Yup, I have the level 3 and its the same software

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NickelSmartPoundFool@reddit (OP)

Incorrect, unfortunately. Maybe you have a cheaper, older bike

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bobthebobbest@reddit

I have an Aventon and I have literally no idea what OP is talking about.

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celeste_ferret@reddit

It's just an app problem. If you didn't use the app to lock your bike, it wouldn't be a problem.

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tantalor@reddit

Er, why would a bike need Internet access?

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grazzyphase@reddit

This was a big discrepancy I was trying to tell people between aventon new bikes and velotric. Velotric still uses a key system for the batteries which is huge I would never go to a Smart system for a battery removal especially with aventon As my experience with them in the past is they release stuff too early before it's been tested properly

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bombscare@reddit

I’d be looking into litigation options

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Significant-Pen-6049@reddit

Maybe their ai went rouge lol

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SilverFishK@reddit

*rogue

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so_many_wangs@reddit

That was my thread, the bikes work fine when the servers are down. I was still riding it around town that night and was able to use the bikes integrated lock as usual.

The only thing that doesn't work is connecting to the bike through the app, which isn't something riders do often. Its more for just updates, adjusting app-specific settings like the power curve, and locating the bike through GPS.

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etlr3d@reddit

would never buy a bike that requires and app or internet in the first place.

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cash_jc@reddit

Oh man and I was strongly considering to upgrade this summer. No thanks.

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psilocyan@reddit

Server issues aside, even when working properly doesn’t this mean you can’t lock your bike any place you don’t also have cellular data service?

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terraherts@reddit

App-based control software is already stupid, but it's extra special stupid if it relies on cloud-only services for basic functionality.

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Richard_Berg@reddit

Insane that they wouldn’t just use the Bluetooth radio on the phone where the app is already running

So glad this kind of brain-dead architecture wasn’t even a factor when I was shopping for bikes.

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terraherts@reddit

Yep. The only thing "app-based" on my bike at all is an open source android app that can connect to the BMS for status/diagnostics, and that uses plain old bluetooth.

I have a higher end programmable controller, but it uses a simple USB-TTY serial connector to old school software. Basic, but I never have to worry about it randomly not working, and is only used to reprogram. I haven't needed to touch those settings in years.

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Deeznutseus2012@reddit

The techie douchebag bikes and cars with remote evil overlord cutoffs and shutouts can miss me. I will never rely on such a conveyance.

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Trellaine201@reddit

When i bought the bike it wasn’t for the ACU. It was because of the bike. I was surprised I even use the ACU.

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Blank3k@reddit

Why would a bike be un-unlockable due to server outage?

I mean, I ride MTB.. I'm often in no signal areas, surely there is absolutrly no way an internet connection is a 'Requirement' to unlock the bike, I'm assuming you can do it manually you just forgot the pin number or something similar.

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manofoz@reddit

What about the code you enter on the bike? Why use the app?

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feelfreetoblameme@reddit

I am not sure about other models but I am able to unlock on the bike itself without needing the app. I have a Level 3. I would imagine other models are the same for redundancy, dealing with a dead phone etc. It makes the cafe lock functionality a little less secure unless you also set a passcode to get into the on-bike screen.

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