Some of the added weight is attributed to the battery, which checks in at about six pounds. As mentioned above, you do have to start pedaling to engage the electric assistance though you don’t have to pedal much to approach max speeds. Nonetheless, I wish there was a way to zip around town without having to pedal at all. Despite my desire to schwinn mountain bicycles only bike for exercise, I do admit I get lazy sometimes. Despite my weight and the strain it put on the motor, I found that the bike really does have a 45-mile range on a single charge. I didn’t have a chance to precisely time how long the battery takes to charge from empty but it recharged completely overnight or during a full workday.
Before we get into the e-bike itself, I want to take a moment to talk about e-bike ownership and what it has meant for me. I mentioned the shunning of my trusty Trek bike in lieu of my e-bikes this summer, but the reason for that has been life-changing for me. I’ve been using an electric bike and a shoulder bag for most of my shopping “can you grab me XYZ from Target” runs.
Electric bikes are a ton of fun and I’ve had a great time this summer riding them. As an avid cyclist who commuted to and from the train for years in the past, I see e-bikes as a very reasonable step forward in commuting. A 7-speed transmission from Microshift also adds to the commuter street-cred, giving those in hilly areas the ability to run through the gears on hills. The Schwinn Coston CE falls in the middle of its e-bike model line, offering a slight upgrade over the Schwinn Marshall but without some of the features found on the higher-end Coston DC.
On flat roads, we found the assist useful, helping the bike along with minimal pedal input required. The gears allow you to put in as much physical exertion as you feel like. From a stop, it’s good to have the bike in low gear, otherwise starting out can be difficult, made more so by the fact the motor won’t kick in until you’ve been pedaling. There is a company called Rechargeable Power Energy (RPE) that can repack and restore your original battery. I have heard good things about them, that they perform this service for mainstream ebike manufacturers and double check the circuits when performing a restore or upgrade. Check out their website and give them a ring, I hope this helps because I don’t think Schwinn sells batteries for t his ebike anymore.
The controller is easy to use with one thumb, which is nice. One thing I miss from previous e-bikes I’ve had was a range estimator that gave you an idea as to how much further you could ride at your present power level under schwinn electric bike present conditions. Such a feature is fairly inaccurate all things considered, but some estimate is better than no estimate. The Coston e-bike is controlled with a handlebar-mounted LED panel with three buttons on the side.
That being said, the small-ish 250W motor isn’t going to be a powerhouse on hills. The bike accelerates fine on flat ground, but you’ll definitely need to add some leg assist if you’re going to be climbing tall hills. Speaking of which, check out my video below to see the bike’s performance and features in action, including those cool frame lights. A removable battery allows extra batteries to be used, extending the range of the bike. Unfortunately, Schwinn doesn’t outfit the Monroe 250 with any accessories you’d typically want for commuting, such as fenders or racks. To be fair, not many competing e-bikes tend to come with these extras anyway, so with its comparatively low price, you’ll have extra money to pick out the accessories you want.
You will want to check your local regulations to find out what is legal in your area. Most places are fine with class 1 e-bikes, but different municipalities have different rules pertaining to class 2 and above. As a commuter e-bike, I’m also glad to see some good commuter specific parts, like the included fenders and the excellent lighting. Not only do you get typical head and taillights, but you also have LED frame lights built into the sides of the battery. That adds a nice nighttime glow to the bike to give you better side visibility – an area where most bikes are lacking.
When I pedaled hard, the bike was able to get up to 20 mph in about 10 seconds on smooth, flat surfaces. Pedaling uphill was a bit different, maxing out at roughly 15 mph. Lighter people may be able to get it going a bit faster, though (I weigh 250 pounds for context). There are five speeds you can adjust via the bike’s thumb pad controller located on the left handle.
In the event a replacement is needed, the motor is easy to replace as part of the wheel. Used Electric Schwinn TailwindThis bike is electrically assisted by a motor in the front wheel and has a battery pack in a rear rack. The lithium ion battery pack weighs 6 pounds and is about 15 inches long by 6 inches wide. First, after sliding it into place on the luggage rack, it is supposed to lock into place by flipping down its red handle.