But there’s another class of EV that might have slipped below your radar, but which has transformed my summer in very unexpected ways. Of course, if you read the headline, you know I’m talking about electric bikes, and I’ve had the opportunity to test out Schwinn’s Coston CE electric bike for the past three weeks (and an older model before that). The bike was provided by Schwinn for the purposes of the review. The frame-mounted GO power pack fits anywhere on your frame via a set of velcro schwinn ebike straps, has just a single cable to plug in, and provides up to 378Wh of battery capacity ( GO++ upgrade version, miles range).
As a result, Schwinns became increasingly dated in both styling and technology. By 1957, the Paramount series, once a premier racing bicycle, had atrophied from a lack of attention and modernization. Aside from some new frame lug designs, the designs, methods and tooling were the same as had been used in the 1930s. The Paramount continued as a limited production model, built in small numbers in a small apportioned area of the old Chicago assembly factory.
It comes with dual-function pedals that have cages on one side and SPD clips on the other, so you can choose the footwear that’s best for you, plus they come with SPD cleats. The front stabilizer has integrated transport wheels that make moving this heavy bike easy. All feet have independent levelers to help stabilize the bike on uneven surfaces. An adjustment knob below the handlebar controls resistance, and there are 100 micro-adjustable levels of smooth, quiet magnetic resistance. In 1938, Frank W. Schwinn officially introduced the Paramount series. Developed from experiences gained in racing, Schwinn established Paramount as their answer to high-end, professional competition bicycles.
All three of the new Schwinn ebike models have step-thru and standover versions, 20mph speed limit and 250-watt brushless geared hub drive motor. It’s easy to ride the Marshall for hours at a time. The riding position is comfortably upright but still able to lean into things off-road. It still lets you stand if you’re trying to get up a particularly steep part of a hill or over a rough section on the trail.
This bike comes equipped with front, rear, and bottom lights. The front and rear lights are attached to the fenders while the bottom lights are part of the battery itself. If it’s a bright night and you just want some visibility, the bottom lights work well.
For most of my riding around trails and small paths in the city, the 32 km/h motor limit is plenty. For open road riding with traffic you may hit 32 km/h regularly. We tested the Marshall electric bike on pavement, gravel and dirt to see how Schwinn’s new models stack up against the growing number of ebike options. The low power motor is matched by a low capacity battery. With just 288 Wh of capacity, the battery surprised me, and not in a good way. Sure, I’ve seen plenty of e-bikes with 288 Wh batteries before.