Mountain bikes were originally based on Schwinn balloon-tired cruiser bicycles fitted with derailleur gears and called “Klunkers”. A few participants began designing and building small numbers of mountain bikes with frames made out of modern butted chrome-molybdenum alloy steel. Using the standard electro-forged cantilever frame, and fitted with five-speed derailleur gears and knobby tires, the Klunker 5 was never heavily marketed, schwinn ebike and was not even listed in the Schwinn product catalog. Unlike its progenitors, the Klunker proved incapable of withstanding hard off-road use, and after an unsuccessful attempt to reintroduce the model as the Spitfire 5, it was dropped from production. The most simple options, and thus the fastest electric bike conversion kits to install, are the friction-drive kits, such as the Rubbee X, which place a roller onto your rear tyre.
It took me about an hour to unpack the bike, remove all the protective packaging and then assemble it. The one potential problem is the weight of the bike, with the rear hub motor (from CZJB motor maker) and the in-frame battery already in place. In my case, I left it outside the box and had no trouble installing the front wheel. Unbeknownst to me, the company has a line of electric bikes designed for entry-level cyclists. Feature rich, relatively affordable, light weight electric bike from ~2009 well suited for city use. Lithium polymer battery pack is fast to charge, easily removable and balanced with the front……
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). Schwinn includes a battery charger with the bike, which plugs into any standard wall outlet you’d have in your home, apartment, or office. To take the battery out of the bike, use the included key to release it, then plug the charger into the battery and then into the wall.
Lithium is known for being light weight and since this pack is also relatively small at 266 watts vs. 360 or so, it helps to keep the overall weight of the bike down. The pack has a built in handle and LED light readout for a quick estimate of remaining battery capacity. The pack locks to the frame and does require the key to be left in to a second slot in order to be used. This is a definite con as your keys can jingle around when riding making them and the bike frame more vulnerable to damage and scratches. All in all, even though this is a rear-mount battery design vs. a more balanced mid-mount it works pretty well and the rack is very useful for bags or panniers, having standard gauge tubing and side blockers.
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. The new frame and component technology incorporated in the Paramount largely failed to reach Schwinn’s mass-market bicycle lines. W. Schwinn, grandson Frank Valentine Schwinn took over management of the company.
There’s a port in the side of the frame where you can charge it without removing, or you can use the keys to pull out battery and charge separately. It looks just odd enough for drivers to take a second look in a “what the heck is that thing? A second look is invaluable as a rider, where we’d often even be grateful for a first look from drivers. It may not compete head to head with many of the direct-to-consumer companies, but it represents a big jump for Schwinn’s e-bike line and may just fit the right commuter looking for an e-bike with these features.