Laurent Jalabert was one of the most notable cyclists in the ONCE Team. By 1998, with Mike Burrows, Giant refined the design for racing by the professional ONCE team. This was only after initial resistance by the Union Cycliste Internationale and subsequent amendment to its regulations to allow for bicycles with a sloping top tube.
First-time electric bike buyers have a number of great options at Schwinn, especially at the relatively low price tags. In addition, the mechanical disc brakes (with 160mm rotors) give plenty of stopping power. Healy Ridge’s 250W motor and 280Wh battery offer a range of 25 miles, and the maximum speed on this bike can reach 20mph. Now, the Healy Ridge bikes are not what we’re used to seeing when it comes to electric mountain bikes, but they are perfect for beginners. As opposed to the Marshall Hi-Ten steel fork with 100mm of travel, the Coston CE has a 27.5” steel suspension fork with 63mm of travel.
At the very top of the Schwinn electric bike range is the Coston DX. This electric bike is available as step-through and standover options that cover everything from the morning commute to the evening trail ride. More powerful than all the other Schwinn e-bikes, the Coston DX has a 360Wh battery with schwinn dealers a 45-mile range and a top speed of 20mph. Its 288 Wh battery is internally housed in the downtube and can power the Marshall for 35 miles per charge (which takes just 4 hours). The motor is a 250W brushless geared hub drive motor, and you can control all the power from the 7-function LCD controller.
For those who are truly concerned about damage or theft, consider the cheaper Schwinn Monroe 250 which isn’t as powerful, but costs $300 less and still looks great. Perhaps you’re the type of person who lives up stairs and wants to store the entire bike inside? That’s going to be easy with either of these e-bikes because of the wide open triangle and straight top tube. The bike is very well balanced front to rear and even has enough room inside the triangle for a bottle cage mount, which could also work for a folding lock, mini-pump, or other standard accessory. This is especially true if you add a rear rack or fenders because you’ll have to swing your leg even higher. The Monroe 350 uses mechanical disc brakes vs. hydraulic activation with smaller 160 mm rotors vs. 180 and the motor is more efficient and smooth than truly powerful.
The balance with the the battery takes a bit to get used to but then it’s all fun anywhere you go. Then cruising city streets the higher pedal assist and gears help you get up to the 20mph pedal assist limit. It’s easy to switch through the 7 gears with the twist or grip shift. I had to adjust my derailleur a bit on the first ride out so all the gears hit just right but once it was adjusted it was smooth.
The motor responds quickly to pedal assist once the bike is moving a bit, because there is only one gear and the first pedal strokes can be slow and more difficult to make. Many of the early electric bicycles I tested in 2012 and 2013 used low resolution five or six magnet sensors but the Monroe 250 and 350 have opted for a high-precision 12 magnet cadence sensor. This means that even though the motor won’t start instantly (for lack of a torque sensor) it will start and stop quickly enough to be safe and satisfying. During my ride tests, I found the most comfortable speed to pedal at was around 15 miles per hour. Riding slower than this had a slow lumbering cadence and around 20 mph I was having to spin quickly to keep up.
If you’re having trouble going up a hill, just increase the assistance to maintain your speed. Tailwind is a very apt name for this bike, as the motor gives a palpable assist when it kicks in. Because of the way the motor engages, after about five seconds of pedaling, the electric assist can come on unexpectedly, at least the first few times you ride this bike. But the motor doesn’t have nearly enough power to pull the bike along by itself, and you will find you are getting some exercise while riding it. The Schwinn Tailwind is one amongst a large number of electric bicycles available today, a segment gaining popularity due to interest in transportation alternatives to the car.
On slow steep hills or trails a lower gear with a bit of assist keeps you moving. The lowest gear is a nice big ring in the back for helping on those hills. We have a video that details electric bike assembly and with a few basic tools you’ll be out and about in a matter of minutes. We’ve also put together a guide for new electric bike riders that details each step you should take before you ride.
Available in both step-through and traditional layouts and intended to suit riders within a general height range of 5-foot-4 and 6-foot-4, the Coston seems to be largely geared toward families. Mechanical disc brakes help provide plenty of stopping schwinn ebike power, whereas one of the standout features is the rear rack which has a 55lb. There are no fenders or a rear rack on the Marshall, which is one of the biggest differences between this Schwinn electric bike and the Schwinn Coston electric bike.
When I first started riding electric Schwinns, I was largely limited to cruiser e-bikes. But with several new commuter-specific e-bikes like the Schwinn Coston CE that I recently tested, this household bicycle name is making a big move on the wider e-bike market. When it comes to buying things in the 21st century, we seem to have an embarrassment of riches.