A lock in the side of the battery pack turns the power on and off. A separate charger is included that can be plugged into any conventional AC wall outlet. Finally, the position of the plug connector for the battery pack means it can only be recharged when taken off the bike. It would be more convenient if it could be left in position on the bike and plugged in. While it could use a little boost to a 500 watt motor to help on the hills, the smaller motor keeps the price lower. If you’re looking for a solid ebike to help you get around on-road and off, definitely check out the Schwinn Marshall.
On the left bar, there’s the controller for the motor. It has a basic on/off toggle, a battery level indicator, and a power mode button that toggles between low, medium, and high. You can easily switch between power modes, and this is the closest thing to a throttle the bike has. Its throttle was so lackluster and slow — especially when compared with other bikes of a similar price class — that it sometimes didn’t feel like it was powered at all. Once you’re up to speed and cruising on a flat surface, the ride quality feels smooth and reasonably quick, but the motor struggles up moderate hills.
It’s one of the more affordable offroad ebikes we’ve tested, and it can go just about anywhere. This fat-tire ride has a 40.3-inch wheelbase and 20-inch wheels designed for trails and other unpaved surfaces, though its lack of shock absorbers means a rougher ride than with so-equipped e-bikes. Magna hydraulic brakes and a Bosch mid-drive motor were very responsive, though mongoose excursion the relatively small 20-inch tires and lack of suspension did make bumps feel a bit jarring. The Supercargo CL starts at around $6,000, but is incredibly customizable; you can select from a range of accessories to adapt the cargo area to suit your needs. If you’re looking for a fat-tire electric bike that’s less than $2,000, the Aventon Aventure.2 is hard to beat.
That youth-first attitude is fully embraced in our e-bike offerings as well. We’ve re-released some of our most loved, classic rides. Electrify your off-road adventures with a Schwinn electric mountain bike.
One of the most affordable e-bikes right now is Rad Power’s RadMission, a city bike with commuter potential. For $899, you get a stripped-down single-speed that moves along at 20 mph with a throttle to help you get up to speed or the top of punchy hills. Don’t expect to ride across the state on these bikes, either. The highest range in this list is 70 miles, but most average about 45. Like gas mileage in a car, real-world results vary depending on what assist level you use, terrain, and more.
And while most people don’t go for long rides on a cruiser, with the speed it propels riders to, making use of its 45-mi. The bike arrived in a standard bike box, but that was housed within an even larger outer box to protect the contents. 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. Some may find lifting it back into the box difficult. In my case, I left it outside the box and had no trouble installing the front wheel.
Normally, I’d hop in my car and zip down to the store, but this summer, I was able to stop using my car and start using my bike for almost everything. The front wheel can be easily removed for transport or storage. Based on the distance required to stop from the bike’s top speed.
Using a throttle will quickly eat up the battery life on the bike, so you’ll get far less of a range if you don’t want to pedal at all. Despite that, this bike was a real pleasure to ride. Its electric shifter responded near instantly, as did the pedal assist and throttle. However, while the G4i+ has daytime running lights, you’ll have to pay extra for a legit headlight, as well as mudguards. Also, the G4i+ has a great smartphone app, but one of the flimsiest methods of holding your phone on the bike itself — a cheap solution for a bike that costs $7,000.
Front and rear lights that run off a traditional tire-contact generator are included. The bike also has a caliper lock for the rear wheel. 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.