The bike tops out at around 57 pounds, which is tank-like in the biking world. By comparison, my poor, neglected Trek bike weighs around 25 pounds. That’s a big difference when you’re picking up the bike to turn it around or put it on a car rack.
A handy power gauge gives you a constant idea of your remaining charge. A nice addition might have been estimated remaining mileage, speedometer, etc, but perhaps Schwinn will consider those options on later models. The whole package is aesthetically really old-timey looking — which will not please everybody, though we find it to be really quite charming. It’s surprisingly elegant, and though one friend described it as “goofy” looking, we think that its look suits the intended rider — but more on that below. For those not terribly familiar with electric bikes, the Schwinn’s battery charges up about as fast as its contemporaries on the market, and is actually much faster than many. The bike arrived in a standard bike box, but that was housed within an even larger outer box to protect the contents.
This handle also doesn’t provide enough room for your fingers when you are carrying the battery pack. Second, putting that weight over the rear wheel makes the Tailwind more likely to flip over when the bike is stopped suddenly. Our test bike’s front brakes were particularly grabby, causing an end-over incident during an emergency stop. We found the Tailwind works largely as advertised, with a nice assist while riding around town and a battery with a high capacity that recharges quickly.
Where an average bike weighs about 35 pounds, the Tailwind, as we mentioned, weighs 58 pounds. Of course — this bike does a lot more than your average bike, and its weight is actually fairly low for electric bikes (plus, we’re huge wimps). After you crank it on (okay, there’s no cranking involved — just a button schwinn ebike press), you’ll feel it kick in after maybe five seconds. It’s a bit jarring the first time or two, but that’s par for the course, and you’ll warm up to it quickly. Once the electric’s on, there are three modes of assistance to choose from on that left control panel — flat, downhill, and hill climbing.
If you’re looking for a great all-around e-bike that can do a little bit of everything, check out our Coston and Marshall e-bikes. Most of our e-bikes are available with both stand-over and step-thru frames, so you can pick the right frame style for you. Many e-bikes also include extra features like integrated lights, storage, fenders, rear racks, and more. You can even add your own extras with our selection of e-bike accessories, including water-resistant pannier bags and heavy-duty e-bike locks. It works by spinning the back wheel, creating the feeling of being pushed.
There is a battery life indicator on the left handlebar, and the Shimano Revo-shift lever — which controls what gear you’re in — on the right. Riding this Schwinn without the pedal assistance on is, as you’d expect, just like riding any other bike… That said, the ride is extremely smooth and comfortable (likely helped by that excess weight), and it’s obvious by the design that the bike has an eye schwinn dealers on casual cruising — and it definitely delivers that. The Schwinn Tailwind uses a Shimano eight-speed gearset in the rear hub, its limited gear ratio making the bike mostly suitable for flat areas. Cantilever brakes grab the rims for stopping power, although with the price of this bike, we would expect disc brakes. Front and rear lights that run off a traditional tire-contact generator are included.
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.
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 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.
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.