At level 5, the throttle propels you up to 20 miles per hour and disengages if you go faster than that (for example, if you go downhill). Class 2 e-bikes are required to stop assistance past 20 miles per hour. Level 1 throttle tops out at around 10 mph while level 5 will give you the full 20 mph. So to offer a full-size electric bike with otherwise nice commuter features yet with such a small battery is a bit surprising.
On flat roads, shifting gears will allow you to put more or less effort into your ride as you please, allowing for a lot of levity in the experience. We didn’t clock our speeds, but the bike can supposedly top about 15 miles per schwinn road bike hour on flat ground with the pedal-assist on, and that sounds about right to us. Even though this electric bike offers 24 speeds (and thus has grip shifters on the left and right handle bars) the cockpit is relatively clean.
One upside to a front hub motor is that it reduces the complexity of the rear wheel which usually has cogs and a derailleur already crowding the space. One thing I would have liked to see on the front wheel with this ebike is a quick release as this is offered at schwinn road bike the back and also on the seat tube and it just makes servicing easier. Considering there is an aluminum alloy suspension fork on the front of this bike, I’m glad the motor isn’t too powerful or it miay negatively impact travel and perhaps even weaken this part.
There are a few things to know about the motor itself in action. First, if you stop pedaling, after a few seconds, the pedal assist will shut down — until you begin pedaling again, which will kick it back on. These things do take some getting used to, but with repeated tests became expected, second schwinn mountain bike nature behaviors of the bike. The battery, which cannot be plugged in or charged while attached to the bike, is advertised as lasting up to 30 miles per charge. Then again — the bike is still a functioning piece of equipment once the battery is dead, so maybe we should all stop being so lazy.
Otherwise, the headlight is adjustable to your preference, and the rear light is built into the fender itself. The battery locks in under the frame of the bike, and the front wheel/fender tended to get in the way when removing or reinstalling the battery. One feature I liked was a secondary tab you need to retract to remove the battery. That way, when you unlock the battery it doesn’t just fall out. Some thought was put into the idea there and I appreciated it.
After we receive it, we will send you a 100% tested Refilled Higher Capacity Battery Pack to you. One of our specialties is being able to replace and repair e-bike batteries that are no longer supported by their manufacturer. We’ve had many Schwinn Tailwind batteries come through the shop and we rebuild them as 24 V 14 Ah batteries using fresh lithium ion cells to get it running like new again. The Tailwind originally came out in 2009 and had about a 30 mile range with the battery. If degradation has led to an unacceptable range decrease, let us rebuild your battery so you can cover the distances you need without anxiety.