What we’re riding: It ain’t your parents’ Schwinn Axios NW Arkansas

There are two menus here, the left chart shows five dots that indicate 0-5 level of pedal assist. The higher you go, the zippier and faster the motor will spin but it will also draw more power, depleting your battery more quickly. The second chart is a battery level indicator showing five dots, each representing a 20% drop.

On my older e-bike (also a Schwinn) I get about the same 20 miles of range at level 5, but I also get closer to 40 miles at level 3. The Coston e-bike is controlled with a handlebar-mounted LED panel with three buttons on the side. The panel displays your speed and power level, plus you can cycle through other functions like an odometer, tripometer, and other stats like average speed, max speed, and total ride time.

The Schwinn GSE or “GSElectric” is an electric bike that was sold from 2007 to 2009 in a couple of different forms. There was a cruiser style frame and the city commuter “World” setup you see here. Although it is becoming harder to find, many of these are still on the road with their original high quality Lithium Polymer battery packs.

Whatever you want to do on your e-bike, and whatever type of riding you intend to do, we’ve got you covered. I mostly used the motor in pedal-assist mode, though I will cover the throttle in the next section. The motor on this bike is very aggressive in that is starts up quickly with even the slightest movement of the pedal, and it goes hard. When riding with level 5 assistance my pedals were free-spinning most of the time even on the highest gear. The motion of the pedal is necessary to engage the motor in pedal-assist mode, but I rarely felt like I was assisting the motor except on the steepest hills and that was only when I was in the highest gear.

Sadly, there is no single and simple answer to this question. Each electric bike conversion kit works in a different way and therefore fits onto your bike in a different way too. If you want a monetary answer to this question, then there are ways to work out whether the investment is worth it. Take a moment to think about your current car usage and work out the cost per day/mile, including fuel, parking and running costs. Try to work out how many journeys, days or miles you will use the bike for after it is converted.

You can browse their selection online, and they also offer a great deal of helpful information about assessing a bike’s condition. Before they are sold, all the bikes are tuned up by professional bicycle mechanics. If you’re interested in purchasing an antique or vintage bicycle made by this iconic company, you’ll have plenty of options. Price varies significantly, depending on the condition, age, scarcity, and desirability of the model. Whether you’re looking for a fixer-upper or want a bike in mint condition, there are plenty of places to shop.

The LED controls are nice, but also missing some functionality. That is not the case with this e-bike and I think it comes down to a question of power management. Even at level 3 assistance, my pedals are free spinning in 7th gear. The only time you’ll ever need to balance power output would be if you were planning on doing an entire 20 miles without charging.

A comfortable, cruiser style electric bicycle with classic styling Schwinn, made only in the approachable step-thru frame style and one frame size, but you get four bold color choices, matching fenders, and a rack. The Bafang Max mid-motor is efficient, extremely quiet, and capable of climbing steeper hills if…… Nothing feels cheap, plastic-y, or vulnerable to quick failure. You also get two different frame sizes to choose from, which is a big upgrade over the single one-size-fits-all frames that many e-bike companies still offer.

In fact, we’re pretty sure you’ll end up preferring it to your old bicycle. While you can ride in light rain or snow if needed, it is not recommended to expose the e-bike to water, as this may damage the battery and other electric components. While riding, press the thumb throttle button to activate the motor without pedaling.

These are essentially small electric motorcycles with pedals merely as decoration. They’re not really e-bikes, and they schwinn electric bike might not be legal in most places.You might also find some high-power e-bikes that allow for a manual override of the regulator. In the world of electric bikes, there are a lot of brands you may not have ever heard of. There’s been a boom going on for a while, so new brands are popping up all the time. Not only that but Europe, and especially the US, are playing catch-up to the trend of electric bikes. You will probably stumble across a lot of unfamiliar brand names.