However, the support process was slow and it took a long time for them to respond to my queries. Even after receiving an automated response with a ticket number, I had to wait for days, sometimes even weeks, to get a response from them. Just click the 2-part magnet disc onto your pedals, and stick the sensor to the frame to detect when you are pedalling.
So, while my doctor, my therapist, and I all unpack that, this is my full review of the Coston CE e-bike from Schwinn. Zip between classes and haul your stuff with ease on a hybrid. With features like cargo racks and suspension forks, they combine function and comfort for the perfect campus ride. That bike has been sitting outside in the rain, and sun, and salt air for 5 years now and has been remarkably unfazed by being neglected. But I felt it was time to join the move to e-bikes. I did a Google search for “cruiser e-bikes” and found a link to the Schwinn website.
A few participants began designing and building small numbers of mountain bikes with frames made out of modern butted chrome-molybdenum alloy steel. Using the standard electro-forged cantilever frame, and fitted with five-speed derailleur gears and knobby tires, the Klunker 5 was never heavily marketed, and was not even listed in the Schwinn product catalog. Unlike its progenitors, the Klunker proved incapable of withstanding hard off-road use, and after an unsuccessful attempt to reintroduce the model as the Spitfire 5, it was dropped from production. The Coston CE is a hybrid e-bike with several frame sizes available in both step-thru and stand over styles.
I suspect this is designed to reduce battery drain when idle, but it doesn’t really work. There’s not a great spot for the wheel lock key, though you can sort of wedge it into the frame if you try. After leaving the cemetery, I pedaled a county road that unrolls over five hilltops with valleys in between. On the downhills, I went to 0 assist and flew down, hitting 36 mph on one of them. In each case I pedaled unassisted part way up the next climb, moving to a numbered assist level only when gravity began to bite.
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. Of course, the premier feature of this e-bike is the “e” part.
This is a schwinn beach cruiser 6-7 year old bike, and my particular example has been ridden a good bit, so it’s not in perfect condition. But I can still review it and provide some feedback on it for people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to find anything recent. Or, at least, get some good detail photos of parts otherwise not covered. On a subsequent test climb, I experimented with the throttle while not pedaling at all. The throttle kept the bike moving, but as I neared the summit, the speed became so slow that I would have fallen over had I not started pedaling. That struck me as about right, for as I said before, I wasn’t looking for a free ride.
The only hitch I encountered was when installing the front fender. Even at the highest position, the underside of the fender rubbed on the tire, and this was before I pumped the tire up to the recommended pressure. Upgrading to a larger capacity battery will allow you cover greater distances and/or ride for a longer period before needing to recharge. Without knobby tires, the Marshall isn’t going too far into mud or snow, but it is great for easier trails and dirt roads. My testing has been done on gravel roads and wet, muddy trails at around 5° C with a bit of snow on the ground. There’s a port in the side of the frame where you can charge it without removing, or you can use the keys to pull out battery and charge separately.