The Marshall is a bit more sporty for off-road and on. The Coston CE and DX are more at home on the pavement. Schwinn has been making bicycles for over 100 years. It’s easy to see the affordable quality when you see a Schwinn.
There are electric cruiser bikes, cargo bikes, mountain bikes, and fat tire schwinn ebike bikes for riding on sand or snow. Not only is it one of the most affordable electric bikes you can buy, but Schwinn backs it with a lifetime warranty on the frame and fork, along with a two-year warranty on the battery and electric-assisted parts. Unbeknownst to me, the company has a line of electric bikes designed for entry-level cyclists.
I am what is politely known as a “budget conscious” person. Shipping took a little over a week, but soon enough the UPS truck was at my door and unloading my first ever e-bike. Attach the quick release front wheel, handlebars, and seat, then plug in the battery to get it charged up. The next morning, all was in readiness, so I set off for my first Schwinn e-bike ride. The AIR power pack simply clips onto the handlebars via mount provided (which fits ANY handlebars), and can be instantly attached or removed providing discreet and lightweight power as you ride.
It also managed to get coverage in a lot of business-focused magazines – which is unusual for an electric bike. A tough, well-balanced, affordably priced, single-speed electric bike from a well established brand, available in three frame sizes for improved fit, sporty forward-leaning geometry. No suspension elements but the fork is steel which provides some vibration dampening properties and……
By 1979, even the Paramount had been passed, technologically speaking, by a new generation of American as well as foreign custom bicycle manufacturers. I always thought electric bikes let you pedal at you own speed with the motor helping out. They go at whatever speed they are set for and you turn the pedals to keep the power flowing to the hub motor. 1 was a little slow, 2 was just about right, 3 sent me whizzing along faster than I could pedal.
That it’s also one of the more inexpensive e-bikes on the market makes the Monroe 250 an excellent choice for anyone buying their first e-bike or looking to add to their lineup. The Monroe 250 is also quite heavy at nearly 45 pounds. For comparison, my main bike — the REI Co-op Cycles CTY 2.1 — is bigger and weighs just over 30 pounds. The added weight makes the Monroe a pain to lug into my basement for storage. Fortunately, when riding, I can’t tell that it weighs more than my other bikes. Some of the added weight is attributed to the battery, which checks in at about six pounds.
Riding this bike is easy enough, once you remember to turn the key on. Turn the key on back at the battery pack, then turn the handlebar controller on (if you want the assist), get on, and start riding. The second thing to notice is the battery pack removal lever. If you have a key on an electric bike with an expensive, exotic battery pack, it might make sense to lock the pack into the bike somehow. You have to turn the switch on first, then turn on the bike from the handlebars.
On flat ground, the bike is heavy but livable without the assist. The rear hub shifts quickly, and it’s nice to have a full range of gears without having to think too much about it (though, my commuter build also has this feature). It’s impossible to get the chain crossed up or do anything bad to this setup. As is standard for geared ebike motors, it has no significant rolling resistance when the wheel is turning faster than the motor. It’s not a bad choice for a small assist – it’s not going to cause any drag when you’re not using the assist, and it’s fairly light.