The bike offers a seven-speed gear range, with a derailleur and double-trigger shifter from Microshift. The rear hub motor offers assist levels of 0-5, with 0 being no assist and 5 being the maximum assist. Of course, I wanted to try the assist, and when I did, I found that I never needed more than level 1 to roll at a comfortable trail speed. But it being a midweek day, I had the trail mostly to myself and was able to test all the assist levels — learning that the bike could indeed do the advertised maximum assist speed of 20 mph. The electronics on this bike include a 250W brushless hub drive motor and a 313Wh battery.
It’s got 3 buttons, up down and a power/enter button in the middle. The battery fits inside the bottom tube of the bike which gives it a sleek look. While it’s been a popular mode of transportation for decades, the Amish have caught on to how e-bikes are a great, low-cost way to get around.
We found that it doesn’t lock very securely, and riding over bumpy pavement can cause it to slip so that it loses its electrical connection. 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. The riding position is comfortably upright but still able to lean into things off-road. It still lets you stand if you’re trying to get up a particularly steep part of a hill or over a rough section on the trail.
The downside is this bike feels about as heavy as a light-armored vehicle. 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.
But it’s one of the least expensive ones you can buy from a bike company. Respectfully, most of the e-bikes you find online come from companies with alphabet-soup for names that may sell just as many portable batteries as they do e-bikes. If you’re using an e-bike to commute or run errands, or if it’s a particularly hot day, the throttle might be a better way to go. The throttle is a thumb lever on the left side of the bike, next to the LED panel. It has about an inch of travel between off and full, and you can push the throttle part way down or all the way down. Overall, I think Schwinn needs to better balance its approach when it comes to the motor and how hard it pushes, especially when it has a full charge.
With a top speed of 20mph and the choice of pedal-assist or throttle power modes, you will have plenty of choices when it comes to unleashing the power of the motor. The MicroShift components offer great value at this price point, as does the KMC chain and 42T crank. Overall, given the schwinn ebike fundamental shift I have seen in my personal bike riding habits this past summer, I very much enjoy having an e-bike. The Coston e-bike is a good example of that in a much more approachable price range than some others. The LED controls are nice, but also missing some functionality.
As reviewed, the bike didn’t have much in the way of storage, but other models have a rear rack and even storage in the seat. Speaking of the seat, it’s not the most comfortable I’ve ridden on, but that’s easy enough to replace with a third-party seat if you like. The Schwinn Coston CE is very much a commuter electric bike, but it’s not one of those thin-wheeled messenger e-bikes. We have a video that details electric bike assembly and with a few basic tools you’ll be out and about in a matter of minutes.
Luckily, it doesn’t have to be an exhaustive and daunting task to pick the best electric bike. Riders of all ability levels and all shapes and sizes can pretty easily determine the best e-bike for them with just a few minutes of reading and research. Over the years, Schwinn has empowered millions of people, earning a special place in the hearts and minds of generations of riders. We have spent over a century building the bicycle industry into what it is today, and we’re not done yet.
Hitting curbs or potholes will be smoother than most pure commuter bikes, especially considering the inclusion of the front suspension fork and suspension seat post. 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 bike also has a throttle, meaning that when I engaged it, the bike rolled without being pedaled. But I wasn’t looking for a free ride; I wanted the exercise, so I didn’t plan to make much use of the throttle.
I think I would prefer something a little more concrete like a numeric display, especially given the range anxiety you can get while riding this bike, but again, some indicator is better than none. 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, schwinn dealers plus you can cycle through other functions like an odometer, tripometer, and other stats like average speed, max speed, and total ride time. The first thing you’ll notice about the Coston CE e-bike is that is built like a tank, which is both good and bad. It’s good because everything on the bike feels solid and borderline rugged.