” than a group that actually understood electric bikes, or even had a real mission for this bike. You have to turn the switch on first, then turn on the bike from the handlebars. I suspect this is designed to reduce battery drain when idle, but it doesn’t really work. 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. This bike is powered by a small front hub motor. The controller for it is zip tied on a fork tube. Overall, given the fundamental shift I have seen in my personal bike riding habits this past summer, I very much enjoy having an e-bike. Most Schwinn e-bikes include wide tires, which provide extra grip and stability. They also provide a smooth ride for added comfort – a great feature when you can ride farther than ever before. Oh, and don’t expect a single bit of support from Schwinn or Toshiba. Neither one wants anything to do with this bike anymore, and they won’t help you a single bit. If you need to bring the pack inside to charge, you’ll love this setup. What makes me excited about the bike is the possibilities that it opens up, but like a lot of aspects of this bike, it's something of a double-edged sword. Electric bikes are a ton of fun and I've had a great time this summer riding them. As an avid cyclist who commuted to and from the train for years in the past, I see e-bikes as a very reasonable step forward in commuting. With 2.6? tires, you’ve got a lot of air and rubber under you to tackle more than just well-manicured bicycle lanes. 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. Aluminum frame with formed top tube design provides plenty of clearance. But of course half the fun of riding a bike is using your own power for propulsion (or at least sharing the load). So I usually found myself keeping it in the second or third pedal assist level out of five total levels. But while the Schwinn EC1 isn’t a fancy cruiser, it is a comfortable and pleasurable ride. Go faster than last year (and the year before that!) with one of our zippy electric bikes. E-bikes put extra power behind every pedal so you can ride further, faster, and over steeper hills on your journey to health and happiness. That means the motor is located on the rear hub and works by spinning the back wheel. This creates the feeling of being pushed – it’s that extra boost of energy e-bikes are famous for. Battery range and top speed can vary depending on rider height and weight, and riding conditions like hills or wind. That adds a nice nighttime glow to the bike to give you better side visibility – an area where most bikes are lacking. Easily recharge in as little as 4 hours with a standard household outlet and the included charging cable. E-bike batteries can be removed for charging or storage. It doesn’t make much sense to me for an electric bike - the focus on fast charging and a high power density chemistry on a bike that really doesn’t need much power is hard to understand. The only thing I can think is that they hoped it would become a delivery fleet bike or something - but a decent delivery rider would absolutely smoke this bike in any terrain. It makes sense, if you’re Toshiba and want to advertise this fancy battery chemistry you’re gearing up to produce, though. That being said, the small-ish 250W motor isn’t going to be a powerhouse on hills. The bike accelerates fine on flat ground, but you’ll definitely need to add some leg assist if you’re going to be climbing tall hills. Speaking of which, check out my video below to see the bike’s performance and features in action, including those cool frame lights. 6-speed twist shifter offers smooth, reliable gear changes. 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. That's a big difference when you're picking up the bike to turn it around or put it on a car rack. A 7-speed transmission from Microshift also adds to the commuter street-cred, giving those in hilly areas the ability to run through the gears on hills. It looks just odd enough for drivers to take a second look in a “what the heck is that thing? A second look is invaluable as a rider, where we’d often even be grateful for a first look from drivers. Before we get into the e-bike itself, I want to take a moment to talk about e-bike ownership and what it has meant for me. I mentioned the shunning of my trusty Trek bike in lieu of my e-bikes this summer, but the reason for that has been life-changing for me. I've been using an electric bike and a shoulder bag for most of my shopping "can you grab me XYZ from Target" runs. In general, if purchased on the Schwinn website, your new bike will be shipped within hours of being ordered and should arrive within 7-10 days.