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. When Schwinn contacted me about reviewing one of the bikes, I chose the Coston DX in the step-thru version, which makes for easy mounting. It also has upgraded fenders, a rear rack and a unique storage saddle that opens like a clamshell with the hinge in the nose and has room for your wallet, phone, energy bars or a multi-tool. All three models have headlights, taillights and integrated downtube lights for full visibility. Riding around on electric bikes might feel a little surprising at first, but most people who try it love it.
Aluminum cruiser frame provides lightweight durability with a vintage-inspired look that never goes out of style. Plus, the comfortable upright riding position makes riding a delight. Front and rear mechanical schwinn dealers disc brakes deliver all-weather stopping power and speed control. With just 288 Wh of capacity, the battery surprised me, and not in a good way. Sure, I’ve seen plenty of e-bikes with 288 Wh batteries before.
Press the power button to turn it on, which will enable use of the motor, lights, and other electronics. That being said, the more you ride the Coston, the more it feels less sturdy than you first thought. The seat post has a tendency to slide under weight, and the fenders and other elements feel a bit cheap and rattly. That’s surprising, considering Schwinn’s reputation for quality.
Longer distances and steep hills are no problem when you have a pedal assist motor and throttle to add a little extra oomph to your ride. The standard batteries that come on our Marshall, Coston CE and Coston DX bikes are good for up to 45 miles of riding. But Schwinn knows many riders want to go farther, so we developed higher capacity batteries that are super easy to install (you’ll only need a screwdriver). These additional batteries extend the riding distance up to 80 miles on both our Coston and Marshall series of bikes. That means the motor is located on the rear hub and works by spinning the back wheel.
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. The bike should have an estimated range of 18 miles without pedalling.
It’s just that they’re usually on smaller, lightweight e-bikes that push the needle considerably less on the scale. The controller can be thought of as schwinn beach cruiser the brain of the system. Regardless of the type of motor in the system, the controller takes rider input and communicates it to the battery and motor.
Integrated LED lights on the battery add to the sleek, modern look while helping others to see you on low light rides. Integrated headlights and battery operated taillights are also included for improved see and be-seen visibility. You can turn the lights on and off with a button on the handlebar controller.
And when it comes to serious hills, the Coston gets left far behind other e-bikes. The Schwinn Coston DX is a Class 2 e-bike, which means that it has a throttle that is capable of reaching up to 20 mph without pedaling. Its motor is hub-mounted, and it has a 360-watt-hour battery.
Press and hold the + button for 3 seconds to turn on just the headlight. This bike comes equipped with front, rear, and bottom lights. The front and rear lights are attached to the fenders while the bottom lights are part of the battery itself. If it’s a bright night and you just want some visibility, the bottom lights work well.
Your e-bike comes with a battery, a charger, and a charging cord. Plug the cord into the charger, then plug it into the battery and, finally, plug it into the wall. The battery can be charged while it is on the bike, or you can remove it to charge the battery in a different location, like your office after commuting to work. A light located on the battery will turn on to let you know that it’s charging properly. 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.