After charging up the battery, sliding it into the rack system at the back of the bike (which could not be simpler), and locking it into place, you’re ready to go. The bike comes with a key which both locks the battery in place and enables the bike to be turned on. There is a battery life indicator on the left handlebar, and the Shimano Revo-shift lever — which controls what gear you’re in — on the right.
Our e-bikes use lithium-ion batteries for their electrical stability, storage capacity, longevity, and lighter weight. The battery is easy to recharge with a standard household outlet and the included charging cable. The Schwinn Tailwind uses a Shimano eight-speed gearset in the rear hub, its limited gear ratio making the bike mostly suitable for flat areas.
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.
Some of the added weight is attributed to the battery, which checks in at about six pounds. As mentioned above, you do have to start pedaling to engage the electric assistance though you don’t have to pedal much to approach max speeds. Nonetheless, I wish there was a way to zip around town without having to pedal at all. Despite my desire to only bike for exercise, I do admit I get lazy sometimes. Despite my weight and the strain it put on the motor, I found that the bike really does have a 45-mile range on a single charge. I didn’t have a chance to precisely time how long the battery takes to charge from empty but it recharged completely overnight or during a full workday.
Well, let’s just say it really, seriously provides assistance. After you crank it on (okay, there’s no cranking involved — just a button press), you’ll feel it kick in after maybe five seconds. It’s a bit jarring the first time or two, but that’s par for the course, and you’ll warm up to it quickly. Once the electric’s on, there are three modes of assistance to choose from on that left control panel — flat, downhill, and hill climbing. On flat riding roads, where we did most of our testing, the assistance creates an experience where, though you still need to pedal, you can definitely feel a substantial amount of help from the motor. We’re not saying it’s without effort, but it’s a greatly reduced effort.
The bike tops out at around 57 pounds, which is tank-like in the biking world. By comparison, my poor, neglected Trek bike weighs schwinn mountain bicycles 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.
On flat roads, we found the assist useful, helping the bike along with minimal pedal input required. The gears allow you to put in as much physical exertion as you feel like. From a stop, it’s good to have the bike in low gear, otherwise starting out can be difficult, made more so by the fact the motor won’t kick in until you’ve been pedaling. There is a company called Rechargeable Power Energy (RPE) that can repack and restore your original battery. I have heard good things about them, that they perform this service for mainstream ebike manufacturers and double check the circuits when performing a restore or upgrade. Check out their website and give them a ring, I hope this helps because I don’t think Schwinn sells batteries for t his ebike anymore.