The crank is a three-piece 42T, mounted on the 6061 aluminum frame with internal cable routing. Slightly different again is the fork which is a 26” Hi-Ten steel, 100mm bolt-on. There are no fenders or a rear rack on the Marshall, which is one of the biggest differences between this Schwinn electric bike and the Schwinn Coston electric bike. Nothing feels cheap, plastic-y, or vulnerable to quick failure. You also get two different frame sizes to choose from, which is a big upgrade over the single one-size-fits-all frames that many e-bike companies still offer.
Most places are fine with class 1 e-bikes, but different municipalities have different rules pertaining to class 2 and above. When you think about EVs, you probably (rightly) think of cars. But there’s another class of EV that might have slipped below schwinn dealers your radar, but which has transformed my summer in very unexpected ways. The bike was provided by Schwinn for the purposes of the review. However, the same 250W brushless geared hub drive motor is present, as well as the 7-function LCD controller.
Despite my desire to only bike for exercise, I do admit I get lazy sometimes. When I finally started riding, I discovered that I couldn’t be completely lazy. You can’t just sit on the bike and have it zoom you around town — you actually have to pedal to engage the electric motor.
Riding this Schwinn without the pedal assistance on is, as you’d expect, just like riding any other bike… This electric bike has a seven-speed gear system, so the bike adapts easily to riding on hilly terrain. Featuring mechanical disc brakes, this bicycle comes to a halt fast. With mustache-style handlebars, this bicycle is quite ergonomic. It runs for up to 45 miles before requiring recharging and charges fully in about 4 hours. A display on the handlebar showcases the power modes and battery info.
The 250 watt motor can’t push much up bigger hills but it’s a lovely help when you’re pedalling. I spend most of my time on dirt roads in assist level 2 in 2nd or 3rd gear. For the big hills it was a quick shift to the nice, easy first gear.