As a commuter e-bike, I’m also glad to see some good commuter specific parts, like the included fenders and the excellent lighting. Not only do you get typical head and taillights, but you also have LED frame lights built into the sides of the battery. That adds a nice nighttime glow to the bike to give you better side visibility – an area where most bikes are lacking. Of course, the premier feature of this e-bike is the “e” part. This is a class 1/class 2 e-bike in that it can be a pedal-assist bike up to 20 mph or you can use a dedicated throttle lever without pedaling. You will want to check your local regulations to find out what is legal in your area.
If mid-drive seems overwhelming, this is an excellent option. One of the easiest ways to convert a bike to electric is to swap out the front wheel for one with a front hub motor. This is the approach that Swytch takes, but there’s more to a good system than just a motor and battery. From our time testing and reviewing it, it’s clear to us that the team behind Swytch has considered the whole system in its design. There is a slick-looking 250-watt motor with a single battery in the base kit.
We recommend choosing to convert a bike that has disc brakes as they will provide far better braking performance. Different products come with different battery sizes and various motor powers, but as an example, if your e-bike conversion kit has a 250-watt motor, and it has a 500Wh battery, it will last for two hours at full power. If you’re on a tighter budget than the Cytronex or Swytch allow for, then as we mentioned above, getting a kit from Chinese manufacturer Bafang may be a better option. Plus, if you like the idea of an electric bike conversion kit but just don’t want to have to deal with the added complexity of a mid-drive setup, then the Bafang Front Hub kit makes things much easier.
On my long rides on a hybrid bike, I averaged 15 mph but once I got going, I realized 20 mph isn’t a big deal. Similar to how you can change gears on a multi-speed bike, you can choose how much the motor assists you, too. If you’re having trouble going up a hill, just increase the assistance to maintain your speed.
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. There are five speeds you can adjust via the bike’s thumb pad controller located on the left handle.
Some E-bikes can reach speeds of approximately 20-28mph, and can be ridden on public roads and off-road for environmental hikes. It’s understandable that you might not want to take on the arduous task of fitting your electric bike conversion kit yourself. You might not have the tools, the know-how, the confidence, or simply the time to invest. Luckily, almost all bike shops will be happy to fit it for you. The second question is to assess the state of your current bike.
Lastly, check whether or not the system is compatible with the bike you plan to fit it onto. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, think about getting a quote for installation from a reputable bike shop. Swapping either a front or rear wheel for one with a hub-mounted motor is a good balance. The conversion process is very simple and, depending on how the battery mounts, the weight distribution can be quite good. Powering the wheel does change the way the power delivery feels, and making the front wheel heavy can affect the handling of the bike.
Turning takes a little bit to get used to as it is a little more top-heavy than a regular bike with the battery. The battery is a 288 watt-hour battery built with cells which takes about 4 hours to charge. In this case, the 2.6″ fat tires on the bike have a tendency to grab and throw particles from the road, so I was grateful to have them. Indeed, they saved me a lot of grief when I got onto gravel pathways and when it rained. The battery locks in under the frame of the bike, and the front wheel/fender tended to get in the way when removing or reinstalling the battery. One feature I liked was a secondary tab you need to retract to remove the battery. That way, when you unlock the battery it doesn’t just fall out.
The battery has to be on before turning the bike on which got me the first time I tried. The Marshall looks like a mountain bike with a comfy cruiser feel to it. A step-thru version offers a slightly lower top bar than the regular version. The features like the neat integrated lighting are rarely seen in the industry and are a definite win.
If you’re looking for a solid ebike to help you get around on-road and off, definitely check out the Schwinn Marshall. I’d like to see an ebike have a powered tail light so I don’t have to remember to test the batteries. I’m assuming with the design it’s tough to power anything schwinn beach cruiser on the back without a rack. By default, the console shows the battery left, speed, total distance and pedal assist level. We tested the Marshall electric bike on pavement, gravel and dirt to see how Schwinn’s new models stack up against the growing number of ebike options.