The panel displays your speed and power level, plus you can cycle through other functions like an odometer, tripometer, and other stats like average speed, max speed, and total ride time. I mostly used the motor in pedal-assist mode, though I will cover the throttle in the next section. The motor on this bike is very aggressive in that is starts up quickly with even the slightest movement of the pedal, and it goes hard. When riding with level 5 assistance my pedals were free-spinning most of the time even on the highest gear. 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.

Then again -- the bike is still a functioning piece of equipment once the battery is dead, so maybe we should all stop being so lazy. 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. Cantilever brakes grab the rims for stopping power, although with the price of this bike, we would expect disc brakes. Front and rear lights that run off a traditional tire-contact generator are included. Of course, some of that weight is in the 288-watt battery which Schwinn adversities as being good for up to 35 miles of range.

Please know that we have free shipping for all orders over $49, that we have a live chat option available Monday through Friday, and Schwinn has a limited lifetime warranty on all our bikes. When it comes to buying things in the 21st century, we seem to have an embarrassment of riches. Luckily, it doesn't have to be an exhaustive and daunting task to pick the best electric bike. Riders of all ability levels and all shapes and sizes can pretty easily determine the best e-bike for them with just a few minutes of reading and research. 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.

But even the mid- to low-end Shimano parts are perfectly fine for this level of bike. The Schwinn EC1 is one of those simple e-bikes that can reliably bring a smile to your face. This item is offered by one of our Exchange Plus partners – a trusted, third-party company that ships directly to you when you order on ShopMyExchange.com. The Exchange sells and handles payments for this item, and you can track the status on your Exchange order details page.

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. While it could use a little boost to a 500 watt motor to help on the hills, the smaller motor keeps the price lower.

By default, the console shows the battery left, speed, total distance and pedal assist level. Then cruising city streets the higher pedal assist and gears help you get up to the 20mph pedal assist limit. It’s easy to switch through the 7 gears with the twist or grip shift. I had to adjust my derailleur a bit on the first ride out so all the gears hit just right but once it was adjusted it was smooth.

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. It’s just that they’re usually on smaller, lightweight e-bikes that push the needle considerably less on the scale. Schwinn’s electric bicycle line has significantly expanded over the last couple years.

Overall, I think Schwinn needs to better balance its approach when it comes to the motor and how hard it pushes, especially when it has a full charge. We've addressed those concerns by designing Extended Life Batteries for a couple of our best-selling e-bikes. In short, think primarily about what you want to do on your e-bike, where you're most likely to ride it, and how much you want to spend. 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.

The motor is quiet during operation and blends in with the rest of the bike. I did notice some speed wobbles at higher speeds when riding with no-hands (be careful not to let this get out of control or you may crash). One upside to a front hub motor is that it reduces the complexity of the rear wheel which usually has cogs and a derailleur already