To be fair, not many competing e-bikes tend to come with these extras anyway, so with its comparatively low price, you’ll have extra money to pick out the accessories you want. 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.
The Schwinn Coston CE falls in the middle of its e-bike model line, offering a slight upgrade over the Schwinn Marshall but without some of the features found on the higher-end Coston DC. The star of the show is its connectivity and functionality with third-party training apps like Peloton, Zwift, and JRNY. Additionally, this bike comes with loads of user-friendly features that help to enhance your workout experience. If manual workouts aren’t exciting enough for you, you have the option of connecting your device via Bluetooth and using apps like Peloton, Zwift, and JRNY. These apps all have a monthly fee but are well worth the cost to have access to thousands of live and on-demand studio classes on Peloton or the interactive virtual training world of Zwift.
The second chart is a battery level indicator showing five dots, each representing a 20% drop. The display itself is encased in black plastic and has sealed buttons built in that seem well protected from water and dust. It does leave something to be desired when you have experienced fancier ebike products, but it gets the job done. You won’t see your speed, average speed, trip time, odometer, trip meter, range estimate, or any other fancy stats… just your power level and battery level. The buttons were easy schwinn ebike enough to reach and press, and I like how the black casing of the display blends in with the black handlebar and matches the black spokes, chainring, pedals, and even the hub motor casing.
On flat ground, the bike is heavy but livable without the assist. The rear hub shifts quickly, and it’s nice to have a full range of gears without having to think too much about it (though, my commuter build also has this feature). It’s impossible to get the chain crossed up or do anything bad to this setup. As is standard for geared ebike motors, it has no significant rolling resistance when the wheel is turning faster than the motor. It’s not a bad choice for a small assist – it’s not going to cause any drag when you’re not using the assist, and it’s fairly light.
If you’re already highly motivated, you may not need the added inspiration that live streaming, on-demand, or virtual training can provide, but we think it’s nice to have the option. Unlike the more expensive competition, the IC4 does not come with a high-tech console for streaming workouts; you’ll have to use one you already have or purchase one for that purpose. It does have a device holder where you can dock your device for easy viewing, and it has a USB port to keep it charged while you ride. It also comes with a Bluetooth heart rate armband to monitor your pulse during your workout. The included kickstand is also nice because it mounts near the back wheel so it doesn’t get in the way when you need to back the bike up while the kickstand is down. Anyone who has tried to back up a bike while the pedals are locked with the kickstand will appreciate what I’m talking about.