e-bike

tenways-cgo800s-review:-more-utility-than-bike,-but-maybe-that’s-okay

Tenways CGO800S review: More utility than bike, but maybe that’s okay

Cars, e-bike, ebike review, ebikes, Tenways, tenways cgo800s / /

Tenways CGO800S review —

It’s not cargo, it’s not aero; it’s just a bike for comfortably going places.

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Slightly angled view of the Tenways CGO300s

Tenways

I enjoyed riding the Tenways CGO800S far more once I stopped thinking of it as a bike, and more like the e-bike version of a reasonable four-door sedan.

It is a bike, to be sure. It has two wheels, handlebars, pedals, and a drivetrain between feet and rear cog. It’s just not the kind of bike I’m used to. There are no gears to shift between, just a belt drive and five power modes. The ride is intentionally “Dutch-style” (from a Dutch company, no less), with a wide saddle and upright posture, and kept fairly smooth by suspension on the front fork. It ships with puncture-proof tires, sensible mud guards, and integrated lights. And its 350 W motor is just enough to make pedaling feel effortless, but you’ll never quite feel like you’re winning a race.

I also didn’t feel like I was conquering the road when I was on the CGO800S so much as borrowing my aunt’s car for an errand. The “Sky Blue” color helped cement the image of a modern-day Mercury Sable in my head. It’s not meant for no-power riding, and its battery isn’t a long-hauler, with a stated 53-mile range. It’s comfortable, it’s capable, and maybe we’ve long since reached the stage of the e-bike market where some bikes are just capital-F Fine, instead of them all being quirky experiments.

All this is to say I didn’t have any real issues with the CGO800S itself, beyond some notable matters of build quality and wonky display software. There are e-bikes in the same $1,700 price range that look far more slick, have more traditional bike shapes and postures, or have a lot more range or power. But here’s this package of comfort, convenience, and capability, and once you get it assembled and tuned up, it’s quite handy.

  • Part of the Tenways’ CGO800S unboxing. If seeing a collection of wheels and handlebars makes you uneasy, you’d do well to contact your local bike shop.

    Kevin Purdy

  • Not the most helpful cable-routing instructions I’ve seen. Not the worst! But “Connect the wires and organize” could use some hinting.

    Kevin Purdy

Not the smoothest setup experience

Tenways has a lot of work to do in shipping the CGO800S to customers and helping them get it set up. The bike ships with both wheels, handlebar, cabling, rack, and battery separate from the frame. That would be fine if everything went to plan. The instructions are not the worst I’ve seen ship with an e-bike, but they’re not easy if you don’t have experience.

The whole of the front cabling setup is a sentence repeated twice on one page: “Insert the connectors into the outlet hole at the lower part of the handlebars, and organize the outlet.” There are icons and illustrations vaguely indicating that you should match the colors of each connector end. There is no suggestion of which cables should be taut, which should have some slack to them, or what a good look for a finished “organized outlet” should be. Another page described the setup of the front headlight, mudguard, and front fork in a similarly vague fashion, leaving me to wrench and re-wrench the same nuts three times.

The front wheel I received was also significantly out of true (not properly rounded), such that I couldn’t use its disc brake until it was fixed. I’m not being hyperbolic about a perceived imperfection: I’ve built my own bike wheels, I’ve trued dozens of wheels for guests at a bike-fix clinic, and this wheel was pretty rough. I was able to get it close enough with a zip tie on the frame, but given that I’m a reviewer receiving this wheel, it seems like some inspection steps are missing.

Tenways CGO800S review: More utility than bike, but maybe that’s okay Read More »

the-maven:-a-user-friendly,-$2k-cargo-e-bike-perfect-for-families-on-the-go

The Maven: A user-friendly, $2K Cargo e-bike perfect for families on the go

cargo bike, Cars, e-bike, Features, Reviews / /

family fun —

The $2K bike is aimed at smaller riders who want a manageable cargo e-bike. It delivers.

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The Maven.

Enlarge / The Maven.

B. Mole

The first thing I should say in this bike review is that I am not a bike enthusiast.

My preferred form of exercise is running, where no mechanical components are necessary. But I’m acting as reviewer here because what I lack in longstanding opinions on brand-name bike gearing and motor hubs, I make up for by being the exact target audience for the bike under review: the Maven Cargo E-bike by Integral Electrics. This is a cargo bike designed not for hardcore cyclists but for smaller riders, women specifically, who would happily swap out their family’s second car for a simpler e-bike—as long as it can handle the needs of family life: toting children, running errands, and making short commutes.

This is exactly what Integral CEO and co-founder Laura Belmar and her family were looking for amid the pandemic, she told me in an interview. But while her husband picked out e-bikes that were comfortably designed for him, who is taller than her, she consistently found herself top-heavy and struggling as soon as her two kids were loaded onto the bikes. “They were scared to ride with me,” she said of her kids. “One time, we were literally going down in the park and a jogger came by and grabbed the rack and pulled us back up.”

Belmar said she knew other families in the same situation. So she set out to design a bike that would essentially be a family station wagon on two wheels, one that would be easy to maneuver and control by smaller riders but still adjustable for taller cyclists—the Maven claims a size range of 5 feet, 0 inches to 6-foot-7. And, aside from ease of use, she sought ideal family-car features: comfort, safety, and affordability.

As a 5-foot-4 person with a 5-year-old, a taller husband, a need to run occasional errands, and an interest in ditching a second car, I’m the best person on Ars’ staff to see if the Maven lives up to its lofty goals. With the help of the cycling enthusiasts and experts on Ars’ staff, I’ll make sure this review hits all of the technical details cycling nerds will be looking for. But this will be an accessible review for families interested in an alternative to a second car and who, like me, may be cargo e-bike newbies. I’ll start with my general impressions and then dive into specifics.

The Maven at a glance

General impressions

As mentioned above, this is a cargo e-bike designed to never feel unwieldy to smaller riders while they’re hauling precious cargo. On this count, the Maven hits the mark. Straight out of the box, before I even dove into the manual, I easily rode around without even turning on the motor. It’s certainly a hefty bike, weighing in at 85 pounds on its own. But I never felt top-heavy on it or struggled to maneuver it. Integral boasts that it accomplishes this with a low center of gravity and fat, stable tires. Its two batteries sit low on the bike, and its 20-inch wheels allow the rear rack to sit just 24 inches off the ground. The tires are also 3 inches wide, giving them extra stability.

The Maven.

Enlarge / The Maven.

The Maven isn’t the only cargo e-bike on the market with these features; 20-inch tires are on several other bikes, including Aventon’s Abound and some others previously reviewed by Ars, like the Trek Fetch+2 and the RadWagon. So, whether the Maven is the best bike for your situation may depend on its other features.

The bike provides a fun, effortless ride—with and without groceries or my kid on the back. My review bike came with a rear railing/handlebar (a $99 add-on) and a seat pad ($69) that allowed my kid to help me test out the bike. He was not afraid to ride with me. In fact, he loved it. And in our many miles together, I found myself periodically forgetting he was back there. Going up hills and accelerating was effortless when the 750-watt motor kicked in. The adjustable front suspension was generously cushiony as we took the bike over gravel, dirt, asphalt, and sidewalks in various states of repair.

On a few occasions, my kid reminded me of his presence by shaking the bike from side to side, pretending we were sliding on ice. (He was having fun imagining us re-creating one of his favorite scenes from the animated movie Polar Express, when the train derails on a frozen lake.) But even with his best efforts to destabilize the bike, I never felt at risk of losing control or going down.

The Maven: A user-friendly, $2K Cargo e-bike perfect for families on the go Read More »

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Study finds that once people use cargo bikes, they like their cars much less

cargo bike, cargo bikes, Cars, e-bike, e-bikes / /

Hop in, we’re getting groceries —

Even some one-car households ditched vehicles in favor of cargo bike-sharing.

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Trek Fetch+2 with cargo panniers attached

Enlarge / It’s not likely to totally replace your car, nor will it probably be your only bike. But access to a cargo bike can reduce car trips, and even car ownership, a study from Germany suggests.

Cargo bikes started as something you’d see in images from Europe—bakfiets loaded up with groceries or sometimes kids. Now they’re getting more popular, and seemingly for good reason. A new study out of Germany suggests that once you let people try them, they tend to have a real impact on car use, and even car ownership.

The study, from Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, surveyed people using a cargo bike share (CBS) system from 58 different programs and initiatives in Germany, controlling a collective 751 cargo bikes. Out of the 2,386 active CBS users surveyed, 45.8 percent had one car in their home, and 54.2 percent lived without a car. As you might notice, this mix of cargo bike shares and car ownership is not representative of the US, but using a cargo bike, even one they didn’t technically own, still impacted ownership decisions in even one-car households.

A bit more than 18 percent of survey respondents said they either got rid of their car or decided against buying a car, and 80 percent of those people said they did so for environmental reasons. Nearly 49 percent said they ditched a car for financial reasons, 42 percent because they had “no interest in driving a car,” and about 10 percent due to the safety risks of driving a car (with the survey allowing for multiple reasons).

The average age of the study’s participants was 41.6 years old. Notably, 73.2 percent of those surveyed were in “metropolitan urban regions,” 11.8 percent in “regiopolitan urban regions” (i.e., suburbs), and about 15 percent in rural regions either close to or outside a city.

Ratings of cargo bikes and cars across different

Ratings of cargo bikes and cars across different “motives” for using them, on a 1–5 scale for importance, by the Germans surveyed for a study.

In perhaps more unsurprising news, people who actively signed up to use cargo bikes think they’re pretty great. Those surveyed rated cargo bikes higher when considering motivations for different forms of transport, on a 1–5 scale. Cars significantly won out among those who considered themselves car-dependent in travel speed, comfort, and weather independence.

Interestingly, respondents gave cars a roughly 3.4–3.5 out of 5 in traffic safety, and those who considered themselves “car-reduced” rated cargo bike use just below that, around 3.3. Those who considered themselves “car-dependent” rated cars’ traffic safety higher, just above 4.0 on average, and similarly provided higher ratings for speed, comfort, and weather independence.

As Ars’ John Timmer noted in a cargo bike review from the fall, cargo bikes are somewhat specialized for what they do—but because of their build, they’re definitely second bikes. Cargo bikes, however, can often replace even a weekend-scale grocery trip and give you exercise, fresh air, and lower environmental impact.

As suggested by the survey, and the experience of cargo bike enthusiasts I’ve met, they can’t do everything a car can, but cargo bikes can work if you’re willing to put in the effort. Folks in notably bike-oriented Germany have suggested they can use even fewer cars with the advent of electric-assist cargo bikes and often feel good about doing so.

Transportation Research F, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2023.12.018  (About DOIs).

Study finds that once people use cargo bikes, they like their cars much less Read More »

with-the-heybike-ranger-s,-the-s-stands-for-scooter

With the Heybike Ranger S, the S stands for scooter

Cars, e-bike, electric bicycle, Heybike, personal mobility / /

Urban runaround —

A very fast and foldable e-bike with brake lights, directionals, and a horn.

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Image of a foldable bicycle with a low seat and tall handlebars.

John Timmer

The arrival of e-bikes has blurred the lines between bicycles, mopeds, and scooters. Depending on what country or state you’re in, some e-bikes can legally hit 45 km/hour (28 mph), yet they don’t require a license, registration, or insurance, unlike their competitors. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on whether the bike riders in your area ride like lunatics or not.

Regardless of how you feel about the state of things, it’s definitely true that most e-bikes are relatively bike-like compared to mopeds and scooters, lacking things like brake lights, directionals, and other components that make navigating in urban environments a bit safer. Most, but not all. Heybike offers a number of scooter-substitute e-bikes that come with a powered horn, brake lights, directionals, and a zippy motor. As a bonus, they’re foldable. We checked out its latest model, the $1,499 Ranger S.

A foldable heavyweight

Let’s address one thing right away: In our review of the Ranger S’s sibling (the Tyson), we ran into a number of mechanical problems that threatened to make the bike unusable. The only real issue we saw on the Ranger S was a rapidly fluctuating reading of battery capacity. Otherwise, the bike was solid.

Another minor problem we had was with a metal loop that Heybike includes to protect the rear derailleur from damage. Apparently, it served that role during shipping, as it was bent in such a way that it kept the derailleur from reaching the smallest two gear rings. This was pretty easy to spot, and also easy to bend back into its normal position, after which all seven gears were accessible.

The hinge in the center of the frame that allows the bike to fold. The release will only move if the silver metal slider embedded in it is pushed upward from beneath.

Enlarge / The hinge in the center of the frame that allows the bike to fold. The release will only move if the silver metal slider embedded in it is pushed upward from beneath.

John Timmer

The bike’s folding mechanism worked without issue—the frame folds in half so that the front and rear wheels wind up next to each other, and the handlebars fold down to the side. When folded, a different metal loop keeps the front gear ring from resting on the ground.

This is not, however, a “fold it and carry it up the stairs to your apartment” bike. The Ranger S weighs over 32 kg (72 lbs). That’s over 15 kg more than the Gocycle folding bike we reviewed earlier, and it’s enough to make moving it around a challenge. It also lacks any sort of mechanism for holding the bike in a folded position (I’d recommend investing in a bungee cord if you get one), meaning it has a tendency to flop back open as you’re shifting it, adding to the challenge.

This is not to say the folding is pointless. You can definitely store it in a smaller space than many other e-bikes. And it was a snap to lift it into the hatchback I drive, allowing me to take the car in for service without needing to find a place to sit for a few hours. But it doesn’t open up the full range of use cases that an easier-to-manage folding bike would.

When fully folded, the Ranger S is fairly compact but awkwardly heavy.

Enlarge / When fully folded, the Ranger S is fairly compact but awkwardly heavy.

John Timmer

The upside of the robust construction is that the Ranger S can haul a lot of stuff. The total capacity is listed as 180 kg (400 lbs) between rider and cargo. Heybike offers panniers for the rear rack, with 30 liters of capacity, and you can place up to 13 kg (28 lbs.) in an optional front basket. This isn’t a cargo bike, but it can definitely haul some groceries home, even if you’re a heavy rider.

The drivetrain

The Ranger S is a Class 3 e-bike, meaning it has a maximum speed of 45 km/hour (28 mph). That comes thanks to a 750-watt motor that can hit a peak output of 1,200 W. Heybike rates its 14.4 Ah battery as providing enough juice to provide pedal assist for up to about 90 km (55 miles), but that is presumably at its lowest assist setting. It’s clear that running it on its maximum assist setting burned through the battery far more quickly than that, although the rapidly fluctuating battery meter on the display made it difficult to tell just how much more quickly—or how much further I could go before the battery went flat. Range anxiety joined me for many of my rides.

The motor is tied to a cadence sensor, which registers when you’re turning the pedals and kicks in the assist if you are. Since you have to pedal an otherwise very heavy bike for a bit before the sensor triggers the motor, there’s also a throttle that will take you up to 32 km/hour (20 mph) before cutting out.

With the Heybike Ranger S, the S stands for scooter Read More »