For the big hills it was a quick shift to the nice, easy first gear. The IC4 arrived at our test location in a large and hefty box. We didn’t weigh the bike in the box, but with a claimed assembled weight of 106 lbs, you definitely want the help of another person to move it or remove the bike from the package.
In addition to the 5 assist levels, there are 7 gears. I really like the pedal assist and gear combination. On slow steep hills or trails a lower gear with a bit of assist keeps you moving. The lowest gear is a nice big ring in the back for helping on those hills.
Even the term e-bike sounded gimmicky enough for me to want nothing to do with them — it’s like how everything these days comes with the label of smart. You shouldn’t ride this bike at night without some other source of lighting. Or, at least, replace the generator with a small battery pack. In any case, it’s one of the better stock seats I’ve seen on an electric bike so far. Nice job here – this seat is absolutely suited to what the bike is good for. While riding, press the thumb throttle button to activate the motor without pedaling.
Electric bikes are a ton of fun and I’ve had a great time this summer riding them. As an avid cyclist who commuted to and from the train for years in the past, I see e-bikes as a very reasonable step forward in commuting. Electric bikes put extra power behind every pedal so you can ride farther, take on bigger hills, and enjoy cycling more than ever before. Made to perfectly fit your bike, and provides 40nm of torque to boost your ride.
Court – good work on the site, you have really stepped things up. By the way, it is my understanding that Schwinn has not made bikes for many years but just licenses their name. About ten years ago we sold Currie electric scooters under the Schwinn name.
My review bike didn’t come with a user manual, so I had to play around with the bike for about five minutes before I figured out how it worked. Basically, the bike turns on once you hold down the power button for a few seconds and the key is meant to release the battery for easier charging — not for ignition. I’ve put bicycles together on my own in the past and tend to be good at putting the bigger pieces together correctly like the handlebars, wheels, pedals, and so on.
By default, the console shows the battery left, speed, total distance and pedal assist level. Nothing feels cheap, plastic-y, schwinn beach cruiser or vulnerable to quick failure. It all seems like a robust and well-built electric bike. 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.
The LCD display is centered in the handlebar and has a screen that measures 3″ L x 2″ W. The IC4 must be plugged in for the display and Bluetooth connection to work. The dark screen has bright numbers and letters and shows a wealth of information at a glance, including cadence, elapsed time, estimated calories burned, speed, distance, resistance level, and pulse. The display turns on if any button is pushed or the RPM sensor is triggered when the pedals turn. The screen automatically begins to display and record your workout information when the pedals start turning. Your workout automatically pauses if the pedals stop turning for 2 seconds.
The Schwinn 130 Upright Bike is the only other option with a user interface that we like as much as the IC4. While the IC4 is a smart bike with connected features, you can use it as a stand-alone bike for manual workouts without the need to connect to a device. In manual mode, you can start pedaling and adjust the resistance however you like.