Schwinn Parkwood

The Schwinn Parkwood is a smooth-riding bike with a comfortable, upright seating position. Its stability in turns and at speed inspire confidence. A Class 2 model, the bike’s electric motor can be activated by pedaling or by using a thumb-operated throttle lever. The throttle makes it easy to ride the bike almost like a scooter, but a little leg power goes a long way on steep hills since the bike otherwise loses a lot of speed as the grade increases. That’s most likely because the hub-mounted electric motor applies power directly to the wheel, so the e-assist doesn’t gain any of the advantages of the 7 bicycle gears. Even then, the twistgrip shifter is a little wonky, and it can leave the chain hopping between gears at times. There’s also a noticeable lag in the electric motor’s response when you’re using pedal assist. The Parkwood has three levels of e-assist. Although all of them provide strong acceleration on flat ground, the highest level works best on hills. Braking performance from the cable-operated disc brakes was average in CR testing. It’s worth noting, though, that many e-bikes come with hydraulic disc brakes, which tend to work better and need less maintenance. The Parkwood’s LCD display is easy to see. Although the Parkwood has a step-through frame for convenient mounting and dismounting, its bulky battery pack requires care to avoid getting your foot caught as you swing it through the frame.

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CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

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Current Range of Tested Electric Bikes

What goes into the Overall Score?

Range

/ 5

Acceleration

/ 5

Control response

/ 5

Braking

/ 5

Hill climb

/ 5

Unassisted hill climb

/ 5

Unassisted cruising

/ 5

Portability

/ 5

About

The Schwinn Parkwood class 2 electric bike is, overall, a very good choice.

Features & Specs

Features

Motor

Hub

Trip computer

Yes

Headlight

Battery removable

Yes

Quick-release front wheel

Yes

Quick-release rear wheel

Seat type

Comfort

Brake type

Cable pull Disc

Specs

Type

Hybrid

Weight (lbs.)

Range (Miles)

Watts

500

Battery capacity

15Ahrs, 540Whrs

Tire size

700x45

Number of gears

Assist levels

Price & Shop

Schwinn Parkwood

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

About

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