Article by John Tribbia
TENWAYS CGO800S eBike Review ($1,999)
Introduction
TENWAYS Bicycles is headquartered in the Netherlands, which is basically the cycling capital of the world where bikes are a cultural symbol for the Dutch. The company is in its early years, assembled as a group of cycle enthusiasts and experts in the bike trade who are obsessed with building a greener and more sustainable world together. After an incredibly successful 2021 crowdfunding campaign, the first TENWAYS eBike started to find its way to city streets. Since then, TENWAYS has grown to welcome a diverse and global family of riders, creators, and enthusiasts. TENWAYS is on a mission to make commuting effortless, speedy and fun, so that we can all love the way we ride.
Beyond putting smiles on bike buyers’ faces, what I love about TENWAYS is their enviro-social mission to reduce their carbon footprint and make riding bikes accessible to marginalized groups.
The company is working towards zero-emissions production and they currently control their waste emissions to the highest applicable standards and they work to offset their carbon footprint by supporting selected non-profit organizations.
Moreover, TENWAYS is helping mitigate climate change in cooperation with Just One Tree by planting a tree on the buyer’s behalf for every e-bike delivered. Lastly, TENWAYS donates bikes to those who simply can’t afford reliable mobility together with Wheels4Life.
TENWAYS sent me their new CGO800s model eBike. It’s a simple single speed eBike that, according to TENWAYS “modern commuting meets classic comfort”. Think of the streets of Amsterdam with cyclists on upright bikes riding around town, but with an electrified and modernized upgrade. That’s why the CGO800S is the go-to bike for regular commuters, where geometrically designed comfort meets outstanding, technologically advanced performance. This is a great option for those needing a car-less way to get to work, to a track workout, the gym, or the grocery store.
Pros
Incredibly smooth torque sensing power delivery
Comfortable riding position and versatile for various sized people
Relatively good range for single speed
Lights, rear rack, strong kick-stand, and fenders all come included
Top loading battery
$1,900 pricepoint is a nice entry point to eBikes
Cons
Lower battery range in terrain that isn’t flat
Single speed setup is best suited for regular and long distance riding on flat terrain
First Impressions
Like the Priority Continuum Current I reviewed a couple of months ago, the CGO800S arrives packed in a bike box. It is a heavy box that may require two people to carry.
Most direct to consumer eBikes (especially those with carbon belt drives with little to no adjustment needs), like the CGO800S, are basically 90% assembled. TENWAYS provides all of the necessary tools to assemble as well as helpful instructions on how to do it. I received a beautiful pebble gray colorway frame. The rear fender is already installed along with integrated front and rear rear lights. The bike also comes equipped with a sturdy kickstand and an adjustable stem that is easily adjusted up or down for more comfortable positioning.
The CGO800S is a single speed set up with a carbon belt drive. The bike is pedal assist and does not come with a throttle. There’s a smart LCD display that is positioned in the middle handlebar stem with easy to find and use control buttons on each side. The left buttons allow you to select through the menu and the assist level. The right switches are for the integrated headlight, taillight, and turn indicators. There’s also a TENWAYS companion app that allows you to pair your smartphone via Bluetooth to the bike which enables navigation and other functions.
Tail Light has turn signal indicators that are intuitively controlled by the buttons near the right grip (photo below)
Once the bike was built, I took the CGO800S for a ride around the neighborhood. U.S. sold bikes have a maximum assist speed at 20 mph (32 km/h). The Mivice M070 250W Rear Hub Motor is a relatively small motor, but delivers a smooth and reasonably strong pedal assistance that really starts to kick in when you put in a few hard pedal strokes thanks to the magnetic torque sensor. If you turn off the power, you’ll notice how much assistance is being provided despite the smaller motor size.
Compared to other geared eBikes, the single speed CGO800S feels and rides as well or better than other carbon belt geared eBikes. I love how quiet it is while pedaling because of the single speed belt drive. The bike features super smooth and torque sensing power, which means all you have to do is turn on the bike, select one of five power levels, and ride away. With Level 5, the assistance makes your pedaling power exponentially increase and top speed is easy to achieve. It is really nice on steep uphills, which for me was comfortable up to about a 15% incline. The 250W hub motor is stealthy, silent, and smooth emitting no more than a slight hum even at the max power output. Moreover, the drivetrain is durable, reliable, and secure since there’s no chance of any chain dropping. TENWAYS claims the belt drivetrain provides over 18K miles of maintenance and adjustment free riding. It’s virtually weatherproof and I’m a big fan..
The brushless hub motor with carbon belt is durable, low maintenance, and is incredibly quiet.
Ride
I started riding the CGO800S on commutes to/from work and neighborhood tours. My commute to work is around 8 miles and mostly flat. Around the neighborhood, I was able to ride on a few short but steeper hills of 10-15% incline. I took the bike on dry pavement and hard gravel paths. The belt drive, torque sensing motor, rider positioning, suspension front fork, and hydraulic brakes are the highlights for me.
Simple integrated LCD display that is easy to see and control when riding
I found that the bike does well on flats, but requires added assist and more effort on steeper uphills. With the 250W and torque sensor, the TENWAYS CGO800S can handle the relatively mellow hills easily, but I had to get out of the saddle a few times on the steeper hills. Compared to the 500W mid-drive torque sensing motor on the Priority Current, the 250W motor on the TENWAYS is noticeably less powerful. But it is also 40% less expensive than the Current and I would say the use-cases are much different as the CGO800S is ideal for the easy cruise/commute to work while the Current is could be used for more extreme topography.
It is really easy to set up the TENWAYS CGO800S on their app
According to TENWAYS, as a Class 1 eBike, CGO800S riders will get up to 60+ miles per battery charge. This can vary based on assistance level, weight of rider and gear, speed, elevation, temperature, tire pressure, head wind and terrain. During my 16 mile round trip commutes, I used the mostly 4 pedal assist and arrived home with around 75% of the charge remaining.
The 36V, 10.4Ah Lithium-ion Battery with 18650 cells is integrated into the top of the downtube and I found it really easy to remove and reinsert. I personally like the battery to be on the upper part of the downtube as opposed to the bottom. You can also charge while the battery is still in the bike, since the insert is exposed with a rubber flap cover.
The TENWAYS CGO800s makes riding or commuting really simple and incredibly fun! Overall, the bike riding is smooth, quiet, and the pedal assist is between touchy and moderate from a standstill (which is just enough for a single speed). It is a heavy bike, when including the battery, but at 50+ pounds it isn’t outside the normal range for an eBike. Although the weight quite noticeable if you don’t use any pedal assist, the relatively powerful motor and graded assist is more than enough to counter the weight of the bike.
Sturdy kickstand, disc brakes, and all purpose tires are great features of the CGO800S
The tires are CST Puncture-proof in size 700*48C. They rolled efficiently on tarmac and did well in wet and dry conditions.
I really appreciate the SR SUNTOUR Suspension Front Fork that does an excellent job of muting road bumps especially at higher speeds.
The CGO800S is a really fun and easy to use bike. I find myself wanting to take it on quick trips to the store and for casual neighborhood rides. The bike comes equipped to counter adverse weather conditions with the carbon belt drive, hydraulic disc brakes that are easy to squeeze with cold hands or with mittens on, fenders, and a rear rack.
Fit
The CGO800S comes in only one size, but is designed to fit riders between 5'1'' - 6'3''. I’m 5’6” and the relaxed frame geometry and reach were suitable for my shorter inseam and arm length without any adjustment out of the box. The positioning is upright and can be easily modified with the adjustment of the stem.
I found the Selle Royal saddle is well cushioned and comfortable for casual cruising and is ergonomic for faster pedaling cadences
Specs
Conclusions & Rating
At $1,999, the TENWAYS CGO800S is a reasonable price for this range of eBikes. The greatest appeal of the TENWAYS is its simple design, durability, and the incredibly low maintenance it requires. The CGO800S is a bike that can withstand the weather with long lasting and easy to maintain parts such as the Gates carbon belt drive, hydraulic disk brakes, fenders, and automatic lights.
The CGO800S is versatile and with front suspension it is an excellent option for roads, bike paths, and crushed gravel paths. While only a single speed gearing, the bike is peppy enough to keep pace with stop and go traffic with a top speed of 20mph for U.S. bikes (16mph for European bikes). As a frequent commuter, I love the rear rack and appreciate the fenders for wet riding conditions. Even with the 250W battery, the range on the bike is quite good compared to other similarly classed eBikes.
Ride - 9/10 (Smooth, quiet, and easy)
Fit - 8/10 (even with one size fits many, it is reasonably versatile and comfortable)
Specs - 8/10 (at the price point, it is a great bike that can take you from A to B)
Fun Factor (out of 5) - 🙌 🙌 🙌 🙌
Overall Average: 8.33 / 10
Tester Profile
John Tribbia is a regular technical reviewer for running-oriented product testing website RoadTrailRun with a large readership domestically and internationally. He has other writing about NAAWK Sunscreen, Thule Jogging Strollers, Atlas Snowshoe Running, and Yuba Cargo E-Bike (Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV).
He dabbled in bike racing both mountain and road as a junior Cat 5 and eventually upgraded to Expert on the mountain bike. After his brief stint of cycling racing and once in college, John crossed over to running and found success as a sponsored mountain/trail runner by placing atop the podium in domestic and international races. But he always kept his bikes nearby for cross training while injured, supplemental training, and commuting. Given that cross-over experience as well as 6+ years of working at University Bikes in Boulder, CO and over 20 years of competitive running, he loves the opportunity to test the latest and greatest in both sports.
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Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'.
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2 comments:
Thanks for reading. I'm happy to answer any questions about the bike if you have any.
Hallo John,
toller Erfahrungsbericht. Ich wohne in Deutschland. Kannst du abschätzen wieviele km ich bei PAS 1 in der Ebene und einem Gewicht von 79 kg kommen kann? Grüße Dietmar
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