Silent, stiff, and svelte: The Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bike reviewed

When it comes to e-bikes, sometimes less is more. That's the philosophy of Tenways, a 2-year-old Dutch e-bike manufacturer that has recently crossed the Atlantic to have a go at the US market. All four of its bikes are easy on the eyes, but the $1,899 CGO600 Pro really grabbed my attention due to its sleek lines and gorgeous looks.

Tenways markets the CGO600 Pro as "The Lightweight Champion." It's a 37 lb (16.8 kg) bike built to get you from point A to point B with minimal fuss—or gears, as the CGO600 Pro is a single-speed specimen. The assistance comes from a 360 W rear hub motor powered by a 36 V, 10 Ah Li-ion battery. That's good for up to 53 miles of range, a number that jibes well with my experience riding the bike. There's also no chain—the CGO600 Pro uses a carbon belt-drive system, which cuts way back on maintenance, runs quieter, and has a longer life than a chain.

The CGO600 Pro really looks more like a flesh-powered hybrid than an e-bike. Absent is the chunky look of e-bikes like the Cyrusher XF690 Maxs or Velotric Discovery 1. By contrast, the CGO600 Pro looks streamlined and svelte, ready to eat up the miles. The less-is-more design philosophy carries over to the LCD display, which is about the size of a Lego brick and is mounted near the handgrip on the left side of the handlebar. The downtube is slimmer than those on most e-bikes, with a removable battery accounting for the mass. The motor is located in the rear hub.

Before I could ride the Avocado Green CGO600 Pro, I had to put it together. Tenways' assembly instructions are better and easier to follow than some of the competition's (I'll have more to say about that in a future review), and the box includes all of the hardware necessary to put the bike together.

The build process was smooth, with one major exception. Getting the fenders and pedals on was a snap. Lining up the handlebars was tough and would've been easier with someone helping. Mounting the front wheel to the fork was the biggest issue. After a few frustrating moments, it dawned on me—the fork was backward, and the brake caliper was on the wrong side. I had to hit pause and ask Tenways what to do about the problem. The fix was simple: I took the handlebars off, removed a rubber grommet from the headset, loosened a screw with a hex key, spun the fork 180 degrees, and tightened it back up. The mudguards, pedals, and other assorted hardware went on without a hitch. Once I dropped the battery into the downtube and charged it, the CGO600 Pro was ready to ride.

Tenways bikes are all Level 2 e-bikes, so the CGO600 Pro will help you get to 20 mph (32 km/h), and you're on your own after that. There are three levels of assist, and with just a single gear available, I found myself using the highest assist level most of the time. Assist levels and all of the other controls for the bike are accessed via buttons on the small LCD display just outside the left handlebar grip. The display is easy to read, with speed and assist level evident at a glance. Its only downside is that it can be tough to read in direct sunlight, especially with sunglasses on. For rides after dark, the CGO600 Pro has a power headlight built into the headtube, which is controlled via the display.

There's no throttle on the Tenways, so you'll have to at least do some cursory pedaling to get underway and up to speed.