Tenways nearly perfects the shareable city e-bike

Good electric bikes are expensive. So why not buy one and share it?

That’s the idea behind the Tenways CGO Compact e-bike that I’ve been sharing with my wife and teenage daughter for the past two weeks. It adapts in seconds without tools to comfortably fit riders of different heights thanks to its low entry frame, quick-release seatpost, and height-adjustable handlebar.

It also takes up less space than a typical bike with its 20-inch wheels, folding pedals, and a handlebar that twists to create a slim, wall-hugging profile that fits flat inside a car or train.

The geometry of the CGO Compact keeps riders in a comfortable upright body position. Combine that with wide tires and a heavy aluminum frame – heavier than many full-size e-bikes – and it feels unusually strong for its size, with a rear carrier system strong enough to hold a child or a few days’ worth of groceries.

Shareable e-bikes aren’t a new idea, but Tenways is close to perfecting it with the €1,999 (about $2,365) CGO Compact.

Tenways, the Chinese-origin Amsterdam-HQ’d e-bike company, is floundering in Europe thanks to the post-pandemic chaos that took out most of its competition. The brand builds great-looking e-bikes from off-the-shelf parts backed by a strong service network. Importantly, they sell for less than the €2,681 (about $3,160) e-bike average – expensive compared to the US, but much less likely to catch fire.

My Tenways review e-bike arrived at my front door in a giant cardboard box. It looked big enough to fit the CGO Compact fully assembled and with handlebars, yet I still had to attach the steering column and front wheel myself. The e-bike took about 20 minutes to unbox, but I’ve been assembling a direct-to-consumer e-bike once a month for the past decade.

The first thing I did after assembly was play with the Byschulz Speedlifter Twist Stem. It is magical. Open the lever to quickly raise and lower the handlebar, or to access the pin release that turns the handlebar. It took a bit of practice for everyone to master but we soon got the hang of it.

The small LCD dashboard is bright and colorful even in sunlight. You must enter a four-digit PIN code at power-on, which can only be changed in the initial app over Bluetooth. This is Tenways’ only anti-theft offering on CGO Compact, which also means it won’t try to upsell you on subscriptions or software-locked features.

Despite our height differences, ranging from 164cm to 183cm (5ft 5in to 6ft), everyone found the CGO Compact very comfortable. Adjusting the handlebars and saddle took less than 10 seconds, and the suspension seatpost did a good job of soaking up small bumps. But the seat’s quick-release mechanism offers no additional security to prevent the post and saddle from being stolen. This bike targets major European cities.

The e-bike’s torque sensor made riding exceptionally intuitive, ensuring that the power delivered by the 250W rear hub motor matched the downward force applied to the pedals. The motor was also very quiet, completely masked by the sound of the 2.4-inch wide tires riding on the asphalt.

The Tenways motor is only capable of 45Nm of torque. And with no extra gears, the CGO Compact is perfect for most flat environments. It still performed better on hills than I expected, easily besting the 35Nm Raleigh One I recently reviewed. For example, I was able to cross a bridge with a 10 percent incline that stopped the Raleigh One, but only if I started rolling—otherwise, I had to get off and push. On downhill slopes, the large chainring allowed me to pedal comfortably at 30km/h without my legs spinning wildly. Pedal assist, however, stops helping above 25km/h (16mph) in Europe.

I also didn’t experience any of the wobble you get from folding bikes with relatively short wheelbases, small 16-inch wheels, and narrow handlebars. Typically I rode at 3 or 4 out of 5 pedal assist levels, with 3 feeling the most natural, and 4 for when I was in a hurry.

On a full battery I was able to travel 65 km (over 40 miles) before needing a recharge. I received alerts on my iPhone and Apple Watch when the battery dropped to 10 percent, and the power dropped significantly when the estimated remaining range reached 4 km. Charging the 494.36Wh battery from the bundled charger took a relatively slow 4.5 hours.

The CGO Compact was clearly designed by people who actually bike in compact European cities. It comes standard with integrated lighting, mudguards, a loud bell, kickstand, and a partially covered transmission to protect it from snagging trousers, skirts, and long coats. The small crossbar in the step-through frame also doubles as a handle to help lift the bike up the stairs.

City bikes need to carry things, which is why the CGO Compact comes with the click-and-go MIK HD rear carrier system. It supports a load of up to 27 kg (about 60 pounds)—enough to fit a compatible crate or child seat. E-bikes also have mounting points for bottle cages or racks.

In general, Android and iOS apps are fine, but rarely needed. This can ultimately be useful for buying accessories and insurance, or starting a chat with support and finding the nearest service center. It also promises to show accumulated ride data by date, but it never worked for me, just showing zero.

Tenways’ CGO Compact is a great e-bike for €1,999 (about $2,365). The riding experience, everyone agrees, has been fantastic. And when it does eventually need servicing, Tenways has a solid network of local bike shops in Europe to support you with a ready supply of off-the-shelf parts from known brands.

The CGO Compact is a highly adaptable e-bike that rides big and ditches small, making it an ideal companion for European urban life. It’s also highly shareable – but no one would blame you for keeping it all to yourself.

Photography by Thomas Ricker/The Verge.