Tenways CGO600 Pro Review: A sleek and modern entry-level e-bike
Stephen Pereyra Published 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 ...
Verdict: A versatile and low-maintenance entry-level e-bike
The CGO600 Pro is a cost-effective and minimalist e-bike with several great features. The Gates carbon belt drive train is responsive, and the single-speed variant offers a balanced riding experience across various terrains. Although the battery range is not as initially expected, the CGO600 Pro makes up for range anxiety with a ride experience that is mostly the same whether a rider uses the assistive motor or not. However, riders need to be aware that there is no suspension and that every road imperfection is noticeable during a ride. For riders who don't mind a bumpy ride, the CGO600 Pro is a no-frills workhorse ready for hundreds of maintenance-free miles.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
Tenways currently has the bike on sale for US $1,399.
The Tenways CGO600 Pro, priced at $1,899, is the company's venture into US urban markets. Geared toward urban commuting, the bike features a lightweight design, a low-maintenance drive train, and quality-of-life features designed to complement travel in densely populated areas.
Assembly: Fairly straightforward with a few twists
The bike shipped in a large and well-packaged box with minimal damage to the outside. Opening the box is simple, and upon entry, riders find the tools needed to assemble the bike, a bike seat, and the kickstand. Digging through the box reveals more parts that need to be installed. This includes the 36 V 10 Ah battery that is packaged separately for safety.
Upon first inspection, the bike and all of the accessories appear to be fully intact. The booklet recommends laying out the toolbox's contents so riders have easy access to anything necessary for the build. The instruction guide does a well-worded job of walking riders through the process.
Rolling the assembled bike reveals that the front bike rim is warped. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that many of the bike's spokes are loose, which causes the bike rim to wobble. Typically, this is not the case with new bikes; one can suspect that the spokes are loose due to the crank arm shoved between them during shipping. In any case, the bike rim has to be adjusted before riding to mitigate any risk of doing more damage to the rim.
The bike needs to be propped up to adjust the spokes, and riders can use two cable ties to determine the location of the loose spokes on the rim. No spoke tool is included in the box, so a proper spoke tool or an adjustable wrench is necessary to tighten the spokes. Luckily, the bike uses disk brakes, so the braking system's effectiveness is not tied to the straightness of the rim.
Equipment and optics: Gates carbon belt drive or Shimano 8-speed chain drive
The CGO600 Pro offers two different drivetrains and four different color options. The first drivetrain option is the Shimano 8-speed chain drive, which Tenways claims offers greater terrain versatility and efficient pedal transfer power. The second option and the unit we received has the Gates carbon single-speed belt drive. The benefits of the belt drive are lower maintenance, all-weather performance, and durability. Both versions offer the same color options. These are Avocado Green, Sky Blue, Midnight Black, and Pebble Grey. Additionally, Tenways offers three frame sizes: Medium, Large, and Extra Large.
The frame is well constructed, and there are no noticeable imperfections on the weld points of the unit we received. The geometry is relatively standard, with the downtube housing a well-concealed battery pack. The battery pack locks into the frame, and riders can remove it using the included keys.
Riders can fully adjust the handlebar stem, and the bike grips are comfortable and grippy. The bike weighs 42 lbs (~19 kg) fully assembled, which is on the lighter side, especially for an e-bike of this size. This is especially noticeable when not using the bike's assistive motor.
Specifications
| Specs | Tenways CGO600 PRO |
|---|---|
| Motor | Mivice M080 36 V 350 W rear hub motor |
| Sensor | Torque sensor |
| Torque | 45 Nm |
| Max Speed | 20 MPH (32 KPH) |
| Battery | 36 V 10 Ah with LG cells |
| Charge Time | 4-5 hrs |
| Display | 1.5-inch OLED Display |
| Drive | Belt |
| Brakes | Hydraulic disc brakes |
| Weight | 42 lbs (~19 kg) |
| Tires | 700 x 45C CST Puncture-proof |
| Misc | Mudguards, kickstand, 6061 aluminum frame |
| Security | PIN code, battery lock |
| Price | US $1,899 |
Brakes and tires
The CGO600 Pro features Tektro hydraulic disc brakes on both the front and rear wheels. Adjusting the brakes on the review unit is unnecessary, and both sets operate quietly and effectively. The tires are CST puncture-proof 700x45C tires with a recommended pressure of 50-75 PSI. The tires also feature a reflective strip around the tire walls, which helps improve visibility at night.
Battery: 36 V 10 Ah and a noisy charger
The CGO600 Pro houses a modest 36 V 10 Ah Lithium-Ion battery pack in the bike's down tube, which can only be removed with the provided keys. If a rider loses the keys, there is no other way to take the battery pack indoors to charge independently. A charging port is on the battery pack's right side, and a charge indicator is on the left.
Tenways includes an MDA lithium battery charger with a 42 V 3 A power output for the battery pack. The charger can charge the battery pack in 4-5 hours, depending on how low the initial charge is. Unfortunately, the charger provided with the test unit emits a high-pitched buzzing sound during the charging cycle, which is problematic for riders looking to charge the battery pack indoors.
Tenways claims that riders can ride for up to 53 miles (85 km) on a single charge with this battery pack. However, they mention that this depends on temperature, road conditions, and rider weight. The power assistance level also plays an essential role in this figure.
Motor: Mivice M080 350 W with 45 Nm of torque
The Mivice M080 has garnered recognition by winning a 2023 Design and Innovation award under the "Components Road" category. Coming in at 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg), this small and compact rear hub motor helps the CGO600 Pro maintain its low weight while providing 45 Nm of torque. For urban commuting, this is a sufficient amount of power, especially considering that the CGO600 PRO does not feature shocks, so any kind of rough terrain is a no-go for riders. Additionally, the motor can barely be heard during operation.
Display and Tenways app: Compact and feature-rich
The onboard display is a 1.5-inch OLED display with four buttons to control its functionality. The layout is simple: a power button on top, a function button in the middle, and up and down buttons to navigate the menus.
Riders can enter a PIN to unlock the display when the bike powers on. Once in, riders can see their current speed and trip data and select a power assistance level with the up and down buttons ranging from one to three. To cycle through additional trip data menus, simply press the function button. The front headlight is illuminated by holding the up button for three seconds. Riders can also access a "Walk mode" by holding the down button, which will lightly engage the motor to help move the bike. To access the settings menu, hold the function button for three seconds. Riders can change their PIN, top speed, riding units, access battery information, and more in the settings menu.
The CGO600 Pro is compatible with the Tenways apps. The app registers the bike and offers riders some additional functionality. The app's core functions are map navigation, automatic ride recording, and real-time ride data. However, riders will find that the CGO600 Pro does not have access to the security tracking features found in the app.
Test ride: A bumpy but pleasant ride
The test course for the CGO600 Pro consists of a variety of terrains. From cow paths to bike lanes to a long stretch on US-17, the course provides a well-rounded idea of what most riders experience. In total, it is about 16 miles (25.7 km) long with minimal elevation changes except for a hill climb over a bridge.
The riding weight includes a backpack with a folding lock, tools, and the portable pump, and is about 160 lbs (72 kg). For power assistance, we use level three assistance for the first half of the ride and then switch between level one and no assistance for the second half.
Ride experience
The riding experience for the CGO600 Pro highlights the utilitarian aspects of the bike. The single-speed belt drive works well, even when hill climbing and the torque sensor is responsive and quick to deliver power when the rider needs it. Additionally, the hydraulic brakes feel solid and provide the necessary stopping power without feeling too sensitive. However, riders will feel every bump as the CGO600 Pro does not have suspension. The limited padding on the seat also does not help the riding experience.
The lack of gears makes riding the belt-driven CGO600 Pro a simple affair. There is no need to worry about starting gears, and that helps make the bike more approachable to first-time e-bike riders. The torque sensor is sensitive and, depending on the assistance level, helps riders reach the set top speed. On level three, the top speed of 20 mph is easy to reach with minimal effort. During the test ride, this makes the first half of the ride easy compared to the second half, where we use a combination of no assistance and level one assistance.
The second half of the ride begins in the dark, making it the perfect time to use the built-in headlight. The headlight is effective at illuminating a small portion of the road about four feet (1.2 m) in front of the rider with a two-foot by nine-foot rectangle of illumination. However, the light does not offer much light to the surrounding area, which is problematic when traveling at 20 mph.
The lightweight nature of the bike made the ride without any assistance almost as easy as it is to ride at level three. Although it took slightly more effort to reach the top speed, it is well within the reach of most to ride the bike without any assistance. However, the lack of gears on the bike makes motor assistance for uphill ride portions a welcome feature. Level one and two assistance is also helpful in accelerating from a complete stop or cruise at lower speeds. Furthermore, range anxiety is nearly non-existent with the knowledge that the bike is not too heavy to ride with muscle power alone.
Range
Tenways claims that the max range of the CGO600 Pro is 53 miles, but our test ride does not come close to that figure. Granted, the first portion of the test ride has the bike set to level three assistance, but it results in 30 percent battery usage over 8.7 miles. The second part of the test ride is a bit more forgiving, with a battery use of just under 20 percent, but this also relies on minimal motor assistance. For the test ride, 50 percent of the battery took us only 16 miles, putting the effective range somewhere around 32 miles. However, as Tenways says, this is a highly volatile figure, and riders will likely experience different results depending on their riding style, location, and other factors.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
