Ridden: Tenways' New CGO600 Pro Ticks All the E-Bike Boxes and Is Worth Every Penny

Ladies and gents and urban cyclists of all ages and abilities, lend me your eyes for the next few minutes so that you can get a feel for what I consider a very successful e-bike. I'm talking about Tenways' CGO600 Pro, a lightweight, snappy, and rather affordable solution to leaving your car at home, if only for a few miles each day. Let's dive into what this EV has to offer for as little as $1,500 (sale price).

Design Assessment

Now, allow me to start off by pointing out that the Pro is a direct upgrade to an already existing Tenways machine, the classic CGO600. That version is the same across, rocking an integrated removable battery, Gates carbon drivetrain, and a couple of other goodies, but there were downsides, all of which are solved with the Pro.

Overall, Tenways markets this e-bike as "the lightweight champion," and to make a light e-bike is no easy feat. So, to do so, they're relying upon aluminum tubes, reducing drivetrain clutter with a Gates setup once again, and a cockpit that can't be any less easy to navigate.

To give you an idea of just how light, from the first moment I picked up the box in which the bike was shipped, I thought there might be some missing components. There wasn't. I also live on the fourth floor of an apartment building, and the slightly over 18 kg (40 lbs with fenders and a couple of extras) weight is easily manageable, not to mention the battery is removable on this version.

One neat thing about the frame on this one is that it could be considered a sort of hybrid or sport geometry; it's got a little bit of everything. The head tube is sitting at 71 degrees, the seat tube at 73.5 degrees, and rocking a 457 mm-long chainstay. The latter can be considered ungodly long, but frankly, it mixes in very well with the rest of the Pro. As a result, this thing is rather versatile, allowing me to take it for a ride through city streets, gravel roads, up and down dirt paths, and even cobblestones.

But some of those abilities are actually granted by nothing more than this bike's tire cross-section. While the Pro is technically a two-wheeler designed to be ridden through city streets, the 45c tire dimension that Tenways has chosen for this bike is absolutely perfect.

More on the frame, one neat effect the Pro had on me and nearly everyone who first saw it is that it looks clean, and there's no doubt about that. Sanded welds and a wicked powder coat give the bike a catchy and smooth look, and the integrated battery doesn't bulk up the down tube too much.

Allow me to point out that the electronics on your Pro are dependent on where you are in the world. For example, in the US, riders have the benefit of a 350 W motor and a 10 Ah battery running under 36 V. But European riders are limited to just a 250 W motor and the same battery. As a result, European customers are able to squeeze in just a tad more range than US riders; the tradeoff is power and speed for range. For the US, Tenways mentions that you can achieve 53 miles (85 km) of range. Europe, on the other hand, clocks in at 62 miles (100 km).

Until this point, I'd never heard of Mivice, the brand behind the motors, but I'll tell you what: I'll be sure to be on the lookout for these little powerhouses more often. That's because they're rather small and barely visible to an inexperienced rider - nearly the size of an internal gearbox - and when coupled with the Gates carbon drivetrain, hydraulic brakes, and a controller on your handlebar, the Pro is complete. Personally, I love what Tenways has done with this thing, and I've been riding the hell out of it since I got it.

Real-World Application

Now, a bike that looks good isn't something very difficult to achieve. What is typically a hurdle however, is the way it handles and what it can do in the real world. That said, the remainder of this article is here to give you an idea of what to expect from your possible experience with the Pro.

One thing I can remark about the Pro - and so many other cyclists that have tried it while it was in my possession - is the way that the Mivice motor kicks in from the first push of the pedals. I swear, in around seven to eight cycles of your crank, you're at top speed. The version I'm riding is the European one, able to crank out 40 Nm (29.5 lb-ft) of torque; the US gets 45 Nm (33 lb-ft).

Best of all, this motor is coupled with that Gates carbon drivetrain, so once you've reached that top speed, if you have the right belt tension for your own cadence, you'll always be able to stay above this speed limit. I'm clocking in an average of 27 kph (16.7 mph); the motor only works up to 25 kph (15.5 mph).

Regarding how that feels as you're weaving in and out of traffic, you'll need to remember that this little powerhouse kicks in quickly, and with power, you'll need to be on your A-game in terms of reaction time. Because of that head tube angle and the longer chainstay, the shift in weight toward your front wheel offers a bit of heightened responsiveness not expected from such a long chainstay. It's a pleasure to maneuver through town.

As a result, this bugger is able to achieve a range that, frankly, is ACTUALLY in line with what the manufacturer displays. As an example, I'm pulling in an average of 93 km (58 mi) while using 90% of a full charge. Remember, it's only a 10 Ah battery running under 36 V, or 360 Wh, for you and me. Pretty damn good if you ask me, and remember, I've been testing an array of e-bikes over the past few years, and rarely do real-world numbers match brand-advertised digits. A massive with for Tenways on this one.

The one time you'll be able to see the battery level drop on your Pro rather dramatically is when you're hauling it uphill in the second of three speeds - you'll rarely use the third speed - and when you're hauling gear around. Some gearing would be great for those riding in cities with a lot of hills. Oh, and a headwind over 25 kph; headwind will kill this e-bike's range, as is normal with these things.

One big and important difference between the Pro and classic CGO600 is the removable battery. Since the first version didn't have it, you'd be forced to take your bike up flights of stairs or fit it into a larger elevator; the Pro doesn't require you to do any of that. Just take out the battery, take it upstairs or into the office, put it to charge, and you're ready once again. As a heads-up, if you recharge the battery from 20% to 100%, it's going to take up to around four hours. Oh, and let's not forget that the battery is waterproof, but I didn't encounter any rain over the course of this month, so I didn't test this idea, nor would I.

Now, the Pro is a hardtail, so to help soften up your urban rides, they strapped 45c tires to this thing, and that is, yet again, a win in my book. Sure, everyone loves to go as fast as possible, but there's a problem with running really thin tires: city streets are very unforgiving. With that in mind, I loved the 45s, and not just because they soften up the ride, but because they still meet my requirements for speed and, above all, allow us to ride through more than just asphalt; I've often hit gravel routes around my town.

Regarding all the other little tidbits the Pro has in store, there's no denying the zero-attention Gates drivetrain, integrated headlight, and hydraulic brakes. In my opinion, the latter is a must for any e-bike, and 160 mm (6.3 in) rotors are just right on this version. You can lock up the rear, skid around, and simply play with it. There's an adjustable stem, too, so dialing in your position is easy to achieve. It can also handle cargo racks, but I didn't get that far into testing yet.

Now What?

Honestly, it's not every day that an e-bike comes in and ticks all the boxes that cyclists require to consider switching over to an electrified experience, and the CGO600 Pro does this very thing: ticks this rider's boxes and nearly every other one that has climbed on it. All that's left to do now is see how this thing holds up against my abusive riding. In the meantime, find one, take it for a spin, and be ready with $1,500.

Pros

• Light
• Nimble
• Urban-oriented
• Responsive motor
• Can handle an array of terrains
• Great price for capability tradeoff

Cons

• The fact that I have to sit back in my chair and think of cons only tells us one thing: you'll struggle to find any for this one, too.