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I previously reviewed the Tenways CGO600 and loved it. Well priced. Smooth ride. Solid components and electrics. So, for the Tenways CGO600 Pro Review would it be even more brilliant or that difficult second album? Having been lucky enough to ride loads of eBikes with and without belt drives the specs of the Tenways CGO600 Pro look good on paper so eager to get it on the road.
Summary of Tenways CGO600 Pro Review
Trivelo Score – 4.5 / 5
I loved riding this bike. The belt drive and motor are silky smooth with no gear changes to interupt the flow of your ride. With a good range and simple interface this is the perfect introduction to an eBike. It even comes with a companion mobile app for support that has an increasing range of functionality. Well priced for such a stylish and well designed bike if buying in the US or UK. Buy with confidence and enjoy miles and miles of care free cycling.
Pros
- Great value eBike with good components that will be reliable
- Smooth as silk when riding with belt drive and silent rear hub motor
Cons
- Removable battery while more practical in my view makes the bike less stylish
- Digital control on the handlebars is a bit dated and less sophisticated than some rivals
Introduction to Tenways
Tenways are a European e-bike manufacturer with headquarters in the Netherlands. I’ve been working with them for the past couple of years. They began with crowdfunding in 2021 and have developed a series of e-bikes using belt drives. As a big fan of a belt drive e-bike I have enjoyed following their story. They now have various models including a cargo e-bike launched late 2023.
First Impressions of the Tenways CGO600 Pro
Arriving at my door was a large bike box. The only alternative would be if I had ordered a massive flat screen TV given the cardboard. Initial impressions of the Tenways packaging is akin to any of the mainstream manuacturers. Well branded. Good packaging to protect the eBike inside. Consideration for recycled packaging materials and all components branded and from initial use good quality.
Building the Tenways CGO600 Pro for review was straight forward. I have built plenty of bikes and e-bikes so my time of around 15 mins is not reflective of every new customer but it is a straight forward build. See video review of me building it in 8 x speed to help you see process. Only issue I had from building was the rear mudguard unusually comes fitted. On the e-bike I am testing this had become bent in transit. The result was the mudguard was wedged against the rear wheel.
From similar issues on other bikes my guess was it was the rear brake mis-aligned. Simpler fix on the Tenways CGO600 Pro was just bending back the mudguard. Adjusted and bike moved no problems.
Unboxing the Tenways CGO600 Pro
Watch video of the build of the Tenways CGO600 Pro. With some assistance from my dog!
Technical Features & Security
Tenways began their bike buiding using a belt drive and the CGO600 Pro maintains this. What this gives you is near silent cycling. It also allows the power to be applied with near zero loss of torque. The power is regulated using a double sided torque sensor that I found worked well. I have ridden some electric bikes where the torque sensors can be “fooled” to apply power merely from occassional pedalling. I found the Tenways CGO600 Pro torque sensor more of a true measure of torque. Personally I like this and helps give a more real feel for the power as it is applied.
The handlebar control unit is the same as the earlier model. A basic control unit that has a mono-LED display for basic ride information and battery range. For security you have a 4 digit code to unlock the bike. A bit basic but is effective. It does use bluetooth phone connection security where you can set up “Safe Zones” with alerts if the bike is outside this perimeter. This has been developed from when I tested the app originally 18 months ago and is a welcome addition. Security has been improved on the Pro model with the battery removal. Taking the battery out renders the electrics redundant so a very visible deterrant.
Mobile App integration
The Tenways mobile application supports the eBike providing a remote interface with battery life and ride history. To help the application learn about your cycling style power usage each ride you take is recorded through the app. You need to start/stop each ride and it tracks this with the battery usage. Connectivity is provided by bluetooth and pairs quickly. I found I had to pair each time but this was a click in the app selecting your bike.
If considering an indoor cycling training app we review the big ones. Zwift vs ROUVY vs MyWhoosh. Three different options that start from a free subscription!
Appearance and Design
The model I tested came in “avocado green”. It has a matt finish to it but not quite as striking as the latest Aston Martin racing green but it does stand out. It comes in 3 other colours, sky blue (my favourite), midnight black and pebble grey. The front of the bike has been cleaned up with the welcome addition of the integrated front light. I never liked the front light on the Tenways CGO600 so this is a good update. The rear light is supplied but is an add-on to clip on the seat post. Again I would like to see Tenways integrate this. When you are pedalling around a chunky battery this should be able to power the lights without the need for a USB rechargeable light.
All the bikes come with full mudguards as standard. Personally I think the bike looks much better without these but I accept this makes it less practical. They are full size so work really well and are better than any after market products. If you don’t like them, like I did you can just take them off simply enough.
As I have described this model has been revised to include the removable battery in the down tube. The battery can be unlocked using the provided key and fully removed. Design wise this detracts from the clean lines but I accept this makes the bike more secure and also easier for people living in flats or without storage.
It has a classic town bike design that works well. Nothing too crazy or trying to steal the Van Moof design awards but it will find a wide audience.
Range & Performance of the eBike
One of the biggest improvements on this model over the original is the range. The new battery frame design has allowed for a bigger battery. This has pushed up the range by 30%. It has a claimed range of 63 miles an incease from 42 miles.
I tested the Tenways CGO600 Pro over a number of longer rides including hill work. I didn’t load the bike up with panniers and racks. It isn’t really targetting this as more designed for a city bike. I did test it with a rucksack plus my own obvious body weight. So, using the bike with a rider plus kit of 90kg the range was good. This included using it in colder temperatures, sub 5 degree centigrade. Colder temps can degrade range from my experience. Not so for the Tenways.
I found the range realistic compared to the manufacturers claims. Over a number of rides the bike regularly achieved more than 50 miles range comfortably. The percentage range indicator on the handlebar control unit was also accurate. It shows a continually updated percentage that I could rely on. No range anxiety! I did manage to push a 60 mile range but I wouldn’t rely on this as a consistent range. You also impact this by the level of assistance you use. The eBike can contribute 1, 2 or 3 levels of additional power. The more power you consume the more you impede the range.
Tenways CGO600 Pro Ride Experience
The Tenways is targetting city riding so this is where I used the bike most. I completed a range of rides that were generally under 10 miles to reflect how I envisage the bike being used. Lots of short journeys where I would ordinarily use a car.
Getting going. The control panel has a few buttons. It is quick to get the control panel unlocked with a 4 digit numeric code. It doesn’t need to sync with your phone so if you want to just get going you unlock the code and go. When you start you can select the power support needed. This has 4 settings (3 power settings and 1 for no electric support). I tend to like the middle power setting. A good level of assistance that gets you going and smooths out the ride.
As you pedal I found the power kicked in around 2-3mph so almost straight away. It doesn’t need a big amount of power to start so this suits non-cyclists. I had my wife and father-in-law (he is in his 70’s) try the Tenways as well to test this. They both loved the power introduction. Smooth and easy to accomodate.
From my rides on the Tenways in city traffic the speed loads in quickly up to around 12mph. This is super useful as you pull away from a roundabout. Even I can find this stressful as someone who rides a lot. Having an impatient motorist close to you rear wheel in busy traffic is not fun. The Tenways helped eleveate this with a good burst of power to allow me to join the flow of traffic.
Riding in the Rain
The brakes are fantastic. Using it in the rain the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes always did a great job. No loss of stopping power even when they were saturated. This is something people overlook. An eBike generally sees you travelling quicker than you might do ordinarily so having good brakes is a big tick.
Hill Riding Performance
With only a single speed the Tenways is not an obvious hill performer. I like to take eBikes to a local cycling spot that I use for training. It is a 1.25 mile hill climb. Maximum incline of 7% and an overall incline of over 1%. On a road bike it is a good workout. Generally I drop down the gears and manage an average speed between 5-9mph. It really hammers my average speed on my rides!
The Tenways CGO600 Pro uses the Mivice M070 250W Rear Hub Motor. As a type 1 eBike for Europe it is limited in power to 250w. What I was worried about was the 40Nm of Torque. This is lower than some other models I have tested. With a single speed and 40Nm of Torque would it cope on hills or leave me walking up the hill with a 15kg+ ebike to drag up?
Amazingly the Tenways CGO600 Pro eased through hill rides. Speed was maintained above 10mph and I didn’t even need to rely on the full power setting. I pedalled with a light cadence and applied no more effort than on the flat as the torque sensor clearly recognised hill. Impressive performance from a relatively modest motor.
Who is the Tenways CGO600 Pro for?
Who is likely to buy the Tenways CGO600 Pro? An increasing spectrum of buyers in reality are potential buyers. As a city bike it makes a perfect option for commuters with maintenance free belt drive and a decent range. What I found more surprising is the demographic of people who were interested in this e-bike.
Older buyers liked the smooth ease of cycling able to keep up with younger riders. Female non-cyclists were converts. This was a game changer for them able to enjoy a bike ride that they would ordinarily have distanced themselves from. Result is that the buyers for the Tenways CGO600 Pro are wide ranging. Certainly made more of a reality with it so competitively priced.
Tenways CGO600 vs Tenways CGO600 Pro
The Tenways CGO600 and CGO600 Pro share much of the same DNA. There are a number of key differences however. The biggest change between the e-bikes is the frame. For the Tenways CGO600 Pro they have adopted a removable battery. I personally liked the design of the integrated battery on the Tenways CGO600 as it masked the electric bike credentials. You could get away with it looking much like a normal city bike. For the Tenways CGO600 Pro the removable battery does bring benefits. It has a bigger capacity going from 252Wh to 360Wh. This helps with range. The removable battery also helps for security and replacement in event of battery failure.
The other big change the new frame allows is the integrated front light. The earlier model had a somewhat ugly front light mounted from the forks. I commented on this in the review of the ebike that it was really an area that could be improved. With the Tenways CGO600 Pro I am pleased to see this in action with a stylish integrated front light. The light is powerful (rated at 20 lux). The light is Stvzo rated that is a German standard allowing the Tenways CGO600 Pro to be sold in that market.
All other elements of the ebikes are generally the same. With the larger battery and change in design the weight has increased from 15kg to 18kg. The range by contrast has increased on the Pro going from 42 miles to 63 miles From my testing this seems a fair estimate on range. Obviously varies by rider and depending on where you are riding.
What could be improved?
Not much. The bike is well priced. Well specced and rides beautifully. That said I would like to see the following changed to make the eBike even better.
- Electric control panel – The control panel on the handlebars is pretty basic. It would be good to see this more integrated with some richer functionality.
- Rear light – This could be integrated in the same way as the front light. A more stylish frame rear light would help to complete the style of the eBike.
The latest CGO009 eBike from Tenways I am pleased to say has addressed both of these points. Integrated rear light and revamped digital user interface.
Best Alternatives to the Tenways CGO600 Pro
One of the biggest competitors to the CGO600 Pro is the non-Pro model. Tenways are phasing this bike out. It is cheaper and has a smaller battery with less range. If you don’t mind the ungainly front light it is another fantastic eBike.
Another alternative and one I see Tenways continue to compete with is Cowboy. Now the Tenways CGO600 Pro has a removable battery the Cowboy 4 and Tenways are much more closely matched. It is more expensive at £2399 that demonstrates how keenly priced the Tenways is.
Specifications of the Tenways CGO600 Pro eBike
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Frame | 6061 Aluminium Frame |
| Forks | 6061 Aluminium Front Fork |
| Drivetrain | Gates CDX Crankset |
| Wheels | 700C Aluminium Rims |
| Weight | 18kg |
| Motor | Mivice M070 250W Rear Hub Motor |
| Battery | 36V, 10Ah Lithium-ion Battery |
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