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

Enlarge / The Tenways CGOPro 600 e-bike. (credit: Eric Bangeman)

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.