E-bikes are often sold on their excitement factor. They go Whizz! Or Zoooooom! Perhaps even Clang!! if you’re not looking where you’re going (but of course we always do). They’re marketed as a healthy outdoor pursuit that’s full of fun and companionship and feelings of achievement – like rugby, but with an electric motor and fewer communal baths. And they are, of course, all of those things. But Tenways may, in the CGO009, have invented the first truly relaxing e-bike.
The Tenways CGO009 is a gentle mode of transport that’s as unlikely to go Whizz! as it is to get a tattoo about loving its mother.
It’s an ideal ride for a day out with the kids through urban greenways or a misty morning commute down the towpath.
Tenways also makes a point of highlighting the cleanliness of the belt drive (though the point could also stand for any bike using such a power system) which means it’s perfect for riding when you’re wearing long trousers or a dress.
Yes, cycle clips are a thing of the past, and it’s the lack of possible laundry-troubling oil stains that’s the big breakthrough, rather than the quietness and low-maintenance nature of such a transmission.
We think, however, there’s another category of clothing that will benefit from the belt: robes – specifically ecclesiastical ones (although if there are any wizards reading you can include yourselves in this too). Perhaps it’s time for the clerical conveyance to get an update for the kind of 21st century vicar who wears a 5G-connected smart cassock that displays bible verses on a small OLED screen integrated into the dog collar.
Of course, it’s just possible that some of our readers have not taken holy orders (or become wizards), and simply prefer to wear flowing clothing while riding as a fashion-forward statement. Such complicated couture requires an uncomplicated e-bike, and that’s where the CG009 excels.
It is fabulously solid and simple in a way that helps overcome the slight detachment between bike and rider that is sometimes introduced by all those extra bits that make an e-bike an e-bike.
There’s no screen filled with information to absorb, for example – just a line of LEDs that give you the basics. The belt drive doesn’t have complex whirring gear shifters that will need cleaning and adjusting over time. There’s no suspension to fiddle with, no hideously inflated price. Sure, you have to charge the battery, but there are three great big lights to show you when it’s full.
What it also has is a nicely powerful rear hub motor from Tenways. This offers up to 45Nm of torque and is subject to the usual 250W and 25km/h UK restrictions, offering a claimed range of up to 85km (about 50 miles) from the 374Wh battery, which uses LG cells.
This range may require a magic wand or helpful deity to achieve, but isn’t out of the question depending on your weight and riding profile. The three-lights method of communicating battery level does however mean you’re not really getting fine-grained information unless you use the app, which contains proper estimated range and distance ridden figures.
There are also disc brakes, integrated lights to front and rear, a crossbar that makes car carrier use possible, and a high riding position that vicars (or wizards) will appreciate.
At 23kg, it’s chunky but far from the heaviest out there, and the whole look is a clean one, with additions of character thanks to the way the rear forks join the top tube ahead of the saddle post and also in the sweep of the handlebars.
It’s a remarkably quiet ride, the torque-sensing motor gently pushing you along with no jerk as it kicks in. You wouldn’t want to ride it too far without electrical assistance however. When the battery went flat, we had to push it up a hill, as the single-speed drive can obviously be punishing to leg muscles without the motor’s assistance.
We also found the disc brakes to be a little bit soft. They fit with the all-round relaxed feel, and certainly stopped the bike, but took slightly too long to do so. The seat post adjustment may take a moment to work out too, as it’s buried under a rubber cover rather than being an obvious quick-release catch or hex nut.
The electrical system meanwhile is brilliantly simple. There are two small black nodules on the handlebars. The one on the left has on/off switches for the bike and the integrated front light (the rear one uses its own switch), plus up and down controls for the power level.
A boost button in the centre gives you a bit of extra push, but can only be activated when you’re already moving, so is no good for uphill starts.
The nodule on the right shows you which power level you have selected as well as how much juice is left in the battery. This last piece of information is duplicated on the top tube.
There’s a bell on the left too, but nothing much else on the bike beyond mudguards and a rack on the back.
If you want a screen to show how fast you’re going and how far you’ve been, you’ll have to supply your own phone holder and hook up a compatible smartphone via Bluetooth and the Tenways app – which also enables sat-nav, movement reports if you leave the bike chained up somewhere, and GPS tracking.
This is fine, and you absolutely don’t have to do it – acoustic bikes never gave you this information, and you’ll know when you hit 25km/h as the electrical assist will cut out. This is unlikely to be the bike of choice for speed runs or particularly long distances, but it does seem a bit fiddly when we’ve become used to screens on e-bikes.
As electric single-speeds go, the CGO009 is one of the more expensive. Tenways also offers the more functional-looking CGO600 for £1,499 and we recently reviewed the CGO600 Pro (£1,799) which gains an in-built front light, removable battery and adjustable handlebar stem.
If you’re after quirkier looks, the distinctive Honbike Uni4 (£1,799) definitely warrants a mention, while the Cowboy Classic (£2,399) and Cruiser (£2,599) are perhaps the closest comparisons. The latter is also available with a step-through frame, as the Cowboy Cruiser ST.
The Volt London (£2,299) is another you might want to take a look at, albeit that one employs a standard chain rather than a belt drive.
Despite the lack of suspension, the CGO009 is a comfy ride, the 50mm tyres broad and saddle plenty wide enough, while the high seating position allows taller riders to get their legs extended.
It would probably be wrong to criticise it too much for being unexciting, because what it offers is an undemanding ride that doesn’t load you down with data or range anxiety, unless that’s what you want – and you can always indulge in the joys of data analysis after you’ve got home. Its approach to display and connectivity is a refreshing one, and leaves you able to just enjoy the ride.
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