By 1950, Schwinn had decided the time was right to grow the brand. At the time, most bicycle manufacturers in the United States sold in bulk to department stores, which in turn sold them as store brand models. F. Goodrich bicycles, sold in tire stores, Schwinn eliminated the practice of producing private label bicycles in 1950, insisting that the Schwinn brand and guarantee appear on all products. In exchange for ensuring the presence of the Schwinn name, distributors retained the right to distribute Schwinn bikes to any hardware store, toy store, or bicycle shop that ordered them. W. Schwinn tasked a new team to plan future business strategy, consisting of marketing supervisor Ray Burch, general manager Bill Stoeffhaas, and design supervisor Al Fritz. Plus, the comfortable upright riding position makes riding a delight. You should consider the condition and componentry of your old bike. With an electric motor dramatically increasing the torque, using a low-quality or worn drivetrain will result in poor performance, with shifting being affected and the chain skipping or even snapping. If you pedal harder you go faster, just like a normal bike, but now your muscles have extra support, so you can go further with less effort. The display itself is encased in black plastic and has sealed buttons built in that seem well protected from water and dust. It does leave something to be desired when you have experienced fancier ebike products, but it gets the job done. You won’t see your speed, average speed, trip time, odometer, trip meter, range estimate, or any other fancy stats… just your power level and battery level. The buttons were easy enough to reach and press, and I like how the black casing of the display blends in with the black handlebar and matches the black spokes, chainring, pedals, and even the hub motor casing. The one thing I was conflicted about was how bright the blue LED lights were. I love how the battery pack slides out to the right vs. mounting down from the top and appreciate the three-bolt design of the track, which provides more strength where it attaches to the frame. It’s a nice pack for being on such a cheap bike… and batteries tend to be some of the most expensive parts of electric bicycles. By 1975, bicycle customers interested in medium-priced road and touring bicycles had largely gravitated towards Japanese or European brands. In reality, mass-market French manufacturers such as Peugeot were not infrequently criticized for material and assembly quality — as well as stagnant technology — in their low- and mid-level product lines. The conversion process is very simple and, depending on how the battery mounts, the weight distribution can be quite good. Powering the wheel does change the way the power delivery feels, and making the front wheel heavy can affect the handling of the bike. A friction drive e-bike conversion means there is a roller that pushes against the wheel's tyre. You might not have the tools, the know-how, the confidence, or simply the time to invest. Luckily, almost all bike shops will be happy to fit it for you. Each electric bike conversion kit works in a different way and therefore fits onto your bike in a different way too. On the downhills, I went to 0 assist and flew down, hitting 36 mph on one of them. In each case I pedaled unassisted part way up the next climb, moving to a numbered assist level only when gravity began to bite. There is a company called Rechargeable Power Energy (RPE) that can repack and restore your original battery. I have heard good things about them, that they perform this service for mainstream ebike manufacturers and double check the circuits when performing a restore or upgrade. Check out their website and give them a ring, I hope this helps because I don’t think Schwinn sells batteries for t his ebike anymore. Court – good work on the site, you have really stepped things up.