rss-bridge 2026-02-28T08:34:33+00:00

Tenways nearly perfects the shareable city e-bike

The CGO Compact electric bike twists and folds to create a wall-hugging profile.

Good electric bikes are expensive. So why not buy one and share it?
That's the idea behind the Tenways CGO Compact e-bike I've been sharing with my wife and teenage daughter for the last two weeks. It adapts in seconds without any tools to comfortably fit riders of varying heights thanks to its low-entry frame, quick-release seat post, and height-adjustable handlebar.
It also takes up less space than an ordinary bike with its 20-inch wheels, folding pedals, and a handlebar that twists to create a slim, wall-hugging profile that goes flat inside a car or train.
The CGO Compact's geometry puts riders into a comfortable upright body positi …
Read the full story at The Verge.
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Tenways nearly perfects the shareable city e-bike

The sturdy CGO compact rides big and tucks away small.

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by Thomas Ricker
Feb 28, 2026, 8:00 AM UTC

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

The CGO Compact electric bike twists and folds to create a wall-hugging profile.

Thomas Ricker is a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years.

Good electric bikes are expensive. So why not buy one and share it?

That’s the idea behind the Tenways CGO Compact e-bike I’ve been sharing with my wife and teenage daughter for the last two weeks. It adapts in seconds without any tools to comfortably fit riders of varying heights thanks to its low-entry frame, quick-release seat post, and height-adjustable handlebar.

It also takes up less space than an ordinary bike with its 20-inch wheels, folding pedals, and a handlebar that twists to create a slim, wall-hugging profile that goes flat inside a car or train.

The CGO Compact’s geometry puts riders into a comfortable upright body position. Combine that with wide tires and a heavy aluminum frame – heavier than many full-sized e-bikes – and it feels remarkably sturdy despite its size, with a rear carrier system strong enough to hold a child or a few days of groceries.

The shareable e-bike isn’t a new idea, but Tenways comes close to perfecting it with the €1,999 (about $2,365) CGO Compact.

Verge Score

Tenways CGO Compact e-bike

$2365

The Good

Saddle and handlebar adjust quickly
Twists and folds to go flat
Rides big and sturdy
Good hauling capacity for size
No service upsells
Low battery alerts

The Bad

App is just fine
Quick release seat easy to steal

$2365 at Tenways

How we rate and review products

Tenways, the Amsterdam-HQ’d e-bike company of Chinese origin, has been on a tear in Europe thanks to the post-pandemic chaos that took out much of its competition. The brand makes great looking e-bikes from off-the-shelf parts supported by a robust service network. Importantly, they sell below the €2,681 (about $3,160) e-bike average — expensive compared to the US, but far less likely to burst into flames.

My Tenways review e-bike arrived at my front door in a giant cardboard box. It seemed big enough to fit the CGO Compact fully assembled and with the handlebar twisted, yet I still had to attach the steering column and front wheel myself. The e-bike took about 20 minutes to unbox, but I’ve been assembling direct-to-consumer e-bikes about once a month for the last decade.

Quickly adjusts to fit my wife who is 164cm (5ft 5in) tall.

The handlebars and shock-absorbing seat can be raised in seconds to fit my 183cm (6ft) frame.

Open the release to raise and lower the handlebars, lift that little pin to twist them out of the way.

The folding pedals help create a wall-hugging profile that’s easy to walk past.

The first thing I did after assembly was play with the Byschulz Speedlifter Twist Stem. It’s magical. Open the lever to quickly raise and lower the handlebar, or to gain access to a pin release that lets the handlebar twist out of the way. It took a little practice for everyone to master but we soon got the hang of it.

The small LCD dashboard is bright and colorful even in the sun. You have to enter a four-digit PIN code at power-on, which can only be changed in the rudimentary app over Bluetooth. It’s the only theft-deterrence Tenways offers on the CGO Compact, which also means it won’t try to upsell you on subscriptions or software-locked features.

Despite our height differences, ranging from 164cm to 183cm (5ft 5in to 6 feet), everyone found the CGO Compact to be very comfortable. Adjusting the handlebar and saddle takes less than 10 seconds, and the suspension seatpost did a good job of soaking up small bumps. But the seat’s quick release mechanism offers no additional security to prevent the post and saddle from being stolen. A no-no in the big European cities this bike targets.

The e-bike’s torque sensor made the ride exceptionally intuitive, ensuring that the power delivered by the 250W rear-hub motor was tuned to match the downward force exerted on the pedals. The motor was also very quiet, masked entirely by the sound of the wide, 2.4-inch tires riding over asphalt.

The Tenways motor is only capable of 45Nm of torque. And without additional gears, the CGO Compact is best for mostly flat environments. It still did better than I expected on hills, easily besting the 35Nm Raleigh One I recently reviewed. For example, I was able to cross a bridge with a 10 percent incline that stymied the Raleigh One, but only if I had a rolling start — otherwise, I had to get off and push. On downhill slopes, the large chainring allowed me to pedal comfortably at speeds approaching 30km/h without my legs frantically spinning out. The pedal-assist, however, quits helping at 25km/h (16mph) in Europe.

I also didn’t experience any of the twitchiness you get from folding bikes with relatively short wheelbases, smaller 16-inch wheels, and narrow handlebars. In general I rode in pedal-assist levels 3 or 4 out of 5, with 3 feeling the most natural, and 4 for when I was in a hurry.

[The suspension seat post soaked up bumps on a variety of road surfaces.]

[The seat post is marked so you can always go back to your preferred height.]

[The quick release on the seat post all but guarantees theft.]

[My wife loves the CGO compact. We’re probably going to buy one.]

[I like that we can share it to maximize usage.]

[Hydraulic disc brakes bring everything to a controlled stop, even under load.]

[The Gates Carbon belt drive.]

[The motor controls are simple and intuitive, and the mechanical bell is loud.]

[Any bike shop can service Tektro brakes and pads are easy to find.]

[Intended for cities, but the wide tires and seat-post suspension work well on dirt and light gravel.]

[...]

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