E-Bike Overview
With a 12-speed drivetrain, the Cannondale Moterra Neo 3 is an electric mountain bike you can ride economically uphill and down. The ratios on the rear cassette allow you to take on some big inclines without leaning so hard on the power system, extending your day in the saddle.
Alongside the Shimano XT drivetrain come Shimano MT 420 4-piston disc brakes with 203mm rotors that won’t overheat, even when abused.
The 150mm travel RockShox forks and shock provide the ultimate ride comfort. You can program two ride settings into the rear shock for different riding modes, too — perhaps a softer setting for rougher terrain and a harder setting for uphill sections.
The Bosch Performance Line CX 250-watt motor kicks like a mule with 85 Newton meters of torque. Offering up to 3.4 watts of power for every watt you put into the pedals, it’s a responsive, light, and powerful system that won’t hang about even on the really steep bits.
When it comes to the battery, we say in the table above that this has a range of 75 miles. Unless you’re riding on entirely flat terrain, that is unlikely. On the sort of topography you’ll be riding, you’ll get the best part of eight hours riding before it cuts out — that could mean to the top of the mountain and back!
Reasons to Buy
We love the great battery range and powerful Bosch Performance Line CX motor that, combined with the excellent drivetrain, brakes, and forks, makes for a good electric mountain bike that will handle almost anything thrown at it.
The 29-inch wheels and Maxxis tires make this a serious cross-country bike. Maxxis are among the best for gripping on loose and wet substrate — and mud and dirt are where the Moterra calls home.
Finally, the wheels are tubeless ready, allowing you to go tubeless and vastly reduce the amount of time you’ll be at the side of the track doing puncture repair. While we’re not amused that Cannondale hasn’t gone fully tubeless here, setting it up as tubeless is one of the first tweaks you should set about doing.
Things to Consider
Don’t buy this electric mountain bike unless you know what you’re doing or at least have a friend who is willing to help you tune it to your needs.
The machine isn’t great for singletrack or downhill — it’s more for XC runs. It excels best at climbing mountains rather than seeing how quickly you can get down them.
There are very few things negative to say about it, otherwise. If you are stretching to $7,000 for a mountain bike like this — and know how to use it — you’re going to have as much fun as you can with your clothes on!
