E-Bike Overview
Thanks to its maximum pedal-assist speed of 28 mph, the Cannondale Tesoro Neo X will handle most city traffic conditions without cars or trucks trying to get past you. Though not legal in many states (this is a Class 3 electric bike), where permitted, you’ll get the respect you need from other road users.
When it comes to range, Cannondale says this e-bike will do 73 miles thanks to its 625 Watt-hour battery. In reality, in a city like San Francisco, you’ll get as few as 40 miles a day — but this is still a lot of miles in the saddle.
It’s well designed for light off-road uses (perhaps a forest track in extreme cases) with its 100mm travel fork and Schwalbe Big Ben Plus Performance 28″ tires that won’t suffer on a bit of dirt. This wheel size is bigger than most other e-bikes, giving you more control over bumps and obstacles.
When it comes to evening riding, the bright head and tail lights will both alert other road users to your presence and show you the road ahead with no trouble. It also comes with a horn preinstalled so you can alert others that you’re passing.
Reasons to Buy
We love the range offered by the 625Wh battery. Up to 73 miles is a very good range as far as modern e-bikes go. For touring, you can happily do a full-day ride at 12-14 mph with perhaps lunch and dinner in the included pannier bags. That makes this e-bike an ideal machine where you may plan to plug it in by night and ride by day for a few days.
The 85 Nm of torque offered by the Bosch Performance Line Speed motor — offering up to 340% of the power you give to the pedals — will heave you up even the steepest of city streets without you breaking a big sweat.
With its suspension seat post that smooths out impacts, the Cannondale Tesoro Neo X is a comfortable road machine that few others in the segment can beat.
Things to Consider
Even with a 10-tooth top gear on this e-bike, your legs will be pumping like crazy to reach the top speed of 28 mph. If you ride this at similar speeds to most riders — 15 mph is usually standard on most trails — then you won’t get where you’re going in a ball of sweat.
At a price of $5,500, this electric bike is a bit expensive. However, if you’re looking for a solid commuter e-bike, this is certainly a machine that will make you want to leave your car behind.
