Cannondale is considered by many as one of the all-time greatest brands in the world of cycling. Up there with the likes of Trek, Giant, and Bianchi, Cannondale has been in business more than 50 years now, and certainly has the know-how to continue innovating, even in the world of e-bikes.
Now, when it comes to electric bicycles, practicality and versatility usually have a bigger importance than sheer performance. In fact, you could say that a lot of e-bikes’ performance is based on the amount of practicality they offer city-dwellers. Cannondale recognizes this, and has made what could very well be the ultimate city electric bicycle by utilizing top-tier components found in the mountain bike, e-bike, and road bike worlds. It’s called the Tesoro Neo X, and it’s quite an impressive machine.
For starters, the Tesoro Neo X’s frame is clearly designed after a hardtail cross country mountain bike. It has a top tube that flows seamlessly into the rear seatstays making for an incredibly clean bone line, and a low standover height when at a stop. This means the frame is accessible to riders of all heights. Furthermore, Cannondale has equipped the Tesoro Neo X with an SR Suntour Raidon 34 fork—a proper XC mountain bike fork with 100 millimeters of suspension travel, and beefy 34-millimeter stanchions to account for the added weight of the e-bike. It’s also an adjustable unit with preload, rebound, and even a lockout.
At the rear, the Tesoro Neo X doesn’t get a rear suspension system, however, road imperfections are damped by a suspension seat post. The bike rolls on 28-inch tires front and rear, and is outfitted with a premium Shimano Deore drivetrain with a 12-speed rear derailleur mated to a single FSA chainring up front. Furthermore, the bike comes to a stop and scrubs off speed effectively with a pair of Magura hydraulic disc brakes.
From the details we’ve discussed so far, those of you who know bikes could probably guess that the Cannondale Tesoro Neo X would command quite a premium. Indeed, you’d be right, especially because Cannondale has fitted it with none other than a Bosch Performance Line Speed motor. With a max output of 85 Nm, this fancy mid-drive motor can propel the bike to speeds of up to 28 miles per hour thanks to 340 percent pedal assistance. Likewise, battery tech consists of a Bosch PowerTube 625 which is said to have enough juice to cover up to 81 miles on a single charge.
This brings us to the final point: price. As expected, the Tesoro Neo X is anything but cheap. It retails for $5,500 USD, which is thoroughly premium for an urban-focused e-bike. Nevertheless, you’re getting some of the best equipment from some of the best brands in the cycling industry.
