Integrated utility and capacity for off-road adventuring. Are all of your urban needs covered?
(Image credit: Cannondale)
While perhaps best known for performance road and mountain bikes, Cannondale prides itself on innovation, and has been quietly beavering away creating new versions of its Mavaro Neo and Tesoro Neo X electric bikes. Squarely aimed at the urban and commuter market they share a great deal of similarities, but there are some key differences that allude to a subtle difference in functionality.
Whether you’re getting to work, grabbing a coffee, or heading out into the countryside down badly maintained roads and the occasional bridleway, Cannondale appears to have a pair of ebikes to cater to your needs. There is some innovative new tech on show, with neat integration that looks to live up to the quality we've come to expect from the brand, especially from models that have been evolving since 2015/16.
Important updates
While some bike tech evolves at a Darwinian pace, when it comes to the best electric bikes the innards seem to improve by the hour. The Mavaro Neo and Tesoro Neo X are no different in this regard, with both boasting uprated 750Wh batteries, resulting in improved ranges (in most cases) up to 175km on a single charge. While previous iterations of the Mavaro Neo range had the ubiquitous large external battery, it has now caught up with the 2020 Tesoro Neo X model (and many other e-bikes) by neatly integrating the battery into the downtube, making for a much-improved silhouette.
The changes to the Tesoro Neo X are more subtle, but Cannondale has added a third semi-dropped top tube model to complement the step-thru and standard high top tube frame designs and suit a wider variety of needs. The Integrated bike lock previously only seen on the step-thru model of the Tesoro Neo X has also been migrated across to all three new models, which can only be a good thing for a bike with urban aspirations.
Neat integrated lighting is a benefit to fans of safety (Image credit: Cannondale)
Similarities and differences
Both of these new electric bikes are designed with utility in mind; they are first and foremost a means of transportation. They both feature integrated racks for carrying more than just a CO2 cartridge and some levers, integrated lighting to get you home after a long shift at the office, and a modicum of suspension to cushion you over even the most poorly maintained of roads.
While both the Mavaro Neo and the Tesoro Neo X will happily zip you around the city, they are sisters, rather than twins. The Mavaro Neo is wholeheartedly designed to live its best life on paved surfaces and is more of a thoroughbred commuting e-bike. A Gates belt drive and hub gearing make for maintenance-free travel day in and day out, and the daytime running lights in addition to the large Lezyne headlight prioritise safety at all times of day. It also features a rear-facing radar, developed in collaboration with Garmin to ensure you stay safe in traffic.
The Tesoro Neo X also features daylight running lights, but it opts for the more standard chain and derailleur drivetrain with wide range, low gearing. This, combined with wider, slightly knobbly tyres and double the suspension travel of the Mavaro (100mm rather than 50mm) allude to the possibility of heading off into the countryside to tackle some off-road riding when the bright lights of the big city have become wearisome.
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Integrated phone mounting should make navigation a breeze (Image credit: Cannondale)
Integrated tech
Urban-focussed bikes, particularly electric bikes given their much larger power capacity, have been at the forefront of tech integration for a while now. Having a huge battery on hand makes integrated lighting much easier to incorporate without resorting to costly dynamo hubs. Where the Mavaro Neo and Tesoro Neo X have improved on this concept is with a neat lighting strip on the headtube that is always on, in addition to the rack-mounted rear light that is likewise always on. While there is little risk of forgetting to charge your lights on most e-bikes, in this case, if you forget to switch your main beam on you will always have a backup.
Both models also feature other different, but equally neat tech integration. The Tesoro Neo X and the Mavaro Neo feature a stem with an integrated phone mount, allowing easier navigation for trips further afield. Although given the bike doesn't have the capacity to charge your phone, you may find yourself more limited by the battery life of your phone than the motor.
The Mavaro Neo features a rear-facing radar, similar to that seen on the new Synapse, integrated into the rear rack. While you’d be hard-pressed to mistake a Synapse for a Mavaro it is heartening to see Cannondale taking the safety of all road riders seriously, be they performance or utility focussed.
While we'd recommend using a separate lock, having an integrated option certainly helps with security (Image credit: Cannondale)
Progressive wheel sizing
Advancements in geometry and design have primarily been focussed on the performance end of the market, be that road, gravel or MTB. Rarely is there a chance to make a song and dance about interesting developments in commuter bike geometry, but in the case of both of these new models there is something to shout about, and that’s smaller wheel sizes being specced on the smallest frames.
In short, as bikes get smaller the front wheel gets progressively closer to the down tube and to the rider's feet, increasing the risk of the toes making contact with the tyre. The simplest way to counteract this is to slacken the head tube angle, but there comes a point when this makes the bike feel sluggish and lacklustre. Cannondale has instead designed the smallest frames around a 27.5in wheel size, rather than 700c, meaning the handling should remain more consistent between models and shouldn't leave shorter riders feeling like they’re piloting a barge.
A variety of frame shapes should keeps things accessible to the majority of riders (Image credit: Cannondale)
Model range and pricing
If you want the standard top-tube Mavaro Neo model it is going to set you back £5,800 ($7,770), and it’s available in any colour you want providing you only want it in black (or ‘Barbeque’ as Cannondale calls it). The step-thru version is identical in terms of price, but does come in a rather splendid shade of Candy Red as well as the ubiquitous black option.
All models of the Tesoro Neo X come in at a nice round £5,000 ($6,700), and all three frame shapes are available in a ‘Charcoal Grey’, which is silver by another name. If you’re feeling colourful, however, the step-thru frame is available in “Lavender”, the dropped top tube in a light green (“Agave”), and the standard top tube in a dark blue (“Midnight”).
Curious about e-bikes in general? We’ve got a comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know about electric bikes.
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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. There are very few types of cycling he's not dabbled in, and he has a particular affection for older bikes and long lasting components. Road riding was his first love, before graduating to racing CX in Yorkshire. He's been touring on a vintage tandem all the way through to fixed gear gravel riding and MTB too. When he's not out riding one of his many bikes he can usually be found in the garage tinkering with another of them, or getting obsessive about tyres. Also, as he doesn't use Zwift, he's our go-to guy for bad weather testing... bless him.
Rides: Custom Zetland Audax, Bowman Palace:R, Peugeot Grand Tourisme Tandem, Falcon Explorer Tracklocross, Fairlight Secan & Strael
