Cannondale Tesoro Neo 3. v. Cannondale Quick Neo EQ:

[timacn]

I'm trying to evaluate both from a distance. I could travel a couple hours to see and maybe buy a leftover 2019 Quick Neo EQ at a good price, but the seemingly "do it all" Tesoro Neo 3 in my size (large) is all sold out for miles around and won't be available until November, or so I've been told. Anybody familiar with these bikes? Any preference? (I've heard they are very similar.) Any opinions or insights you could give to me would be most appreciated. Thanks for your help.

 

[SoCalDave]

Hi, I'm a new member who decided to stop "lurking" and join to contribute. I purchased a 2019 Quick Neo in size L in August 2019 for under $2800 (on sale) from REI and have really enjoyed it. Mine is not the Quick Neo EQ (equipped). My version doesn't have fenders and lights, and has a nine speed drivetrain with an 11-36 cassette and a 38T crank. The EQ has the 38T crank, but a ten speed 11-42 cassette, so it has a slightly lower gear for climbing, and has the fenders and lights. The battery (500 Wh) and motor (Bosch Active Line Plus) are the same between the Quick Neo and the Quick Neo EQ. I can do long steep climbs on my Quick Neo with no problem, so the gearing is sufficient, and I am not even in the lowest gear. I bought the Quick Neo at REI since they had one in stock in L that I could test ride, and I bought it on the spot. If they instead had a 2019 Quick Neo EQ, I might have bought that, but its list price was higher, it wasn't on sale, and they didn't have it in stock. I would have liked having the built in lights and the ten speed drivetrain, but I didn't care about the fenders (in fact the fenders would be a hassle with our hitch mount bike carrier, which has arms which lock on top of the tires.) My Quick Neo size large is about 42.5 lbs, and I'm guessing that the size L Quick Neo EQ is probably about 43.5 to 44 lbs. These are reasonable weights for Bosch mid drive bikes.

The current Tesoro Neo 3 has one advantage and several disadvantages compared to the 2019 Quick Neo EQ. The advantage is the suspension fork, if that is important to you. The disadvantages are increased weight, nine speed vs. ten speed drivetrain, and a 400 Wh battery, which might be important to you for range.

I added a CaneCreek Thudbuster ST seat post to my bike, and a Redshift suspension stem, along with front and rear Bontrager lights (self powered), a Serfas Dorado saddle along with several other minor items. I love the bike and find it comfortable to ride and I do a lot of hills at altitude. I come from a traditional non-electric road bike and occasional flat bar bike background, and I find that the Bosch mid-drive system feels very natural to me - it just makes me feel stronger, but you still pedal and shift appropriately like on a traditional bike. I can set the assist level to get plenty of exercise, and do long climbs that I could do ten years ago but can't do now un-assisted.

I plan several upgrades to the bike. If the Bosch Kiox display and controller become generally available as an aftermarket purchase, I plan to replace the Purion display/controller with it. Nothing wrong with the Purion - it is simple to operate and easy to read, but the Kiox provides much more information, such as rider power output, which I would enjoy seeing. Generally bikes with the Kiox display cost $ thousands more than those with the Purion display, so it makes sense to simply upgrade to the Kiox on my bike, instead of buying a new bike. I also would like built in head and tail lights wired into the Bosch system, as opposed to my separately powered Bontrager lights, which I have to turn on front and back manually, and take the lights off of the bike to charge after several rides. My wife was a Trek Dual Sport + that has built in lights that come on when she turns on her controller.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have over 500 miles on my bike, and it has been trouble free and I really enjoy it. I'd say if you don't need the suspension fork and the 2019 Quick Neo EQ is priced lower than the Tesoro Neo 3, I would go for the Quick Neo EQ, as you get a bigger battery and the better ten speed drivetrain.

 

[timacn]

Thanks, SoCalDave, for that excellent review of your bike! You've given me lots of good information and lots to think about.

I presently have a Stromer V-1/St-1 from about 2015-16. It's a great bike, but Stromer's support network in the USA seems more than a little thin. I'd like to get an ebike with a better support network and one with a better battery and range. Because of my desire for a good support system, I've been looking at Cannondales, Treks, and Specialized ebikes.

The Treks I considered (Verve Plus 3 and Allant Plus 7) have maximum safe weight ceilings that add the weight of the bike into the total allowed weight, which was a little too high for me and the Specialized Vados that I liked are Class 3 machines and verboten in Pennsylvania. So I started looking at Cannondale machines, which I really liked anyway.

I like the looks and the description of the Tesoro Neo 3, but for my purposes, the 2019 Quick Neo (regular or EQ) seems like it would fill the bill. I basically ride bike paths, paved and gravel, and sometimes dirt roads. I also occasionally ride paved roads, but don't like to do that too often because of the cars. I would like something with a decent range of 40 miles or more when using the first level of battery assistance, which is usually where I keep it, except when dealing with the occasional hill. I weigh 250 (regrettably) so I need something that would move me around well. The 29 inch tires on the Tesoro are attractive, but I don't really need them. Ditto for the suspension fork. (I have one on my Specialized Crosstrail and I usually lock it out.)
I like the rack and lights on the Quick EQ, but feel sort of like you do about the fenders. The larger motor and battery are definite plusses. I can also get the Quick EQ for a really good leftover price.

So thanks again for your help, SoCalDave. You really helped me focus my thinking.

 

[Marci jo]

Timacn,
Congrats on your search for an ebike. The fun factor is incredible!
Last year I test rode a 2019 Cannondale Quick Neo. Loved it. Agile, responsive and only 39 lbs, which is amazing considering so many ebikes weigh over 50 lbs.
Unfortunately even the smallest frame was a smidgen too big, and no low step available.
I’m not familiar with the Tesoro but Cannondale makes a great machine, both powered and non-powered.
Looking forward to a photo of your new ebike.

 

[SoCalDave]

Marci, your description of the Quick Neo as agile and responsive is exactly how I feel about it. I was used to riding a sub 20 lb carbon fiber road bike (I'm 6'4" and 220 lbs), and I thought that an e-bike would be like a truck or bus, but the Quick Neo is not. If I am descending a long hill and there is no traffic around, I like to gently slalom the bike back and forth, and it feels completely comfortable and fun and stable. I'm not sure why so many mid-drive bikes weigh so much. The Quick Neo is on the low side of the weight class in similar Bosch powered mid-drive bikes, and to do better, you need to spend a lot more for a carbon fiber e-bike, or you need to go to a different less capable drive system with a lower capacity battery with another model or brand of bike.