LovelySquare83
New Member
- Region
- USA
This EBR review was super helpful for me!
This was somewhat of an impulse purchase – my boyfriend recently bought an e-bike and keeping up with him was challenging on my non-electric 2018 Electra Townie cruiser bike. I originally thought of just buying Electra’s latest e-bike version of the Townie but then decided I wanted something with front suspension that could handle a little bit of off-roading (to match the capabilities of my boyfriend’s e-bike).
I was fortunate to be able to try out his bike (a G-Force T42) before buying the Tesoro and found that I’m not a fan of the hub motor. The assist felt too aggressive and unrelated to my pedaling effort even in the lowest assist setting. And using the throttle to propel myself with little or no pedaling felt odd to me (and as a former motorcycle rider, using my left thumb for the throttle is just plain wrong). This pointed me firmly in the direction of mid-drive motor options.
Also, I didn’t want or need a folding bike. And I think they’re aesthetically unpleasing, to be perfectly honest. (This is me trying to not call my boyfriend’s bike ugly. But I guess I did it anyway. Shhh, don’t tell him I said that!
)
I looked online at the offerings from the major bike manufacturers. In addition to front suspension, I knew I wanted fenders, built-in lights, and a rear rack. I know all of these things can be added afterward, but I’m not really a bike tinkerer and wanted to start with a bike that has all of the things I need.
Honestly, the Tesoro caught my eye right away – it’s a sharp-looking bike. I’m not the kind of woman who likes purple, pink, and other “girly” colors that manufacturers set for female-oriented products. Give me simple black any day!
I tested it out at a local bike shop. I was concerned that the Small size frame would be too large for me – Cannondale’s specs say it’s for riders between 5’4” and 5”7” and I’m 5’3”. But with a slightly shorter seatpost, it’s perfect. The riding position is not too aggressive (a concern coming from the ultra-relaxed position on my Townie) but forward enough that I feel firmly in control. The brake lever and shifter positions work well for me and it felt very comfortable overall.
The Purion display is a little smaller/less functional than I’d like – it can’t show current estimated range and the trip odometer at the same time for some reason, which is data I’d love to be able to see at a glance on outings rather than needing to cycle through them.
I like that I can turn the lights off and on at my discretion, though I would like it if there was a flashing function for daylight use. Another wish would be for the rear light to act as a real brake light and brighten while braking (something my boyfriend’s bike does).
Braking power is great and I have no concerns about slowing down or stopping even when at high speeds. The mid-drive motor feels very natural relative to pedaling effort. In the lowest Eco mode, it’s a barely noticeable boost. In Turbo mode it’s very noticeable and quite welcome at the end of a long ride on the way home!
Range has been absolutely excellent so far. My boyfriend’s G-Force T42 died near the end of our weekend 35-mile ride (mostly flat paved rail trails with a just a few hilly and unpaved sections) whereas my Tesoro was showing 60% battery remaining and 30+ miles of more range in Turbo mode when we got home. His bike is about the same weight as mine, but he weighs about 40 lbs more than me, so that’s a big difference to consider of course. On the first half of the trip he used assist level 1, then switched between assist levels 2 and 3 (highest level) on the way home. To keep up with him I used Sport mode (3rd assist level) on the first half, and Turbo (4th and highest assist level) on the way home.
Outdoor cycling is a pleasure hobby for me. I get my exercise from the gym, running, and a Peloton bike at home. Having an e-bike has opened up riding for me so much more – I feel like I can take “big” trips (or trips in hotter weather than I prefer) that I never would have considered on my Townie. The Tesoro was quite an expenditure but totally worth it so far. I’m excited to go riding and now think of where I can go on my bike instead of driving my car.
This was somewhat of an impulse purchase – my boyfriend recently bought an e-bike and keeping up with him was challenging on my non-electric 2018 Electra Townie cruiser bike. I originally thought of just buying Electra’s latest e-bike version of the Townie but then decided I wanted something with front suspension that could handle a little bit of off-roading (to match the capabilities of my boyfriend’s e-bike).
I was fortunate to be able to try out his bike (a G-Force T42) before buying the Tesoro and found that I’m not a fan of the hub motor. The assist felt too aggressive and unrelated to my pedaling effort even in the lowest assist setting. And using the throttle to propel myself with little or no pedaling felt odd to me (and as a former motorcycle rider, using my left thumb for the throttle is just plain wrong). This pointed me firmly in the direction of mid-drive motor options.
Also, I didn’t want or need a folding bike. And I think they’re aesthetically unpleasing, to be perfectly honest. (This is me trying to not call my boyfriend’s bike ugly. But I guess I did it anyway. Shhh, don’t tell him I said that!
)I looked online at the offerings from the major bike manufacturers. In addition to front suspension, I knew I wanted fenders, built-in lights, and a rear rack. I know all of these things can be added afterward, but I’m not really a bike tinkerer and wanted to start with a bike that has all of the things I need.
Honestly, the Tesoro caught my eye right away – it’s a sharp-looking bike. I’m not the kind of woman who likes purple, pink, and other “girly” colors that manufacturers set for female-oriented products. Give me simple black any day!
I tested it out at a local bike shop. I was concerned that the Small size frame would be too large for me – Cannondale’s specs say it’s for riders between 5’4” and 5”7” and I’m 5’3”. But with a slightly shorter seatpost, it’s perfect. The riding position is not too aggressive (a concern coming from the ultra-relaxed position on my Townie) but forward enough that I feel firmly in control. The brake lever and shifter positions work well for me and it felt very comfortable overall.
The Purion display is a little smaller/less functional than I’d like – it can’t show current estimated range and the trip odometer at the same time for some reason, which is data I’d love to be able to see at a glance on outings rather than needing to cycle through them.
I like that I can turn the lights off and on at my discretion, though I would like it if there was a flashing function for daylight use. Another wish would be for the rear light to act as a real brake light and brighten while braking (something my boyfriend’s bike does).
Braking power is great and I have no concerns about slowing down or stopping even when at high speeds. The mid-drive motor feels very natural relative to pedaling effort. In the lowest Eco mode, it’s a barely noticeable boost. In Turbo mode it’s very noticeable and quite welcome at the end of a long ride on the way home!
Range has been absolutely excellent so far. My boyfriend’s G-Force T42 died near the end of our weekend 35-mile ride (mostly flat paved rail trails with a just a few hilly and unpaved sections) whereas my Tesoro was showing 60% battery remaining and 30+ miles of more range in Turbo mode when we got home. His bike is about the same weight as mine, but he weighs about 40 lbs more than me, so that’s a big difference to consider of course. On the first half of the trip he used assist level 1, then switched between assist levels 2 and 3 (highest level) on the way home. To keep up with him I used Sport mode (3rd assist level) on the first half, and Turbo (4th and highest assist level) on the way home.
Outdoor cycling is a pleasure hobby for me. I get my exercise from the gym, running, and a Peloton bike at home. Having an e-bike has opened up riding for me so much more – I feel like I can take “big” trips (or trips in hotter weather than I prefer) that I never would have considered on my Townie. The Tesoro was quite an expenditure but totally worth it so far. I’m excited to go riding and now think of where I can go on my bike instead of driving my car.
