Cannondale  Topstone Neo Carbon 2 Speed Electric Bike - 2021

Well first, why buy an eBike? For me, it was unexpected, I was rather against the concept because I thought of biking as a one-person and one-bike against the hills and passes of Colorado. Then quite by accident, I ended up renting some eBikes when my sister and husband came to Colorado over the summer - I was impressed by how the bikes performed - and how my low-land family could pedal for 3 hours around Breckenridge, Colorado. That started me thinking about how at 73 years of age, how hard it was becoming to get into the shape I needed to be to ride my favorite routes around Colorado Springs - many of which had climb gradients in the 8-12 percent range. So, I did some research, decided on a gravel bike, and finally selected the Cannondale Neo Carbon 2. What made it stand out in my mind was the engineering, the Bosch motor and battery setup, the Kiox controller, the frame design, the Shimano drivetrain with the 2x11 shifters, and the more upright cockpit sitting position. So, as of today, I have had the bike for about 6-weeks and put 450 solid miles on it. During that time, I've ridden roads, gravel, and hard-pack. I've ridden it through the Colorado National Monument, the Moab area, and the foothills around Colorado Springs. My impression is a simple "WOW". The bike handles beautifully, shifting is smooth and fast, the hydraulic disc brakes are exceptional and as a result take a lot of stress on those screaming downhills. The Bosch E-System performs incredibly. I ride in the Economy mode 90% of the time (gives about a 50% performance boost), and it gives just enough boost to get me up the steep climbs without driving my heart rate to the limit. And because of that, I find myself able to enjoy biking more, I get a chance to take in the scenery and the mountains during the long climbs. Also, even with the battery boost, I find myself still working hard, still doing my tempo and pace - it’s just now I go farther and faster. The other thing that has impressed me is the range I've gotten on the battery. Bosch has a eBike range calculator that will give you an idea of how far you can go using a particular power setting in a particular type of terrain - I find it really understates the range I've gotten. For instance, on several mountainous rides (Economy mode), I have climbed over 2,000 feet on 5-6% grades turned around and come down (2+ hours, ~27 mi). At the end of the ride the battery level was still around 68%! As an experiment, over the course of three days, I rode the bike (again in Economy mode), until I exhausted the battery. At that point, I had ridden 73 miles and climbed over 5300 feet) - I was extremely impressed. In summary, Cannondale Topstone Carbon 2 is a superb bike. In every area it has met or exceeded my expectations, I did change out the seat and make the conversion to tubeless tires. As for the CONS; I don't have any. I can highly recommend this bike and the folks at REI did a great job setting it up for me.

Earlier this week I saw that REI carried the Cannondale Gravel Ebike model - Topstone Neo Carbon 2 and 3. The 3 is a lefty that was only available in XL. I needed a small frame and was not pumped about the Lefty suspension. Talking to a technician at the local Bellevue, WA to ask about a test ride and he said none were there and the only one in all of WA and OR was at Tualatin REI. Luckily I plan on driving thru OR in two weeks and pulled the trigger on the purchase, and then the fun started working the Joe Delph, the bike technician to equip the bike. I talked to Joe before purchasing and decided I could work w Joe for the next two weeks on accessories. A couple of things first was fenders and lights. REI stocks Portland Design works fenders that will work, but they do not have any lights for the Bosch Kiox system. Chatting found a lighting system from Lupine Lighting systems that might work. Trading e-mail the support person at Lupine I mentioned I purchased from REI and he said he used to work at REI and on his own he called Joe at Tualatin to discuss the installation process for the lights which were unknown as the Topstone Neo Carbon is so new. Check. With Joe's help figured out pedals and upgrading to Tubeless. Explained what I was doing with the local Bellevue, WA REI and they approved of the decisions and helped with details like good mountain shoes, bike stand, and tubeless maintenance. They wanted to see the bike and asked if I would bring it in which I plan to do for the check up. I'll update with another post after I ride the bike. I currently ride a cargo e-bike for the last 1 1/2 years which is like my SUV, making grocery and home maintenance runs as well as bike rides, but it is heavy and not exciting. This Cannondale bike will be my explorer. A bike that I want to ride public transit to be 30 miles away, then make my way back home. More to come. REI's bike technicians have been awesome.