Cannondale's Moterra Neo E-Bike SUV Is an Urban Frankenstein With a Can-Do Attitude

Folks, Cannondale has been a benchmark of cycling ever since its inception in 1971, and these days, if you take a walk around town, turn on your TV to a sports channel, or visit a bicycle shop, chances are that you'll spot a Cannondale machine in the next few moments. They rose to such a presence by "ditching the rulebook" and "cutting a new path" for bicycle manufacturing.

Well, these days, they're still hard at work innovating and bringing forward the best that the industry has to offer. That seems to be precisely the case with the Moterra, that two-wheeled hunk of MTB-like urban bicycle that's designed for just about any roads and paths out there.

Now, if you're into cycling or even know just a little bit about how a bike works, then you're very well aware of the fact that we're looking at one heck of a Frankenstein. I mean, it's not often that you see what looks like a full-suspension XC MTB sporting fenders and a cargo rack, not to mention a motor and battery pack. In short, the Moterra presents itself as a do-it-all machine.

According to the manufacturer, that's precisely the idea: to create a two-wheeler that can "Float through the city. Fly through the woods." Cannondale is even going as far as calling the Moterra an urban e-SUV; this isn't the first time I've heard this term, and more and more bicycle manufacturers are adopting it.

Overall, Cannondale uses nothing more than aluminum to craft that beefy-looking frame, but my favorite aspect of its design is the way it follows MTB geometry, with a few small tweaks, of course. With its full-suspension capabilities, the rear brings in 130 mm (5.1 in) of travel to help smoothen out damn near anything you encounter on city streets and make light work if you decide to take the long way home one day through the local woods.

Who did Cannondale choose to supply the squishy factor of the Moterra? None other than RockShox, a leader in MTB suspension components. The rear shock is from this brand, but so is the fork, the latter being a 35 Silver R with 150 mm (6 in) of travel and, most importantly, is rack and fender compatibility.

All that's sure to amount to a soft riding experience with tunable settings to adapt to different terrains, but I have a problem with it: a full-suspension bicycle isn't the best thing to be riding around town because of the loss of energy due to pedal bob. With today's technology, that loss is bound to be minimal, but it's just not my cup of tea.

Yet, take this thing out of the city setting, and we're looking at one rather cunning and tuned MTB. From internal cable routing to a dropper post, the moment you drop the racks and fenders and hit the local trails, you'll understand what Cannondale achieved here.

As for the electric power behind our on and off-road experiences, who else is behind the magic, if not industry-leading Bosch, the one and the same that's been tinkering with electric drivetrains since around day one of this wave. Depending on the country you're in, your top speed will be limited to local laws and regulations.

For the Moterra, Cannondale has chosen a Performance Line CX as the powerhouse behind the extra kick. Best of all, this little engine is able to crank out up to 340% assistance and a peak of 85 Nm (63 lb-ft) of torque. That's more than enough to handle whatever your town throws at you, even if you're loaded to the brim with cargo bags and goodies.

Once it's coupled with a 750 Wh removable battery mounted in the down tube, Cannondale claims a peak range of 175 km (108 mi). Sure, that's a number derived through testing in an optimized setting. But my experience with e-bikes is that you'll be able to achieve around 30% less (122.5 km) in an urban setting and up to 50% (87.5 km) or more loss while riding off-road or through hilly areas.

The rest of the drivetrain sees the presence of yet another industry powerhouse. None other than Shimano is present with a 12-speed Deore setup with a 10-51T range. Braking is also handled by this crew, with a pair of 4-piston hydraulic clamps biting down on a pair of 203 mm (8 in) rotors. While it may sound like overkill, you can never have too much braking power when we talk e-bikes. If you want overkill, you can even go a step further and load up your Moterra with Bosch's e-bike ABS.

Now, if we put all that together, what do we have? Well, for city life, we're being offered an EV that can replace our cars, if only for a few activities like grabbing some light groceries and commuting to work and home again; it all amounts to that much less gas being used. You'll also be exposing those eggs to nothing more than the most cloud-like riding experience of any urban ride around.

If we switch the setting around and place you in the center of some mountain trail, then that egg will still make it home in one piece. After all, RockShox didn't reach the acclaim they carry today by building bottom-shelf components.

Tire size is sure to aid in your off-road excursions, too, with 29-inch monsters cruising over roots and rocks and sporting a 2.3-inch cross-section for optimized control and grip. As a safety and riding pleasure tip, be sure to consider the sort of riding you typically enjoy and match tires according to the terrain you encounter on your outings.

The final use that I could find for this machine is its ability to act as a cargo mule for long-distance rides. With those cargo racks, you can load the Moterra with tools, foods, drinks, lightweight tents, and sleeping bags and ride to the edge of town, only to return whenever the daily grind of society beckons.

That's what the Moterra Neo EQ offers, but it'll only do so for no less than €5,900 ($6,400 at current exchange rates), which is nearly three times what your everyday human is willing to pay for an e-bike. Oh, be sure to check out the Lab71 version, going for a whopping $13,000! That version is built out of carbon fiber and sports ultra top-shelf gear, including wireless shifting. But, that beast is for something else entirely.

What are your thoughts on the way EVs like these are shaping our society and lifestyles, not to mention budgets?