Cannondale's Speedy and Versatile Treadwell Neo 2 E-Bike Won't Destroy Your Credit Rating

Folks, not everyone needs a bicycle meant to bring home gold medals on a daily basis. Instead, the average human simply requires a machine that’s as versatile as possible and able to traverse the urban setting quickly. Better yet, we don’t need our bicycles to hit our bank accounts so hard that you struggle for the next year or so to put the funds back in their place.

Cannondale, a crew that’s been shaping the cycling scene for decades, has a particular machine designed to be fast, capable, runs on electric goodness, and above all, will run you less than $2k. The machine? None other than Treadwell Neo 2 e-bike.

Now, whenever we look at a bike, we need to consider the terrain it’s designed for, and the Treadwell isn’t a bike designed to be seen flying down mountains or competing in the Tour de France. Instead, this bugger is meant to feel right at home in an urban setting and nowhere else. But, at least, it excels in the said setting.

Just to put things into perspective, all Cannondale is asking from you is $1,925 (€1,880 at current exchange rates), and frankly, for that rate, you’re receiving a rather versatile bike. For example, one feature riders should look forward to is the way the frame is shaped. Using aluminum, Cannondale bends that top tube in such a way as to allow for easy mounting and discounting, while the seat stays look ripped right off of Cannondale’s gravel machines.

Diving right into this bike’s electric capabilities, don’t expect to find the most powerful motor around; urban settings simply aren’t that demanding for your bike. With that in mind, Cannondale adds a rear hub motor from Hyena that runs under 250 watts and is powered by a 250-watt-hour battery hidden beautifully into the down tube. Yes, there’s a battery in the down tube, which is also from Hyena.

But who the heck is Hyena? If this name is rather new to you, Hyena is an e-bike component manufacturer from Taiwan that’s actually been in this business since 2013, putting them right up there with crews like Bafang and a few others.

Before you start to deny that this bike may have what you need to efficiently cover ground, don’t; with a range of up to 47 miles (76 kilometers) in optimum conditions and a top assist speed of 20 mph (32 kph), it should be more than enough to help you cruise around town without breaking a sweat.

While it’s not specified just how much torque the motor will be squeezing out, with a seven-speed drivetrain from microShift and a Sunrace 11-34T cassette, you should have no troubles covering hills in your area. On the way down, a pair of Tektro mechanical disc brakes clamping down on 160-millimeter (6.3-inch) rotors help you stop all the weight of this bike (not specified on the manufacturer’s website).

There’s but one downside that I can pinpoint for this bike, and it’s the lack of any rack mounts. Sure, there’s a mount or two for water bottles, but that’s it. You won’t be able to carry any groceries or your child with this one unless you find another way to add racks to the frame.

At the end of the day, if you need a bike for city use and one that will leave you with some cash in your pocket to fill up your car’s tank, the Treadwell Neo 2 deserves your consideration as one possible candidate.