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Our Cannondale Adventure e-bikes ~

In March of 2024, we decided to make the move to e-bikes.  With physical limitations gaining ground, I would ride my usual 17-20 miles, then be awake all night with leg pain.  After checking out several bike shops with no luck, we drove to REI in Gretna, NE. They were the only store who had Cannondale Adventure e-bikes in stock.  The one we test rode was a lower end model, but we both felt the bike had a familiar feel, similar to our non-electric models.  

10-21-24 Connie's Cannondale Adventure Neo 1, EQ

 Finding what we wanted was the challenge.  Nothing was available locally.  We started shopping on-line for a small size Neo 1 or 2.  We wanted bikes with enough battery range to ride our usual miles. Butch found a small at Martins Bike & Fitness in Ephrata, PA & ordered it for me.  He eventually found his, a large Neo 2 at Electric Wheels in Denver, CO.  (Cannondale doesn't make this bike in a medium.)

Both are Class 1 with a top speed of 20 mph.  With literally hundreds of e-bike manufactures flooding the market, the basic difference currently, besides the size of the battery, is the type of sensor.  There are two choices, either Cadance or Torque.  Ours have Torque sensors that perform more like a regular bike.  We appreciate the smooth & natural pedal assist.    The other interesting factor is battery size.  A larger battery equals more distance, but also more weight.

12-9-2024 Butch's Cannondale Adventure Neo 2, EQ

Balancing a heavier bike took some getting used to, but after 500-miles I'm totally comfortable with the gearing, breaking & stopping. Butch purchased a little cart for Finn, he pulls behind his bike.  The two of them go flying down the trails & Finn loves it!

Butch & Finn, ready to go!

Finn's first ride, we covered 24-miles!  He stood up in his cart most of the way!  It wasn't until we were a few miles from the Explorer he finally laid down.  We've really been happy with the change & enjoy riding without the day-after aches & pains.  If you've been thinking about getting more exercise & spending time outside, e-bikes make riding fun!

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Analog Bike History~

The Cannondale Adventure Bikes~

2-13-2023 Smokey at Lake Manawa
Cannondale Adventure EQ

The end of November 2021, I switched bikes again.  This time, after test riding a Cannondale at the Bike Rack in Omaha.  (I wish I'd been more diligent as I shopped for a bike last time.)  I ended up flying to Seattle to find the Adventure in the small size I needed & the EQ model I wanted.  It was built by Gregg's Cycles in Greenlake, then dismantled just enough to box.  Once home, Butch made short work of putting it back together.  I rode this bike just over 800-miles in 2022 & hope to enjoy the ride for years to come!

2-23-2023 Butch's - Cannondale Adventure 1

After a short ride on my Cannondale, March of 2022 we went shopping again & came home with an Adventure 1 (Medium) for Butch.  He added aftermarket fenders & has yet to install his black Sunlite rear rack.  He's found the bike to be as totally easy & comfortable to ride as I do.

The Trek Verve's~

May of 2021 - Both of us decided hybrid bike's might be the answer.  They offer the upright riding position we both like, while giving us enough gears to make longer rides more fun.  We started shopping & by early May of 2021, purchased new bikes.

 2021 Trek Verve 3 Disc Lowstep~

November of 2021, after just over 600 miles, I realized riding the Verve 3 was no fun at all.  I'd made excuses for why it wasn't working, but Butch made me realize it wasn't.  It was extremely difficult to get on & off of.  The space between the seat & handlebars was tight.  The small frame felt too big for me. The pedals were more under the seat & the upright seat post kept me from effectively using my legs.  Luckily, it sold just a few weeks after I posted it for sale. 

Butch's 2021 Trek Verve 2 Disc~

Butch liked the gearing on his Verve 2 but had experienced some of the same difficulties with the upright seat post.  We originally thought we'd adjust & blamed our difficulties on being used to the comfortable Electra's.  Bottom line was - neither bike was working for us.  We tried changing the seats, we changed the gearing on my bike etc., but nothing made them a comfortable ride for either of us.  This bike too, sold quickly!

The Electra's~

2013, we purchased our first bikes.  Skagit Valley Cycle in Mt. Vernon, WA carried Electra's.  We planned to do recreational rail/trail riding.  They are the most comfortable bike out there, with patented flat-foot technology that puts the pedals slightly ahead of the seat.  I started out with a Townie 3i & Butch with a Cruiser 7d.  The bikes went camping with us.  Riding with the Grandkids was so much fun! 

3-23-2013 Butch, Centennial Trail, WA State

April of 2019 was the first time since our move to IA we'd taken the bikes out for a ride.  We drove to the Wabash Trace Trailhead in Mineola.  Riding on crushed Limestone was different from the easier paved trails we'd enjoyed in WA.

4-21-2019 My Townie 3i & Butch's Cruiser

In 2020, I was looking for an enjoyable way to keep fit without going to the gym.  (After almost 30-years of riding horses, I longed for the trail time I was missing.)  Both bikes had been stored for years & hardly ever used. 

My first ride on my own, I again drove to the Wabash Trace Nature Trail.  True to form, I took on more than I should have & rode 17-miles.  Sunny, my 3i really gave me a workout.  I quickly decided a few more gears would be nice, if I planned on riding this trail very often.   

4-1-2020 Sunny, 2013 Electra Townie 3i

April of 2020, I purchased Speedy, an Electra Townie 7D.  Now, we'd both have bikes with 7-gears.  Butch rode with me on occasional weekends.  By September 4th, I'd ridden over 540-miles.  

4-15-2021 Speedy 2020 Electra Townie 7D

A horse riding injury in WA state that same month, sidelined me from my bike - until March 6th of 2021. I was determined to get back to biking & managed my first ride March 6th.  It was a great feeling to be back on the trail.  I couldn't have ridden so soon, if not for Speedy's forward pedal position.  As my healing progressed, going into April, I was riding more miles on the trail.  I decided a few more gears would be nice.

When I'd purchased Speedy in 2020, I'd told myself I would ride the bike for a year before making any further changes.  A year was up, we decided to shop for new bikes.

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Gear ~

Tires - I had my first flat on the trail after just a few rides on my e-bike.  Luckily Butch was riding with me & the Explorer wasn't far away.  The tires that came on my bike were a substitution for the tires the bike was advertised with.  Cannondale would do nothing as far as a tire warranty.  We did some research & bought Marathon tires.

Rear Rack - on the Adventure analog bikes, we removed the rack that came with them & purchased; Sunlite Gold Tec Disc.   They're sturdy, well made & easy to install.

Pedals - I like the grip of Shimano EF 202 pedals.  They give just the right amount of traction, without pegs.

Handlebar Bags - Road Runner, Made in America bags.

Hitch Rack - After a lot of comparison shopping, Butch decided on the Yakima OnRamp Hitch Rack.  Butch recently purchased a Lift Caddy to install on our hitch.  The Yakima hitch will affix to it, allowing me to lower the rack to the ground, then raise it into place.  

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