Report: Cruzbike T50e cruising around town in Newburyport

A few weeks ago, Jim and I took the Cruzbike T50e electric recumbent cruiser on a camping trip to the northern part of Maine, known as Downeast Maine. Jim wrote a review of the T50e after we enjoyed riding that beautiful part of the country with them for four days.

Last week, we had a delightful visit with our nephew and once again used the T50e extensively. Joe has ridden Cruzbikes before but he does not own one and after years of head down studying, he is just beginning to enjoy an active lifestyle again.

We live near the incredibly charming New England town of Newburyport, MA. Think historic homes in a riverfront community with lovely shops, bakeries and restaurants. It’s also very near the Atlantic ocean and the famous Plum Island which is home to an incredible variety of birds and wildlife along with beautiful sandy beaches.

Joe’s visit was the perfect opportunity to show where the T50e shines. It is the perfect bike for urban riding, especially when parking is limited. Jim and I routinely ride our T50e’s downtown for dinner. I was excited to share our beautiful town and community with Joe.

Our house is a pleasant 3 mile bike ride to the center of downtown Newburyport. Joe is always up for an adventure, so on his first morning, we rode from our house downtown for coffee and a bagel. Part of our ride took us along the Newburyport Rail Trail which has been lovingly decorated with sculpture and paintings.

We stopped to look at the river and boats in an area known as Joppa Flats and then finished our ride with a coffee.

We parked the bikes and walked across the street to Abraham’s Bagels where we ate a soul-satisfying everything bagel with lox and cream cheese. Abraham’s Bagels are the real deal. People routinely line up down the block to get a fresh bagel or other treat. We rode home via the Newburyport boardwalk. The electric power was nice for getting up the little hill that comes just before our house with full stomachs.

Later we rode to our local convenience store to grab some beer for a family dinner. Once again, the T50e with panniers was the perfect vehicle for a little shopping.

The T50e is the perfect urban commuter. Starting from stops is done effortlessly with a twist of the throttle, so no stress at stop lights that the cars behind you will get impatient once the light turns green. A twist of the throttle and you’re off, taking your time to get your feet on the pedals.

Our second day of adventure took us to the beach at Plum Island. The bikes were the perfect mode of transportation because as in downtown, the parking at the beach is very limited. Instead of parking ½ mile away and carrying our towels and swimming paraphernalia on a long hot walk, we rode right up to the beach, leaned our T50e’s next to the fence and enjoyed a swim. The ride home after a refreshing swim was joyful!

The last adventure with Joe and the T50es was a ride to the head of a hiking trail. The hike takes us up to a hilltop with views of the steeples of Newburyport, the Merrimack river, Plum Island and the Atlantic Ocean. Jim rode an S40 and I took a Q45, but on the T50e Joe was able to keep up with us no matter how hard we rode. After the hike we rode through the gorgeous salt marshes we are fortunate to have near our home.