Written by fellow recumbent rider Terry Feinberg
After riding my Bacchetta CA 2.0 for 7 years (and a Bacchetta Corsa and HPV Scorpion trike before that), it was time for a new bike. The CA 2.0 is a great bike, and initially, I was just looking for another fast bike with updated components, including disk brakes.
My regular rides are 25-30 miles (40-48km) with 1700-2100 feet (520-640 meters) of climbing with short sections up to 10% grade. As I explored my next bent options, the reality of age (68), my knee replacement , some cardiac issues and my wife’s prodding got me to consider an e-bike. I struggled at first with the decision because I wasn’t ready to give up cycling, didn’t want to admit I’m not as strong as I was 20 (or even 5) years ago, and didn’t want to “cheat” on my exercise, but when I saw the new Bacchetta Pronto Alto, I thought I’d check it out to see if it could be a compromise between maintaining the joy and exercise of riding a bent, while getting just enough boost to stay within my limits. It took a while to convince myself I’m not getting any younger, and place the order a Pronto Alto. It turned out to be the best decision I’ve made.
The bike is a flawless work of engineering art.
I ordered the bike from Bacchetta in November of 2024, and took delivery of the first Pronto Alto to hit the streets in early April 2025. Since I live about 300 miles (482km) from Bacchetta, I decided to drive down to pick it up. It was a great opportunity to get it dialed in from the start, and to meet Dana Lieberman, Bacchetta’s owner and the force behind the new bike designs.
First up, the ordering process can’t be beat. Bacchetta is hand-building each bike in Southern California, and there are a lot of options for customization, from components to paint and decals. After filling out the extensive order form and paying the deposit, I got a call from Dana to review everything to make sure I got what I really wanted, and they got the build right
The newly designed aluminum frames are welded and heat-treated in Taiwan and brought to the states in bare metal. Let’s face it, on a bike costing several thousand dollars, performance is most important, but it’s great to be able to have it look the way I want too. These frames are powder coated locally, so each bike can be designed just the way you want it (including any custom color for a bit more cost). I chose Dirty Magic (deep purple) from the standard colors. I also wanted a subtle look for the decals, so I went with Metallic Oil Slick decals.
The bike is a flawless work of engineering art. The welds are super clean, and the battery fits into the well designed frame. I had never been on an e-bike before, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. With the first pedal stroke, I knew I made the right decision.



The ride
The roads I ride are a combination of chipseal and cracked asphalt. They’re not horrible, but they’re not smooth either (using a neck rest is impossible because bouncing on the rough surface). The Pronto Alto is remarkably smoother riding and more comfortable than my CA2.0. This could be due to several factors. The heavier aluminum frame could be absorbing some of the bumps. The Euromesh seat could be transmitting less than the carbon seat on my CA. And the 700×28 tires on the Pronto Alto could be more compliant than the 650×23 I’m running on the CA (both Gatorskins). Regardless, it was a pleasant surprise. The Euromesh seat is much more comfortable than the carbon fiber one on the CA. I can easily ride 90 minutes without feeling I need to give my butt a break.
The Pronto Alto is designed to the Bacchetta Corsa geometry. Surprisingly, it seems to have a tighter turn radius than my CA 2.0, but it is not nearly as nimble on fast downhill curves. This is probably because the seat height on the Pronto Alto is about 2.5” (6.3cm) higher, but frame geometry and tire size could be playing a role. Or maybe I just need to relax and get used to the new bike.

E-assist
All of my previous bikes (going back to my first “10-speed”) have had two or three front change rings, and this was my first bike without a front derailleur. Despite the e-assist, I wondered about the gear jumps, and how I would do on my hills with 52-42 low gearing on the Pronto Alto, compared to the 42-42 on the CA. Silly worry.
I’m amazed how subtle and smooth the boost from the Bafang M510 motor with the integrated torque sensing bottom bracket is. It just feels like I’m riding a bike, not that the motor is riding for me. Going up or down with the boost feels similar to shifting up or down, but then I realize, regardless of terrain, I’m averaging 5-6 mph faster than before, so it’s obviously doing much more.
It has 5 levels of boost – each step is user definable, but I’ve kept it at Dana’s recommended 20% per step. The control is on the left handlebar, where the front derailleur shifter normally would be. A gentle touch of the up and down buttons provides more or less boost without the need for the momentary easing of pressure on the pedals as when shifting a derailleur. And starting to pedal, even on a steep hill, is a piece of cake with the boost.
I primarily ride for fitness (physical and mental) and wasn’t looking for an electric bike to take over the effort. Rather, I was looking for a little extra boost while my legs do most of the work. So, I’ve been keeping the boost off on the flats and downhills, in the lowest setting on hills up to 4-5% grade, and the second level on grades up to short sections of as much as 10%. I’ve had it in the third level a few times just to see what it was like (it’s fast!), and haven’t even put it in the top two levels at all.
Even after over 200 miles (322 km), I’m still experimenting on when to shift the derailleur, and when to add or remove a step of boost. It’s been fun experimenting with it. Approaching a steeper hill, I’ve been down shifting one or two gears to keep my cadence up, then adding the boost and down shifting more if necessary. This seems to be working well.
On the CA, my heart rate would get up to 160-165 on the opening 3-mile hill. Now, I can keep it below 135 (makes my cardiologist happy). Yet, I can still get it up to 120-125 on flat and rolling terrain, which is perfect.
The Pronto Alto is a beautiful machine and a joy to ride which will keep me on a bike for many years to come. Anybody want to buy a CA 2.0?



