2013 Turbo Experiences
- Thread starter Marko
- Start date
Marko
Active Member
@jwdkhan: Thanks. Haven't given up cycling, though. Now on a normal bike because apparently the Turbo's motor broke (short circuit, bike won't stay on. Not sure if it is related to the fall.). Riding is a literally a pain, and every bump counts, however on cobblestones you lose it. Also, the ride time has more than doubled.
Marko
Active Member
Went for a short ride with my old 7-speed steel framed city bike after riding the Turbo all winter. What a difference in ride compared to the wooden horse experience with the Turbo. The steel frame does not have suspension but it is just so much smoother to ride than the stiff aluminium with which your dental fillings fall off. So, if your roads are bumby cant really recommend a Turbo unless it has suspension (Turbo X).
Marko
Active Member
IssaquahChad
New Member
I've got a Thudbuster seat post, and I recently put the knobby X tires on my Turbo S.
It does not matter much when you hit the big stuff. But it really does even out a lot of the small stuff - just riding my bike on worn asphalt could be painful when it was new. It's fine now as long as I don't his something big. Gravel trails are fine; rocky trails with roots are jarring.
Oh, letting the tire pressure get low improves the ride a lot too!
It does not matter much when you hit the big stuff. But it really does even out a lot of the small stuff - just riding my bike on worn asphalt could be painful when it was new. It's fine now as long as I don't his something big. Gravel trails are fine; rocky trails with roots are jarring.
Oh, letting the tire pressure get low improves the ride a lot too!
Marko
Active Member
I had (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) (48T) installed to my Turbo, after getting sick of putting the fallen chain back on about every 5 miles. I will post experiences as soon as I have them. Had the chain replaced as well. The bike mechanic claimed that the old chain was off sync with the new ring. Dont know about that, the chain only had about 2k miles on it. He was almost insisting on changing the cassette as well. The original chainring cover did not fit for some reason which was not clear to me. Altogether about 200$.
Ron Bez
Member
Bummer you couldn't put on the chain keeper off the new bikes. My 2016 base model never drops the chain. If you are trying to smooth out the ride try some better tires. Schwable tires have transformed by bike. So much faster and smoother. I'm running Energizer Pros. Thudbuster works well too.
Marko
Active Member
@Ron Bez: I talked to a Specialized Turbo tech expert in Germany. He said that it would be possible to put a chain guide also in my bike but the drilling needed would mean that some sort stress tests are necessary to make sure the frame durability hasn't been compromised. Too complicated, I thought. Possibly also some ugly clamp attachmen could developed but even that could be difficult because the seat post tube is kind of edged.
About the tires. I would have thought the Schwalbes would be harder than the std slicks. But I bet they beat the slicks in traction. And faster, likely yes. What width are your tires. Are they these.
About the tires. I would have thought the Schwalbes would be harder than the std slicks. But I bet they beat the slicks in traction. And faster, likely yes. What width are your tires. Are they these.
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Ron Bez
Member
I'm running these right now.
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
Narrow one's 700×35's. I ordered 37's and they sent the narrower one's. I decided to try them as I came from road bikes with really narrow tires, and I got Really cheap from Jet. They work really well for me. No flats through goat head season here. The speed and efficientcy as well as ride quality and handling are so much better, I couldn't believe it. I run them at the lowest recommended pressure, the roads I ride on are trashed. I started with 700×38 Marathons, and was so impressed with them I wanted to try one of Schwable's faster better gripping tires. These would be an great choice if you want to stay with the stock size
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
BTW Specialized has the tire I am using listed as recommend for use on the Turbo in my manual.
Sorry it's been such a hassle for you with the chain dropping, Specialized should have taken care of that on older bike like they have on the new ones.
Good luck, keep us posted.
Marko
Active Member
Thanks for that 45 mm Schwalbe Energizer Pro tip. The Energizer Pros dont seem to be listed in the Schwalbe European site or I just dont find them. For the Energizers they seem to list only Energizer Plus for S-pedelecs. I think I would not "dare" to go as narrow as 35 but I might consider something like 40 or 42. Doesnt the wide rim set some limitations for putting on a tire as narrow as 35mm.
I googled the goat head. Wow, that looks like a nasty thorn to ride over, I wonder how any tire can survive it. Lucky we dont have them here.
Marko
Active Member
Seems like the new chainring solved the chain drop issue - not a single drop during this week and I have really tried in all those places where the chain usually dropped.
Marko
Active Member
After about 4500 - 5000 km on odo I checked the battery condition with the diagnostic software. My current odometer reading is not accurate as in the beginning the odometer kept resetting. Also, I bought the bike used so I have no idea how many km the bike had when I got it. Anyways, at least 4500 km I am certain of. According to the software, the battery does not seem to have lost any health after more than 100 cycles. The last charge time is messed up for some reason; I had just charged it and I charge every day. See the screenshots for results. BTW, don't know what that motor error is, I haven't noticed any problems.
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Frank Guard
New Member
Marko,
I have a few questions if it is not too much trouble.
1. Did you buy your own interface to the bike or are you borrowing your dealer's?
2. Do you have access to the latest firmware files for each of the bike's systems? Are those the versions shown?
3. Is that the latest diagnostic software?
I ask these questions as I have very little faith in my local Specialized Service store. As I do not trust them, I am trying to find out as much as possible to make sure that any work they do, can be verified.
Thanks and regards, Frank
I have a few questions if it is not too much trouble.
1. Did you buy your own interface to the bike or are you borrowing your dealer's?
2. Do you have access to the latest firmware files for each of the bike's systems? Are those the versions shown?
3. Is that the latest diagnostic software?
I ask these questions as I have very little faith in my local Specialized Service store. As I do not trust them, I am trying to find out as much as possible to make sure that any work they do, can be verified.
Thanks and regards, Frank
Marko
Active Member
1. I did not buy my own, it is not even possible. I am borrowing my dealers. He was willing to lend it to me because he felt he did not have the know how for doing the firmware update and he had a problematic client to take care of - so why not let him deal with it. I had some extra difficulty because the software is for Windows and I am running Mac OSX. I solved it by getting a trial version of VMWare Fusion and a "trial" version of Windows 8.
2. I had access to the latest firmware which to my knowledge is v. 18. Not sure if I still have it in my computer, because it was given to my by Dropbox access, which no longer works. The version can be seen in the diagnostic software. I posted some images above.
3. I don't know if they have published newer separate diagnostic software, most probably so. I understood that it is possible to diagnose a lot of these things if you have the newest battery and the Mission Control app. However, I doubt that even with MC app you'll be able to control the top speed (25 vs 45 km/h), which can be controlled in the diagnostic software.
You can ask that they produce a report from the diagnostics; it should be possible to export a CSV from it which can be imported to Excel, for example. Or alternatively that they take screenshots like above. That way it is easy to verify what they claimed to have done.
Cheers,
Marko
Marko
Active Member
With all winter riding behind last Friday I experienced my first front ring chain drop with the new chainring. I have to admit though that it was a rough bump and the chain was just oiled so that probably did not help.
31 March I put on the summer tires. So much nicer to ride when there isn't that constant hum and resistance from the studs. The rear tire is really starting lose studs and this is the second winter. Lock breaking on asphalt is tough on them.
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