A small spacer between the Creo Extended Range battery cage and bike frame

[kahn]

A very minor or I hope minor issue/question. As I recall, the Range Extender kit had instructions to place some small spacer between the cage and the frame at the top attachment point. Any idea why? I did not do that but I realize after the fact the the cage has this little rubber grommet (washer) at its bottom which might be the required dimensions of the spacer.

Again, it is a small issue but it has been weighing on me since I installed the cage. Well, a little, not a huge weight.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rincon]

My Vado RE (same part # as Creo) didn’t come with any spacers. I installed without. My S-Works Creo came with the RE cage preinstalled, again no spacers. That rubber grommet is a bumper to protect the bottle battery bottom from bumps.

 

[kahn]

My Vado RE (same part # as Creo) didn’t come with any spacers. I installed without. My S-Works Creo came with the RE cage preinstalled, again no spacers. That rubber grommet is a bumper to protect the bottle battery bottom from bumps.

I have edited my original post and added a image of where the spacer goes. The bike did not come with one. I purchased the RE from a separate shop and the boxed kit had no spacer as I looked carefully after reading the instruction sheet. I thought it was a possible bumper but then thought (light bulb moment) maybe it is the spacer????

 

[Rincon]

My bumpers look nothing like that spacer. Like I said, my S-Works Creo includes a RE. It came preinstalled. No factory spacer. But if you want to use a bumper as a spacer, give it a go. The only problem is you won’t have a bottle battery bottom bumper buffer anymore.

 

[JeffC57]

I installed a RE on my Creo CC a few months after I got the bike. There was no spacer supplied with the RE but I found the spacer with the extra parts that I was given with the bike. I'm not sure why it's needed but I'm the kind of guy who follows instructions so I used it. I also have a Vado SL and bought an extra bottle cage so I can use the RE on that bike too. The instructions for the Vado SL did not specify the spacer and there was none with the extra Vado parts. No clue why the Creo is supposed to have the spacer. You could always just stack a few black washers together to get the same effect for your Creo. The spacer is about 1/4" thick.

 

[kahn]

I installed a RE on my Creo CC a few months after I got the bike. There was no spacer supplied with the RE but I found the spacer with the extra parts that I was given with the bike. I'm not sure why it's needed but I'm the kind of guy who follows instructions so I used it. I also have a Vado SL and bought an extra bottle cage so I can use the RE on that bike too. The instructions for the Vado SL did not specify the spacer and there was none with the extra Vado parts. No clue why the Creo is supposed to have the spacer. You could always just stack a few black washers together to get the same effect for your Creo. The spacer is about 1/4" thick.

Ah, I will have to look over those trinkets supplied with the Creo initially. Thanks for the dimensions in case I want or NEED to supply my own. I probably have some plumbing washers that might meet the bill. I wonder why the slight cant is needed. Maybe to keep the electrolytes level

Darn RE's are certainly in short supply. I probably found the last one in a small bike shop in the boonies about 45 minutes from Seattle. They also had the road bike cable. I got the charging Y-cable from Specialized shipped to my local shop.

 

[Rincon]

The instructions for the Vado SL did not specify the spacer and there was none with the extra Vado parts.

The Creo parts bag includes mounting bolts and spacer(s) for a fender/rack. You have the Vado SL 5 EQ, which comes with the fender and rack already installed, so no extra fender parts or spacers in the Vado bag. If you later decide to mount fenders on the Creo, you’ll need that spacer, which should be easy enough to find.

 

[Rincon]

Any idea why?

I wonder if that spacer keeps the screw from hitting the seat post.

 

[kahn]

My "extra" parts kit from the Creo does not appear to contain a spacer washer or grommet. I've got a disk brake spacer/wedge, some small wrench, Future Shock springs and rings to adjust handlebar height (which I have raised by using). If I remember when I bring the bike in for firmware, I will ask about that little washer. I like the idea of preventing the screw from intruding too far into the seat tube.

 

[pbd87]

Both my Creos had the washers/spacers on the bike when delivered. I used them on the seat tube as-pictured for the RE cage, 1 spacer on the top screw only.

There were 4 spacers supplied with each bike, and the bikes were delivered with the 4 spacers all under the downtube water bottle screws. They seemed to have come from the factory this way, because they were so tight the bike shops couldn't actually remove one of the screws: the cheap aluminum Specialized screws just stripped out the head. They had to use a removal tool to get it out, and replace the screws, but then it was tricky because they didn't have any screws short enough for the downtube, so we used extra spacers a temporary measure.

 

[Rincon]

There were 4 spacers supplied with each bike, and the bikes were delivered with the 4 spacers all under the downtube water bottle screws.

I believe the spacers keep the downtube screws from running into the battery. My 2021 Creo downtube bottle cage screws are much shorter than the seat post screws. I don't remember if there were spacers in place originally, but one of the Specialized screws also self destructed upon removal. I added a B-Rad mounting base to lower the water bottle. The B-Rad base is thick and made any spacers redundant.

 

[pbd87]

I think the spacers there to keep the downtube screws from running into the battery. My 2021 Creo downtube bottle cage screws are much shorter than the seat post screws. I don't remember if there were spacers in place originally, but one of the Specialized screws also self destructed upon removal. I added a B-Rad mounting base to lower the water bottle. The B-Rad base is thick and made any spacers redundant.

The 2 screws in the downtube were shorter than the 2 screws in the seat tube, that is correct. The short screw didn't hit, even without the spacer, but the longer screws needed the spacers if I put them into the downtube (including the replacement screws I got because some stripped).

I used a B-Rad bottle shift to be able to mount a pump next to a bottle, and still needed the spacers with it, but that is also the longer replacements screws. Didn't try the full mounting base.

 

[csack]

A very minor or I hope minor issue/question. As I recall, the Range Extender kit had instructions to place some small spacer between the cage and the frame at the top attachment point. Any idea why? I did not do that but I realize after the fact the the cage has this little rubber grommet (washer) at its bottom which might be the required dimensions of the spacer.

Again, it is a small issue but it has been weighing on me since I installed the cage. Well, a little, not a huge weight.

Thanks in advance.

View attachment 89322

I was perplexed by this and called Specialized. Here's the answer...If you have the range extender battery in this water bottle cage and you ride on rough roads, the battery extender can bounce a bit and hit the frame. That isn't good for either the frame or the battery if it happens many times. So, if you put a spacer there, it moves the battery extender a bit further from the frame and prevents the problem. My kit did not come with a spacer so I bought a nylon one at the hardware store.

 

[kahn]

I was perplexed by this and called Specialized. Here's the answer...If you have the range extender battery in this water bottle cage and you ride on rough roads, the battery extender can bounce a bit and hit the frame. That isn't good for either the frame or the battery if it happens many times. So, if you put a spacer there, it moves the battery extender a bit further from the frame and prevents the problem. My kit did not come with a spacer so I bought a nylon one at the hardware store.

Thanks. I have both chatted and emailed Specialized about other questions but guess I did not do that with that issue. I'm predominantly on paved roads with my Creo so probably don't need it. Although, frankly, some of our paved roads are pretty awful!

 

[Elkman]

Bad engineering by the product development people. As they say the devil is in the details. Better to provide a thin foam liner or wrap adhesive neoprene foam sheet around the RE if there is a problem with the battery pack. In my area the local Ace Hardware store is an excellent source for stainless metric bolts and for nylon washers to use as spacers.

 

[kahn]

Bad engineering by the product development people. As they say the devil is in the details. Better to provide a thin foam liner or wrap adhesive neoprene foam sheet around the RE if there is a problem with the battery pack. In my area the local Ace Hardware store is an excellent source for stainless metric bolts and for nylon washers to use as spacers.

Well, there's probably no room for any wrap on the Range Extender - it is a pretty tight fit. So, spacer it is! Design specs probably said "fit ordinary water bottle cage" but with XXX power.