Commuter: Specialized Como 3.0 vs Raleigh Redux iE

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lmike6453

New Member
I'm on a long thought out journey of which ebike to buy for commuting 8 miles each way, while also serving as my only bike for group rides of up to 50 mile flat or gravel grinders.

Test rode a lot and cancelled out Bosch options, while favoring a Brose mid drive.

Can't decide between the Specialized Como 3.0 or the Raleigh Redux iE. I test rode the Specialized but there aren't any Raleighs in stock in any shops near me to test ride, and would be buying it blind.

Specialized: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/turbo-como-3-0-650b/p/133847
Raleigh: https://www.raleighusa.com/redux-ie-step-over

I liked the Specialized overall and am leaning more towards the it for the wider tires for ride comfort.

Which would you choose as your only road bike / gravel grinder bike, with hills?
 
I have read reviews here that that the Specialized is under-geared. If you think you will be going above 20 mph often, I would upgrade the 40T chainring to 48T upon delivery. Otherwise, you will be wearing out the smaller cogs sooner than normal.

The Raleigh doesn't look quite as sexy as the Specialized, but it doesn't need any gearing modification (which to be fair is a rather trivial change). I'm certain it is a fine bike, and if my one experience with Derby Cycles warranty processing is typical (I had a problem with a wheel on my Haibike), then I would not hesitate to recommend Raleigh if service is of any concern.

I agree with DaveMatthews on the Giant; that should potentially be on your list if you have not discounted it already.
 
My wife has the Como 3 and its been great. o experience with the Raleigh.

Is there a weight difference between the two bikes?
 
lmike6453 said:
The video review of that says that the range isn't as good, although Yamaha is quite powerful. Also I'd prefer to not have a front 2x vs a 1x, but am open to it.

Do you know if the range on Yamaha tends to be less than Brose?
Click to expand...
Hi Mike,
No I don't have any comparative data or experience with Brose. I just wanted to throw the Yamaha out there for you to consider.
What range will your rides typically be?
I'll get 80kms/50mi easy out of my Yamaha PW/Giant.
 
Nova Haibike said:
I have read reviews here that that the Specialized is under-geared. If you think you will be going above 20 mph often, I would upgrade the 40T chainring to 48T upon delivery. Otherwise, you will be wearing out the smaller cogs sooner than normal.

The Raleigh doesn't look quite as sexy as the Specialized, but it doesn't need any gearing modification (which to be fair is a rather trivial change). I'm certain it is a fine bike, and if my one experience with Derby Cycles warranty processing is typical (I had a problem with a wheel on my Haibike), then I would not hesitate to recommend Raleigh if service is of any concern.

I agree with DaveMatthews on the Giant; that should potentially be on your list if you have not discounted it already.
Click to expand...

Excellent point that I did not consider might be an issue. I would be very upset if I need to maintain a hefty workout cadence to hit max speed lol...
So I did some calculations between the 2 bikes to figure out min and max gear speed by cadence, at a 70 cadence.

Max Speed Comparison:
The Raleigh is 48x10 for top speed, and Specialized is 40x11

Raleigh @70 cadence speed = 29.5 mph
Specialized @70 cadence speed = 22.2 mph (very low, need to spin @ 90 cadence for 28 mph!)

Min Speed Comparison (climbing):
Now the worry then is the Raleigh's climbing ability. Comparing low speeds....
The Raleigh is 48x32 for low speed climbing, and Specialized is 40x42

Raleigh @70 cadence speed = 9.2 mph
Specialized @70 cadence speed = 5.8 mph

So the Specialized has a better low end range, while Raleigh for top speed....
Do you think the Raleigh would be sufficient for climbs without annoyance?
 
Last edited:
DaveMatthews said:
Hi Mike,
No I don't have any comparative data or experience with Brose. I just wanted to throw the Yamaha out there for you to consider.
What range will your rides typically be?
I'll get 80kms/50mi easy out of my Yamaha PW/Giant.
Click to expand...

I think group rides wouldn't exceed 50 miles, but would like to have a battery that can go around 75 for cushion.
Also to age well from losing it's capacity over time from discharge / charge cycles.
 
I would advise against buying a bike you have not ridden. I test rode many and was surprised that some that looked good on paper didn't suit me on the test ride while others I hadn't even considered rode great.

I've heard mostly good things about the Specialized and my LBS, an exclusively e-bike store with many brands stated that customers shopping for that type of bike tend to choose the Specialized. They also sell Raleigh.

What don't you like about Bosch motors? Since they are the most common mid-drive, ruling them out eliminates a lot of choices. Sure they make a bit of noise, but I've found them to be quite powerful and they are known to be reliable.
 
rannyv said:
I would advise against buying a bike you have not ridden. I test rode many and was surprised that some that looked good on paper didn't suit me on the test ride while others I hadn't even considered rode great.

I've heard mostly good things about the Specialized and my LBS, an exclusively e-bike store with many brands stated that customers shopping for that type of bike tend to choose the Specialized. They also sell Raleigh.

What don't you like about Bosch motors? Since they are the most common mid-drive, ruling them out eliminates a lot of choices. Sure they make a bit of noise, but I've found them to be quite powerful and they are known to be reliable.
Click to expand...

Yes it's a shame that I can't test ride the Raleigh first...and am now really turned away from Specialized if it's not geared well enough and requires swapping out a front chainring on a brand new bike, while costing more than the Raleigh.

You hit it right on the nail for why I don't like Bosch...wayyy too noisy for using it everyday vs the smooth quiet Brose mid-drive. Plus I like a cleaner looking integrated system which hopefully would thwart a thief from being attracted to it from afar.
 
I decided to get the 2018 Redux. I posted my review somewhere on this site a few months ago- over all I’m very happy with my decision.

Bike is great. Brakes are superb. Love the Super Moto-x tires. Fenders are absolutely silent. Motor is quiet and I love the natural feel. Haven’t had to walk up a hill yet- and I ride in hilly Seattle.

I also rented a Soecialized Vado a couple times, and very seriously considered it. The Raleigh was a bit cheaper, looks better (IMHO), and had a larger battery. The main attraction of the Specialized was Mission Control, which is looking like vapor ware.

I have eked 52 miles out of the battery by avoiding hills and keeping the assist in the low setting. More normal riding probably gets 35 miles out of a full battery.

All that said, I rarely find myself moving faster than 20-22 mph. This is FINE for my purposes, but I wonder if this bike is a good fit for someone who wants to consistently ride over 25 mph.
 
Carterk said:
I decided to get the 2018 Redux. I posted my review somewhere on this site a few months ago- over all I’m very happy with my decision.

Bike is great. Brakes are superb. Love the Super Moto-x tires. Fenders are absolutely silent. Motor is quiet and I love the natural feel. Haven’t had to walk up a hill yet- and I ride in hilly Seattle.

I also rented a Soecialized Vado a couple times, and very seriously considered it. The Raleigh was a bit cheaper, looks better (IMHO), and had a larger battery. The main attraction of the Specialized was Mission Control, which is looking like vapor ware.

I have eked 52 miles out of the battery by avoiding hills and keeping the assist in the low setting. More normal riding probably gets 35 miles out of a full battery.

All that said, I rarely find myself moving faster than 20-22 mph. This is FINE for my purposes, but I wonder if this bike is a good fit for someone who wants to consistently ride over 25 mph.
Click to expand...

Wow thanks for this insight as it helps me develop a perspective. I will only need to be in the higher speeds when commuting through the 25mph roads with rush hour traffic for 1-2 miles for safety.

How is the riding position feel and your height / inseam measurement? I don't want to be aggressive like a road bike, nor completely upright for air resistance at over 20mph.

I'm somewhat flexible and guess that a bike that has me at a 45 degree body lean from the side would be a good balance for comfort.
 
So I feel the Redux puts me at a position pretty much halfway between “aggressive” and “upright”. The Como is definitely more upright. My inseam is 28” and the Small Redux might be a tad big for me, tho I’m very comfortable with it.
 
I finally pulled the trigger on a 2018 Raleigh Redux IE discounted from Erik's Bikes!
Going to be shipped out in a few days after they assemble and tune it.

I chose it over the Como for the more nimble and fun straight handlebars for better handling in traffic.

Also the 2019 model is now Bosch so now's a good time to buy 2018 if you want Brose:
https://propelbikes.com/product/raleigh-redux-ie-2019/
 
lmike6453 said:
I finally pulled the trigger on a 2018 Raleigh Redux IE discounted from Erik's Bikes!
Going to be shipped out in a few days after they assemble and tune it.

I chose it over the Como for the more nimble and fun straight handlebars for better handling in traffic.

Also the 2019 model is now Bosch so now's a good time to buy 2018 if you want Brose:
https://propelbikes.com/product/raleigh-redux-ie-2019/
Click to expand...
Not sure why the switch to bosch. I love my 2018...gets me to work and back every day.
 
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