Creo 2 Tires Alternatives for Road

[Kyle Bieda]

Hello All,

First off let me explain that I'm very new to the cycling world and loving it so far. I have had my Creo 2 Comp for about a month now and have almost 500 miles racked up already. That being said, I am trying to soak in all of the information I can and to learn all the parts, nomenclature, etc... I have been on a few 30+ mile group rides thus far and have really enjoyed them and wish to keep diving further into this world....

Now the question -- It is my understanding that the Creo 2 is setup more like Gravel/MTB like than the original Creo. Is that understanding correct? The shop I bought the bike at told me to take off the gravel tires and put on some Gravel King Slick tires if I will be doing mostly road biking. That is fine and all, but I feel like there is a lot I have to understand. In the "Specialized Creo" facebook group there are several Creo 2 owners who are just buying a set of Creo 1 wheel sets. Is that the way to go?

As you can probably tell, I'm suffering for analysis paralysis and need some experts to help guide a new person figure out how to make my Creo 2 more of a Road bike than a gravel bike. I will 99.9% being riding on roads, so have no use for the huge gravel tires that come stock on the bike.

 

[eddief]

It won't work to try to put Creo 1 wheels on a Creo 2 cuz the rear spacing is different on each of the bikes. If you are going to ride pavement simply get some good road tires for your Creo 2. Panaracer are a good, economical, fine riding road tire and are available in a variety of widths. Go wide, use less pressure, have more comfort, and enjoy the ride. I ride with 35mm tires on my Creo 1.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Lithona:
As Eddie has just said do not attempt to replace the Creo 2 wheels with the Creo 1 wheelset: incompatible.

Your tyres are Tracer Pro, which are ideal for (loose) gravel but not for the road. Your best replacement would be Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss in the same size (700 x 47), and possibly converting the wheels to tubeless. Pathfinder Pro (or, the more expensive S-Works Pathfinder) are silent, very fast rolling supple tyres with a tons of grip, especially on the cornering. I recommend staying at the 47 mm width as (a) it will keep your e-bike computer at the proper speed and the distance ridden (b) your motor is to overcome the slightly higher rolling mass of the wheels (c) big, tubeless tyres can be ridden at a pretty low pressure, which greatly enhances the riding experience.

If you really must go with skinnier tyres, go for Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 700x42. I have tried all the mentioned tyres (only not the lightweight S-Works ones), so can say a word or two on the experience!

There is yet another aspect: The inner rim diameter. While it is OK to go from 47 down to 42 mm, further reducing the tyre width would result in the wrong tyre profile on the rim!

 

[mschwett]

Hello All,

First off let me explain that I'm very new to the cycling world and loving it so far. I have had my Creo 2 Comp for about a month now and have almost 500 miles racked up already. That being said, I am trying to soak in all of the information I can and to learn all the parts, nomenclature, etc... I have been on a few 30+ mile group rides thus far and have really enjoyed them and wish to keep diving further into this world....

Now the question -- It is my understanding that the Creo 2 is setup more like Gravel/MTB like than the original Creo. Is that understanding correct? The shop I bought the bike at told me to take off the gravel tires and put on some Gravel King Slick tires if I will be doing mostly road biking. That is fine and all, but I feel like there is a lot I have to understand. In the "Specialized Creo" facebook group there are several Creo 2 owners who are just buying a set of Creo 1 wheel sets. Is that the way to go?

As you can probably tell, I'm suffering for analysis paralysis and need some experts to help guide a new person figure out how to make my Creo 2 more of a Road bike than a gravel bike. I will 99.9% being riding on roads, so have no use for the huge gravel tires that come stock on the bike.

the real question is what kind of surfaces you’re riding on. gravel tires make compromises on road (higher weight, rolling resistance, and drag) to be able to ride safely and comfortably off road.

if you’re riding exclusively on pavement, you want tires that are optimized for that. the G540 rims on your bike have a 24mm internal width, which works well with tires ranging from 28mm to 50mm. 32mm is a good sweet spot for road riding, balancing comfort and drag/resistance. i would strongly recommend going tubeless and using a quality all around tire like the continental gp 5000 s tr. specialized says not to go smaller than 38mm, but many people disregard this if they’re not riding off road. you can ask your LBS to adjust the speed sensor to maintain correct speed measurement with the slightly smaller diameter.

again, the above advice is if you’re riding on pavement! pathfinder pros are a good choice if you’re riding off road.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

specialized says not to go smaller than 38mm

again, the above advice is if you’re riding on pavement! pathfinder pros are a good choice if you’re riding off road.

According to your explanation of the rim internal diameter and the tyre width compatibility, @Lithona could go for Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 700x38. I also had those tyres on my SL e-bike. PPs have a slick tread in the centre and behave as road tyres on the pavement. The small progressive knobs only act on cornering.

Paved roads are usually not smooth. Tubeless and lower inflation pressure absorb the road imperfections. The wider the tyres the lower the pressure, which is beneficial. I absolutely do not think 32 mm tyres are productive here. Think of riding on potholes and damaged asphalt.

Yes, a traditional roadie goes for skinny tyres but come on, Creo 2 has a motor!

I can still recollect fun I had on a return from a group ride. As we had just cleared a steep descent, I was following the group of buddies riding drop-bar bikes at a pretty high speed. I went Turbo, spun the cranks and took them over at some 40 km/h. The guys laughed out, followed me and thus we had a keirin race. I was riding my Vado SL on 700x38 PPs then.

 

[mschwett]

32mm tires are far from skinny - traditional roadies are still arguing whether 25mm or 28mm are too fat

as you know i rode many thousands of miles on my creo, on a wide range of roads from good to bad, and while i found 28 or 30mm tubeless ideal, 32 is a good compromise for those looking for even more comfort, lower pressure, etc.

let’s see what kind of surfaces @Lithona is riding on before determining what kind of tire is best. on smooth surfaces, a pair of 38mm pathfinders have 46w of rolling resistance. a pair of 28mm GP5000 have 20w or less and weigh a full pound less. on a four hour ride, those 20w are fully a quarter of the creo’s battery capacity!

the notion that the center strip makes pathfinders as good as true road tires for road is just marketing. they are a good compromise and really excellent on gravel and packed dirt. but slow on good pavement.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

32mm tires are far from skinny - traditional roadies are still arguing whether 25mm or 28mm are too fat

as you know i rode many thousands of miles on my creo, on a wide range of roads from good to bad, and while i found 28 or 30mm tubeless ideal, 32 is a good compromise for those looking for even more comfort, lower pressure, etc.

let’s see what kind of surfaces @Lithona is riding on before determining what kind of tire is best. on smooth surfaces, a pair of 38mm pathfinders have 46w of rolling resistance. a pair of 28mm GP5000 have 20w or less and weigh a full pound less. on a four hour ride, those 20w are fully a quarter of the creo’s battery capacity!

the notion that the center strip makes pathfinders as good as true road tires for road is just marketing. they are a good compromise and really excellent on gravel and packed dirt. but slow on good pavement.

Creo 2 is not a road bike and it will never be. Unless a set of true road wheels is installed on the e-bike (which would look a little bit funny on the gravel bike frame with clearance for 55 mm tyres).

 

[mschwett]

Creo 2 is not a road bike and it will never be. Unless a set of true road wheels is installed on the e-bike (which would look a little bit funny on the gravel bike frame with clearance for 55 mm tyres).

stefan, read the original post.

“need some experts to help guide a new person figure out how to make my Creo 2 more of a Road bike than a gravel bike.…”

step one in making it more of a road bike : road tires.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

step one in making it more of a road bike : road tires.

Road wheels.

 

[mschwett]

Road wheels.

the wheels are fine, as noted they are 24mm wide which is slightly wider than the current road standard, but just fine for 32mm tires. even 30mm tires work well on 24mm width and in fact come closer to a more optimal aerodynamic profile. the "light bulb" shape made by narrow rims and wide tires is not optimum. for example, many high end creo 1 were outfitted with the terra CLX rims, 25mm wide internal and specialized recommended 28-42mm tires for those wheels. 32mm or 30mm on 24mm internal width is completely fine.

yes, of course a nice set of light (and slightly narrower) carbon rims would be a great upgrade. but the tires will make a far, far, far bigger difference.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

as noted they are 24mm wide which is slightly wider than the current road standard,

There is a reason Specialized discourages installing anything narrower than 38 mm. 24 mm is a pretty wide rim, not "slightly wider". What is the inner rim width in your Creo 1?

 

[mschwett]

There is a reason Specialized discourages installing anything narrower than 38 mm. 24 mm is a pretty wide rim, not "slightly wider". What is the inner rim width in your Creo 1?

25mm. roval terra CLX. mainly ran with 30mm but also 32.

the stated reason is “to avoid risk of bottoming out” due to the relatively low bottom bracket height. certainly not a risk in road riding with a mere 6mm difference.

you seem to be commenting on things out of your direct experience!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

He has DT Swiss G540 gravel rims, 24 mm internal width on the Creo 2 Comp.
DT Swiss allows tyres from 32 to 50 mm for G540, so you have been correct.

 

[mschwett]

He has DT Swiss G540 gravel rims, 24 mm internal width on the Creo 2 Comp.
DT Swiss allows tyres from 32 to 50 mm for G540, so you have been correct.

yes, and that’s a pretty conservative range for 24mm rims.

 

[Nubnub]

I have a Creo Comp as well. While I'm not interested in making it more road worthy or putting on tires <42 mm, I did pick up a set of Roval Terra C wheels and put 42 mm S-Works pahtfinder tires on it. It was a very noticeable seat of the pants improvement from the stock 47 mm Tracers that come on the Comp. I also keep track of how many miles I get (miles/% charge) for each charging session. While ride profiles and wind conditions may vary, the Pathfinders consistently provide better ranges. The Pathfinders are also quieter. I think it is a slam dunk that fitting narrower tires on the OP's comp will improve its paved road performance.

How low to go is the question. I think the concern for pedal strike is real - but the 38 mm recommended by Specialized seems more like a CYA type of statement and is conservative in its limit. As the OP points out, there are plenty of Facebook Creo 2 posts where folks have gone to 28 and 32 mm tires on the Creo 2 with no issues. As you go thinner/lower profile, the likelihood that the Creo 2's mph reading ( and therefore odometer and assist limits) will be affected goes up. The LBS can reprogram for the correct WHc so I think potential pedal strike is the concern and only if it affects the OPs riding style.

Here are a couple photos comparing the stock 47mm Tracers, 42 mm Pathfinders and just for fun 55 mm Renegades.

 

[bobf]

Tires are a big subject with considerable range of personal opinion and taste. My advice:

1. For road, get slick tires or minimal tread.
2. Light and flexible. My favorites are Continental GP 5000, Veloflex Corsa EVO, and Rene Herse Extralight. For me these tires really feel more responsive and fun than others that are more stiff. For some people they are too easy to puncture, but my luck has been good. If you hate the risk of flats you can reduce it with thicker, heavier tires like Continental Gatorskin.
3. I have no experience with tubeless, but I tend to believe those who say the hassle is more worthwhile for mountain bikes than for road.
4. Read about tire pressure at https://www.renehersecycles.com/tire-pressure-calculator/. You can get an idea of what tire pressure is recommended at various tire widths for a rider of your weight. Years ago I believed in narrow tires with high pressure (110 psi or more) and when I switched to wider, softer tires it was a revelation. Suddenly my bike felt like a sports car instead of a brick.
5. Don't worry about getting perfect tires. You can try out different brands, widths, and pressures over time. It's all part of the fun.

 

[mschwett]

1. Agree! the additional resistance of even gravel tires with a solid center block is very significant, not to mention the feel and noise.
2. All good choices. Haven’t run the veloflex.
3. Strong disagree. I’ve run gatorskins, I’ve run gp5000 and turbo Cottons with tubes, and I’ve run GP5000s and similar tubeless. The 1,000 tubed miles were a huge PITA, tons of flats, wasted rides and wasted time picking bits of glass out of the tire. 15,000+ tubeless miles and I’ve never had a ride ending flat, and there is no hassle whatsoever, especially comparing to fussing with getting tubes in and out of road tires.
4. Also stongly agree on pressure, although Jan is a bit much for some of us!
5. yep. Also nice to find a tire you really like, ride some routes over and over, and when it wears out try a different size of the same tire on the same routes.

 

[Dazmanturbo]

I run two sets of wheels, depending on what I am riding. The original Creo 2 wheels have the 47mm, but I have installed Tannus Armour in these with tubes so they are all but puncture proof. For my road set up. I have a set of Newmen R38 with Pirelli Cinturatu 28mm tubeless. These give a fast road experience with tons of grip and good puncture protection. The tubeless works well and not see a ride ending puncture since I have had my Creo 2

 

[mschwett]

I run two sets of wheels, depending on what I am riding. The original Creo 2 wheels have the 47mm, but I have installed Tannus Armour in these with tubes so they are all but puncture proof. For my road set up. I have a set of Newmen R38 with Pirelli Cinturatu 28mm tubeless. These give a fast road experience with tons of grip and good puncture protection. The tubeless works well and not see a ride ending puncture since I have had my Creo 2

that’s a bulletproof tire! curious if you see any punctures at all with it, where a little bubble or dribble of sealant comes out before sealing. i’ve generally been riding much thinner lighter tires on my road bikes and get a little sealant-filled puncture every 500 miles or so. no ride ending ones.

 

[Dazmanturbo]

that’s a bulletproof tire! curious if you see any punctures at all with it, where a little bubble or dribble of sealant comes out before sealing. i’ve generally been riding much thinner lighter tires on my road bikes and get a little sealant-filled puncture every 500 miles or so. no ride ending ones.

The Pirelli Cinturatu's are the best tyre for grip with damn good puncture protection that I have found. Have been pretty bomb proof since I fitted them the the Creo 2. Do get much glass on the road, but the tyres have stood up well. I have 2 new pair in reserve which I got an excellent price