Saratoga Dave
Well-Known Member
Quick update. My Creo went over 1000 miles the other day, exactly three months since I got it. I have a Giant Toughroad that I ride also, so they sort of take turns.
This is the Bargain Basement Creo, the SL5 Aluminum frame. Almost every bike I’ve had since the 90s has been aluminum, so no reason to change now.
So thanks to some of our friends here who pointed me at this thing - eLevity, Kahn, Mschwett, and of course Prairie Dog, among others - I have enjoyed riding it more than any other bike I’ve ever owned. It is just outstanding, hard to come up with enough superlatives to describe it.
This has nowhere near the power of my Toughroad or my Civante (which this replaced). A different story altogether. The Creo is ready to run at all times, but it expects you to bring your A game as well. I feel so much more involved in the ride on this, very much like a good acoustic road bike. I spend a great percentage of time riding it unpowered, and when I do kick it into Eco, I have it programmed to deliver quite low assist (and increased miles). Sport is for the more serious hills at 55/80, and Turbo, which hardly ever gets used, is at 100.
This is the road version, with two modifications: I swapped out the 46 tooth chainring for a 42 for more hill climbing oomph, and put Pathfinder Sport 42mm tires on it. Even with the bigger tires, it is a very fast, super smooth bike. I do just enough low level gravel on it that I wanted to up the tire size from the 28s (or is it 30s) that it came with. Pumped up pretty hard, the ride is comfortable and brisk.
Future Shock is a way bigger deal than I expected it to be. When I ride the Toughroad over the same gravel or dirt paths a day after doing them on the Creo, I am quickly reminded of how nice it is.
Don’t really know what else I haven’t already said in other entries. With the Tour de France currently on, I have a deal with myself that I am not allowed to turn the race on unless I have already done 30 miles each day. Can’t wait to get out there in the morning for those couple of hours! Truly a wonderful bike, would recommend it to anyone who has loved riding a good road bike but just needs a little boost now. Puts you right back in the game.
I guess I would add that this has turned out to be a great piece of fitness equipment as well. I’ve been on ebikes for for six years now after a long history of riding and five years away from it, but this one has really upped my leg strength and endurance far more than the more powerful ones I have used. I find myself charging up hills with the same enthusiasm I used to have on my Cannondale touring bike back in the 90s, in the days when I sought out every hill I could find just for the hell of it. 71 next month and super happy to still be out here doing this stuff.
This is the Bargain Basement Creo, the SL5 Aluminum frame. Almost every bike I’ve had since the 90s has been aluminum, so no reason to change now.
So thanks to some of our friends here who pointed me at this thing - eLevity, Kahn, Mschwett, and of course Prairie Dog, among others - I have enjoyed riding it more than any other bike I’ve ever owned. It is just outstanding, hard to come up with enough superlatives to describe it.
This has nowhere near the power of my Toughroad or my Civante (which this replaced). A different story altogether. The Creo is ready to run at all times, but it expects you to bring your A game as well. I feel so much more involved in the ride on this, very much like a good acoustic road bike. I spend a great percentage of time riding it unpowered, and when I do kick it into Eco, I have it programmed to deliver quite low assist (and increased miles). Sport is for the more serious hills at 55/80, and Turbo, which hardly ever gets used, is at 100.
This is the road version, with two modifications: I swapped out the 46 tooth chainring for a 42 for more hill climbing oomph, and put Pathfinder Sport 42mm tires on it. Even with the bigger tires, it is a very fast, super smooth bike. I do just enough low level gravel on it that I wanted to up the tire size from the 28s (or is it 30s) that it came with. Pumped up pretty hard, the ride is comfortable and brisk.
Future Shock is a way bigger deal than I expected it to be. When I ride the Toughroad over the same gravel or dirt paths a day after doing them on the Creo, I am quickly reminded of how nice it is.
Don’t really know what else I haven’t already said in other entries. With the Tour de France currently on, I have a deal with myself that I am not allowed to turn the race on unless I have already done 30 miles each day. Can’t wait to get out there in the morning for those couple of hours! Truly a wonderful bike, would recommend it to anyone who has loved riding a good road bike but just needs a little boost now. Puts you right back in the game.
I guess I would add that this has turned out to be a great piece of fitness equipment as well. I’ve been on ebikes for for six years now after a long history of riding and five years away from it, but this one has really upped my leg strength and endurance far more than the more powerful ones I have used. I find myself charging up hills with the same enthusiasm I used to have on my Cannondale touring bike back in the 90s, in the days when I sought out every hill I could find just for the hell of it. 71 next month and super happy to still be out here doing this stuff.
