Creo Upgrades and Modifications

[AvalancheRun]

Just planning out my Creo 2 do-it-all rig. The bike will be used for transportation, exercise, and grocery runs.

Here are the ideas so far, mostly taken from my gravel bike.
What upgrades have worked best for you?

Cargo rack - Tailfin seems like the clear winner, but wow is it pricey! Also looks easier to remove than other racks, which is a big plus. Really dig the aesthetic. Buy once/cry once?

Phone mount - Peak Design has been rock solid and has a mount underneath for a camera

Front light - the Specialized Flash 500 is an excellent and cheap light. The major downside is tops-only placement. A phone mount will require it to be in the middle of the tops.
Rear light - Garmin Varia (duh!)

Wheels - having tested Diverge models with and without light carbon wheels, I know the stock Comp aluminum wheels are going to be an issue for riding unpowered. Especially on a bike that is light enough to ride unpowered (that was the main draw for me). Are there good alternatives to the Roval Terra C? Aesthetically these suit the bike really well.

Seatpost - Actually excited to try out the dropper post. It could be useful at stop lights, if nothing else. It does seem to be a rough ride for most people. Popular alternatives are the Redshift (non-pro), which I have on hand, the lighter Redshift Pro V2, and the Ergon CF (IIRC there is an identical post made by Canyon or other, one of which is cheaper). Question mark is how much exposed seatpost they require for optimal performance.

Pedals - Shimano PD-T8000 hybrid pedals have served me well. Supacaz Smash are also an option. Wouldn't do a clip-only pedal on this bike.

Storage - been running a handlebar bag on my Diverge and it's been a bit of a pain with the phone mount competing for space. My doctor told me not to keep my phone in my pocket for... men's health reasons, so I was thinking of a frame or top tube bag instead. Topo Designs has a neat aesthetic, but their only frame bag presents a similar problem.

Wrap - Lamin-X seems to be high quality matte wrap. Some protection on the top tube and headset is good enough for me.

Please critique and share your ideas!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

AR, listen to me please. Whatever you do to your new e-bike, do everything possible not to make it really heavy.
For instance, I have found I could well do without the rear suspension if I used supple, lowly inflated tyres...

I would say keeping the phone in the rear jersey pocket is safe Haven't you thought of installing a bike GPS computer? Especially a Wahoo ELEMNT computer as these are fully compatible with SL e-bikes. Why to install the phone on the bars?

And hey! Do you really intend to install a cargo rack on a carbon e-bike?! Tailfin makes big undersaddle bags, which are appropriate.

 

[Ben J]

+1 for the peak design phone mount. It's fantastic. After using it on my bike (and committing to the associated case) I got their other products (like the wireless charging stand and the car mount) and I like them all.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Just planning out my Creo 2 do-it-all rig. The bike will be used for transportation, exercise, and grocery runs.

Cargo rack - Tailfin seems like the clear winner, but wow is it pricey! Also looks easier to remove than other racks, which is a big plus. Really dig the aesthetic. Buy once/cry once?

Pricey perhaps but worth every cent, IMO. Tailfin’s universal thru axle kit and proprietary QR dropouts could enable you to swap their rack over to a different bike(s) in a matter of seconds all without touching any part of the frame. These 5L mini panniers can be used in a pinch for overnight or multi-day trips if required. We’ll be splitting our ride time with the racks, panniers and a trunkbag on our Creos as well as our manual road bikes.

Another thumbs up for Peak Design. On two bikes, including the Creo, I’ve reversed mounted the PD out-front mount to accommodate a 3L Routewerks handlebar bag. Handlebar stubs on either side of the bag can be fitted with accessories solving the problem of a lack of real estate along the bar. A Garmin adapter on the bag’s hard polymer lid allows me to either fit a head unit or a GoPro camera. For quick access, the lid can be opened and closed while on the fly. Tech adapters for Wahoo, Quadlock and Barfly are also available. With a flick of a lever, the bag can be removed in a few seconds from its rock-solid mount and shouldered using an integrated strap hidden inside the bag. Don’t mean to diss the Ortlieb mount but it’s cable system looks cumbersome and appears to sag over time.

 

[AvalancheRun]

AR, listen to me please. Whatever you do to your new e-bike, do everything possible not to make it really heavy.
For instance, I have found I could well do without the rear suspension if I used supple, lowly inflated tyres...

I would say keeping the phone in the rear jersey pocket is safe Haven't you thought of installing a bike GPS computer? Especially a Wahoo ELEMNT computer as these are fully compatible with SL e-bikes. Why to install the phone on the bars?

Despite the big list, I really agree with keeping it lightweight!! Case in point, I test rode a larger frame size than my current bike and was surprised how much zippier it felt without the extra weight of accessories. For this build everything will be easy to remove. Should add that we're both a fan of Ass Savers fenders, which are very light and removable.

Will look into the Wahoo. Seems like a good way to go.

And hey! Do you really intend to install a cargo rack on a carbon e-bike?! Tailfin makes big undersaddle bags, which are appropriate.

Still weighing the options. We're doing most grocery shopping on bikes these days splitting the load into a few trips throughout the week. My wife has a strong interest in trying some bike camping. Tailfin installs in seconds which leads me to believe I will actually remove it
Another option is a backpack. I have tried that a few times and while it's certainly fine, I'd rather the weight be on the bike.

+1 for the peak design phone mount. It's fantastic. After using it on my bike (and committing to the associated case) I got their other products (like the wireless charging stand and the car mount) and I like them all.

Same! Their products are fantastic.

Another thumbs up for Peak Design. On two bikes, including the Creo, I’ve reversed mounted the PD out-front mount to accommodate a 3L Routewerks handlebar bag. Handlebar stubs on either side of the bag can be fitted with accessories solving the problem of a lack of real estate along the bar. A Garmin adapter on the bag’s hard polymer lid allows me to either fit a head unit or a GoPro camera. For quick access, the lid can be opened and closed while on the fly. Tech adapters for Wahoo, Quadlock and Barfly are also available. With a flick of a lever, the bag can be removed in a few seconds from its rock-solid mount and shouldered using an integrated strap hidden inside the bag. Don’t mean to diss the Ortlieb mount but it’s cable system looks cumbersome and appears to sag over time.

That is a very clever solution! I love how you can easily remove everything and pop it onto a different bike. The photos and writeup are extremely helpful.
Nice TIMBER! bell too! Need to pick one of those up for our hike & bike trail.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Another option is a backpack. I have tried that a few times and while it's certainly fine, I'd rather the weight be on the bike.

What I am afraid of is the weight of the cargo on the rear rack might compromise the structural strength of the frame.

A rather funny story: As you know, I own an aluminium Vado SL, equipped with the factory rear rack of the weight limit of 15 kg. I used to pack even 22 kg gross onto that rack, split into two panniers. And yes, the rack got bent, making the rear fender rub the tyre! The rack turned out to be irrepairable so I had to buy a replacement. Now, I load far less onto the rack but instead am riding with a very funny bag on my back. It is a huge, lightweight and cheap supermarket bag made as a backpack I load it with several kilogrammes of delicate groceries (like, eggs!) to relieve the load on the rear rack

AR, I can recollect a story read on these Forums several years ago. A Forum member started bashing TREK for making "a terribly bad e-bike". As it turned out, the guy bought a carbon road e-bike and converted it into a utility e-bike... Fenders, rack, kickstand, everything. He overloaded the frame and damaged his e-bike in two weeks...

 

[Amoto65]

I was reading an article the other day and it started that carrying stuff in backpacks and pockets makes it easier for climbing than loading up the bike and having to power the extra bike weight, apologies if this seems obvious but I had never thought about it before.

 

[Prairie Dog]

What I am afraid of is the weight of the cargo on the rear rack might compromise the structural strength of the frame.

That is why I decided to opt for a rack which doesn’t impact the frame whatsoever. All of the weight is focused on the axle and the seat post. Regardless, I can’t see myself loading up to the max even for an extended trip.

 

[gpburdell]

Pedals - unless you're in love with the reflectors on the T8000, I'd suggest Shimano EH500's instead.

Front light - are you looking for daytime running light or nighttime lighting? For DRL the Bontrager ION 200 works well and can be mounted under a phone or computer mount using this go-pro compatible mount. For night time lighting NiteRider Lumina 900 is good and can be helmet-mounted.

 

[gpburdell]

That is why I decided to opt for a rack which doesn’t impact the frame whatsoever. All of the weight is focused on the axle and the seat post. Regardless, I can’t see myself loading up to the max even for an extended trip.

Creo2 is spec'd to 25kg rear cargo + rack capacity. See the Creo 2 Rider Workbook for more details on rack sizing/specifics - including their suggestion of the tubus Vega Classic rack which is rated to 25kg. I keep meaning to try this Bontrager MIK-compatible rack with my Creo E5 sometime since I have a MIK compatible trunk bag.

 

[mschwett]

I was reading an article the other day and it started that carrying stuff in backpacks and pockets makes it easier for climbing than loading up the bike and having to power the extra bike weight, apologies if this seems obvious but I had never thought about it before.

i’m a fan of backpacks, since i dislike attaching anything unnecessary to a bicycle, but physics disagrees with this statement. whether the weight is on your back or the bike frame, you still need to accelerate it and lift it up a hill against the force of gravity.

where the weight is located will affect how the bike feels, generally the lower and closer to the center of mass the better.

drag will be a far bigger effect at proper road bike speeds, and in this area backpacks do fairly well! but of course aero drag has nothing to do with weight

 

[Amoto65]

Not strictly true for cycling, less bike weight makes it easier regarding your legs is the point.

 

[AvalancheRun]

Now that some time has passed, I'll add that I really dislike carrying a 30-50 lb load in a backpack.

As mschewtt said, the physics are working against you. The bike becomes super top-heavy, and as a rider I feel constrained and vulnerable.

25 lbs and less is OK, but I am really not a fan of heavier loads. Something like a Tailfin or the Ortlieb quick rack would be well worth it.

 

[mschwett]

Now that some time has passed, I'll add that I really dislike carrying a 30-50 lb load in a backpack.

As mschewtt said, the physics are working against you. The bike becomes super top-heavy, and as a rider I feel constrained and vulnerable.

25 lbs and less is OK, but I am really not a fan of heavier loads. Something like a Tailfin or the Ortlieb quick rack would be well worth it.

i keep my backpack to <15lb.

5lb, laptop
2.5lb, lock
2.5-7.5 lb, other stuff, light shopping etc.

 

[AvalancheRun]

i keep my backpack to <15lb.

5lb, laptop
2.5lb, lock
2.5-7.5 lb, other stuff, light shopping etc.

Yeah, that makes sense. My use case is at the other end of the spectrum, which is entirely grocery runs with a 30L bag. And in a very hot climate.

 

[mschwett]

Yeah, that makes sense. My use case is at the other end of the spectrum, which is entirely grocery runs with a 30L bag. And in a very hot climate.

yeah that would be … bad. back sweat is no fun. panniers for sure.