Ebike touring recommendations 120 km a day range with a 150 kg (bike+ rider luggage) and 750-800 wh battery or 2 batteries 750-800 wh batteries

[PedalUma]

@warek437, Click here to download the user's manual to see what is programable. I like the small and lightweight 500 watt motor. For instalation tips see the thread: https://forums.electricbikereview.com/threads/clean-custom-conversions.58798/

T154 E-bike Centre Control Panel - To7motor

This is a T 154 E-bike Centre Control Panel with a TFT colorful screen for ebike drive system , transparent silicon rubber button with LED back-light

to7motor.com

 

[jabberwocky]

What sort of touring? Unsupported? Did you want flat bars or drops? Whats your anticipated load like?

A few criticisms of the Creo four touring is that 1: it lacks the sorts of mounts tourers usually want, and 2: Specs SL motor doesn't have the best reliability record (which is somewhat offset by generally good service, but that doesn't help if you're on a tour and it craps out). I also don't know why you'd buy a bike with a 320whr battery for touring, even if you can carry a bunch of range extenders. Its a solid lightweight e-road, but definitely not designed with multi day loaded tours in mind. Chainstays are decently long but not quite at dedicated touring bike, so you'd want to confirm that your shoe size/rack/pannier setup works (a shorter rear triangle plus large feet and large touring panniers sometimes means your heels hit the bags as you pedal). Angles are more to the road size (70+ head angle, 80mm BB drop) so it may not be as stable as a flat bar city bike like your Gazelle or a dedicated touring bike once you load 15+kg onto it. Test ride one at least. See if the dealer will put a rack on it and hang some panniers with weight in them to see how it performs.

Not sure about Austrailia availability, but Salsa makes the Tributary, which is a dedicated ebike drop bar tourer. Bulls Machete Evo SX2? Any Bosch bike you look at, make sure it accepts their range extender. Older motors don't.

If you want to stick with flat bars you have a lot more options.

 

[warek437]

Local Bosch dealers telling, has much more support in Australia as Bosch has a headquarters in Melbourne. I am looking for flat bat tourer. People come in with expensive bike that is broken and can’t get parts 2 years later

Will explore aftermarket ebike conversion ro steel framed touring bike that I already have as part of my research

cheers

kevin

 

[PedalUma]

steel framed touring

Those Pashley Prosperos have touring/bike packing geo and bosses. They come in flat, backswept, and drop gravel bars. And with or without fenders. The quality is top notch with Shimano GRX in a wide range one-by. I have converted three so far. And I totally get it about already having a bike you love. Y will save a ton and have a better bike than from stores.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

While I said "No" to the Creo 2 in the role of a heavily loaded bikepacking e-bike, you seem to be greatly misinformed. We are talking Creo 2, not the older Creo 1.

A few criticisms of the Creo four touring is that 1: it lacks the sorts of mounts tourers usually want,

Creo 2 as a gravel e-bike has all the types of mounts you'd expect from a touring bike.

and 2: Specs SL motor doesn't have the best reliability record (which is somewhat offset by generally good service, but that doesn't help if you're on a tour and it craps out).

You have no service records or even rumours for the SL 1.2 motor reliability used in Creo 2

I also don't know why you'd buy a bike with a 320whr battery for touring, even if you can carry a bunch of range extenders.

Because Creo 2 is lightweight when you need it to be lightweight. Any extra Range Extender is 1.00 kg.

Its a solid lightweight e-road, but definitely not designed with multi day loaded tours in mind.

Creo 2 is a gravel (not a road) e-bike. Its clearances are up to 55 mm tyres. Why didn't you mention that? Because you were talking of Creo 1?

Please do not spread the misinformation.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

While I said "No" to the Creo 2 in the role of a heavily loaded bikepacking e-bike, you seem to be greatly misinformed. We are talking Creo 2, not the older Creo 1.

Creo 2 as a gravel e-bike has all the types of mounts you'd expect from a touring bike.

While the Creo 2 is one of the rare e-bikes where the front fork has twin bosses to mount a front rack, it lacks the three-pack bosses you'd need to securely mount cages.
Generally the most reliable way to spot a bike intended for bicycle travel is seeing bosses on the front fork.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

While the Creo 2 is one of the rare e-bikes where the front fork has twin bosses to mount a front rack, it lacks the three-pack bosses you'd need to securely mount cages.

Gravel cyclists often mount water bottle cages on both sides of the fork but not the rack.

A gravel racer on a 1,433 Atlas Mountain Race, Morocco, happening right now. Is this bike-packing? No, it isn't.

Atlas Mountain Race 2026 - MAProgress

 

[jabberwocky]

While I said "No" to the Creo 2 in the role of a heavily loaded bikepacking e-bike, you seem to be greatly misinformed. We are talking Creo 2, not the older Creo 1.

Creo 2 as a gravel e-bike has all the types of mounts you'd expect from a touring bike.

I'm talking about the Creo 2. AFIAK Specialized has not sold the original Creo for years. It does not have all the mounts you'd get on a touring bike (lol? can't tell if you're joking). It doesn't even have upper mounts for a standard rear rack. I'm sure you can kludge something together with a post clamp, but no self respecting touring bike would omit those. It also doesn't have mounts for bottles + front rack, and it lacks frame mounts for bags (triangle/gas tank). Whether that matters depends on what you want to carry and how you intend on carrying it, but its a (IMO) mystifying recommendation for someone whose stated purpose is 5-7 day tours carrying 15kg+. Its very obviously not even remotely designed for that.

You have no service records or even rumours for the SL 1.2 motor reliability used in Creo 2

Because Creo 2 is lightweight when you need it to be lightweight. Any extra Range Extender is 1.00 kg.

I do have friends with Creo 2s. I don't think any are on their original motor. Some are on their third. Maybe the people I know are just unlucky, but IMO I wouldn't go for an ultralite low power motor for a 100+kg rider intending to do 5-7 day tours. Zero reason to even consider that, especially paired with a small battery. I'm sure you can, but... why would you?

Theres a reason that bike touring is the last refuge of bar end shifters. The reliability considerations are very different when you're planning on week long rides, where a mechanical you can't repair on the side of the road means you don't get to finish your ride that you spent potentially months planning.

Creo 2 is a gravel (not a road) e-bike. Its clearances are up to 55 mm tyres. Why didn't you mention that? Because you were talking of Creo 1?

Please do not spread the misinformation.

There is much more to suitability for task than tire clearance.

 

[Aushiker]

Not sure about Austrailia availability, but Salsa makes the Tributary, which is a dedicated ebike drop bar tourer. Bulls Machete Evo SX2? Any Bosch bike you look at, make sure it accepts their range extender. Older motors don't.

As far as I can find out, it is not sold in Australia. I did email the distributor about it last year, but got no response. I guess that says it all really.

 

[Aushiker]

While the Creo 2 is one of the rare e-bikes where the front fork has twin bosses to mount a front rack, it lacks the three-pack bosses you'd need to securely mount cages

This can be addressed by using alternatives such as the Orlieb Fork Pack 4.1 Litre or the 5.8 litre. I have a pair of 4.1-litre packs fitted to my R&M Supercharger and have not experienced any issues bikepacking with them.


Proof of Concept – LHS by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

 

[Aushiker]

I'm talking about the Creo 2. AFIAK Specialized has not sold the original Creo for years. It does not have all the mounts you'd get on a touring bike (lol? can't tell if you're joking). It doesn't even have upper mounts for a standard rear rack.

According to Specialized, and I quote, "LOAD UP, HEAD OUT: Take a little or a lot on any ride. Creo 2 Alloy accepts a variety of front, rear, and low-rider racks. Who says you can’t take it all?"

Whilst it can take racks, a more lightweight approach to touring, or rather backpacking, can avoid them. Saddle bags such as the Porcelain Rocket Mr Fusion v2, combined with frame bags, handlebar bags, and the like, work fine.


Holland Track Day 2: Salsa Mukluk at Granite Rock Outcrop by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

I now use a rack because my bikepacking is often in areas where I need to carry two plus days of water, e.g.,


Next Stop Bremer Bay - {Day 08-08} by Andrew Priest, on Flickr

Theres a reason that bike touring is the last refuge of bar end shifters. The reliability considerations are very different when you're planning on week long rides, where a mechanical you can't repair on the side of the road means you don't get to finish your ride that you spent potentially months planning.

Whilst my Surly Long Haul Trucker has bar ends that I have long since lost their indexing, I have done remote bikepacking with MTB shifters (on the Salsa Mukluk) above, and now with electronic shifting on the R&M Supercharger due to having a Rohloff Speedhub E14.

The Rohloff hubs are well-renowned for touring ...

Even disc brakes are becoming the norm on 'touring' bikes. Personally, having ridden my Long Haul Trucker a week ago on a rough dirt track, I would not go back to rim brakes. My preference is mechanical disc brakes, but the R&M Supercharger has hydraulic brakes.

 

[PedalUma]

Remote hydro failure is a Pita.

 

[Aushiker]

Remote hydro failure is a Pita.

Tell me about it ... Way back when, I was riding a low-end Giant something MTB (pre-XTC) on the Munda Biddi Trail, and the bike started losing brake fluid. The nearest bike shop was a few days' riding away and in the wrong direction. The only 'solution' I could find locally from the supermarket at the critical time was olive oil. There wasn't even a garage in town where I could get brake fluid.

It didn't help that within a day of my "repair", I burnt out the disc pads, but that was at least my fault.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I said "no" to the Creo 2 role as a bike-packing e-bike (I need to repeat it). It is however, a perfect long distance gravel e-bike. Gravel cyclists don't want to ride heavy (it defeats the sports' style to ride fast). Fenders? Yes, if necessary. A big saddle bag, yes. A huge handlebar bag, yes. Multiple bidons or a hydration pack, yes. Rear rack? Perhaps. Long distance, high speed, yes. Bike-packing? Not.

Has any of you looked at the Atlas Mountain Race live tracking? The pit-stops (hotels) are approximately 350 km apart, which is pretty long for a ride segment. Now, related to the "ride light" dilemma. Many racers there use a Tailfin rear rack, usually mounted on a UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger). What Tailfin didn't say fixing the thing requires a 8/12 mm hex adapter. Reports from the race are some racers have their UDH loose but no right tool in their baggage. The riders are Solo, which eliminates any help outside the pit-stops!

As I can see now, 45 of 250 racers DNF so far.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Besides...

This is how professional unsupported bike-packing looks like. 1,432 km, 25000 m elevation gain, 3 pitstops. I can see neither a front nor a rear rack. You cannot make your bike heavy with 20% climbs en route especially if you want to win Interestingly, most riders of the extreme 2026 Atlas Mountain Race chose riding MTBs. Most riders had hydration packs on their backs.

 

[PedalUma]

It is gas powered.

 

[jabberwocky]

According to Specialized, and I quote, "LOAD UP, HEAD OUT: Take a little or a lot on any ride. Creo 2 Alloy accepts a variety of front, rear, and low-rider racks. Who says you can’t take it all?"

I mean, I definitely won't argue that Spec has the best marketing team that money can buy.

Creo definitely has more mounts than your average road bike. It may have enough to do light touring. Really depends what you want to carry and how you want to carry it. It isn't a touring or bikepacking bike though and lacks mounting points that are standard in that category.

This is how professional unsupported bike-packing looks like.

Generally speaking, don't emulate pros unless you're an aspiring pro yourself. Pros will absolutely do things that are uncomfortable or unworkable for average people if it gives them an edge on time, because they are paid for results, not for being comfortable. They also ride what their sponsors tell them to ride because showcasing sponsor gear is part of their job.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is gas powered.

View attachment 205842

Actually, it was omelettes

 

[Aushiker]

I mean, I definitely won't argue that Spec has the best marketing team that money can buy.

True

Creo definitely has more mounts than your average road bike. It may have enough to do light touring. Really depends what you want to carry and how you want to carry it. It isn't a touring or bikepacking bike though and lacks mounting points that are standard in that category.

Light touring, for many, has taken a new form today: bikepacking, which means you may not need mounts (other than, say, fork mounts). Today, there are alternatives that do not require mounting fork points so that can be worked out.

Bikepacking.com

For many folks, a "true" bikepacking bike is sans racks, and for an ebike, where charging is limited, a bike like the Creo SL could be easily set up with a saddle bag, framebag, handlebar harness and bag, and, if necessary, fork bags. However, I do see more riders using racks and lightweight, small panniers now, depending on their routes.

I use a rack now only because I often need to carry two days of water (our creeks are mostly ephemeral and our rivers are saline, so natural water sources are limited), and I have the range to do two days with the R&M SuperCharger 2. If I were riding the Creo, I would likely consider alternative routes and skip a rack and panniers

The other advantage for me with the Creo is its weight (not that much different from my Surly Long Haul Trucker, for example), so it would not be a significant issue to ride sans the motor if necessary.

 

[Aushiker]

Besides...


This is how professional unsupported bike-packing looks like. 1,432 km, 25000 m elevation gain, 3 pitstops. I can see neither a front nor a rear rack. You cannot make your bike heavy with 20% climbs en route especially if you want to win Interestingly, most riders of the extreme 2026 Atlas Mountain Race chose riding MTBs. Most riders had hydration packs on their backs.

For those interested in the bikes for the 2026 Atlas Mountain Race, Bikepacking.com has a two-part series on them. Part One can be found here, and Part Two can be found here.