Getting my first road ebike - Specialized vs Canyon

[Stefan Mikes]

Now for fenders: Plan A is to keep my first ebike for shopping and messy riding. No Creo fenders then needed in this climate. But thinking ahead, any gotchas to adding fenders later?

SKS Speedrocker as long as the tyre width is 42 mm or less.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

i hear from those looking for the E5 model that the "arriving in august" tag on the bike on specialized.com is a little aggressive, with no ETA from specialized being given to dealers. if you keep a close eye on the website you can probably get one through their click and collect (you buy it, delivered to LBS and they set it up for you) but beware that the new ones usually sell out in the most common sizes within a few hours of dropping.

i know you asked creo 2 owners but from my creo 1 experience, and comparing it to the ride of the similar aluminum vado SL, ride quality is the main difference. for non-electric bikes, aluminum frame tubes can be more carefully sized and shaped to give the right balance of damping, stiffness, and flex, but aluminum e-bikes are limited by the huge tubes needed for the battery, the mid-drive, etc. to me, and this is very subjective, they seem extremely harsh and buzzy, which is why so many people go down the road of shock stems, shock seatposts, and really big tires. carbon fiber is a much more forgiving material for engineering crazy shapes, and i always felt the ride quality of my carbon e-bikes (creo 1, scott addict) was closer to the ride of a good traditional road bike, with relatively small tires. whether it's worth $2k to you, who knows!!

do you know what size you need?

Hoping you'd chime in! I value your experience and thoughtfulness in such things.

No clue what size I need, but sounds like I should find out quick. Plan A is to go to the local Specialized store (10 minutes away!) and get them to size me in anticipation of a sale. Then explore the click and collect option with them.
 
Still need a thorough posture test for back and wrist comfort. Might or might not work out. Guess I'll have to rent a drop-bar bike for a day.

 

[mschwett]

Hoping you'd chime in! I value your experience and thoughtfulness in such things.

No clue what size I need, but sounds like I should find out quick. Plan A is to go to the local Specialized store (10 minutes away!) and get them to size me in anticipation of a sale. Then explore the click and collect option with them.
 
Still need a thorough posture test for back and wrist comfort. Might or might not work out. Guess I'll have to rent a drop-bar bike for a day.

definitely. look for endurance or touring geometry for a rental, you definitely don’t want something with too much drop. around here sports basement rents a wide range of bikes, i’m sure there are similar stores in san diego. keep in mind that with the big tires and future shock the ride on the creo will be much smoother than any road bike they’re likely to rent you, but you can get a sense of the position. and of course like anything it takes getting used to, don’t overdo it. ride 10 miles in the AM and another 10 in the PM, if you feel good after that be confident that you can increase the mileage on the bike gradually.

most likely issues will be wrist pain or numbness (too much weight in the hands!) or a stiff neck from looking “up” while leaned forward a bit.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Thanks! Just got back from the Carlsbad Specialized shop — very helpful folks. They said I'm a 58. Will be renting a size 58 Specialized Diverge (non-electric gravel bike, same 47 mm tires) through them for posture testing next week on Monday. Fingers crossed!

This is starting to get exciting! They found a 58 Creo 2 Comp in a good color, not saying where. If still available after the test, I may grab it. They said they'd change the stem to something less Supermanish for me.

Of course, I'm a lot like Superman in every other respect.
;^}

PS: They had a Creo 2 Expert on the floor to heft and straddle and ogle and fondle. Too dark a color for me, but at least I've seen one in the flesh now. And I think I'm barking up the right tree.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

You’re gonna love a Creo

 

[PedalUma]

When you get up there in spending you also get electronic shifting and carbon wheels. Working closely with a local dealer is important. If they order it for you at the same price as online, they will know you and the bike, will assemble it, update it, tune it, and most likely provide a follow up tune up at no charge. Even with great new bikes there is always at least one thing off that takes a pro. Today I had one were a spoke just touched the inside of the front caliper. The Creo 2 is very nice. Congratulations.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

When you get up there in spending you also get electronic shifting and carbon wheels. Working closely with a local dealer is important. If they order it for you at the same price as online, they will know you and the bike, will assemble it, update it, tune it, and most likely provide a follow up tune up at no charge. Even with great new bikes there is always at least one thing off that takes a pro. Today I had one were a spoke just touched the inside of the front caliper. The Creo 2 is very nice. Congratulations.

No experience with electronic shifting, and not sure how I feel about it. Mechanical has always worked fine for me, and I've never had a high-end drivetrain.

If there's a compelling argument for electronic shifting, I'd love to be educated.

 

[mschwett]

No experience with electronic shifting, and not sure how I feel about it. Mechanical has always worked fine for me, and I've never had a high-end drivetrain.

If there's a compelling argument for electronic shifting, I'd love to be educated.

much less maintenance if you ride a lot. all mechanical cables stretch, and then shifting gets wonky especially with 11 and 12 speed drivetrains that have fairly tight tolerances.

they shift much better under load, because the motors are powerful and definitive, unlike pulling a lever attached to three feet of cable that makes several right turns.

on drop bar bikes, mechanical shifters shift by the whole brake lever moving left or right. so the brake lever is kind of wobbly, and the shift motion is a big push. on an electronic drivetrain the brake lever doesn’t wiggle left and right and the shift buttons have a very tiny throw, since they’re just switches.

electronic drivetrains can be programmed to have whichever direction on whichever lever go whichever way you want, and they can be programmed to double shift, or shift front and rear derailleurs at the same time (not an issue for creo!)

it’s just a really satisfying experience to tap a switch right where your finger is and have the bike shift nearly instantly.

the price has come way down on electronic drivetrains, not sure which ones they’re putting on creos these days. not a must have but a very nice to have.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If there's a compelling argument for electronic shifting, I'd love to be educated.

The shifting is immediate and silent.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

One last Creo 2 question before testing on Monday: Is it reasonable for a 76 yo who just got back into cycling 1.5 years ago after a 20+ year hiatus to think that he can get his money's worth out of this bike?

Or did I just watch too much Tour de France?

Be honest now! Not the weakest rider, but by no means a strong one. Knees are the only real medical limitation, but they're OK if I keep cadence in the 75-90 RPM range and let the motor cover the strong accelerations.

Thanks!

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Gonna be 73 in a couple of weeks. Long time cyclist back in the day, took many years off creating a software company after retiring from the police in 2003, heard about something called an electric bike on a podcast in summer of 2016. Yesterday I completed the circumference of the earth - 24,901 miles - on my fifth and far best ebike of my journey, my 2022 Creo E5.

I had a whole series of full power ebikes, my favorite being a Giant Toughroad, but nothing felt as comfortable or familiar to my old riding adventures as the Creo seemed to be when it came out. Finally bought it a little over two years ago and wouldn’t want anything else… except maybe the Creo 2?

The thing just feels like a really good bicycle to someone whose last ”real” bike before hanging it up was a much loved Cannondale T400 touring bike. If anything, I prefer the lower power of this, and the lower weight, and I ride it with the power off a great deal of the time. It doesn’t fly up hills like my Toughroad or Civante did, but if I gear it down I get up there anyway. I ride five to six days a week as much of the year as I can and just love it. I’ve seen enough of your adventures to feel pretty confident that you’ll feel similarly. It is just a superb, well designed bike, and this new version seems to push that along nicely.

I run mine as a road/gravel bike, a lot of both, and some woods paths as well when they appear. Currently 38mm Pathfinder Pros on it, because I couldn’t find any more 42s when I wore out the Pathfinder Sports it came with. It has never been set up as a pure road bike, even though it was not the EVO version.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Gonna be 73 in a couple of weeks. Long time cyclist back in the day, took many years off creating a software company after retiring from the police in 2003, heard about something called an electric bike on a podcast in summer of 2016. Yesterday I completed the circumference of the earth - 24,901 miles - on my fifth and far best ebike of my journey, my 2022 Creo E5.

I had a whole series of full power ebikes, my favorite being a Giant Toughroad, but nothing felt as comfortable or familiar to my old riding adventures as the Creo seemed to be when it came out. Finally bought it a little over two years ago and wouldn’t want anything else… except maybe the Creo 2?

The thing just feels like a really good bicycle to someone whose last ”real” bike before hanging it up was a much loved Cannondale T400 touring bike. If anything, I prefer the lower power of this, and the lower weight, and I ride it with the power off a great deal of the time. It doesn’t fly up hills like my Toughroad or Civante did, but if I gear it down I get up there anyway. I ride five to six days a week as much of the year as I can and just love it. I’ve seen enough of your adventures to feel pretty confident that you’ll feel similarly. It is just a superb, well designed bike, and this new version seems to push that along nicely.

I run mine as a road/gravel bike, a lot of both, and some woods paths as well when they appear. Currently 38mm Pathfinder Pros on it, because I couldn’t find any more 42s when I wore out the Pathfinder Sports it came with. It has never been set up as a pure road bike, even though it was not the EVO version.

That sounds a lot like getting your money's worth out of a Creo to me!

The road biking of my youth, way back in the Late Bronze Age, gave way to mountain biking into middle age, then nada till late 2022. Nowadays, I get all nostalgic when a nice road or mountain bike passes me by. And there are a lot of those around here.

The Creo 2 strikes me as a good way to recapture some of that magic. Sounds like for you as well.

Watching this last TdF for the first time in years only made the itch worse.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Never miss it. I’ve had a deal with myself for a few years that says if I don’t go out for 20 miles on a given day i can’t watch it. Doesn’t always happen, but it is a strong motivator!

 

[mschwett]

That sounds a lot like getting your money's worth out of a Creo to me!

The road biking of my youth, way back in the Late Bronze Age, gave way to mountain biking into middle age, then nada till late 2022. Nowadays, I get all nostalgic when a nice road or mountain bike passes me by. And there are a lot of those around here.

The Creo 2 strikes me as a good way to recapture some of that magic. Sounds like for you as well.

Watching this last TdF for the first time in years only made the itch worse.

you know you want it! resale market is decent if it turns out to be a horrible decision, which i doubt it will.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

you know you want it! resale market is decent if it turns out to be a horrible decision, which i doubt it will.

Reassuring. And yes, I've done a fine job of whipping myself into a frenzy of steaming desire.

About that name: Like a lot of ebike names, I thought "Creo" was just a word made up by some branding consultant. But I realized today that a Creo's a real thing: It's an Oreo with a bite out of it.
;^}

 

[PedalUma]

On the Levo MTB with electronic shifting you can hit a grade and just hold the downshift button and smoothly go from 12th to 1st while standing out of the saddle under full load. If one has the money, why not. Have fun now because there is one fact of life, death. Plan on stopping by the bike shop regularly for updates and maintenance. A trained eye can spot things before they become a larger problem. It is worth it to keep up on your super nice bike. A five year maintenance plan is a bargain at about $500 upfront.

An XL Vado is on the way for me to use as a take-home/demo bike. I am not sure which one but it will be black. Maybe the Step-through 4. Mid-step and low-step bikes have higher demand here for those over 45, among both male and female riders. It will revert to a rental whenever an XL size is needed, so it will be cleaned and maintained daily. I will take it with me to meetings, shows, and group rides. I like the lines of the Como SL, supper light, in brushed AL. My boss wants me seen on his bikes in public. The concept of riding one without paying has a certain subversive personal appeal.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

On the Levo MTB with electronic shifting you can hit a grade and just hold the downshift button and smoothly go from 12th to 1st while standing out of the saddle under full load. If one has the money, why not. Have fun now because there is one fact of life, death. Plan on stopping by the bike shop regularly for updates and maintenance. A trained eye can spot things before they become a larger problem. It is worth it to keep up on your super nice bike. A five year maintenance plan is a bargain at about $500 upfront.

An XL Vado is on the way for me to use as a take-home/demo bike. I am not sure which one but it will be black. Maybe the Step-through 4. Mid-step and low-step bikes have higher demand here for those over 45, among both male and female riders. It will revert to a rental whenever an XL size is needed, so it will be cleaned and maintained daily. I will take it with me to meetings, shows, and group rides. I like the lines of the Como SL, supper light, in brushed AL. My boss wants me seen on his bikes in public. The concept of riding one without paying has a certain subversive personal appeal.

Great point about staying ahead of the maintenance. Fortunately, Specialized Carlsbad is just 10 minutes by car.

Great shop. If the Creo doesn't work out on riding position, I'll buy something else from them before the CFO changes her mind.

So you're getting paid to ride nice bikes around town now. Well played, sir, well played!