How gnarly can you get on an Expert Creo before it breaks?

[Angelo_arch]

I've just started out and would like to do it all on the Creo, including minimal pavement, lots of gravel, fire roads/double track, and maybe some mellow mountain bike trails here in Colorado. My initial setup is the 42cm Pathfinders maxing out the tire width on the stock carbon rims. How hard have you gone off-road, and how has the bike, drive system, and rims held up? I've learned that rocky technical sections really aren't fun on a hardtail, but many longer routes end up with some technical sections whether you like it or not. Thanks!

 

[Allan47.7339]

It depends. Rider weight is a big component. I take it easy because I'm close to the upper limit.

Q: What is the weight limit for my bike?

support.specialized.com

But the other end of the spectrum a light strong rider:

There are a two or three other videos on his channel riding with the Creo.

 

[kahn]

It depends. Rider weight is a big component. I take it easy because I'm close to the upper limit.

Q: What is the weight limit for my bike?

support.specialized.com

But the other end of the spectrum a light strong rider:

There are a two or three other videos on his channel riding with the Creo.

Ah, more or less my neck of the woods - Gifford Pinchot National Forest. But NOT my kind of riding.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Did you see any tree roots on the singletrack in the video? Riding a smooth dry singletrack is no different from riding gravel (it is only more dangerous). Yet, meet tree roots on your trail and you start dreaming of riding an e-MTB. Or, ride in wet conditions.

 

[jodi2]

Ah, more or less my neck of the woods - Gifford Pinchot National Forest. But NOT my kind of riding.

And for me, not my kind of video style. I can't follow this "I'm the coolest guy in the world" more than two minutes. Also I don't see much information, at least not in this videao, it could be 20% of the length without losing information...

I started with light gravel bike with 35mm and a soft profile three years ago, now Creo with 43mm rougher profile since 1.5 years and the last two months with an (additonal) hardtail with 57mm tires and 120mm suspension fork.
As you said Angelo, one limiting factor is the rear suspension. I still can't ride everything and downhill not with the same speed with the hardtail than with a fully. But already more difficult trails and faster than with the Creo. But the Creo's CF frame is rock solid, even with my 100kg I'm not afraid about it. And if a downhill is too difficult or too steep for (me on) the Creo, I'm normally not afraid about the frame, but about my neck or my bones...
Something else is riders weight as Allan said.
But first/most affected parts will be the wheels. I don't know the Roval wheels (and what model do you have and what inner width). For really rough&tough riding I think wheels are kind of wear parts almost as tires. You can't expect light carbon wheels to stand 5-10 years of hard offroad riding. But if you realize this on time, it's fine.
But you can expect such a lifetime from the Creo's frame. If also from the electric drive, we will all see...

 

[e-levity]

I'll second what Allan47.7339 and jodi2 said above and add that the frame has a lifetime warranty (crashes not covered!).

I have about 2,400 miles of mixed riding on my Comp Carbon EVO and haven't had any issues off-pavement. I run 700x47 Speciaized Tracer tires - these provide more cushion and traction than the 700x42 Pathfinder Pros I tried earlier. Rough surfaces and small drops (<1 ft) are fine as are easy mtb trails. If it's smooth you can go as fast as you trust tire traction, but on bumpy trails I slow down when the lack of suspension gets my eyes rattling and my vision blurs!

 

[Angelo_arch]

It depends. Rider weight is a big component. I take it easy because I'm close to the upper limit.

Q: What is the weight limit for my bike?

support.specialized.com

But the other end of the spectrum a light strong rider:

There are a two or three other videos on his channel riding with the Creo.

Thanks, I hadn't seen his videos before. He definitely gets rowdy on the Creo! I'm thinking some smaller adventure rides than that craziness! I should be good on rider weight. I guess it could get close if I load up with all-day water and snacks!

 

[Deacon Blues]

Dustin can 'get rowdy on the Creo' because he didn't pay for the bike. It's a free long-term test bike.
If he breaks it he just dumps all the parts into the box it came in and send it back to Specialized.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Dustin can 'get rowdy on the Creo' because he didn't pay for the bike. It's a free long-term test bike.
If he breaks it he just dumps all the parts into the box it came in and send it back to Specialized.

A very sober remark.

I don't want to say bad things on carbon fibre e-bikes anymore (it is not my money anyway). I just think many competing cyclists riding CF bikes do not pay for their gear (it is their teams paying for it).

 

[mschwett]

Dustin can 'get rowdy on the Creo' because he didn't pay for the bike. It's a free long-term test bike.
If he breaks it he just dumps all the parts into the box it came in and send it back to Specialized.

i wonder what the most likely points of failure are. given the long history of carbon mountain bikes, race bikes, etc, i'm guessing it's more the motor to frame interface, or maybe peripheral carbon components like frame, seat rails, etc.

 

[kahn]

i wonder what the most likely points of failure are. given the long history of carbon mountain bikes, race bikes, etc, i'm guessing it's more the motor to frame interface, or maybe peripheral carbon components like frame, seat rails, etc.

As I mentioned in another thread - a friend is dead set against carbon. Not really worried about breaks while riding as an impact break or crack (as egg shell), whereas steel just dents.

 

[mschwett]

As I mentioned in another thread - a friend is dead set against carbon. Not really worried about breaks while riding as an impact break or crack (as egg shell), whereas steel just dents.

ultra light carbon is not for people who treat their bikes roughly while not riding them! mainstream carbon bikes, eh, it's all seriously overblown. i know SO many people who ride the heck out of their carbon bikes and have done so for tens of thousands of miles, and no problems whatsoever. carbon forks have been used on non-carbon bikes for decades, even at the low-ish end, and the fork is one part of a bike you REALLY don't want to fail

 

[Stefan Mikes]

whereas steel just dents.

Or aluminium.

ultra light carbon is not for people who treat their bikes roughly while not riding them!

Is it for people who are riding their bikes heavily and treat them roughly?
I managed to break headstock of two guitars from their necks, and I assure you I played those guitars a lot! (in my opinion mahogany in a guitar is far stronger than CF in bikes)
Incidents do happen. And an incident with a CF bike is not covered by the warranty (it is "a crash"; nice exception from "lifetime warranty" indeed!)

 

[mschwett]

Or aluminium.


Is it for people who are riding their bikes heavily and treat them roughly?
I managed to break headstock of two guitars from their necks, and I assure you I played those guitars a lot! (in my opinion mahogany in a guitar is far stronger than CF in bikes)

lol, i never broke a guitar either!

but seriously, the beating people give their carbon mountain and gravel bikes around here, and have been giving them for 20 years … i know riders who return from most all rides with injuries from crashing and yet oddly their “fragile” carbon fiber yeti arcs and trek procalibers and scott sparks and specialized epics and stumpys and everything in between never suffer frame damage. wheels, derailleurs, etc, definitely. these guys have dozens of HARD pedal strikes on a weekly basis. properly designed carbon fiber is strong and durable in the directions it was designed for.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

lol, i never broke a guitar either!

but seriously, the beating people give their carbon mountain and gravel bikes around here, and have been giving them for 20 years … i know riders who return from most all rides with injuries from crashing and yet oddly their “fragile” carbon fiber yeti arcs and trek procalibers and scott sparks and specialized epics and stumpys and everything in between never suffer frame damage. wheels, derailleurs, etc, definitely. these guys have dozens of HARD pedal strikes on a weekly basis. properly designed carbon fiber is strong and durable in the directions it was designed for.

Those guitars (both of them) just fell with their stands on the floor. Gibson LP styled mahogany neck guitars (including acoustics) have their headstock located as some quite sharp angle against the neck. The wood structure is vulnerable at the joint. If such a guitar falls on the headstock, the break is guaranteed. Fortunately, luthiers know very well how to fix that.

Now, fancy your e-bike crashes sideways and the frame hits a large stone (I had many crashes of that type, not necessarily hitting a stone though). For instance, a hothead rode into my e-bike on a crowded bike path on some day. Breaking the CF frame would be too an expensive experience to me. Just saying.

 

[mschwett]

Now, fancy your e-bike crashes sideways and the frame hits a large stone (I had many crashes of that type, not necessarily hitting a stone though). For instance, a hothead rode into my e-bike on a crowded bike path on some day. Breaking the CF frame would be too an expensive experience to me. Just saying.

that’s why you clip in, so your body acts as a shock absorber / bumper when you fall on a stone

yes one could come up with many hypothetical situations! but in the real world …. none of my rock garden gnarly singletrack riding friends have ever actually broken a carbon frame despite hundreds of crashes and dozens of broken bones. (this is a reason, besides my heart, that i don’t ride mountain bikes. it’s dangerous to do so fast enough to make it fun!!)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

that’s why you clip in, so your body acts as a shock absorber / bumper when you fall on a stone

You even do not need to clip in. Keep the handlebar grips all the time and do not remove your feet from the spiked platform pedals

I wonder why carbon fibre in the first place. Yes, the vibration absorbing properties of CF are well known. Typically, you do not save that much of weight by replacing the Al with CF, unless you are a paranoiac weight reducer on any component. You have the motor in your e-bike. So why CF? Because it is expensive so it must be good?

 

[Rincon]

It depends. Rider weight is a big component. I take it easy because I'm close to the upper limit.

But the other end of the spectrum a light strong rider:

There are a two or three other videos on his channel riding with the Creo.

DKlein