My new 2016 Turbo base model

[Ron Bez]

This is my new 2016 Turbo base model. I have been a life long road cyclist who became frustrated not being able to ride like I did when all I did was ride. A friend of mine had gotten a Stromer for commuting after seeing them in Europe several years before they stared getting popular over here. He loves and raves about it and that got me interested. I purchased an inexpensive e bike to confirm I would like and use it regularly. I put 3,000 miles on it in no time and went on the hunt for nicer properly balanced bicycle.


I test road many bikes from Easy Motion, Felt, Curry, Stromer, and others. All were nicer than my Prodeco X2, but non of them were “the one” for me. The Turbo was on my “need to try list” and I recently rented a late 2013 Turbo S for the weekend. Within a couple of miles on the Turbo I knew it was “the bike for me”. It wasn’t the fastest, it wasn’t the lightest, it didn’t have the best specs…….it just felt like a road bike. Perfectly balanced and absolutely silent and fluid.


I completely understand it is not the bike for everybody. You have to want to really feel the road and be a part of making it move. Even more so with the base 200w model I have. You can make it fly, but you have to work to do it. I found the Turbo S I rented to have more power that I wanted most of the time. I kept it in Eco 60 mode and still wanted to work harder than I had to. The base model I bought I do leave in Turbo mode most of the time and find it about right for my taste. I can always hit 26+ mph when I need or want to.


As you can see from the pictures I have tweaked it a bit to my preference, Schwalbe Marathon tires. I expected them to be slower than the stock slicks, but to my surprise it was as if I removed a ball and chain after installing them. The Thudbuster was a must with the shredded road in Paso Robles, Ca. were I live. I also hate straight bars, I have no idea how they ever ended up being the norm on hybrid bikes. They are horrible for control and are all wrong for arm, hand and shoulder position. I installed Somo CLARENCE BAR 31.8, better in every way. I love the way the Specialized fender and rack kit looks but couldn’t swallow its $300. price tag. I put on SKS P50 Chromoplastic Longboard Fenders. They fit and look great, there dark brown gray color looks nice with the warm silver color of the Turbo.


So far I am thrilled with my choice, 500 miles in 4 weeks and always wanting more! I will keep you posted.

 

[EbikeR2]

Ok, you have some serious photography skills! What a beauty! wow wow.

 

[Ron Bez]

Thanks very much! Those are snap shot with my point and shoot. I will do some nice images when I get a chance.

 

[SQN]

Awesome! Looks to me about perfect! What did this cost, in total, with all your additions?

 

[Ron Bez]

I paid 3k for the 2016 Turbo, however I received a 2015 build. Exact same bike except the 2016 is supposed to be limited to 28 mph, the 2015 software has it cut off at 26 mph. I am trying to get the update I need. A local non Turbo dealer got me the bike, they don't have the Turbo diagnostic tool needed for firmware updates. The owner of shop said he would get it, I haven't heard back yet.

I had the Thudbuster on my last bike, I paid $120 for it, a local shop matched the best price I could find on Amazon at the time. The SKS fenders were $53.00 from Amazon. There are not many bars with a 40 degree sweep, the Origin 8 Space Bars were the most reasonable I could find at $38.50, also from Amazon. They are actually really nice bars, very stout. The Schwalbe Marathon's I got in 28 x 1.50, 622 x 40, 700 x 38 because the height I exactly the same as the stock tires, I didn't want to change the gearing. The Marathon's are taller because of the thick puncture resistant layer. They are much firmer and faster than the huge slicks it came with. I may try a wider Schwalbe at some point. The best price I could find on the tires was out of the UK, Chainreaction, $53.00 total including shipping for the pair. I also got a Topeak Beam Rack and Trunk Bag with fold out panniers that mounts to the seat post via quick release I use when I need to carry stuff.

So I'm in under $3,500. for a very nice purpose built bike. Not the fastest, but man is it a great ride!

I'm also getting really good range with the smaller 200w motor and 13 amp hour battery. I road 40 mile up and down PHC and got back with 30% remaining. I am a tall lean guy.....okay, skinny. Only 150 lbs.


With rack.

 

[MLWilcox]

Beautiful pictures and bike. Why did you change your handlebars and what brand/name is your mirror?

 

[Ron Bez]

I have never liked straight bars, they are not comfortable for me. After a couple of thousand miles on my first e bike with them I ended up with tennis elbow from the unnatural hand position. The physical therapist figured out it was the straight handlebars. You want your hands and wrist at a neutral position, the 40 degree sweep bars give you a much more neutral hand position. It took almost a year to get the tennis elbow cleared up, very disruptive.

The mirror came on the bike. It was mounted upright, all I had was a view of the top of my arm. I reversed it and I catch a little of my leg, but with the shape of it I still have a great view. It is not a wide angle lens like the Mirrycle I have always used, so you can actually tell how close cars are without looking back. The Specialized mirror is heavy but very well made, it could be on a motorcycle.

 

[Cameron Newland]

Beautiful bike! I'm jealous.

 

[Ron Bez]

Thanks for everyone's kind words!

 

[EbikeR2]

Thanks for everyone's kind words!

are those sexy white pedals stock or you add them? Thanks so much for all the details on the bike/adds

 

[Tara D.]

Very nice bike! I'm glad your physical therapist figured it was the handle bars causing the tennis elbow and you were able to replace it with the Somo CLARENCE BAR and heal your elbow!

 

[Ron Bez]

I had the pedals on my last bike, they are Wellgo MG-1 Magnesium Sealed Platform Pedals. I think I paid under $30 because they were white. I like them better than the stock pedals. They are very light and grippy, nice wide platform too. I had Shimano SPD clip ins on my Prodeco, stupid on an e bike, and of course I fell and broke my elbow when my foot got stuck coming to a stop. That kept me off the bike for a while.... That's what got me on the Wellgo's

 

[David1]

Please share your camera technique with the forum. Most pics. are blurry when zooming in. Yours only get clearer as you zoom. Thanks ,Very helpfull!

 

[JoePah]

Nice choice Ron! Never rode one of these but next year when I replace my Stromer I'll be sure to check it out.

Thanks.

 

[George S.]

I also hate straight bars, I have no idea how they ever ended up being the norm on hybrid bikes. They are horrible for control and are all wrong for arm, hand and shoulder position.

This is an interesting point. They've never seemed quite right to me, and I can't point to another style except what the Cruiser bikes tend to use. Maybe you can get a real discussion going, even based on the medical analysis of your problem.

It's an interesting progression. The X2 is quite basic (I had an X3) but after a decent length of time you know what an ebike represents, and then it must be easier to move to another level, if you need to. So a basic and cheap ebike isn't a bad place to start. Do you think you could have worked this out based on test rides and a rental or two? People show up here and they've watched 60 videos and read a lot of reviews, but they have no experience, so it's hard to filter the information.

It is a very handsome bike. I'm sure that would not be enough power to get me up hills, but it obviously works for you. Thanks. Great information.

 

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Yeah Ron:
That's a sweet-looking whip you've got there.
If anyone wants to have a look at the Wellgo pedals in red, here's a picture of the ones on my Optibike Pioneer Allroad:
Allen

 

[Logan Gogarty]

I paid 3k for the 2016 Turbo, however I received a 2015 build. Exact same bike except the 2016 is supposed to be limited to 28 mph, the 2015 software has it cut off at 26 mph. I am trying to get the update I need. A local non Turbo dealer got me the bike, they don't have the Turbo diagnostic tool needed for firmware updates. The owner of shop said he would get it, I haven't heard back yet.

Can you tell me more about the firmware update for the Turbos? Can you buy a 2015 turbo and update the firmware so they reach 28 mph? Can any specialized dealer do this? I want the turbo x but want it to reach 28 mph before cutting off.

 

[Logan Gogarty]

I also got a Topeak Beam Rack and Trunk Bag with fold out panniers that mounts to the seat post via quick release I use when I need to carry stuff.

One other question: Does the Topeak Beam Rack stay well positioned when the trunk bag is on like does it stay straight or slip to the side? Have you folded out the pannier bags and do they interfere with the rear wheel since there are no bars keeping them from bumping into the tire?

 

[Ron Bez]

This is an interesting point. They've never seemed quite right to me, and I can't point to another style except what the Cruiser bikes tend to use. Maybe you can get a real discussion going, even based on the medical analysis of your problem.

It's an interesting progression. The X2 is quite basic (I had an X3) but after a decent length of time you know what an ebike represents, and then it must be easier to move to another level, if you need to. So a basic and cheap ebike isn't a bad place to start. Do you think you could have worked this out based on test rides and a rental or two? People show up here and they've watched 60 videos and read a lot of reviews, but they have no experience, so it's hard to filter the information.

It is a very handsome bike. I'm sure that would not be enough power to get me up hills, but it obviously works for you. Thanks. Great information.[/QUOT

I also got a Topeak Beam Rack and Trunk Bag with fold out panniers that mounts to the seat post via quick release I use when I need to carry stuff.

One other question: Does the Topeak Beam Rack stay well positioned when the trunk bag is on like does it stay straight or slip to the side? Have you folded out the pannier bags and do they interfere with the rear wheel since there are no bars keeping them from bumping into the tire?

Keeping in mind that I am a road cyclist.... My first experience with straight bars was converting a road bike to achieve a more upright riding position. It did get me more upright but I never got my hands and wrists comfortable. More recently with the electric bikes, it was a nasty bout of tennis elbow, something I have never had before, that got me questioning the handlebars. Ultimately, the physical therapist related the straight bars with twist throttle and shifters as the source of my flair-up. If you have any numbness or discomfort with your current bars, give a swept back bar with a good ergonomic grip a try. With my current setup I can ride all day with no discomfort.

I agree with you, starting with a basic ebike is a good way to go. Until you use it for a while and see how it fits into your likestyle, it can be foolish to make a big investment. I spent a full year with the X2 and really loved it and used almost daily, 3k miles. When I was young, cycling was my passion. I road many many thousands of miles. I started working in a Bike Shop in LA selling and repairing bike at 15, and when I graduated High School I opened a small Bike Shop of my own I tiny Los Osos, Ca. As my life progressed, priorities changed to making a living and raising a family, and the time for cycling disappeared. The ebike has allowed me to revisit the glory of being able to hop on the bike just go, with no thoughts of not being conditioned enough to enjoy the ride. I have gotten in allot better shape since I started riding my ebikes, especially the Turbo, which is quite capable of going very fast with a bit of work. It is because I ride all the time! I am glad I started with the basic bike and dailed into what I wanted in a bike, and then made the investment. I also found it very easy to sell the inexpensive Prodeco on Craigslist without loosing much money, I sold it the day I listed it.

The Topeak rack will stay put if you really crank it down. I leave the quick release open and turn the lever until it is very tight, making sure it isn't sticking out to catch on something. I put some old center pull cable hangers on one of the sets of rear fender bosses to secure the open panniers. I have no problem with them staying out of the drive train on the Turbo.
Excuse the bad snap shot!

 

[Ron Bez]

Please share your camera technique with the forum. Most pics. are blurry when zooming in. Yours only get clearer as you zoom. Thanks ,Very helpfull!

The photos I have posted so far are shot with a Cannon 18MP point and shoot. I have been resizing them manually in Photoshop to 10 x 7.5 in. @ 180 dpi., that is quit a bit smaller than the native resolution the camera shoots, which is too large to upload. Photos appear at 72 dpi on the screen, so the size Iv'e been scaling them they are more than 20 x 15 in. @ 100 percent, big enough to be crisp fairly large on the screen. If you have a sharp photo out of the camera, you have to resize it small enough to upload, but large enough to look good at 72 dpi.
I hope that helps, if I knew what software you used to scale your photos I might be able to give you some steps to follow. Shooting good pictures is another matter, if folks are interested I could start a Photo Tips thread as time allows.