Newbie

[jondillinger]

Hi to all ~ new to ebikes (well bikes in general) into cars and Motorcycles (riding for over 25 yrs ~ currently on an hp4) probably my 12th bike

Anyway i need to do more cardio and figured id get out on the road with pedal power instead of 1000cc'S ~ Looking at the Turbo Creo SL Expert or the Comp Carbon evo ~ anyone see an issue with starting out with either ? Should i be buying a Vado instead ?

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Any help would be appreciated

Regards ~ Jon

 

[Art Deco]

Hello Jon and welcome . The bikes you mentioned are very lightweight, high end machines. Great bikes, but aimed at already fit riders, so not as powerful a boost as the normal Comos and Vados that many of us mere mortals ride.
How is your fitness level? Can you ride a long ride ( 30 or 40 miles or more ) on a manual bike? And do you have to fight hills or headwinds where you want to ride?

 

[jondillinger]

Hello Jon and welcome . The bikes you mentioned are very lightweight, high end machines. Great bikes, but aimed at already fit riders, so not as powerful a boost as the normal Comos and Vados that many of us mere mortals ride.
How is your fitness level? Can you ride a long ride ( 30 or 40 miles or more ) on a manual bike? And do you have to fight hills or headwinds where you want to ride?

sorry forgot to mention Florida so as flat as can be .... not sure if i would start out at 30 or 40 miles just slowly build up to it (even tho on a high end bike) biggest issue here is dealing with the heat ....

50's ~ 6' 185 lbs so in pretty good shape ~ what do you mean by "so not as powerful a boost as the normal Comos and Vados"

 

[Art Deco]

Ebike power ratings are a nightmare to understand unless you have ridden a few bikes. All the Specialized motors are rated at 250 watts for legal reasons, but the torque varies a lot.

A top of the line Vado or Como will have maybe 80 or 90 nm (newton meters) of torque, while my Como3 and the SL versions of the Creo or Vado will have half that, around 40 or 45 nm. But still a 250 watts rating.

I am oversimplifing here, but since the bikes you mentioned are expensive bikes intended for fitter riders who may only want a little boost occasionally for hills or whatever, they have less powerful motors and lighter batteries, unlike a motorcycle where more money usually provides more power.

I would hate to see someone disappointed with the power they provide after spending the money required, but for those experienced riders who know what they want, they are delighted with those bikes. ( As I am with my Como. )

Lots of good trails and good weather down there, but you might have to pick the cooler parts of the day. Smile.

 

[jondillinger]

makes sense ~ so which would be the top of the line vado ? anything without the SL ?

btw thanks for the reply

and i guess S works would be worse ?

 

[kahn]

Hello Jon and welcome . The bikes you mentioned are very lightweight, high end machines. Great bikes, but aimed at already fit riders, so not as powerful a boost as the normal Comos and Vados that many of us mere mortals ride.
How is your fitness level? Can you ride a long ride ( 30 or 40 miles or more ) on a manual bike? And do you have to fight hills or headwinds where you want to ride?

His question sent me searching info on Specialized various models - Creo, Vado and Como. And I see within some of those models there are even different motors or power versions available! I went with "cheap" (very relative term) and got the Turbo Creo SL Comp E5 which is the Aluminum Creo. I did not want a heavy e-bike but did want my ten essentials in a pannier. There have been a few hills where I wish the Creo had what I call a "Kickasx" mode. Just another shot of momentary power. I will add that I'm closer to 75 than 74 and overweight but still hike and cross-country ski.

I see that there is a Vado with more powerful engines but the tradeoff appears to be substantially more weight. I'm now wondering if I should have gotten one of those more powerful engines or just need to do my own "kickasx" mode. I will be honest, Specialized site and data is a lot of PR making it hard to determine how much more power. 2x or 4x "me" is not that meaningful. Sounds like you know their bikes. Adding another more powerful bike would be awkward - which one to use in what circumstance. We have lots of hills in the Seattle area.

Anything to add.

But is really is a handsome looking bike.

 

[jondillinger]

i had a feeling this would be complicated

 

[Art Deco]

makes sense ~ so which would be the top of the line vado ? anything without the SL ?

btw thanks for the reply

and i guess S works would be worse ?

@Stefan Mikes can you help with the related power specifications chart? I can't find a bloody thing today.
Jon, the normal or 'heavy' Vado or Como comes in a 3, a 4, and a 5 model in the USA with 5 being the top, and my 3 series being the bottom. Here more money equals more power like a motorcycle. Since we are talking about less than 1 hp, every little bit matters.

 

[Art Deco]

Jon check this thread until i find more details. BTW have you you ridden any ebikes?

3.0 or 4.0?

What are the differences between the Vado 3.0 and the 4.0? What are the differences between the Como 3.0 and the 4.0? And do any of these models have a removable controller?

electricbikereview.com

 

[jondillinger]

Jon check this thread until i find more details. BTW have you you ridden any ebikes?

3.0 or 4.0?

What are the differences between the Vado 3.0 and the 4.0? What are the differences between the Como 3.0 and the 4.0? And do any of these models have a removable controller?

electricbikereview.com

nope ~ would be me first : )

i see the 4.0 and 5.0 but no 3's just a little confusing ~ but i guess I'm looking at the 5.0 Vado (just wish they had a better color selection besides brushed aluminum)

 

[Art Deco]

nope ~ would be me first : )

i see the 4.0 and 5.0 but no 3's just a little confusing ~ but i guess I'm looking at the 5.0 Vado (just wish they had a better color selection besides brushed aluminum)

Since you mentioned Florida, if there are any tourist traps nearby, it would be a fun and educational outing to rent an ebike for a few hours or a day and spend some time riding one.

 

[jondillinger]

heres my daily

 

[jondillinger]

Since you mentioned Florida, if there are any tourist traps nearby, it would be a fun and educational outing to rent an ebike for a few hours or a day and spend some time riding one.

yes theres a dealer that would probably give me one to test out ~ good idea

 

[Art Deco]

heres my daily

Whole different world...no liscence, insurance, or noise.

 

[jondillinger]

Whole different world...no liscence, insurance, or noise.

no insurance needed in fla .....

 

[RunForTheHills]

There are also other brands outside of Specialized. I would start by making a list of requirements or at least how you plan to ride the bike. Is it for commuting and runs to the store or just pleasure riding and exercise? Will you ride only on roads or also trails and dirt? You said the area is fairly flat. How far will you ride in a session? How important is the weight of the bike? A lighter bike will mean a smaller motor and battery. With your budget, you have a lot of choices.

 

[Art Deco]

nope ~ would be me first : )

i see the 4.0 and 5.0 but no 3's just a little confusing ~ but i guess I'm looking at the 5.0 Vado (just wish they had a better color selection besides brushed aluminum)

Additional information but probably out of date

Brose S motors — ElectriCityBikes

The S motor line is at the very front of the big dog pack - dramatically peppier than most competing systems, with 15% more power than the already strong Brose T . Pushing 90nm of torque and 550 (560 for the Mag version) peak watts, and applied with the signature Brose smooth/natural feeling and lo

www.electricitybikes.com

 

[jodi2]

Anyway i need to do more cardio and figured id get out on the road with pedal power instead of 1000cc'S ~ Looking at the Turbo Creo SL Expert or the Comp Carbon evo ~ anyone see an issue with starting out with either ? Should i be buying a Vado instead ?

Creo SL Expert or Comp Carbon is more a question of you likings and your wallet. They both ride great. All Creo have race handle bars.
The Vado SL is the cheaper alloy brother of the Creo with straight handle bars. Most people and less experienced riders prefer straight handle bars. Normally one chooses race handle bars if he/she is used to it or wants to be a little bit fast at higher speed/less barn door in the wind. Don't take race handle bars just because it looks fancy and more sporty. It's an active decision and the most important between Creo and Vado SL. But you don't need to be Eddie Merckx to use race handle bars, one can get to it also later in life (I started with them with 45 years).

I am oversimplifing here, but since the bikes you mentioned are expensive bikes intended for fitter riders who may only want a little boost occasionally for hills or whatever, they have less powerful motors and lighter batteries, unlike a motorcycle where more money usually provides more power.

I would hate to see someone disappointed with the power they provide after spending the money required, but for those experienced riders who know what they want, they are delighted with those bikes. ( As I am with my Como. )

I would slightly disagree here. Yes, you get less power with an SL drive. But you get a much much lighter bike which is more fun and easier to ride. And this is also interesting/important escpecially less experienced riders who don't need or even don't want more power. That's why we bought a Vado SL for my wife, not that experienced or sportive on the bike (and of course because her former ebike weighed 55% of her... :-( ).
It depends also an your goal, more cycling with some help sometimes or riding as fast as possible. Here in middle Europe most Class 3 ebikes/Speed-Pedelecs with 45km/h motor limit are used as commuters, for transport, to get to work. Much more flexible, less stress, with fresh air, some nature, sometimes faster than with car or bus/train and some sport. But sport is not the key goal, not the only goal. If you can have more motor power and save 2x 5 minutes every day or sweat a little bit less when entering the office, you go for it. That's where my Stromer with 500 watts and 1000 watts peak is great. But for fun and sportive riding with less motor support and in more difficult paths it's a heavy clumsy monster.

My question is, why do you think you need an ebike? If sport/cardio is the main goal and you are not in a hurry (for example to get to work) maybe a pure/acoustic bike would be better? ebikes are heavier, more expensive and more parts subject to failures and more maintenance.
This is an open question. As I ride an ebike/a Creo as well, I'm surely not the one to prohibit you one. But I already know why I ride one and where it is better for me then an acoustic bike...

 

[Art Deco]

Thanks @jodi2 . The OP is from a motor cycle background, I never rode a Creo or any ultra lightweight. The blind leading the blind.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Jon,
Let me chime in.

In case you are a fit person, any SL e-bike has been made for you. As Jodi said: Creo if you are a fan of road/gravel cycling, Vado SL for general cycling. You could probably do with a traditional bike: any SL bike will make you riding upwind or uphill with assistance easier; and you would ride the SL as a traditional bike otherwise.

The "full power" siblings, that is Vado (or Como - if you need much comfort but probably you do not) can provide a lot of power, enabling you to travel fast or conquer dramatic hills if that is your case. (The 5.0 is made with the best components available for the U.S. market and uses the strongest motor).

One thing I think was overlooked by the most of the thread participants is Specialized Turbo e-bikes are fully tune-able. That is, you can define the assistance % and maximum motor power ceiling in the range of 0-100%. Using Mission Control app turns your Turbo e-bike into a workout machine: just connect a HR monitor, and the e-bike will only assist you to keep your heart rate constant.

I need to hear yet about another e-bike brand that can do the same as Specialized can The rider's performance tools available for Turbo e-bikes are unique, and no other brand can provide an equal solution yet (think of post-ride charts of your leg power or heart rate!)

SL or "full power" Turbo? If you want to ride an e-bike that is as close to a traditional bike as possible, choose an SL. If you want to have good workout on some day but travel very fast on another, it is the "full power" Turbo e-bike.

and i guess S works would be worse ?

P.S. S-Works is the premium brand within already premium Specialized. "Crème de la crème" as to say it.

There is yet another matter: Aluminium vs Carbon Fibre. As you might have noticed Jon, S-Works e-bikes are Carbon Fibre only while Specialized offer both CF and Alu e-bikes. CF e-bike is minimally more lightweight than the aluminium one is. The major reason of building bikes/e-bikes of CF is the riding property: CF will dampen road imperfections even if there is no suspension in the bike. There are downsides of CF bikes:

• Very expensive
• CF is brittle and bike components such as frame can crack and break; which is potentially not only very expensive but also dangerous
• Mechanical work with CF bike requires appropriate tools and care as not to damage CF components.
• It is the best to ride a CF bike on perfect roads...

That said: CF bikes is the thing for professional cyclists but not really for everyone. In the world of e-bikes, it is not always the more money the better product. More money can buy you a professional but not necessarily practical product.