Specialized Creo (all models) - Longest Rides/Biggest Climbs

[JonFox]

Hello, I have a Creo SL carbon and am really enjoying the rides. I'm wondering how it is performing for others - what is your longest ride or biggest climb and did you use the range extender? Plus, avg speed and how many WH did you use? I'll start with my ride yesterday - gravel, 51 miles, 2300 ft climbing, 220 WH used, 13mph. Looking fwd to what seeing how this community is extending the limits of this bike!

 

[Captain Slow]

I no longer use the Specialized app so I don't know how many wh I used, but just assume I used the entire battery because that's close enough.

122 km's, 5 hours 45 minutes of moving time (we did stop for a snack twice), 21.2 km/hr. average speed, 797 meters of elevation gain. At that time my FTP was likely a around 2-2.5 w/kg, I'm not sure as I wasn't on Zwift at the time. Now I'm around 3 w/kg so assume I could go faster or further.

Interesting to see how similar our elevation gain and average speed are. I'd say they're both very close. I went further, but I used more of the battery.

 

[Art Deco]

I no longer use the Specialized app so I don't know how many wh I used, but just assume I used the entire battery because that's close enough.

122 km's, 5 hours 45 minutes of moving time (we did stop for a snack twice), 21.2 km/hr. average speed, 797 meters of elevation gain. At that time my FTP was likely a around 2-2.5 w/kg, I'm not sure as I wasn't on Zwift at the time. Now I'm around 3 w/kg so assume I could go faster or further.

Interesting to see how similar our elevation gain and average speed are. I'd say they're both very close. I went further, but I used more of the battery.

Following. Don't have a Creo so won't contribute, but very interested in your speed, trail, and distance stats.

 

[jodi2]

Can we decide if we use US or European units, so miles/feet/lbs or km/m/kg? I don't care which one, but it's making it more difficult to compare if it this changes every second post.

70 miles, 6500 ft, 12mph (offroad gravel tour with 43mm gravel tires, 80-85% offroad, many breaks due to punctures of others in the group), 89% of 320 (332?) Wh used (so around 290 Wh), system total weight with rider/clothes/water/food/backpack 265 lbs, and: European Creo with 25km/h limit

I added tour/Surface type and tires (as gravel and race bike road tour aren't the same), breaks and total weight, but it will still be hard to compare, for example between US, canadian and European Creos with different motor speed limits. But even if we say "gravel tour" average speed can differ a lot. Also higher speed needs a lot more power/Wh, it's not linear.

My tour was together with other ones more fit, support just to stay in the group. Support was quite noticeable but I think I would have used more "fuel" alone (and would have run out of it at the end...).
But if it's necessary you can reduce the support even more and also do 100 miles and 10000 ft with the Creo and still be faster then without motor.
Sorry for asking, but what on earth is a range extender???

 

[mschwett]

Interesting topic. I try and use the battery/motor as little as possible, basically for climbs over 5% and 100’.

For my last ten rides, I averaged 2.08 wH per mile, and 3.34 wH per 100’ climbed. My most frequent ride is 21 miles and 1,500 feet of climbing, done in around 85 minutes and using 35-50 wH.

My longest ride so far was 51.5 miles, with only 2000’ of elevation (but vicious 25mph sustained headwinds) and I used 136 wH, which was the highest usage per mile in quite a long time.

I’ve never used the range extender, I have to admit I’m tempted to try it out and see if I really could go 200 miles and/or 14,000 feet.

 

[mschwett]

For those who like tracking data (guilty as charged) here are my 21 rides with the creo. Comp Carbon, non-evo, 195lb rider, continental gator hardshell 700c-32 tires. All rides in the San Francisco area, 1250-4250 feet of climbing per ride and distances of 20 to 52 miles. Consistent afternoon headwinds from the west in the 15-25mph range are a noticeable factor.

 

[wmason]

I'll chauffeur the elephant out of the room here since respondents seem sheepish (or unwilling to admit) about using the settings provided by an $9,000 ebike: I use Eco, Trail, and Turbo every ride on the Creo SL Expert. For me the point of acquiring an Ebike was (as the slogan goes), "You, only faster". So 55 miles at 19 mph for me is the heaven of a Creo rather than 14 mph on a Tarmac. At 69 years old its a paradise we should all be so fortunate to experience.

 

[JonFox]

@jodi2 - the range extender is the additional 160w battery that fits in your bottle holder and extends range approx 40 miles, or so.

 

[mschwett]

I'll chauffeur the elephant out of the room here since respondents seem sheepish (or unwilling to admit) about using the settings provided by an $9,000 ebike: I use Eco, Trail, and Turbo every ride on the Creo SL Expert. For me the point of acquiring an Ebike was (as the slogan goes), "You, only faster". So 55 miles at 19 mph for me is the heaven of a Creo rather than 14 mph on a Tarmac. At 69 years old its a paradise we should all be so fortunate to experience.

different goals, for sure! and no shame in 100% whenever you feel like it. for me the bike is not so much “you but faster” but “you but able to climb big hills without undue heart stress”

 

[jodi2]

@jodi2 - the range extender is the additional 160w battery that fits in your bottle holder and extends range approx 40 miles, or so.

I thought the irony smiley wasn't necessary...
I'll change my question a little bit: What should I do do with a range extender on the Creo, if I would first need a "day extender" to make use of it??? ;-)

I'll chauffeur the elephant out of the room here since respondents seem sheepish (or unwilling to admit) about using the settings provided by an $9,000 ebike: I use Eco, Trail, and Turbo every ride on the Creo SL Expert. For me the point of acquiring an Ebike was (as the slogan goes), "You, only faster". So 55 miles at 19 mph for me is the heaven of a Creo rather than 14 mph on a Tarmac. At 69 years old its a paradise we should all be so fortunate to experience.

I guess our comparisons will be even more difficult, as true apshalt cowboys perhaps don't know what a gravel tour is like. And many with a US or canadian Creo can't imagine what the 25km/h means.
No gravel tour has an average speed of 19 mph, with or without motor. If it has, the paths are so easy, that they are for a family tour with your 3year old kids and the grandpas, but not an interesting gravel track.
And if you do 19 mph average speed on a Creo with 25km/h / 15.6mph motor limit, you could do 300 miles, as you would ride 90% over the limit without motor.

 

[Captain Slow]

To me a gravel tour sounds a lot like bikepacking. There are lots of gravel trails around my city, but you ride on pavement to get there and back so I wouldn't have anything useful to share about a ride entirely on gravel. I suspect not many ride purely on gravel.

fwiw - I bought an extra set of wheels but still haven't set up my bike for gravel, and I probably won't anytime soon because I just got a new Aethos with Rival eTap so I'll be sticking to pavement for a while and when I take my son riding it will be on a FS MTB.

 

[jodi2]

Unfortunately I've never done bikepacking, just normal vaccations with (standard) bikes with normal bags like Ortlieb backrollers.
The usual gravel description is "Go anywhere bike". For my case/the paths in Germany (and I guess in most parts of Europe) this is a perfect description. With race bikes you are more or less sticked to asphalt (and I personally don't like roads with traffic or in Corona times cycle lanes with many other leisure riders and families). With MTB you need adequate paths/territory, which you normally have to search and you need some time or effort to get there. With a gravel bike you can start at home or anywhere. You feel fine (almost) anywhere, on road/asphalt as well as offoad. But it's always a compromise and one could as well say, a gravel isn't perfect for any territory...
Sorry, the point is not to convince anyone of graveling, MTB and race bikes also offer a lot of fun!
Let's go back to what is a gravel tour and it's usual speeds. As explained you don't need to strictly avoid roads nor single trails. 5 or10 miles road is fine with a gravel bike (especially after a longer offroad part) and easy single trails a fine and a short time more difficult single trails as well. But rough downhill for miles or the whole day asphalt is no fun with a gravel bike.
I think the amount of asphalt or offoad is similar to your tires. With 35mm speed gravel tires like Schwalbe G-One you will do more asphalt, several unpaved but good paths and not many single trails. With a 25km/h limited Creo average speeds of 15-20mph would be normal, depending on the height profile. With 42-47mm tires with some nobs you would normally do more offorad and less asphalt and maybe 12-15mph on average with a 25km/h Creo.

 

[kattanm]

I’ve put a lot of effort into downtuning the amount of effort provided by the bike to preserve battery life, and when possible, ride with no assist, to see how far I could get (no range extender):

132 miles, 5784 feet, 17.1 mph
112, 5492, 18.6
94, 7303, 17.5
82, 5554, 18.6
79, 4432, 19.6

These Creos are fabulous. On my 2nd one.

 

[mschwett]

I’ve put a lot of effort into downtuning the amount of effort provided by the bike to preserve battery life, and when possible, ride with no assist, to see how far I could get (no range extender):

132 miles, 5784 feet, 17.1 mph
112, 5492, 18.6
94, 7303, 17.5
82, 5554, 18.6
79, 4432, 19.6

These Creos are fabulous. On my 2nd one.

those are some impressive distances and speeds. wow.

my last (and longest) ride was
74 miles, 4,600 feet, 15.2 mph, used 109wh (34% of internal battery)

it really is a fantastic bike.

 

[Captain Slow]

2nd Creo??? The bike hasn't been out that long. What happened to the first one? Riding those distances with that elevation and I'd say the motor isn't making that much of a difference for you. I'd say so little that you could probably ride those same rides with a regular bike. I mean 132 miles, at 17.1 miles per hour?

 

[kattanm]

2nd Creo??? The bike hasn't been out that long. What happened to the first one? Riding those distances with that elevation and I'd say the motor isn't making that much of a difference for you. I'd say so little that you could probably ride those same rides with a regular bike. I mean 132 miles, at 17.1 miles per hour?

I have very unpredictable back pain issues, and when it comes on, it acts like a governor on my effort. I can ride the regular bike for a while, but at some point, I’m going to have a pain issue and then cannot put out as much power. I usually start with the Creo unassisted and then use it when I have to, and that saves me, else I’m certainly dropped.

But yes I got an expert and fell in love with it so traded/sold it for a used S-Works!

 

[Firnatine]

Last week I made the longest and steepest climb ever with my Creo Evo. I was in Lake Tahoe doing some high altitude training in preparation for a cross country ride starting on August 1st. https://bay2brooklyn2021.com At 72 yrs.I am the slowest and oldest member of team and the only member on an ebike. The first ride was a 38.30 mile loop that started with a 3 mile climb from lake level 6200 ft. to Brockway at 7200 ft. I have a RE but didn't take it on this ride knowing I wouldn't need it. I used eco most of the climb but near the top kicked it into sport to push through a section of 11%. On the backside of the climb I had a top speed of 44.7, scary fast for this old guy. There were other steep climbs but nothing as long where I used eco. I only used 16% of my battery for the 38.30 miles, average speed 14.3 mph.

The following morning we did the Lake Tahoe loop. This time I took the RE for insurance since I was going into uncharted territory. The ride was just over 72 miles with 3,770 elevation gain. On the east shore the Nevada side we had we had a hard 6 mile climb that I did in eco all the way. There are many short steep climbs that I used eco but most of the time I didn't use assist. On the California side we had an even harder 4 mile climb to the Emerald Bay look out where sport mode became my friend. This was a hot exhausting ride for me but even harder for the other guys that had no assist. I can't recall the exact numbers but my calculations made me think I could have made the ride without the RE and still have close to 30% left in the battery. The ride was 5:03 hrs. I weigh 173 and in pretty decent shape for my age. I would have loved to used assist the whole ride but I need to know my limitations since when we ride from San Francisco to New York we will be averaging close to 100 miles a day. This gives me confidence on being able to tackle pretty much anything that comes my way. This is a wonderful bike.

 

[jodi2]

Riding those distances with that elevation and I'd say the motor isn't making that much of a difference for you. I'd say so little that you could probably ride those same rides with a regular bike. I mean 132 miles, at 17.1 miles per hour?

Even if kattanm surely is a fit rider, we often overestimate the needed motor support.
My personal "guess" is, that you need at least 5% SL support, that you can measure a difference (faster rides or lap times). The feeling would be quite dissapointing with only 5" support, I think it needs at least 10% to feel it as well. That would mean 10h of riding time, and even more if you have a 25km/h limited Creo, than you could ride two days just with the Creo main battery (if you stay to max. 10% support...).
If I ask a "bike calculator" it's even less. To compensate the extra weight of the Creo's motor+battery of maybe 11 lbs it needs between 2 und 12 watts (depending of it's flat or max. 15% uphill), so on average 7 watts. Let's add 1 watt for motor gearing/bearings, so 8 watts, that's only 3.33% of the Creo support.
Of course this is more theory, I guess you need at least 15% support to really feel&enjoy the help und the use of the Creo motor. Let's say 20% if you also often think of the bike's price during your rides... ;-)
But only 20% of such a small motor already gives you a noticable support, which will make your ride much easier or faster. That's why I think many people overestimate the amount of really needed motor support on an ebike. Of course you can always race like crazy and it's great with bikes like Stromer with 2-4 times of the SL power. But it needs overporportional energy.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Firnatine, looks like you’re pretty much good to go, and it will be quite an adventure for the Creo as well! But can you tell me about your mirror? Exactly what I’ve been looking for.

 

[Firnatine]

Firnatine, looks like you’re pretty much good to go, and it will be quite an adventure for the Creo as well! But can you tell me about your mirror? Exactly what I’ve been looking for.

I bought it about 4 months ago for about $60 its now selling for $74. Very expensive but it does the job. It really helped on one particular climb that was very steep with no shoulder or even a guard rail, just a white line. You didn't want to wander to the left due to car traffic or right which was sheer drop off. The Mirror allowed pretty good view the few times I did needed to move to the left. Selle Italia https://www.amazon.com/selle-ITALIA...ywords=cycling+mirrors&qid=1623080527&sr=8-74