Specialized Turbo Como 2.0 Low Entry vs Trek Verve Lowstep

[Gina]

I am 61 years, 95 lbs and want to switch to an electric assist to help me up the hills to the tennis courts. I'm used to riding my bike to the courts but have lived in flat terrain in the past. Now I live with some steep hills and they are just too tough for me. Most of my riding will be the 4 mile return commute to the courts three times a week but I'd like to be able to take the bike to parks and ride through the trails so I'd like the bike to be as light as possible yet have the nice features such as hydraulic disc brakes as I'm a slow rider, a little nervous going down the hills or going fast. Anyone have either of these bikes, compared them yourself, or have some suggestions that I may not have considered? I haven't tested the actual bikes as they have to be ordered so I want to be almost certain before I have one ordered. I rode the Trek but the 16.5" frame and I rode last year's medium frame Turbo, slightly different model. E-bikes are totally new to me and they both felt good. Thank you for any feedback or suggestions!

 

[Dunbar]

I’ve test ridden the Turbo Como 2.0 but not the Trek. The main advantage of the Como is the fact that it gives you the assistance up to 28mph vs. 20mph on the Trek. While you might not think you’ll want to go faster than 20mph it’s nice to have that option (especially if you branch out farther from home.)

 

[rich c]

I’ve test ridden the Turbo Como 2.0 but not the Trek. The main advantage of the Como is the fact that it gives you the assistance up to 28mph vs. 20mph on the Trek. While you might not think you’ll want to go faster than 20mph it’s nice to have that option (especially if you branch out farther from home.)

The Turbo Como 2.0 is not a 28mph bike. From Specialized web site; "Beginning with a completely redesigned and integrated Specialized 1.2 motor, with a top speed of 20mph, the Como 2.0 proves itself as the fastest, most comfortable urban bike you've ever perched yourself upon." I've test ridden the Como as well, you must be thinking of the Vado.

 

[Dunbar]

It looks like you have to get the Turbo Como 3.0 in order to get a class 3 bike (28mph top speed.) I just assumed the Brose motor in the 2.0 is the same so it should be capable of going just as fast. I did test ride the Como 2.0 but didn’t get a chance to test the top speed. Nice bike though, the bars are a good 3 inches higher than the Vado. There aren’t many upright class 3 bikes out there so I was excited when Specialized announced the Como.

 

[Jeff Williams]

I researched ebikes heavily from October thru late December, then bought an Ohm Urban on 12/31 when the $4K bike went on sale for 5 days for $3K. (TOP quality components, suspension, best rear drive, etc.)

Up to that point my top-rated bike for the money was the Trek Verve+ low step for $2300 MSRP. I still believe it is the best for the money at that price point. I am 5'10" but both knees replaced and 71 so the step-thru model in size 16.5 was my target bike. Yours would be size 13.5 probably. The Verve+ is very light for an ebike, 45 lbs, and comes with integrated lights and mounting points for their proprietary rack for your tennis gear. Very approachable, nice hydraulic brakes, comfortable seat and pedals. The new for 2018 Bosch Active Line motor is very smooth and quiet and powerful enough for my 175 lbs to climb steep hills where I live. This may be the bike my wife gets when she decides to get one. I rode the Specialized Turbo Levo - the only ebike our local Specialized dealer had in stock. I liked the Brose motor in the bike and the Vado 6.0 low step was on my short list but Specialized never fixed the controller issues many of the Specialized bikes were having last fall. May be fine now but too late for me, and something I have never heard about with the Trek bikes and Bosch systems they use. So my vote goes to the very approachable and easy to ride 2018 Trek Verve+ with the proven Bosch system!

(My Ohm Urban is excellent but I have some difficulty with the mount dismount cycle I would not have with Verve+)

 

[Jeff Williams]

20 vs 28 mph top speed - My bike is a class 3 bike with top assisted speed of 28mph and I rarely need it because I am riding for fun mostly on our trails and not commuting to work where speed is a factor. Besides wind resistance becomes a major factor when you get up to the 23mph range and most trails are limited to 15-20mph speeds anyway. So don't let anyone talk you into getting power and speed (weight and cost) you don't need. I used to ride pretty fast when I was 40-50 but my need for speed on a bike has diminished considerably now that I am a 'senior citizen' and realize how fragile my relatively unprotected body is on a bike..... You will be very happy with the performance of your 20 mph Verve or Como.

 

[Gina]

Thanks for the reply Jeff; it has helped validate my decision. I actually bought the 13.5" Trek Verve+ on Saturday. I hadn't expected to come home with it but I'm super happy I did. I rode it to tennis today and even did some extra touring around the neighborhood after tennis. In my final comparison of the Specialized Turbo and Trek Verve+, I found that they seemed quite close except that the Turbo was really cool looking but at $300+ more, I was leaning towards towards the Trek. Plus the Turbo did not come with fenders or built-in lights which I didn't think I'd need but I've been using them even though I bike during the day. I went for the grey bike so the lights are a good safety feature. I also got a nice big basket on the back that holds my tennis bag. Having an odometer and speedometer is also a bonus. If your wife decides to go electric I'm sure she'll love the Verve+. I raced my husband up some of our hills and beat him every time, no contest. I wonder how long it will be before he decides to make the switch.

 

[Jeff Williams]

Congratulations on your new ebike, Gina! You made the right decision. I sure enjoyed my time riding the Verve+ and I'm fairly certain the ownership experience ahead for you will be excellent. Please keep me and others in this forum informed of your experiences both good and bad as I keep the Verve+ high on our list for my wife to buy.

 

[Gina]

Thank you Jeff! I will give an update as I become a seasoned Verve+ biker. So far my Verve only has 20+ miles on it so it will be awhile before it even needs a recharge! Enjoy your new bike!

 

[Gina]

An update on my Treck Verve: Almost a year now and I'm loving my bike! The gears and power options are great, making it easy to give me either the work out I'm looking for or the easy ride I sometimes need. The battery lasts an incredibly long time. I've only charged it a few times although I'm not riding as much as I had expected. Winters get a little too chilly some mornings here. I'm happy with my electric choice!

 

[JimFMB]

Its good to hear you are still happy with the Verve+. I test rode one last year and was very impressed with the comfort and weight. I don’t think you can go wrong with the Bosch mid-drive. My wife has the Townie Go which is an excellent bike with the Bosch performance motor, but the bike weighs about 10 lbs. more than the Verve+. If the Verve+ was available when we bought our ebikes I think she would have strongly considered Verve+ due to the lighter weight.

 

[Gina]

I really liked the Townie Go because of the truly low step through. Had I not thought I'd want to ride some rougher terrain other than the regular roads I would have kept the Townie Go on my short list. Weight-wise I notice the extra weight even of my Verve+ when I need to give it a lift into the bike racks at tennis. (especially on bad tennis elbow days ) It's great there's so many electric assist choices out there!