Hi,
my name is Jo and I live in Germany, southeast from Frankfurt.
I’m 49 now, doing a lot of “allday cycling” since I’m 19, many years instead of having a car. The last 7 years I used a speed or S-pedelec to get to work. That’s what we call here the ones which can support over 25km/h up to 45km/h, but which have several disadvantages here, need of driving license, insurance, license plate and lots of restrictrictions and certifications, for drivers and manufacturers. That’s why all these are quite heavy, even with strong motors and big batteries. But there’s nothing like a Creo, not one light pedelec with just little support over 25km/h.
We moved last year, now it’s to far to cycle all day to work, so I do more tours with my gravelbike in my free time. Due to more mountains around now, this is more interesting, but at the moment with more than 100kg weight it’s challenging. Without motor I’m often tired and a little bit frustrated already after one hour. With the speed pedelec with lowest motor support it’s fine and enough range, but the weight of the bicycle is terrible, around 25kg. Also unpaved roads are often illegal as it’s classified as a small motor cycle here and you aren’t allowed to change several parts (e.g. tires).
I tried a Creo two mounths ago and was really excited, I’ve never tried such an E-bike/pedelec which feels less like like one, this would be perfect for me! I only disliked the price and the motor noise…
Specialized lowered the price (here?) for the lowest two Creos 2.5 weeks ago and I finally found a serious local dealer which offered at least a small discount, so I had to pay about 1000 € less than most dealers still wanted in June. Still a terrible price for the simple components, but enough to push me, so I ordered a Creo Comp Carbon Evo in XL, which I ride since tuesday.
Sorry, for the long introduction, but pedelecs and their speed limitations are different here, what I wanted to explain. Also the Creo is not very popular (other than the Levo SL) here, as most people who prefer racing handlebars (is that the right expression?) or racing bicycles are very conservative and believe all motor support only for old or fat or disbled people. An E racing bicycle is still a no-go for 99% of them. Therefore there’s also not much discussion and exchange about the Creo, that’s why I registered here.
It may be right, that a fit and light rider will have less benefit from/less need for a Creo and also the speed limit here makes it less usefull in flat areas. I cycled thursday to work, 40km with 170 hm and did not feel much benefit. Back home there are more hm and two long and stressing uphills, but overall not to terrible for 40km. Altogether I wouldn’t buy a Creo for this and stay with my normal gravelbike.
But with hills and mountains it’s completely different. Today I did 60km with 730hm and was really tired. But never “dead” or insane what would have been the case without motor after the first or second mountain. I used exactly half of the battery (which is about 20-30% of the electrical energy I would need with the speed pedelec, depending on the support level). So I think it’s obvious that’s far from swinging eggs. Instead the Creo pushes you to go further, to do even a dertour or a hill more than you would normally do. Even if you’re fit and light.
Maybe I will have less or no more need in a few years for the Creo in perfect shape. But if this happens it has done a good job for me and my health.
To the technical part: Disappointing at the comp is the simple and heavy sprocket cassette, but that’s quiet easy to change. Worse are the simple wheels combined with the proprietary axle size. I’m not an expert in wheels, but I had several times in strong uphills with the lowest gears and in fast rough downhills the impressions that the 24 hole rear wheel is quite flimsy at my weight. I have a 28 hole wheel set from an excellent wheel builder for my normal gravel bike with only the rear wheel around 200g lighter and perfectly strong and reliable in any situation even with my weight. So I will order a similar wheel set for the Creo, even if it hurts that I can’t use the old one/that the Creo does not simply use 12x100+12x142.
Registration, insurance, certificate of conformity, all-day lights, horn, helmet, cannot ride bike-paths - true. No driving license required though. (I can show you the proper points of the EU law if you want. When I was inspected by a policeman, he was a real nuisance but the only thing he never asked me for was the driving license).
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