Specialized Turbo Creo 28mph Electric Road Bike

[RMK!]

I thought the Pathfinder Pro on the Evos comes in 38C/40mm? At least here in Europe, my Comp Evo had these. Maybe in the US with 42mm?

Standard tire on the Comp Carbon EVO in the US is 700 X 38. I wanted the largest tires that fit and my LBS as well as Specialized Rider Care recommended the 700 X 42 Pathfinder. I've got arthritic wrists and many other breakdown issues that occur at my age so anything that assists with bump absorption is welcome.

 

[vdev]

I replaced stock turbo pro 28mm with Nimbus 2 32mm. I done some gravel (like 10%) and they seem ok. I think I could have done 35 or 38 like pathfinders pro but LBS did not have them in stock. I do see that each wheel now weighs 4.8 lbs. I know nimbus 2 are little heavy tires than turbo pro but 4.8lbs is probably on heavier side? do we know how heavy are stock wheel on comp model ? Would carbon wheelset make a lot of difference?

 

[vdev]

Make sure it is a narrow/wide chainring. If you're using a Specialized dealer, it should work out.

BTW, I'm really old and can get the bike to 28+ on the flat ... can't stay there very long, but cadence wise with the stock chainring today I hit 35 mph on a short down hill run.

I can hardly get to 24mph with 46-11. Perhaps I am not strong rider and maybe I need to have more cadence. with new tires and other things put on this bike, it weight 36lbs now

 

[FlatSix911]

I can hardly get to 24mph with 46-11. Perhaps I am not a strong rider and maybe I need to have more cadence. with new tires and other things put on this bike, it weighs 36lbs now

Inflate your tires to the maximum safe PSI and keep your cadence high as you ramp to 28 mph... practice makes perfect.

 

[ttevis]

I just found new 2021 Turbo Creo bikes on Specialized website. S-Works with 12 speed Sram. (yeah) https://www.specialized.com/us/en/shop/bikes/turbo-e-bikes/e-road-bikes/turbo-creo/c/eturbocreo

 

[RMK!]

Now with over 300 miles on the Creo I have a couple of observations. I got into Ebikes with an econo fat tire folder back in Feb and it has performed admirably. It was made in China pre C-19 and with a full suspension and fat tires, gave me a very cushy ride. As a bike, it is useless but with pedal assist and throttle, it is fun and comfortable and it got me back into "bike riding".

OTOH, The Creo is much more of a classic road bike with a small efficient motor and it is a clipped in workout machine. Fast, fun and nimble for sure but really just a way to burn calories and get the heart pumping.

For pleasure riding (e.g. sightseeing) I will be using a large frame fat tire suspension ebike that gives me a more comfortable upright riding position and a throttle assist to get me where I want to go without sweating. When they are all finally delivered, the wife and I will have 4 different ebikes in the garage for friends and family to ride along on pleasure rides. Due to it's size (XXL) and more technical riding requirements, the Creo is a just for me bike and the tool I use to accomplish some of my fitness goals.

I think the ebike craze is justified and my hope is that consumers behave responsibly and not screw it up for those of us who ride existing bike trails by showing respect to the acoustic bike community.
Fortunately, non-throttle ebikes like the Turbo Creo are very stealth and have garnered positive reviews from all levels of cyclists. I read that the Specialized racing team uses Turbo Creos for their off day training rides. That sends a huge pay attention signal to the bike community in general.

Guess you could say I am a totally bought in ebike person ...

 

[jodi2]

I did not know that I'm now in a new community, the acoustic bike community!
Definitely true with the SL drive... ;-)
I would love a Vado SL for my wife, but she needs a really low woman frame in XS, hopefully there will be one in 2021 or 2022...

 

[vdev]

What kind of wheetset can we put on the comp E5 to make it lighter- it is 33lbs now? does that make difference? is it worth it?

 

[FlatSix911]

What kind of wheelset can we put on the comp E5 to make it lighter- it is 33lbs now? does that make a difference? is it worth it?

Carbon wheels will help along with lighter tires and tubes... rotational mass reduction does make a difference in acceleration.

 

[jodi2]

What kind of wheetset can we put on the comp E5 to make it lighter- it is 33lbs now? does that make difference? is it worth it?

The first of these three question is fine, the last two are strange... This depends totally on the rider and his/her wallet. Do you really need weight tuning on an already asisted e-bike? And what is a saved gram worth, $1, $2, $10?
For me the Creo is the best e-bike I've ever ridden in terms of that it feels almost like a normal bike. But this is due to it's weight an the tuning of my Comp Evo the last weeks (about two pounds less) even improved that, it feels noticeably better now.

As FlatSix911 said, better&lighter wheels (rims...) have the biggest effect, also on an e-bike. What this is worth to you, it's up to you. Tuning wheels/good carbon wheels are the most expensive part apart from the frame.
The Creo E5 and Comp wheels are heavy AND weak (at least for heavier riders and gravel), so if needed you can improve both facts with new wheels.
The only wheelsets ready to buy with the rare 12x110 front dimensions of the Creo are at the moment the three from DtSwiss already mentioned here:

Issues with the Turbo Creo SL (all variants)

Frequent chain drop... Hi everyone. I really love my SL Comp Carbon Evo, but both my wife and I (she has an EVO too), frequently experience chain drop when the chain is on the large ring of the rear cassette. It generally happens on steep climbs and it doesn't seem to matter if we are on gravel...

electricbikereview.com

If you stay on roads/only road tires, HEC 1400 Spline 47mm is the best/only choice already build, if you need it for gravel, it's HGC 1400 Spline 42mm with 24mm inner rim width.
If you go to a custom wheel builder you have more options and if you are a light rider also for much lighter wheels/rims than these DT Swiss sets. Prices will be similar.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Before the virus hit us I test rode a $10,000 (Can) carbon Creo and a $6,000 (Can) aluminum Creo. I think the difference in weight between the two bikes was around 4 or 5 pounds.
The only time I could feel the weight difference was on a really steep, short hill that I rode up on both bikes. Even though both bikes have the same motor the carbon Creo was easier to ride up the hill.
I think there is a benefit to reducing the weight on a low powered light weight e-road bike, but I'm not sure if I'd bother on my 40 pound Cannondale Lefty 3.

 

[FlatSix911]

We agree that any wheelset weight loss will be less noticeable on an eBike due to its inherent mass.

I ride a 14.36 lb (6.5 Kg) superlight road bike and it makes a big difference in climbing and handling.

FYI - The current UCI race weight limit is 6.8 kilograms or 14.99 pounds

 

[Papadevo]

Inflate your tires to the maximum safe PSI and keep your cadence high as you ramp to 28 mph... practice makes perfect.

High cadence for speed, yes. Max pressure, no. Tires need to deflect and absorb, not bounce over imperfections in the riding surface. Max pressure is for velodromes!

 

[FlatSix911]

High cadence for speed, yes. Max pressure, no. Tires need to deflect and absorb, not bounce over imperfections in the riding surface. Max pressure is for velodromes!

The current research indicates the following guidelines:

1. Max pressure is incorrect for road bikes with 100+ psi narrow racing tires on the road. YMMV.
2. Max pressure is correct for Ebikes with 40 psi 2" Balloon tires that already deflect and absorb.

 

[Papadevo]

A larger front Chainring will allow higher speeds as long as you can still maintain a decent cadence. A 50 tooth should be plenty to reach 28 mph.

Yes, but if you can’t spin a 48/11 up to 28 mph, you will not be able to go faster on the same ride with a 50 tooth. The power needed goes up to get a higher speed at lower cadence not down. The machine only adds what it can, you do the rest. Focusing on getting your cadence up to 70-90 zone will improve the power you put in to get over the 28 mph cap. It is also the sweet spot for this motor.

 

[Papadevo]

The current research indicates the following guidelines:

1. Max pressure is incorrect for road bikes with 100+ psi narrow racing tires on the road. YMMV.
2. Max pressure is correct for Ebikes with 40 psi 2" Balloon tires that already deflect and absorb.

You are riding 2” balloon tires on a Creo? I dont think it will fit a 50+.

 

[vdev]

Inflate your tires to the maximum safe PSI and keep your cadence high as you ramp to 28 mph... practice makes perfect.

yesterday i rode my bike and was in 46-11 and cadence was 85 with turbo mode on - I could still reach 26mph on a pretty much flat road. does that look ok? I think cadence have to higher than 85-90 to get to higher speed?

 

[Papadevo]

yesterday i rode my bike and was in 46-11 and cadence was 85 with turbo mode on - I could still reach 26mph on a pretty much flat road. does that look ok? I think cadence have to higher than 85-90 to get to higher speed?

Take a look at this screenshot from bike gear calculator. Those #’s will get you to 28.2 mph.
I guessed your tire size and crank arm length. Free download. It’s interesting to play with. Take a look.

 

[e-levity]

yesterday i rode my bike and was in 46-11 and cadence was 85 with turbo mode on - I could still reach 26mph on a pretty much flat road. does that look ok? I think cadence have to higher than 85-90 to get to higher speed?

I recommend practicing spinning at high rpm in lower gears. 90-95 rpm should feel comfortable and will allow you to get the most out the bike.

 

[abercrombie]

How do you guys get data into Strava? I know you can either connect to your Garmin/Wahoo for the metrics or Mission Control. From what I understand, Mission Control displays heart rate but doesn't import HR data to Strava?