An Epic Year with the Specialized Turbo Creo: My Insights

After owning a Specialized Turbo Creo for over a year, I thought I'd share my takeaways from the experience. What do I like about it? What gadgets did I buy to complement the bike? Would I do it all over again given the chance?

[@stevesr71]

Thanks Brian for a great video. I have Canyon’s version of the Creo (the Grail:On) and have experienced a similar story. Group rides are a big motivation to get me out riding. I primarily ride with the lowest level of assist, but it makes a huge difference. A funny thing that happened after riding my ebike hard for six weeks. I took my regular bike out on a 30 mile route that I’ve ridden extensively. I PR’ed 4 Strava segments and got 3 segment second places. It was eye opening to me that an ebike could make me a stronger rider. It’s not cheating!

[@BrianRouse]

Hi Steve...thanks for watching! I like to take my regular bike out once in a while too. That progress you've made is really impressive!

[@jimbo4203]

That's funny , I beat all my Strava times with my new Turbo Vado SL so I quit Strava and it's been all fun ever since 😊

[@stevesr71]

Fun is one of the most important factors to keep you going. I get that too.

[@jimbo4203]

Ya nothing against Strava I had fun with it for years

[@investormamu3087]

Can I ask how do you like the double handle bar, does it distract you getting to breaks if need be ?Thanks please

[@kinneir1911]

Thank you Brian. I have been considering a switch to an e-bike and I have loooked at the Creo. Your video has been very helpful. At 80YO I have been finding, like you, that on my usual Specialized road bike I just could not keep up with younger, fitter friends. Until now I thought it would be cheating to make the switch but I'll speak to my dealer tomorrow!! Tony

[@BrianRouse]

@@kinneir1911 it’s definitely not cheating! If you don’t pedal, you fall over. :-) enjoy your bike and thanks for watching!

[@life_wful]

Hi Brian, thanks for sharing your personal experience with the eBike. I am seriously considering to get one so I can keep up with my young 22 years old son on long and steep ascent trips. I came to a point where I struggle to follow him and I do not enjoy it as much as a should. 10:15 All my bikes are Specialized (Epic, Diverge, Robeaux). The 2024 Creo 2 seems a great choice. I also think this is not a cheat bike but an enhancer to allow you enjoy riding on a bike with people in a better shape, running longer distances or steeper roads. Best regards from Barcelona / Spain.

[@BrianRouse]

Hey, thanks for watching! I've heard really good things about the Creo 2. I would definitely go for it and now you can drop your son on the ascents 🙂

[@lauratimmins2177]

I just put a down payment on the newly designed 2024 pedal assist Creo 2. I looked at other similar bikes and wanted a bike for road and touring. It looks amazing as you mentioned for us older not quite as fast or the distance is more challenging we can enjoy the ride like our youngers years. The fact that I can put racks and panniers on the bike is what I dreamed of as we tour on solo bikes or our tandem. Like you said your wife had one first so I wonder if my partner will get one eventually. He's very strong but why work so hard. Time will tell if he changes his mind. Thanks for the positive feedback. Ride on! 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️

[@BrianRouse]

Great comment! Thanks for watching!

[@jimbo4203]

My Sister got her turbo Como before anyone in our family and I rode with her on my Emonda and could keep up but she was killing me on the climbs , 6 weeks later I got my Turbo Vado SL and its a blast and now there's 6 e bike's on our block

[@gilesbennet9295]

Nice video, very informative, thats for taking the time to make it

[@BrianRouse]

Thanks for watching!

[@michellesgoldberg]

Enjoyed your video and I agree with everything you mention. It helps me keep up with faster riders, which I haven't been able to do for a long time (bad arthritis in knees). I also got the range extender and the Y cable. Mine came with the handlebar remotes, and I've got it connected to my Wahoo Roam head unit so I can see what "mode" I'm in.

[@BrianRouse]

Hi Michelle...I have a Roam as well; it's a great combo! You can also see how much time you spent in each mode when you look at the ride summary in the Wahoo app. Thanks for watching!

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

exactly

[@chemboy63]

I have multiple bikes including a Creo Expert and a Vado SL 5.0 EQ. I also have an S-Works Aethos. I really do love the Creo, maybe even over the S-Works. You can get as much workout as you want. I find that calories burned and heartrate are generally the same over the same ride, I just do it WAY faster on the Creo. It's a GREAT bike.

[@jimbo4203]

Our family has a few Specialized ebikes and I recently got the Turbo Vado SL, I ride it mainly as a gravel/MTB and love it , it's 2 degree slacker head angle really helps it downhill and on techy trails compared to the Creo , but don't get me wrong , I like the Creo too 😊

[@graemewoodward]

Do you still use the Vado, or do you just use the Creo for everything? I have a Vado SL 4.0 EQ, and I'm thinking of getting a Creo. Question is whether to get rid of the Vado, or to keep it.

[@chemboy63]

@@graemewoodward I have three bikes (lucky). A Vado 5.0 SL EQ, a Creo SL Expert, and an S-Works Aethos. As far as the Creo & Vado are concerned, I ride the Creo more. The Vado is my foul-weather bike so it gets relegated to wet roads and rainy conditions. I also take it to my buddy's house and put beers/food in the trunk bag.

[@graemewoodward]

@@jimbo4203 Interesting - so you feel it is worthwhile having both the Vado and Creo - see my message below to OP about whether it is worth me retaining the Vado if I get a Creo. Is your Creo set up for gravel, or road? My Vado is the 4.0 EQ variant, so no FutureShock, and it is set up for urban/commuting use with fenders, lights and rack. The Creo would have the futureshock, no fenders etc., and would be set up with gravel tyres, so arguably would be the better bike to use off-road.

[@jimbo4203]

​@@graemewoodwardI like the slacker head angle and flat bars of the Turbo Vado SL better out on the trails

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

My wife has a Vado SL STEPTHROUGH, and I have Creo gravel expert, now 4 years old next week, Still brilliant, Changed the dreadful Crank for a Wooftooth, otherwise NO complaints. Extender is good. just hammered on Turbo 35kms, and battery is down to 3 bars 😂😂 PS: I am almost 76...

[@BrianRouse]

These bikes are just amazing! Thanks for watching!

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

@@BrianRouse they are indeed

[@electricbikerider]

Hi Brian, like you I absolutely love my Creo. ⚡️🚴🏻‍♂️👍🏼

[@BrianRouse]

It's awesome! I found your channel a few weeks ago and am enjoying your content so far.

[@akronystic]

My Creo 2 has the buttons to change modes on the handlebars as standard. Also SRAM electronic gear shifting. Great performance and excellent value for money. Just completed an 87 mile ride with 33% battery charge remaining. I mostly stick to Eco mode, so I don't see a need for the range extender.

[@BrianRouse]

@@akronystic awesome! I hear good things about the creo2. Thanks for watching!

[@lawyal]

Just ordered an evo version last Friday, hopefully i could get it this Tuesday if not later. Thanks for your review.

[@BrianRouse]

Awesome! I think you’ll like it. Thanks for watching!

[@lawyal]

@@BrianRouse I enjoyed your video. I'm 52 and have weak knees. I'm not really looking forward to doing the technical stuff, but won't limit myself to main toads, so an EVO sounds like a perfect match.

[@bastogne315]

Cycled 70 km on a demo model of the Creo on Saturday. I never cycle 70km. I rode full Turbo all the way mostly into a headwind and still had 20% power left

[@randallgray8492]

Good job Brian Thanks

[@BrianRouse]

Thanks for watching!

[@cmnbs]

Thanks for your reply , Brian. Not to mislead. I have owned a Specialized Turbo Creo SL Comp since 02/20/2020. Best Investment ever as far as a road bike goes. Has kept me out here riding, I am 75 years old, been riding long long time. BTW.Love it. Mine is in the shop for maintenance. Battery display acting up and motor needs some software updates they told me.It's been noisier lately. Shop says they can fix that. I am showing a good friend your videos. He's on the fence about it and looking at other brands.Thanks

[@BrianRouse]

Awesome, thanks! I love mine as well. Good luck with your maintenance! Out of curiosity, did your shop give you any specifics on how they could fix the noise?

[@cmnbs]

NOt yet.....@@BrianRouse

[@grandimperialpoobah]

Thanks!

[@BrianRouse]

@@grandimperialpoobah thanks!! That was a nice suprise.

[@patrickoconnor5053]

Hi I have a creo for two years and am 71 years old with not so good knees and just love it it cost a bit more than some bikes but ( I think it’s worth it )great video

[@BrianRouse]

It’s a great bike, isn’t it? Thanks for watching!

[@Dontslaythybroski]

Thanks man.

[@oxharp]

Hi Brian, I have been test riding a Creo sl comp carbon this weekend and I must say I am impressed with the bike and completed a 40 mile ride, 2000ft climbing 2hrs 30 mins for me thats about what I would expect. I am 63 and 250 pounds and have a total knee replacement and an ankle fusion and even though I cant walk far 2 miles max I can ride pretty well. I have had an Orbea D30 2x with 105 mechanical and a rear 40nm hub motor and I have found that the motor kind of gives up on me up the plus 10% hills around where I live. I did a charity ride of 75 miles in June and found that the I ran out of energy up the last hill which was 1.4miles and an average of 9% peaking at 14% with no flats which was a killer for me at the 60 mile point so I am looking at another bike. I really like the Creo and its was a comfy ride but even though I got up some of the 15%plus hills on my usual ride easier than on my other bike I found the 35NM 1.1 motor was just under powered for me. Is that the case with you? I think if Specialized put the 50NM 1.2 motor in then that would be so much better. I had Shimano Di2 46f 11/42 rear and found that fabulous after mechanical but it is really clunky under load and makes a big noise which I found annoying. Is that the case with you? I also live in the UK and find the 15mph restriction an absolute pain as I can ride above that and average about 16mph on most rides but when I get tired as I am no spring chicken anymore I find myself wanting that extra assist instead of burning the battery out. Great video and I have been watching for some time researching the Creo as a possible next bike. Just wanted to know what the full breakdown on your bike is please. Some great extras on there and I found today that riding a 1x can be tricky especially starting off if you are in the wrong gear and looking down to change assist levels is dangerous on our busy UK roads. I really hope that Specialised upgrade the motor this year to a stronger one but they seem to be putting all their eggs into the EMTB world as I guess thats where there is more money to be made. Take care Russ

[@BrianRouse]

Hi Russ...I'll try and answer your questions. I have the 1.1 motor and I have not found it to be under-powered for me. I haven't experienced anything that would make me think that just yet. I did experience some klunking sounds, but it turned out that one of the bolts had come loose and just tightening it solved the problem. In the US, our speed restriction is 28mph! Not too bad :-). Here is the link on specialized's website of the bike I have: www.specialized.com/us/en/turbo-creo-sl-comp-e5/p/199921?color=321712-199921 Hope that helps. Thanks for watching!

[@jimbo4203]

When I ride my sister's full powered Turbo Como back to back with my Vado SL then I can definitely tell a big difference in power, especially on hills , you have to spin it to win it on the SL 😊

[@rvboondocker2559]

Great video thanks!

[@BrianRouse]

Thanks for watching!

[@grandimperialpoobah]

Brian, I actually purchased Turbo Creo last August primarily based upon your previous video review (after having looked at many other e-bikes) and I haven't regretted it. Thanks. Your experience on group rides was mine to with respect to getting dropped and riding in the back. I've ridden RAGBRAI 7 times and the last two I've really struggled. My hope is that the Creo will allow me to once again participate in it! I appreciated your review of the accessories and especially the kickstand. I have experienced one problem with the bike that has actually started only in the last four months: the chain keeps slipping off when I'm trying to (or succeed in) shift into the large chain ring. Is this a problem you experienced? I found a video reporting that problem and the reporter tried (and said it solved) changing the Praxis chain ring out to a Wolf Tooth chain ring. Any thoughts?

[@BrianRouse]

@@grandimperialpoobah I’m glad you were able to get something out of my stuff! As for the chain, I have not experienced that. It does make a grinding sound in the big ring, but I write that off since it’s a 1-by. I’ll keep an eye on that.

[@boldbaker119]

Thanks so much for this video! Did your partner swap out the seat to something catered to women? Hoping to get this bike soon!

[@BrianRouse]

Hey, thanks for watching! We both still have the stock seat. No issues at all for either of us.

[@dolittle6781]

Too bad cycling has turned into "adventures of how fast can I go" for many riders. I remember as a kid riding my bike and thinking about so many things other than "the bike," or how fast can I go. It was more about going to the corner store to buy a comic book and getting an ice cream soda, for instance. Nowadays it seems to be all about the bicycle--bike geometry, weight, tires, chain stays, the materials the bike is made out of, disk breaks, carbon fiber this and carbon fiber that, steel this and steel that, and internal cable routing--to say nothing of e-bike technology. To me, it looks funny when I see someone all dressed up so nicely in cycling attire "speeding down the road and not peddling"! Oh, well. Looks like this is what the cycling world is coming to. I still like to run errands on my bike and occasionally grab a quick snack or a coffee at a health food restaurant, enjoy the blooming trees, and occasionally feeling the light rain on my face...

[@anthonykelly5]

if you hear any of your buddies saying its cheating ,change your friends.

[@BrianRouse]

Damn right :-)

[@SydneySlowRider]

Hi Brian - thanks for the review, can you provide a link to that kickstand?

[@BrianRouse]

Hi Sydney…here’s a link to a video I made about it. Check it out to see if it works for you. Specialized Turbo Creo SL KIckstand kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKTCpZ2YZtCXq9U

[@benni7784]

i love your videos

[@BrianRouse]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@gayeeckenrode8714]

Pls let me know exactly which kickstand you are using for you Creo. I see the brand. But just not sure which one you bought. Was told by bike store I couldn’t use kickstand. I guess they don’t know what you know. Thank you in advance

[@BrianRouse]

Hi Gaye...check this video out I made a while back; it has a link to the specific kickstand. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKTCpZ2YZtCXq9U My one recommendation is to consider adding a bolt on to the back of each screw. I found that the bolts loostened over time.

[@gayeeckenrode8714]

@@BrianRouse I don’t think I have those two places to put bolts. Mine is 2021. Let me check. Love this bike. Thank you

[@investormamu3087]

Thank you for a nice review, I think you burn more calories, as you can go farther and try to undertake more difficult terrain!

[@BrianRouse]

Totally agree with your calorie assessment! Thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@vaughanbbrean71]

Are the handlebar remotes easy to fit ? I just bought this bike thanks

[@BrianRouse]

I actually had it installed by the bike shop that sold it to me. They had to unwrap the handlebar tape and plug it into the control panel. I'm sure its doable if you're handy with the bike, but they offered so I let them. 🙂

[@vaughanbbrean71]

@@BrianRouse Thanks, I am very excited to collect this machine, I am in a strange situation, I am 62 and still very capable on a n unassisted bike but thats the thing that may be my problem, I can still climb hills well and find it hard to reign myself back when faced with a big climb ,something in the back of my mind is telling me much like thrashing an old sports car that I am tempting fate, I am hoping that I can ride this bike unassisted or on ECO most of the time, but when faced with something that is going to push my BPM to like 200 , I can use the motor to get up and not push my luck, I only went into the store for some tyre levers and there on offer was a black Creo exactly my size and I bought it on the spot, there was a guy there who was 72 years old and he had one, he goes out on long club rides and told me it had transformed his life so that sealed it. I think I am probably exactly the target market for this bike, and I love how it looks so much like a regular gravel bike, I will let you know what I think (I have paid for it but still havent told my wife so its still at the store :-) )Thanks for the vid, happy cycling from Devon in SW England

[@vaughanbbrean71]

@@BrianRouse OK I will call the store today and have them fitted, I also like mudguards so I wonder if they could fit those too, I will ask, which kickstand did you use ? I presume it clamps to the rear chainstay ?

[@BrianRouse]

@@vaughanbbrean71I made a video about the kickstand: Specialized Turbo Creo SL KIckstand kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKTCpZ2YZtCXq9U

[@shorelinerach01]

I am trying to decide between this bike and the Vado Sl. Are the drop bars pretty comfy for you? I've ridden road bikes , but having some neck pain and heard the Creo was pretty relaxed. Thanks!

[@BrianRouse]

I've never had a comfort issue with the drop bars. I see that the Vado is more like a hybrid or mtn bike style; have you gotten a chance to test ride both?

[@shorelinerach01]

@@BrianRouse I will test riding both and keep you posted. Thanks for your information on the Creo!🙂

[@BrianRouse]

@@shorelinerach01 Good luck! Thanks for watching!

[@Sibbe2560]

Based on your review I also bought a Creo SL. What a pleasure…👍👍

[@BrianRouse]

@@Sibbe2560 That’s great!! Enjoy!

[@cmnbs]

Brian when pedalling with the power on in either powr level, does the motor "whines", meaning it emits a winding noise. I have herd it both ways. What has been your experience in that respect.

[@BrianRouse]

It does, but it’s not obnoxious. I’ve got a few videos out there where you can hear it.

[@cmnbs]

Thank you. Have heard Trek has a bike very similar but very quiet… don’t know if that’s true or not

[@BrianRouse]

@@cmnbs I never looked at Treks very carefully. When I was in the market all of my local Trek stores didn't have any in stock.

[@zumezoom9593]

Is it possible to turn on and off the ebike?

[@BrianRouse]

Yes. Once you turn the bike on, you can cycle through eco, sport, turbo, and "off" mode. "off" mode just turns off any aid. You can still cycle to any of the other three modes if you want. You aren't physically turning off the bike, just turning off aid at that moment. Hope that makes sense.

[@CatTerrist]

As a new Creo rider, I disagree with the less calories. This bike has been trashing me because it sucks me in to go harder It isnt as outright quick as my other bikes at their best but I'm going hard and working over a long time for a better average What a great bike however, been doing 100km rides fast

[@BrianRouse]

I went back and looked at some of my longer rides with and without the creo and the calories burned are in fact fairly close as long as my pace is higher. So I think your statement is accurate. Thanks for the input!