$10K Electric Gravel Bike - Specialized Turbo Creo SL

A local sports shop (Outside Sports) very kindly lean't me a very high end electric gravel bike to have a demo with. It was the Specialized Turbo Creo SL and it was my first time on a gravel bike.
Outside Sports who lean't me the bike to demo www.outsidespo...
Specialized Turbo Creo SL www.specialize...
/ iamgrantj

[@LarryRichelli]

If you want to save a lot of money get the Turbo Creo SL E5. It is about 3 lbs more heavy with the same geometry, motor and more. It is more than $5K less. I love mine and because it has such a great motor 3 lbs is nothing...and the frame is a lot stronger

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

Downhill was a bit rough for that bike. Was going to buy the road version, but when I tested the gravel version it was no contest considering the state of the roads in South Australia. Verdict after 2 weeks. Brilliant for this 72yr old.

[@SwyvCrux]

Can get road and just swap to gravel tires if all you need is better control. I'm considering a road version on sale and swapping tires for gravel

[@pe3117]

I have a Specialized Turbo Creo SL Comp Carbon ...all I can say is wow...what a machine I’m an MTB guy...and this is my first Gravel Ebike Mine with gravel tires and XTR pedals weights only 12,7 kg not bad for an E The Bike is very fast and light...and I love the 3 customs modes of the motor Over 25kmh when the engine cut...you don’t need it at all...you can cruise at 30/35 km/h like nothing and the battery range is awesome One of the best bikes ever for me

[@mychaelpierce8049]

Great review. I'm thinking of getting this model here in the USA. Thanks for sharing

[@lazurm]

On my Creo SL I've been getting around 2.75 to 3% battery per mile on Sport mode (middle between Turbo and Eco) in mildly hilly terrain with bike, water bottles and me weighing around 235 lbs. total. Without the Range Extender that totals to around 30ish miles if I keep it on Sport. I can tweak it to Eco on the flats and downhill allowing me to get to 43-48 miles. The Range Extender allows me to use Sport to 48-50 miles or so (and the battery starts at 150%), still using around 3% of the battery per mile. I haven't, yet, experimented with the Mission Control other than setting the use of the battery at each mode (so, for Eco, it will use 35% of maximum power, or around 83 watts. For Sport it will vary from 60-100%. At Turbo it's always 100% assist or 240 watts of motor mechanical power).

[@GrantJ]

Great info thanks

[@jimbo4203]

Im about same weight, had the bike 2 weeks, its is great so far. And 33 miles is the most ive gotten on a full charge. In sport mode with a little turbo for some of the hills. I was hoping for more, and will be looking at the range ext. For sure.

[@lazurm]

@@jimbo4203 if you use Mission Control you get more range but then again you won't get as much power per mile. Otherwise use the range extender that definitely would add another 16 miles or so to your range.

[@jimbo4203]

@@lazurm ya just synced my bike, haven't messed with anything yet, but i will try it all out. Ive been saying the vado sl is poormans version of creo. Which it is but mispoke, because geo is a little different, vado has 1 degree slacker head angle and slightly higher bb. It came with 38c pathfinders, and i love the bike

[@markbcn4000]

Am I the only one that was really keen to hear what level 3 felt like!?

[@normhanson981]

Beautiful bike , I’d love a Creo turbo , the cheapest aluminium one is £4000 in the uk . Good review .

[@bikedawg]

Unbelievable asshole that passed you towing a boat on an incline with oncoming traffic. 7:45

[@GrantJ]

Unfortunately Kiwi drivers not known for their patience with cyclists on the road!

[@jakeford642]

seems to work well for me

[@comment.highlighted]

For $10,000 You get an extra long model name. 😆 Edit: In all seriousness, I want one!!! I’m very happy with my Turbo X, but this would be even more fun of a training/leisure bike 🙂

[@BikeSDP]

I demo'd the Expert Evo model, which is one up from the one you had. Basically the same bike except it had carbon wheels and Ultegra Di2. That is $9KUSD, so no idea what that is in $NZD. I have a Diverge so I like the Future Shock on washboard dirt to take the edge off. I really wish they could squeeze some more capacity out of the battery to get it to 500Wh so that you didn't need to buy that range extending battery. In the case of the Expert, the front Di2 buttons have nothing to do since there is no front derailleur, so I thought it'd be nice to use that to change the electric modes rather than taking a hand off the bar, but that may be proprietary to Shimano-powered e-bikes.

[@marcopanti1017]

That's a great point re using the Di2 buttons to control the motor. That would make it so much more usable on the road as you could micro adjust exactly when you need it especially when standing climbing etc. I wonder could that be retro fitted?

[@lazurm]

@@marcopanti1017 Though it's a GREAT idea, at this point it'd have to be custom built.

[@michaellegrange]

Not much learned there then. Cool seeing where you rode though.

[@lazurm]

I got a Creo SL, used (probably the first used Creo in the world, used once, too small for the former purchaser (!), and for $5,500) but set up with the 38 tires. I bought the 700x28 Continental 5000 tubeless but, after riding with the 38s, and on poorly maintained roads (not gravel but one step above) I'm thinking of keeping them as they seem perfect for patched asphalt. I heard your bike on the video, as I have others, and it seemed much louder than mine for some reason. I honestly couldn't hear the motor at all when I was out riding.

[@GrantJ]

It’s funny sometimes I noticed the engine noise and sometimes I didn’t. I reckon the 38’s would give you a bit more Ride dampening as well as you could run them at a lower pressure. Cheers

[@lazurm]

@@GrantJ I think the noise is louder when pushing a lower gear up a hill.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

@@lazurm yes it is. Went up our hill is morning in step 3 (turbo) for the first time. Very still IE no wind. No traffic only a neighbour who shouted out 'that's cheating' . Could easily hear the whine. Mostly don't hear it at all. Very very pleased with my purchase. SL gravel. Running tyres at 65lbs for road work. This morning did 50kms with 21 others. Average 25.2kph. My bike cuts out at 27.3kph. Got dropped towards the end but caught up most on the way back into town. Gradual long incline. Used no 3 for that bit. Most no 1 setting. Battery left 79%.

[@lazurm]

@@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834 I have the U.S. version so the cut-off point is 28 mph (45kph). If I had no choice but the European limit (Class 1) I wouldn't have bought it as I can easily get to that speed on my own and, so, it'd only be a hill assist for me, not worth it. I also just purchased the Range Extender so that I can use Sport mode most of the time unless I'm going further than 50 miles (80 kilometers). I have found that, when used in Sport mode, I use an average of 2.75 percent per mile (or 1.7% per kilometer) where the hills totaled around 1600-1800 feet elevation.

[@TimTheMusicMan]

Thicker tires are always better, looks better, it has stability and at 30mph you need that...

[@drgonzo1963]

I didnt know these would already be available in NZ.

[@marcopanti1017]

Good report mate. Really useful. BTW and without wanting to be a dick genre is pronounced 'john-ra'

[@brakesforsnakes757]

Always great to see the resident English teacher chime in.