Specialized Globe Haul ST Review | One of the Best Performers We've Tested

[@ElectricBikeReport]

E-Bike Question of the Day ⚡🚴 What do you think of the Globe Haul ST? Let us know in the comments below 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

[@ep1cg4m3r69]

i bought one. i have about 400 miles on it so far. i like it alot. its sturdy and zippy

[@tqhope2x]

I love the cargo capacity. However, I wish for a larger battery, range anxiety is a real thing.

[@triaxe-mmb]

Will you be doing the LT soon since it's out now? I was about ready to buy a cargo bike and then this ST came out and made me wait and take notice...curious if the LT is worth it's premium

[@living4adrenaline]

How do you hack it to make it faster

[@aorvmd]

i loved mine, i used it to commute in the Houston area, so far (1month with it) it has been great

[@1bikeaddict]

The very best e bike I have ever owned. I have been a bicycle mechanic for many years. Simplicity is the key. Suspension is controlled by air volume. Most adjustable e bike I have ever seen to fit anyone. Best brakes no complexity with this bike that causes failure. No gimmicks with expensive suspension and with expensive e bike that need to be seen by me .

[@chrisjones1849]

What about all that whiny racket from the motor though? It's kinda loud and annoying and maybe a deal breaker for me

[@TiredIron1745]

I like the speed test and 0-20mph. Shows the torque difference in the motors. And thank you for bringing the hill climb back with sound and visual in real time. I could hear how hard that motor was working going up hill. In this case it seemed easy for this bike..I also like that you put extra weight on the bike, really tested its capability. Impressive performance. Great job guys, keep these videos comin. Love this style of testing.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Thank you, we have been focused on evolving our review process that last few months to make it even better. This is the first ebike that has gone all the way through that.

[@jimmyjames8736]

I agree 100% with Tirediron. I really missed the hillclimb video. 0-20mph is a great addition. I think you guys do the most informative reviews. Nice to know that you are still refining methodology. The video of real-time pas speed changes seemed better than just seeing the post test graph. My only suggestion is to consider a little more ride video while you give your personal perspective of the bikes to add some extra flavor to the data.

[@theartofginablickenstaff1314]

I appreciate you letting us hear the noise from the motor because I am looking for a good cargo bike but don’t want to hear the noise of the motor with simple touring. I just tool around town doing errands (in my 60’s now) and my average speeds is only 12mph. I have been using a Copenhagen Wheel which I love, and is very quiet, but the company stopped producing them and there is no service for them, so I need to think about getting another bike. Thank you. Your reviews are very helpful!

[@raywhittaker6671]

I sold my himiway step through cruiser to buy the specialized globe haul st and have been super impressed with the bike. It is more powerful, faster and a better hill climber than my himiway. No regrets!

[@ElectricBikeReport]

We were not expecting this ebike to climb like it did, we were impressed!

[@kevinnashskitchen3517]

What about that center stand? Can you think of any reason why it's not the best thing for certain conditions?

[@kevinnashskitchen3517]

A Magicycle Deer may have been my pick.

[@LightsOnMultiMediaMindArts]

Excellent review. I bought a Haul ST recently and have ridden nearly 500 miles thus far. I agree with everything you've said about it--especially the part about getting to learn how to work the assist levels and gears. Torque and cadence sensors have a very different feel. ST stands for short tail which explains the short rack in the rear. An LT (long tail) is in the works from what I understand. The short tail worked best for me in terms of storage. The three classes of ebikes designates only class 2 as having a throttle, although many manufacturers put a throttle on a class 3, too. I suspect that Specialized wanted to comply with that designation and at the same time offer a workaround. You may have noticed that the throttle limits speed to 20 mph so that when you use a throttle the ebike effectively becomes a class 2 ebike. I think that's a good compromise. I bought the throttle and I'm glad I did. t helps when taking off with a heavy load. Saves my knees. Thus far this is the only Specialized ebike to offer a throttle from what a sales clerk told me. I use a Thudbuster seat-post and have no complaints about a lack of suspension. My only nitpick complaint is that there is a USB port on the side of the display, which would be a great way to power a cellphone while you're riding. But it doesn't put out enough power to charge any cellphone. The instruction manual states that it will, but that's incorrect. This would be a useful feature for someone who is making deliveries (Uber Eats, Door Dash, Grub Hub, etc) where the rider is using an app on a cellphone to give directions for pickups and drop offs.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Thanks! And glad to hear you're liking it!

[@trailblasing]

Hello fellow Utahn! We agree on the Globe Haul ST!

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Shoutout to all our Beehive state brothers and sisters! Glad you enjoy it too!

[@GrnArrow092]

I love the idea that there are smaller ebikes out there that have a payload capacity over 400 lbs. I'm a heavier rider (286 lbs) and I remember spending years searching for bikes that can carry a payload up to 400 lbs. Most ebikes I found were only able to carry a payload capacity of up to 300 lbs. I was glad to have stumbled onto the Aventon Aventure, which is the bike I currently own. It's a great bike for what it can do, but I find it heavy at over 70 lbs. I like the fact the smaller bikes like the Specialized Globe Haul ST can carry more than 400 lbs because smaller bikes make it easier to fit in the back of my car and that makes them more portable. I can fit my Aventon Aventure in my car, but I have to remove the front wheel in order to do so. The Globe Haul ST looks nice and I'd be interested in trying it out to see how well it performs.

[@jasonjac123]

The harsh ride is my biggest complaint. It’s great on a nice bike path but when you take it on an uneven sidewalk it’s pretty rough and the back wheel feels like it’s going to break off on a big bump at high speed. I also have some knee pain on longer rides around 30 miles. I think the pedals are too far forward when adjusted for my height. I’m 5’9”

[@SteffiReitsch]

Thanks for the tip. I'm 5'6''(about average for a girl) and I once naively bought a manual cruiser bike because I liked the old school styling , but because the pedals were too far forward, I couldn't apply enough downward force. I got rid of it and vowed to never get another one like that, even though I like the look. Now, pedal position is something I notice.

[@marisadamovics6186]

I feel the position is perfect and comfortable for me at 6'0". It's very fun and easy to ride. I also follow the tire pressure guidance and run around 17psi, which does not make me feel like I need a suspension fork. Carrying cargo in the front panniers is very stable, so I don't miss a suspension fork one bit.

[@SteffiReitsch]

@@marisadamovics6186 It wasn't my height that was the problem, it was the proper frame size ; on a lot of CRUISER style bikes, if you look, you'll notice the seat post is slanted backward at a greater angle, less vertical. That's to give the rider a more upright riding position for comfort. However the rider can't apply as much downward force because the pedals are farther forward. They're slow, built for comfort and not speed. They're beach cruisers. However, I don't know what they've done on this one with the seat post angle. All cruisers are not like that. On an e- bike it wouldn't be as noticeable anyway using that motor.

[@fernandom6811]

Great review! Looks amazing! Unfortunately can’t get it yet in Australia! 😢

[@MichaelMatthews-gu5gz]

I'm going to purchase this ebike soon,great video guys, my bike shop says this bike has my name all over it.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Good choice!

[@MichaelMatthews-gu5gz]

Thanks guys,I like your videos too!I'm from Mississauga Ontario

[@jimmyjames8736]

I think that it looks like a well sorted bike. The motor had plenty of torque and sounded happy on the hillclimb. Great brake package. Seems like it would be good for a commute/errand bike, but I don't consider it a real cargo bike. It would need a longer wheelbase and a longer rack imo to be a real cargo bike. You can hang panniers off the sides of most bikes but a real cargo bike has room for child seats. I think the $2800 price is fair enough. It has nice components and a good brand.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

That was one of our wishes as well, it needs to be a little longer so you can truly fit a seat for a passenger comfortably. You would not need to add much length to make that work though.

[@mysticblade35]

There is a Longtail version which I believe is more of a true cargo bike

[@CycleSage]

I love my Globe Haul ST but my biggest complaint is the thumb throttle. I wish there was a way to adjust the curves on the thumb throttle. It’s really hilly where I am, and I use the throttle on my other e-bikes for starting from a stop on steeper hills. The Haul ST’s thumb throttle has such a slow windup it’s pretty much useless for starting on any of them. I emailed Specialized about this in hopes of maybe a future firmware update that lets the rider change the throttle curve to match your riding style like how you can turn the throttle on or off. In the app.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

That would be a welcome update for sure.

[@MichaelMatthews-gu5gz]

I also have the Mustache Friday 27 2019 model with the BOSCH motor and battery, 36×13.4 amp hr, still a great ride.

[@CptnNavarre]

A lot of the press I've read so far claims a max payload capacity of 419 lbs as was stated at 6:00 . But if I read their manual correctly, 419 lbs. is the max gross vehicle weight. At 77 lbs. on its own, that leaves significantly less, 342 lbs. for rider and cargo. So which one is it?

[@Modrunnermusic]

So you know, all weight capacity numbers for all cargo bikes work that way. If the bike is 67lb, but can carry 440lb, the actual cargo weight including the rider is 373lb.

[@CptnNavarre]

@@Modrunnermusic I get that. I just always find it unintentionally misleading when I put myself in the shoes of the "average consumer" and hear that a bikes carrying capacity is 419 lbs, because most don't count the weight of the vehicle itself in that number. If your coming at this as the bike is marketed, replacing a gas vehicle with an e-bike, no one looks at an automobiles towing capacity figure and subtracts the weight of the automobile to get the corrected number. It is at the end of the day; however, technically correct, which as we all know is the best type of correctness.

[@TeddysVentures]

Great bike! The 0-20 time seemed average , but yet it dominated the hill climb. 🤔 Thanks for an awesome review!

[@TeddysVentures]

May I ask what contributed to the excellent hill climb on throttle power & speed as compared to a less than stellar 0-20 throttle time?

[@dracorosso7129]

I think Specialized is starting to understand what they need to do to stay competitive in the e-bike market. Now they just need a longer tail version to get me on board.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

It did feel like a bit more competing with many popular DTC options. We'd also be on board with a long-tail variant!

[@garrettevans8879]

I have a haul st and the manuals reference a long tail version. I would expect it to be released later this year.

[@mellamojoshua]

LT version is $700 more than the ST. That’s a thick premium for the exact same components with some extra aluminum tubing.

[@alexkleine9737]

@@mellamojoshua $700 for an adult rider or 2 kids isn't bad considering the alternative would be a second bike. Also I like the double pannier system for the LT version.

[@michaelthomson5101]

A good little review, I am looking hard at this bike. I'd like to do some bike packing or just some back road riding. I'd like to know how well does it perform on logging roads and easy single track? Where there will not be a smooth ride but there will be unexpected bumps, twists, small jumps, mud, etc. Is Specialized planing on coming out with a more aggressive tire?

[@jackbradner9389]

Haul ST or Murf Higgs ST? Shopping both. Specialized is great brand but I’ve heard of the error code problems with this bike. Pretty much only good news with the Murf. Since you guys have tested both I’m curious as which you would choose. I plan to primarily use it to transport a surfboard and other beach gear to the beach. It will be expected to spend some time riding on the sand, nothing crazy though. If you have a better option I’d love to hear it. Thanks.

[@SierraGolfNiner]

Clearly, ya'll are a big fan of this bike, and it's on my short list. But how does it compare against, say, the Lectric XPedition which (just a few months ago) you noted as your favorite cargo ebike? The motors are roughly the same size, cargo capacity the same. Based on the highlights I assume the Lectric is slightly "less nice" overall, but still seems to have a lot of great features. And it's also $1000 less than the Haul.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

That's a great question. They have differences as one is a long tail and the other a short so that does change things up. For the money, the XPedition is one of the best values of any e-bike period, let alone a cargo bike. It has a ton on there for not a lot of money. The Lectric rides very nicely, but the Globe has a more premium feel to it - the kind of thing you'd hope for in the price difference. It handles better in general and the motor has some seriously nice capabilities too. Performance wise, it's pretty hard to beat in terms of what the Globe could do in our tests. Some of their broader differences (Lectric's dual battery, longer tail with different accessory possibilities, folding stem) might make more practical sense for your personal situation, but either would be a great bike.

[@grkuntzmd]

I'm seriously considering getting one.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

You won't regret it.

[@roncigiovanni]

Very nice content, I'm really tempted to resell my yuba spicy to buy the specialized haul LT. Would be very interesting to know the slope/inclination on the hill

[@ElectricBikeReport]

One of our writers owns a Spicy Curry and loves it! But the Globe Haul is a fantastic ride. Our test hill has an average grade of 12% but there are a couple of steeper sections.

[@triaxe-mmb]

Will you guys do a review of the LT version soon?

[@shane4176]

How is it ehen guys tested the LT you were able to get over 120 miles in pas 1? Are the motors and batteries different? Less than 60 for this bike is such a huge difference.

[@migueltrujillo5932]

Torn between the ST and the LT. Plan on multi days ride Rails to Trails.

[@northvalleybuilders4796]

Great review! Is this bike possible to lift and put in the back of a pickup truck for the average middle aged person or would that require two people or a ramp?

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Ours weighed about 77.5 lbs without the battery, so we'll leave that up to you to decide!

[@mellamojoshua]

QUESTION: Globe Haul ST or Turbo Vado 4.0 for streets and greenways, including good size hills (San Fran-lite), light gravel paths? Not a dedicated commuter but could be used to commute 8 miles each way. Mainly for errands in the city

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Leaning Globe Haul on this one. It's got a bit more muscle and more accessory options if those errands end up being bulky and you need a reliable carrier. That being said, the Vado 4.0 feels amazing to ride too so you can't go wrong there. If you buy online, we appreciate you using our link to purchase if you feel we helped. ✌️

[@mellamojoshua]

@@ElectricBikeReport Will do 👍🏼. Your reviews have been invaluable and your response is very helpful. The REAL WORLD practicality you show isn’t something I can get from a PDF and so you guys testing and reporting real world experiences is the best! Thank you 🙏

[@nevamind932]

How many volts and ah is the battery

[@griffinhales3421]

48v 16ah

[@kettlebellcarnivore-vr5cw]

I'd like to see how this does in snow. Here in Whitehorse, I winter commute on an old Pugsley.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Unfortunately, we don't get much of that here in SW Utah, but we'd expect it to do pretty well with the knobby Carless Whisper tires.

[@Troy_Sent_A_Message]

Any idea on why the Motor is so loud? Most of the E-bikes I've ridden are silent.

[@fritter63]

Where is that cool (Desert?) bike trail that you were riding on?

[@ElectricBikeReport]

It is in our backyard in Southern Utah!

[@calvintanner7897]

What brand is the bike bell that's attached to the right handlebar ?

[@oxirosmusic]

Is there a way you can ride 28+ mph with only throttle on this bike?

[@mordenheim75]

no, you could if you whant to break the law

[@peaoat3608]

Doesn't the front wheel seem heavy? I found it awkward to steer.

[@EricOtte]

Does Specialized hint at a LT (Long Tail) version?

[@ElectricBikeReport]

We wouldn't rule it out, but nothing for sure that we're in the know on.

[@tykaps6826]

It's in the works. There's mention of it in a manual and someone caught a picture of one.

[@mordenheim75]

Nice Review, when specialized will sell this bike outside from USA ??, no sell for this Bike on rest of the world

[@ElectricBikeReport]

We don't have any inside info there, but we wouldn't be shocked to see it divied out to other parts of the world eventually. The 700W motor is larger than most parts of the world allow, so some things to figure out before selling in all corners of the world.

[@bassiclogic]

What stops someone from stealing it when you go in the store to but your goods?

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Many good options on the bike lock market.

[@bfranco1519]

Think hard and try not to hurt your brain… Here’s a hint, bi_e lo_k. Go!

[@dcarlisle123]

An expensive bike lock.

[@robinross6073]

Would this be a good bike for seniors??

[@ElectricBikeReport]

This would be a great bike for seniors. Lots of ability to adjust the bike tomfot you and is easy to ride. Add in the functionality the Haul provides and you have a winner.

[@Visualhead_Spacer]

lack of suspension for this price point is kinda disappointing, plus other features like turn signals, etc. for less..

[@mo1234590]

I still love mine. I don’t feel I’m missing much, if anything, with no suspension.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

There is a reason ebike brands generally don't included suspension on bikes that can carry larger amounts of cargo. It makes the ebike harder to handle when loaded up. We didn't feel like we were missing anything without suspension in all our of test rides, it is comfortable to ride. Turn signals would have been nice, maybe they will include those on the next version of this ebike.

[@jimmyjames8736]

I agree that a suspension fork would have been a nice addition. The handling of the new Aventon Abound has been thoroughly reviewed, and it does well hauling heavy loads with its suspension fork. I have a long wheelbase fat tire cargo bike with suspension fork that I modified for extra power. It handles heavy loads great even when cruising at relatively high speeds over 25mph.

[@toddpacker7058]

@@jimmyjames8736industry plant

[@bfranco1519]

Suspension is pretty bad at this price point. No suspension is maintenance free. Turn signals? Its not a motorcycle, use your arm. Its more effective way of signaling.

[@jeffreyerickson6766]

Pierce does he still work there??

[@ElectricBikeReport]

He's doing other fun things in the cycling world these days.

[@sasasa789789]

quite noisy for the city ride?

[@ElectricBikeReport]

The background, or the bike?

[@victorkan7288]

Biggest hindrance for using an ebike vs car is getting it stolen.

[@ashberger2717]

It's got everything I want but that motor noise would drive me crazy.

[@marisadamovics6186]

test one out at a shop. the video seems to really pick up the motor noise, but from my experience, it's not as noticeable in person.

[@kevinnashskitchen3517]

Somehow, well over a year after the Kepler V2 release, still no test of the cheap powerful bike. 🤔 Now we have had the Wired bikes (formerly Wicked)out for a year or so.. No test 🤔.. No test of the Fabulous Havoc X2 and Fabulous Road Warrior X2 . 😳

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Hopefully they reach out one day. We'd be happy to test em all.

[@kevinnashskitchen3517]

@@ElectricBikeReport and the new Nireeka full suspension 1,500 watt mid drive.

[@emmcey]

Will it throttle only to 28mph?

[@marisadamovics6186]

it's a CLASS 3 bike, so throttle-only MAX is 20mph. Pedal assist MAX is 28mph

[@erides]

Nice bike but they cheap out on the battery.. should be bigger for cargo bike

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Just curious, but do you ride other e-bikes for 30 miles without the same knee pain?

[@erides]

@@ElectricBikeReport I never really ride them more then 25 miles but I never get knee pain even when I ride mini ebike :) .. I think someone who buy cargo bike for work they would need more miles. I use Zora Master Cargo bike which comes with 720 battery and I ride my kids and the battery drained faster because of the weight about 335lbs and it would last may be 20 -25 miles with pas 1 - 2 . I know the brand is not cheap and have good recognition but still to pay 2 times more for the similar ebike with hub motor would be nice to have bigger battery . I am not even saying about fork suspension which would be really nice to have

[@chriskelvin248]

From all of the content creator reviews (reading between the lines of the sometimes “gushing” accolades) tempered by owner comments and feedback- this a short-style e cargo bike from a big time bike brand. Their attempt at breaking into the massive sales market of the lower priced utility bikes. Quality and geometry are dead-on, as you might expect. With their know-how however, they were not able to bust into the Lectrics of the world. $1000 outside the budget and still missing some features such as great off the line throttle torque, foldability, tail light, front suspension…On its own, a great bike. In context, certainly doesn’t stand out as bike of the year though.

[@jbpeconic]

How is this not a Radrunner 2 for 2x the price?

[@ElectricBikeReport]

They have quite a few differences despite being the same style. If you line them up feature-by-feature you'll notice the differences. There were better performance results from our testing as well. The Runner is a great option for sure though if you want something that's not quite as expensive.

[@dcarlisle123]

Go test ride each bike and find out for yourself, as I did today. Long story short, the Haul is much more nimble and fun to ride. Secondly, you can just look at the drive-train components and see that they are much higher quality. Is it worth the extra $$$ ? For me, yes. Not to say the Rad runners are not decent bikes, but after riding both the Radrunner 3 Plus and the Haul, the Haul was worth the extra cash for me.

[@simchad613]

Because the motor is a 700 watt motor, it won’t be sold in Canada until next year when they install a 500 watt motor. Canada is to scared to allow anything more then 500.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

Any discussion about changing that in Canada?

[@simchad613]

@@ElectricBikeReport I wish so but I doubt it.

[@bfranco1519]

Canada, nanny state..

[@tharpeaddy]

I use my e-bikes for commuting groceries etc This cargo bike just seems tiny lol…I have a vector I go 1 and I have a basket up front the whole bike holds 440 pounds… goes 25mph…already has a hub motor with 900 watts… I feel like I would just be paying for the name on this one but it is nice but it doesn’t look like a whole lot of bike honestly…for the price…but I understand the name specialized lol… but I’ve never ridden a specialized e-bike though but if I’m looking for a nice ride this would be it but functionality not

[@quidestnunc9238]

Hub Drive motor and (20th Century) derailleur make this Bad Boy a Hard Pass ! But the price is nearly $6,000 less than Trek’s cargo hauler.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

What's the downside of the hub motor for you?

[@helix9268]

He was probably thinking that it has cadence sensor instead of torque sensor.

[@peterb7585]

Amazing bike but unfortunately not for me i need front air and rear suspension ill pay $1000 more just for that im not getting any younger seriously do these companies not understand that !!!!

[@alpert711]

Definitely a hard pass on this bike. My Lectric XPedition. Offers more power, greater range, more carrying capacity, no need for panniers on the fork hampering your maneuverability and at a MUCH lower price point.

[@helix9268]

They all get referral money for these reviews so they always rave the ones that are most expensive because they get paid the most if you click the link.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

First of all, you are correct that we make an affiliate commission on most of the products we review. That's how we keep the lights on and feed our families. While I wish we could all work for free, that's just not possible for us (or ANY other media outlet for that matter). However, we do want to make sure every one of our readers/viewers understands: we do not make recommendations based on $$. For example, we actually get a very low commission on Specialized's bikes - much lower than many other brands actually. Our recommendations are based on our in-depth testing of products and the bikes' performance. We can literally recommend hundreds of different bikes and make a commission on each one - so we actually don't have pressure to recommend bikes we don't like. The recommendations we make on our channel and website are the exact same we make to our closest family and friends, and they are the exact same bikes you see in our garages.

[@helix9268]

@@ElectricBikeReportCool.

[@johangustavsen6962]

Sounds really noisy compared to a Benno RemiDemi.

[@ElectricBikeReport]

We'll have to get those side by side and see

[@heidenburg5445]

Why are you paying more for an ebike than a used car?

[@ElectricBikeReport]

With inflation, used cars aren't what they used to be!

[@toddpacker7058]

I rode one, crashed it,

[@dcarlisle123]

Nice going... thanks for sharing

[@bigwheelsturning]

I wanted to get one. It "checked" all the boxes. BUT it's not UL approved and Special LIes doesn't seem to be interested in getting one. They even lied to me about the battery being UL approved. It's not. Be surprised if Special LIes is even in business next year; from making toooooo many MTB's that they can't sell.

[@marisadamovics6186]

The battery is UL approved. there is a UL sticker on the battery. same with the charger.

[@bigwheelsturning]

This has to have been recent. As the one's I was looking at last month did not have any UL sticker on it. Doesn't mater if the charger has one; its the batteries that go boom.

[@marisadamovics6186]

@@bigwheelsturning not recent. Batteries were UL certified before the bikes were released.

[@bigwheelsturning]

@@marisadamovics6186 As I said before, there were no UL marks on either of the batteries I held in my hands. Even the demo bike was dead and the tech couldn't fix it.

[@saulleiken5528]

@@bigwheelsturning battery and charger are both UL listed, as mentioned by the other commenter, the marks are clearly visible on both items and have been since the bike launched.

[@yballiu]

No as good as my Radrunner