In 2019, Specialized included in its offer a new range of electric bicycles from road and gravel, when the impressive increase that has occurred in the sector in recent years was not yet in sight. Owners of a bike from the Turbo Creo SL range have enjoyed great autonomy, thanks to an extraordinary lightness, 12 kilograms, combined with power and connectivity. Now, in 2022, it is a much more complicated scenario due to the increase in competition, renewal comes hand in hand with technology.
The Californian high-end bike manufacturer has pulled out all the stops to keep the Turbo Creo SL elite. Their ultralight FACT 11r carbon frame includes the system for absorbing irregularities in the ground Future Shock 2.0. Mounted high on the head tube, this technology provides 20mm travel to the front of the bike. When traversing rough terrain, the bike moves up toward your hands, maintaining your forward momentum without affecting performance. Being located under the stem, the bike’s wheels are held together rigidly by the frame. In other words, by not varying the wheelbase throughout the suspension travel, as is the case with the traditional system, there is an added benefit: extremely predictable steering.
In the electrical part, the SL 1.1 engine that offers a 240 W power and 35 Nm torque. The motor, designed specifically for this bike, is anchored to the down tube and is barely visible to the naked eye. Its power curve design maintains a natural cadence, which means that when a variation in pedaling power is detected, the power is increased or decreased in such a way that neither jerks nor unpleasant retentions are noticed. In this way, the engine delivers maximum power in a sustained manner between 70 and 100 rpm.
The SL1-320 battery that feeds it, also specific for this model, it integrates perfectly into the down tube and has a capacity of 320Whand offers up to 130 km of autonomy in ECO mode. Full charging can take up to two and a half hours. Optionally, it is possible to add a second battery that is mounted in the place of the water bottle holder that adds other 65 extra kilometers.
Management of assistance modes is done through the app Mission Control. Thanks to the large number of configurations, the Turbo Creo SL bikes become tools capable of making their owners enjoy all types of roads and trails. Technological renovations related to connectivity do not end here. In this generation it is incorporated in the horizontal tube a digital screenl that replaces the informative LEDs of the previous generation. The MasterMind TCU2 It shows the battery level, the power that the cyclist is generating and the power with which the electric motor is assisting. The many data pages are accessible via the Turbo Road knob located on the handlebars.
This controller also allows you to add the heart rate monitoring via Bluetooth Smart or ANT+, which can be configured through the mobile application. In addition, the technology micro tune, which was already present in other models of the brand with electric assistance, now also reaches the Turbo Creo SL 2022. With it, it is possible to change the levels of assistance on the fly. Combined with the SmartControl the system automatically controls the battery level based on the distance you want to travel.
Finally, Specialized has added three new mounts to the range:
- S-Works Turbo Creo SL that features SRAM Red eTap XPLR shifting, Roval Terra CLX wheels and 30mm Turbo RapidAir tires.
- Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert with SRAM Rival XPLR rear derailleur, Roval C38 wheels and 30mm Turbo Pro tires.
- Specialized Turbo Creo SL Comp with mechanical Shimano GRX RX600 rear derailleur, DT Swiss R470 wheels and 30mm Turbo Pro tires.
