An electrical bicycle’s greatest drawback, at the very least from a motorbike producer’s perspective, is that most individuals who purchase an ebike are already bikers. A 2018 survey from the National Institute of Transportation and Communities confirmed that 93 % of people that purchase ebikes personal a daily bike.
So how do you entice individuals who do not usually bike? From what I’ve seen, the favored route appears to contain beefing up the ebike’s weight to about 65 kilos for improved stability. We’ve tried a few of these and I stay largely unconvinced. As a smaller rider, it is laborious for me to maneuver heavy bikes out of my entrance gate, up curbs, or into crowded bike racks. What’s the purpose of an ebike if it operates below the identical constraints as a automobile?
That’s why it was a reduction to attempt Specialized’s Turbo Como SL, which is that this 12 months’s super-light (SL) cruiser. The firm took most of the options I like about final 12 months’s Turbo Vado SL and put them on a motorbike with a step-through, upright body. It’s costly at $4,800, however if you’d like a cushty and upright cruiser, I’ve to advocate the one which weighs 10 to 20 kilos much less than the competition. Your again will thank me.
Big Boi
I gasped after I first noticed the Como SL. I’d seen footage of it beforehand, however I did not understand how huge it was; “super light” simply is not a descriptor I affiliate with huge, sit-up cruisers. I’m 5’2″, and Specialized sent me its smallest frame size. The local bike shop had to cut about 4 inches off the seat post to get it short enough to fit me.
The largest frame size weighs about 47 pounds, which is impressive when most ebikes of this size weigh about 65 (the Electra Townie Path Go! weighs about 55). The small frame is a little lighter— 45 pounds is still not precisely light, but those 10 pounds made a huge difference when I had to get the bike up on my deck to charge the onboard battery.
The version I tried is the Como SL 5.0, which has a few upgraded features from the more affordable Como SL 4.0. Both versions have sit-up step-through frames with Specialized’s custom SL 1.1 mid-drive motor and an internal gear hub, with the option for a range extender battery. They also both come with an integrated front rack, lights, and fenders.
The 5.0 has additional perks, like more gears (8 speeds instead of 5) and the weather-resistant, low-maintenance Gates belt drive. These features are perfect if you live in the damp, chilly Pacific Northwest. An internal gear hub and belt drive can save you from many long afternoons rinsing and lubing your chain or trying to figure out why it keeps slipping off the derailleur.
This is a small thing, but I also like how the aluminum frame has a small handle on the downtube. It looks awkward, but it makes it easier to take the ebike over stairs and lock it to bike racks.
Hill Climb
Some of the other features adopted from the Turbo Vado SL make a lot less sense on a heavier bike. For example, I was pretty excited to use Specialized’s Smart Control again, which adjusts the level of battery and motor output depending on what you need. I quickly downloaded the Mission Control app and paired the bike to my cellphone.
But after I began driving the Como SL with Smart Control on, I bought drained! When you downgrade the help on a 33-pound bike, I barely discover it. On a 45-pound bike, I undoubtedly do. I bought two blocks down the road, pulled my cellphone again out, turned Smart Control off, and jacked the help again as much as Turbo.
