Two-minute review
The Specialized Turbo Como SL is an e-bike that appears and feels fairly particular due to its putting aluminum body design. It’s mild sufficient to make use of with out electrical help, however works to finest impact while you’re beneath energy as that is fairly a considerable two-wheeler. We cherished the sleek belt drive, which beats a sequence arms down, though gear modifications have been much less spectacular.
The total high quality of the design, construct and choice of elements on provide right here is superb. Ultimately, this can be a very first rate on a regular basis cruising sort of e-bike, ideally suited to anybody who needs to depart the automobile at residence extra usually than they do in the intervening time.
The front-mounted basket is an actual boon, and doesn’t transfer as you flip the handlebars, that means the burden of your purchasing doesn’t shift round both. We discovered the Specialized Turbo Como SL excellent for fast visits to the outlets and again, though its imposing design may not swimsuit everybody. A particular try-before-you-buy electrical bike, we predict.
Price and launch date
The Specialized Turbo Como SL 4.0 prices $4,000 / £3,500 (about AU$5,400), and the Turbo Como SL 5.0 is $4,800 / £4,250 (about AU$6,500). Models started transport in 2021.
Design
Specilialized is well-known for its vibrant and revolutionary bike designs, just like the Specialized Turbo Como SL we examined some time again. The Specialized Turbo Como SL delivers extra of the identical, and the 4.0 mannequin we tried arrived resplendent in a kind of brushed stainless end.
A wider vary of colours, together with a zingy yellow, can be found in the event you plump for the 5.0 version. Similarly, the marginally extra substantial Como SL 5.0 mannequin provides eight gears as a substitute of 5, however both means the design could be very a lot sit-up and step-through.
Our mortgage mannequin was a 'giant', and it definitely lived as much as that. This is a motorbike that not solely seems to be massive; it feels massive while you journey it too. It's cumbersome, too – though it makes use of a whole lot of light-weight elements, together with an aluminum body, the general impression you get even earlier than using the Turbo Como SL is certainly one of heftiness.
Nevertheless, Specialized has packed in loads of cool options, akin to its personal Super Light System 1.1 mid-drive motor, an inside gear hub, belt drive and a pair of smart foot-friendly pedals. On a sensible notice, particularly for a day by day cruiser-style bike akin to this, there’s a built-in entrance basket (which holds as much as 15kg/33lb), rear-mounted provider rack (to which you'll match panniers as much as 20kg/44lb), mudguards, lights and a bell, all coming as a part of the bundle.
The using place is upright and comfortable, with the Body Geometry handlebars and saddle mixture making issues simple on you. Accessing the electrical help is completed by urgent the button on Specialized’s personal design on the body tube, as seen on different fashions within the portfolio with a supplementary handlebar–mounted laptop providing you with all the small print about your journey.
The design is rounded out by massive wheels and Nimbus tires which can be fats sufficient to soak up bumps within the highway, however do not stray into fats bike territory so the bike hints at being simpler to handle on quite a lot of surfaces. Stopping this cumbersome design is completed by way of TRP hydraulic discs, which do exactly that very successfully. Meanwhile, propping the bike up once we’d come to a halt was finished by way of a really helpful kickstand accent.
Performance
We’ve loved the Specialized system earlier than and it’s primarily extra of the identical with the Specialized Turbo Como SL. Depending on the way you journey it, and your necessities, it is best to stand up to 62 miles in Eco mode and, naturally, much less in Sport mode. If you’re trying to cowl lengthy distances, you may want to decide on the mannequin with the vary extender pack.
Select Turbo mode and the vary will drop significantly, though you will get to your vacation spot that a lot faster.
The intuitive drive system works with you, and we love the dynamic really feel of the help, however the gear altering by way of the Microshift handlebar-mounted levers was much less spectacular. We’re undecided if it was the pattern we had, however entering into high gear was obscure and seemed to be barely random.
Generally, the efficiency you get from the Specialized Turbo Como SL is stable, and you'll depend on the facility much less in case your biking habits are extra health-focused. The total bulk of the bike does push you in the direction of utilizing the battery extra reasonably than much less, although.
When you’ve stopped there’s an built-in lifting deal with in the midst of the body, which is a neat concept, although a much less sensible proposition throughout on a regular basis use. Overall efficiency from the usual inside battery proved very respectable, residing as much as the figures above.
However, as talked about earlier, in the event you want the bike to go additional Specialized does provide a variety extender battery pack, which could be managed by the accompanying Mission Control app. The trade-off to that can clearly be extra weight. The Mission Control app can be a helpful complement to the usual bike, permitting you to tailor efficiency to fit your personal using wants and talent.
We additionally discovered that the Specialized Turbo Como SL e-bike was very succesful within the moist, with a design that sits firmly on the highway. Usefully, every little thing is suitably weather-proof too, from the belt drive and hidden battery/motor by to these massive mudguards that do a sterling job of deflecting splashes from puddles.
Recharging the battery is completed by way of a neat plug socket on the backside of the body, which is roofed by a sprung flap to maintain out the weather. The e-bike comes with a 48V charger and customized plug to make the connection, and we discovered a top-up from half battery energy to full took a few hours or so.
First reviewed September 2021
Buy it if
You’re after a sedate cruiser
The Specialized Turbo Como SL is ideal for relaxed forays to the shop and again.
Carrying stuff issues
Its built-in basket is fab, however you'll be able to complement this with extra load-carrying pannier equipment.
You’ve obtained house to retailer it
This e-bike isn’t precisely compact, so that you’ll want first rate storage amenities to maintain your invaluable buy secure.
Don't purchase it if
You’re after a featherweight bike
The Specialized Turbo Como SL is kind of cumbersome, so if lifting bikes isn’t your factor then it’s in all probability finest prevented.
Bike apps don’t enchantment
You’ll get one of the best from the e-bike by utilizing its supplementary app, which implies having your cellphone with you.
You don't have any want to hold issues
The basket on the entrance of the bike is nice, however some riders may discover it an pointless distraction.
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