Two-minute assessment
The Specialized Turbo Como SL is an e-bike that appears and feels fairly particular because of its placing aluminum body design. It’s mild sufficient to make use of with out electrical help, however works to greatest impact while you’re below energy as that is fairly a considerable two-wheeler. We liked the graceful belt drive, which beats a sequence palms down, though gear modifications had been much less spectacular.
The general high quality of the design, construct and collection of parts on provide here is great. Finally, it is a very first rate on a regular basis cruising sort of e-bike, ideally suited to anybody who desires to depart the automobile at house more 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, which means the load of your purchasing doesn’t shift round both. We discovered the Specialized Turbo Como SL good for fast visits to the outlets and again, though its imposing design won't go well with everybody. A particular try-before-you-buy electrical bike, we predict.
Value 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). Fashions started transport in 2021.
Design
Specilialized is well-known for its vibrant and progressive bike designs, just like the Specialized Turbo Como SL we examined some time again. The Specialized Turbo Como SL delivers more 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 when you plump for the 5.0 version. Equally, the marginally more substantial Como SL 5.0 mannequin gives eight gears as an alternative of 5, however both means the design could be very a lot sit-up and step-through.
Our mortgage mannequin was a 'massive', and it actually lived as much as that. It is a bike that not solely appears to be like huge; it feels huge while you journey it too. It is cumbersome, too – though it makes use of numerous light-weight parts, together with an aluminum body, the general impression you get even earlier than using the Turbo Como SL is certainly one of heftiness.
However, Specialized has packed in loads of cool options, resembling its personal Tremendous Mild System 1.1 mid-drive motor, an inner gear hub, belt drive and a pair of wise foot-friendly pedals. On a sensible notice, particularly for a each day cruiser-style bike resembling 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 package deal.
The using place is upright and comfortable, with the Physique Geometry handlebars and saddle mixture making issues straightforward on you. Accessing the electrical help is finished 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 pc supplying you with all the small print about your journey.
The design is rounded out by huge 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 finished through TRP hydraulic discs, which just do that very successfully. In the meantime, propping the bike up once we’d come to a halt was accomplished through a really helpful kickstand accent.
Efficiency
We’ve loved the Specialized system earlier than and it’s basically more of the identical with the Specialized Turbo Como SL. Relying 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. In the event you’re seeking to cowl lengthy distances, you will want to decide on the mannequin with the vary extender pack.
Choose 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 through the Microshift handlebar-mounted levers was much less spectacular. We’re unsure if it was the pattern we had, however moving into prime gear was obscure and gave the impression to be barely random.
Typically, 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 more health-focused. The general bulk of the bike does push you in the direction of utilizing the battery more somewhat than much less, although.
Whenever 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 real looking proposition throughout on a regular basis use. Total efficiency from the usual inner battery proved very respectable, residing as much as the figures above.
Nonetheless, as talked about earlier, when you want the bike to go additional Specialized does provide a spread extender battery pack, which may be managed by the accompanying Mission Management app. The trade-off to that can clearly be more weight. The Mission Management app can be a useful 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 part is suitably weather-proof too, from the belt drive and hidden battery/motor via to these huge mudguards that do a sterling job of deflecting splashes from puddles.
Recharging the battery is finished through 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
Purchase 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 may complement this with more 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 protected.
Do not buy it if
You’re after a featherweight bike
The Specialized Turbo Como SL is sort of cumbersome, so if lifting bikes isn’t your factor then it’s most likely greatest averted.
Bike apps don’t enchantment
You’ll get one of the best from the e-bike through the use of its supplementary app, which implies having your telephone 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.
For more update keep tuning on: SociallyTrend.com
