New Specialized Creo 2 electric bike blurs the boundaries between road and gravel

Creo 2 builds on the success of the first generation Creo but increases power and versatility

16:00, Tuesday 26th September 2023

Alex Hunt

Junior Tech Writer

The Creo 2 increases motor power and torque along with wider tyre clearance and future shock 3.0

Specialized has unveiled the latest edition of its Creo electric bike, the Creo 2, designing it in line with modern trends to be a 'do anything, go anywhere' gravel and road bike. The new bike benefits from market-leading tech, including the all-new Future Shock 3, all-new SL motor, and tyre clearance for up to 47c tyres, resulting in a bike that blurs the boundaries between and gravel.

SL 1.2 motor

The most important part of any e-bike is the platform that offers the rider pedalling assistance. For the all-new Creo 2, Specialized has given the motor an overhaul, upping both the power and the torque available to the rider.

Specialized is claiming that: "Gram-for-gram, no other system gives you as much power or range. An efficient motor is the key that unlocks this superior performance." The new SL 1.2 motor provides up to 320 watts and 50Nm of pedal assistance that its customisable through the accompanying app.

It also goes on to state that this new SL 1.2 motor is the most efficient on the market.

SL 1.2 motor is reportedly the most efficient on the market enabling increased range without the need for an increase in battery capacity

The benefit to this increase in efficiency is that a smaller battery can be used to offer the same range. This is because less of the battery's capacity is wasted as heat or noise. Specialized has done this by optimising the motor.

Electric motors of this kind work most efficiently when they spin at an RPM of between 4,000 and 5,000, but at different speeds working, staying within this band all of the time is difficult. Any time you stray from this band, the losses of efficiency will greatly decrease the range of the system.

To work around this, the SL 1.2 motor has been fitted with internal reducer gears that allow for the motor to operate within its optimal band. The system has been designed around a rider input cadence of around 90rpm which falls in line with the average cadence a rider would pedal at.

Future Shock 3.0

Future Shock is the brand's solution to front-end comfort on the bike, suspending the handlebar with a damping unit underneath the stem. Future Shock 3.0 provides the rider with up to 20mm of travel, which Specialized says "reduces impacts by 53%", allowing the rider's hands to remain comfortable and in control of the bars.

Due to the constraints of building a carbon fibre frame that can house a motor and battery, while also being able to withstand the added forces that an e-bike system puts on the bike, the frame has to be made very stiff. This stiffness is not conducive to a comfortable all-road bike. Part of the solution is to fit larger volume tyres but for comfort and safety, Future Shock 3.0 is designed to keep the rider in control.

Future Shock 3.0 provides 20mm of travel at the handlebars to suspend the rider's hands from rough terrain

Specialized is offering a tiered system to the Future Shock range on the Creo 2, with S-Works and Expert models coming fitted with Future Shock 3.3 and Comp models coming with Future Shock 3.2.

Future Shock 3.3 features a tuneable hydraulic damping unit that allows on-the-fly adjustment for changes in surface or situation. The preload of the unit can be adjusted to meet the exacting needs of individual riders, as can the compression rate of the unit. This is something that we haven’t seen before outside of a suspension fork and could offer riders an alternative to a gravel-specific suspension fork.

For the Comp Creo 2, the unit loses some of the customisable features, but the hydraulic damping unit retains the ability to set the preload. The tuneable compression damping is an omission to the Future Shock 3.2 which will come set to the smoothest setting it can be run at as standard.

Tyre clearance

Versatility is something that is becoming increasingly important when it comes to bikes in this group, allowing for both on-road and off-road performance. Arguably this allows riders to condense a multi-bike quiver down to just the one do-it-all bike. Specialized has designed the Creo 2 with this in mind, allowing for 47c gravel tyres or even 2.2-inch mountain bike tyres to be accommodated within the frame and fork.

The Creo 2 will accept 47c or 2.2-inch tyres with a minimum recommended tyre size of 38c

Specialized has also quoted a minimum tyre width for the Creo 2 of 38c as anything smaller than this can impact the bottom bracket height beyond the parameters the bike has been designed around.

A fresh take on geometry

The Creo 2 is marketed as a 'go anywhere' all-road/gravel bike, bringing the bike up to date with the demands of modern riders, including revising the geometry of the existing Creo.

When compared to the outgoing range, the Creo 2 features a slacker head angle, lower bottom bracket and bikes will be fitted with a shorter stem. Specialized claims that these alterations will give riders "a confident and nimble ride on smooth pavement, broken roads, and even rough gravel". The bike has also been optimally designed to work with large volume tyres to offer comfort and control on all surfaces.

Added compatibility

The Creo 2 will also accept the Specialized range extender that mounts to one of the bike's bottle cages and provides an extra 160WHr (50%) of battery capacity. This does have the downside of nullifying one of the bottle cages for water storage but is a consideration for anyone with range anxiety.

For riders looking to turn the Creo 2 into more of a commuter or touring bike, there are mounting points both front and rear that allow for full length mudguards or pannier racks to be fitted to the frame, bolstering the versatility of the Creo 2.

Pricing and availability

Specialized will be offering the Creo 2 in three models, all coming with the same SL 1.2 motor.

S-Works - £12,000

Specialized Creo 2 S-Works

Fact 11r carbon frame
SRAM Red Etap AXS Groupset with SRAM Eagle XX1 derailleur and cassette
Roval Terra CLX II carbon wheelset
RockShox Reverb AXS dropper seat post
12.96kg for size 56cm

Expert - £7,000

Specialized Creo 2 Expert

Fact 11r carbon frame
SRAM Rival Etap AXS Groupset with SRAM GX Eagle derailleur and cassette
Roval Terra C carbon wheels
Trans-X dropper post 50mm travel
13.96kg for size 56cm

Comp - £5,000

Specialized Creo 2 Comp

Fact 11r carbon frame
SRAM Apex AXS Groupset with SRAM X1 Eagle derailleur and cassette
DT Swiss G540 alloy wheelset
Trans-X dropper post 50mm travel
14.47kg for size 56cm

All models will be available immediately, with six frame sizes on offer from 49cm through to 61cm. For more information, head over to the Specialized website.

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Specialized

Specialized is a bike manufacturer based in California, USA. The company produces bicycles and components for a wide variety of cycling disciplines. Specialized also sells a range of premium products under its S-works brand.