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Here's the Specialized Turbo we tested out in San Francisco.
Sam Laird, Mashable
Here's a Specialized promo shot of the head-turning bike.
Specialized
The bike's 250-Watt electric motor is attached to its rear wheel hub.
Specialized
The Turbo's battery fits neatly into its downtube, helping create the bike's streamlined, unobtrusive look.
Specialized
You can toggle between 10 manual speeds or use the red buttons on the handle bar to switch between electric-assist modes.
Specialized
The battery can be charged while still in the bike, or after it's been removed from the frame.
Specialized
The Specialized Turbo may represent the future of personal urban transport. The electric bike that hit the American market this year looks sleeker than its clunkier competitors, has the speed to easily pass cars on streets and offers the off-road freedom of an old-school cycle.
I put the high-tech bike through a range of everyday situations over several days. This is an amazingly fun machine that takes the sweat out of cycling but, due to its high price point, it's not for everyone.
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When I first got on the Turbo, the electric assist that kicks in when you put pressure on its pedals was a shock, but the extra boost took only seconds to get used to. Riding the bike to Mashable's San Francisco office for a few days were revelatory. My typically 30-minute ride to work was cut nearly in half by the Turbo, while my usually sweaty ride home was a breeze.
How did the bike saved me all that time and sweat?
The Specialized Turbo is a nice, 10-speed number before you press the power button. But once you do, it's off to the races. The bike's 250-watt electric motor, which is attached to its rear wheel, assists you each time you pedal, giving every revolution you produce seemingly 10 times its normal power.
Turbo mode provides maximum assistance and got me up to 25 mph on flat streets with just about a minute of moderate pedaling. It lasts for about an hour after a full-charging time of just more than two hours. Eco mode can be switched on or kicks in automatically once the battery dips below 20% charge. That option offers decreased assistance but prolongs battery life. You can charge the 7.5-pound battery while still attached to the bike's downtube or remove it with a key.
Now here's what gives the Specialized Turbo a major advantage over other electric bikes. The maximum legal speed for electric bikes in United States in 20 mph. But, as Specialized's attorneys shrewdly figured out, that only applies to a bike's maximum unassisted speed. Because the Turbo doesn't provide any juice without some actual pedaling, it's able to hit a max speed of 28 mph before the motor cuts off.
That means it's ridiculously easy to get up to 25 mph, keeping pace and even passing cars on residential streets. I even cruised up San Francisco's notorious hills at 15 mph while exerting very little effort and avoiding the flatter but less direct alternative routes adopted by cyclists here. Better yet, when traveling at top speed you actually feel like you're cycling — not riding a motorized scooter — thanks to the Turbo's pedal-assist technology and silent motor.
That extra power could be construed by some to be a bad thing, however; I sometimes found myself craving a workout after riding the Turbo, a rare feeling after slugging it home from work on my old road bike.
As fantastic as the Turbo is as a commuter bike, it might be even better for simple joy rides. Its added power opens up a whole new range of possibilities, making what would be a serious workout into a lovely time casually riding all over town. My only qualm taking the bike out on the weekend or after work for longer jaunts was worrying about battery life when all I wanted to do was ride and ride — ironic because that battery power is what makes the Turbo so addictive in the first place. There is eco mode for extra longevity, of course, but once you've tasted turbo it's hard to settle for anything less.
This is one heavy bike, too, weighing in at 50 pounds. The rear-wheel motor makes up just under 12 pounds of that. The weight wasn't much of an issue for riding manually on flat surfaces, though, and it helps you pick up speed going downhill. Even without its electric game-changer, the Turbo is an extremely nice bicycle with its alloy frame, top-of-the-line disc brakes and other doodads. Lugging it up multiple flights of stairs could be a challenge for a smaller person, however.
Pipe dreams about infinite battery life and first-world complaints about not getting enough exercise are small gripes, though. The only significant drawback to the Turbo — and it's a big one — is its $5,900 price tag.
While not an unheard of price-tag for a top-notch cycle, that's nearly 20 times what I paid for my perfectly functional road bike. Heck, it's double what I paid for my used car. Also worth mentioning: That $5,900 doesn't necessarily solve all your cycling needs. I'd still want an old-school bike as well, for times I want an extra workout or don't want to be paranoid about leaving my bike locked up for several hours.
For anyone with the funds, however, the Specialized Turbo is a purchase you likely won't regret.
Homepage image: Mashable, Sam Laird