Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
TAO Tuesday
To do a job...
Any ape can do the work
To have a task...
Any ape can do the work
To try for a goal...
Any ape can do the work
To try and reach for a peak.
Any ape can do the work.
To talk the talk ...
and pretend to walk the walk...
Any ape can do the work
This aint about stirring a pot of hate..
Ive always loved quoting great humans
The mind is a terrible thing to waste..
Think about it a little
T
Monday, July 29, 2019
The Alba Report
You know you have..
We all have..
Its a Normal thing to do as a bike racer
cast a weird eye on a result sheet of one of our competitors, rivals, and Hehatemes
when you see anything less than a top 5 or choked gag and slobber..something lower than 20th
Well heres another realty check fools..some rides that arent wins are RIDES..
few get to experience
the experience............ the old man saying of hitting white baseballs in a brightly lit stadium
Sometimes it only comes around once...sometimes thats the most sweetest taste
Huge props to all involved with Scotty and his travels ..
Next Week
the
K-files..
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Craziest shit i read all week..
The Takeaway: Light, fast,
Specialized Turbo Creo SL
long range, smooth, refined: This high-tech e-bike changes everything.
Specialized’s newest addition to its vast lineup has a motor, drop bars, and a weight that might surprise you. It also has a name, Creo, that translates from Spanish to “I think.”
It thinks it’s a road bike. It thinks it can handle better than any other e-road bike out there. It thinks there’s a better way to create a pedal-assist motor.
It thinks, therefore it is — a road bike, one that handles incredibly well, with a motor that separates itself from every other system out there.
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Okay, wait a second. It’s not really a road bike. It’s an e-road bike, which I’ve learned in the last few months is quite a different thing from a true road bike. Yes, in our crazy little world of segmentation, we have yet another category: e-road is its own little world, and the Creo has the keys to that kingdom.
That’s largely because it does what so many other bikes fail to do: deliver a true race-inspired ride in a package that, while not exactly light at 12.2kg (26.9 pounds, S-Works Fact Creo SL), doesn’t banish this bike to the absurd, laughable, overweight category that prevents ‘real’ riders from considering e-bikes at all. This bike ain’t feathery by road bike standards, but by e-road standards, it’s downright gossamer.
To get to that point, Specialized had to reimagine its carbon layup process to cut materials where it wasn’t necessary and reinforce where it was. But beyond carbon layup, Specialized also created its own pedal-assist motor. The SL 1.1 motor is the big red S’s own creation, allowing Specialized engineers to create a bike that integrates cleanly with the motor itself, rather than having to retrofit or accommodate another company’s design.
And the motor itself even operates differently than others on the market. In particular, you won’t feel a jolt or burst forward when the assist kicks in. The power curve is far more natural than that, and at times during your ride you may not be able to tell when the assist kicks in or turns off at all.
The motor delivers 240 watts up to 28 miles per hour, and when it kicks off, there’s very little drag at all. So you can pedal unassisted and feel like you’re pedaling any other bike. The feeling is quite remarkable, really. If you don’t want to be constantly reminded you’re on an e-bike, you won’t.
An internal battery delivers up to an 80-mile range and 320Wh. If battery anxiety gets the better of you, it’s possible to add a range extender that delivers up to 40 extra miles and 160Wh.
While I was only able to ride the road bike version, there’s also a gravel version, because of course there is. E-bikes may be the fastest growing category throughout the bike industry right now, but gravel is no slouch. The Creo gravel doesn’t differ too much from the road version, though it comes stock with wider tires.
Both versions come with Specialized’s FutureShock with a damper. This system lives in the head tube and essentially allows telescopic movement to absorb road vibrations and hits. The addition of a damper allows you to firm up the movement or soften it depending on your needs.
First Ride
Brussels, Belgium is legendary throughout Europe for its horrific, snarling automobile traffic. So it gave me not just a little bit of satisfaction to zip past cars stopped completely, even at green lights. I would have done this on any bike, really, but there was something fascinating about having access to what could be the “next big thing” in mobility while those who are still tied to the last big thing sat still and watched me pass.
The Creo makes it easy to forget all that, too, because frankly, it comes startlingly close to feeling like any other road bike, sans motor. It’s fairly light for an e-bike, and it handles better than any e-bike I’ve ridden this past year. The bar keeps getting higher and higher every time I go on an e-bike ride, but the Creo may have just set the standard for handling for the foreseeable future.
That’s largely a function of weight, but also the location of that weight. I’ve now ridden e-bikes with batteries in the downtube, like the Creo, and batteries on the seatpost, like BMC’s Alpenchallenge AMP. There’s a case to be made for both locations, but it seems like it’s possible to create better handling by focusing the battery’s weight as close to the center of the bike as possible, and low.
That’s over-simplifying the handling recipe though; Specialized states that the Tarmac is the design inspiration for the Creo, so it’s got good bones, so to speak. It’s a race bike design, and the Creo certainly feels like a race bike — or at least close to it. Of course you still pay a weight penalty, and yes, the handling lags behind something as wispy as a Tarmac, but remember, this isn’t road riding; this is e-road riding. In that category, the Creo establishes itself early on as a pick of the litter.
That’s largely a function of weight, but also the location of that weight. I’ve now ridden e-bikes with batteries in the downtube, like the Creo, and batteries on the seatpost, like BMC’s Alpenchallenge AMP. There’s a case to be made for both locations, but it seems like it’s possible to create better handling by focusing the battery’s weight as close to the center of the bike as possible, and low.
That’s over-simplifying the handling recipe though; Specialized states that the Tarmac is the design inspiration for the Creo, so it’s got good bones, so to speak. It’s a race bike design, and the Creo certainly feels like a race bike — or at least close to it. Of course you still pay a weight penalty, and yes, the handling lags behind something as wispy as a Tarmac, but remember, this isn’t road riding; this is e-road riding. In that category, the Creo establishes itself early on as a pick of the litter.
Of course, when one of the climbs kicked up to 17%, I was happy to have that assist. It doesn’t punch forward; rather, it ramps up as you pedal, rewarding you for your efforts. This might end up feeling a bit defeating for a user who relies on that big pickup to indicate they’re being assisted, but for someone more used to race bikes and more challenging rides, the Creo feels incredibly natural.
So am I ready to run out and buy a Creo? No, mostly because it’s incredibly expensive. ($9,000 to $17,000. Ouch.) This bike is intended for a very niche audience, and while I am certain that audience exists, I am not it. Every single e-bike ride I have been on has been a lot of fun, but it’s still not my game, especially when I can buy a top of the line road bike without a motor for the same price, if not cheaper. For my money, motorless bikes are still where my heart’s at.
But we’re seeing a big change in mobility happening before our eyes. Consider the Creo the Lamborghini of e-bike mobility. If that speaks to your mobility needs and desires, the Creo is hard to beat.
Up to 240 watts of assist with a 28mph cutoff
Claimed range of up to 80 miles. Optional range extender adds another 40
About 27 pounds
Price: $14,000
Weight: 26.9lb (medium)
whatever happend to just riding your bike...??
I dunno taking the cripple and the spouse who really doesn't like bike riding all that much anyway....i kinda just think maybe its another way some fat guy doesn't really wanna do the work but get the KOMS anyway...
doesn't matter any how i aint got the ridiculous 14K grip asking price the big S brand is asking for it anyhow...
Hmmm wonder if medicare will cover half?
Specialized Turbo Creo SL
long range, smooth, refined: This high-tech e-bike changes everything.
Specialized’s newest addition to its vast lineup has a motor, drop bars, and a weight that might surprise you. It also has a name, Creo, that translates from Spanish to “I think.”
It thinks it’s a road bike. It thinks it can handle better than any other e-road bike out there. It thinks there’s a better way to create a pedal-assist motor.
It thinks, therefore it is — a road bike, one that handles incredibly well, with a motor that separates itself from every other system out there.
Photo: Dan Cavallari | VeloNews.com
Okay, wait a second. It’s not really a road bike. It’s an e-road bike, which I’ve learned in the last few months is quite a different thing from a true road bike. Yes, in our crazy little world of segmentation, we have yet another category: e-road is its own little world, and the Creo has the keys to that kingdom.
That’s largely because it does what so many other bikes fail to do: deliver a true race-inspired ride in a package that, while not exactly light at 12.2kg (26.9 pounds, S-Works Fact Creo SL), doesn’t banish this bike to the absurd, laughable, overweight category that prevents ‘real’ riders from considering e-bikes at all. This bike ain’t feathery by road bike standards, but by e-road standards, it’s downright gossamer.
To get to that point, Specialized had to reimagine its carbon layup process to cut materials where it wasn’t necessary and reinforce where it was. But beyond carbon layup, Specialized also created its own pedal-assist motor. The SL 1.1 motor is the big red S’s own creation, allowing Specialized engineers to create a bike that integrates cleanly with the motor itself, rather than having to retrofit or accommodate another company’s design.
And the motor itself even operates differently than others on the market. In particular, you won’t feel a jolt or burst forward when the assist kicks in. The power curve is far more natural than that, and at times during your ride you may not be able to tell when the assist kicks in or turns off at all.
The motor delivers 240 watts up to 28 miles per hour, and when it kicks off, there’s very little drag at all. So you can pedal unassisted and feel like you’re pedaling any other bike. The feeling is quite remarkable, really. If you don’t want to be constantly reminded you’re on an e-bike, you won’t.
An internal battery delivers up to an 80-mile range and 320Wh. If battery anxiety gets the better of you, it’s possible to add a range extender that delivers up to 40 extra miles and 160Wh.
While I was only able to ride the road bike version, there’s also a gravel version, because of course there is. E-bikes may be the fastest growing category throughout the bike industry right now, but gravel is no slouch. The Creo gravel doesn’t differ too much from the road version, though it comes stock with wider tires.
Both versions come with Specialized’s FutureShock with a damper. This system lives in the head tube and essentially allows telescopic movement to absorb road vibrations and hits. The addition of a damper allows you to firm up the movement or soften it depending on your needs.
First Ride
Brussels, Belgium is legendary throughout Europe for its horrific, snarling automobile traffic. So it gave me not just a little bit of satisfaction to zip past cars stopped completely, even at green lights. I would have done this on any bike, really, but there was something fascinating about having access to what could be the “next big thing” in mobility while those who are still tied to the last big thing sat still and watched me pass.
The Creo makes it easy to forget all that, too, because frankly, it comes startlingly close to feeling like any other road bike, sans motor. It’s fairly light for an e-bike, and it handles better than any e-bike I’ve ridden this past year. The bar keeps getting higher and higher every time I go on an e-bike ride, but the Creo may have just set the standard for handling for the foreseeable future.
That’s largely a function of weight, but also the location of that weight. I’ve now ridden e-bikes with batteries in the downtube, like the Creo, and batteries on the seatpost, like BMC’s Alpenchallenge AMP. There’s a case to be made for both locations, but it seems like it’s possible to create better handling by focusing the battery’s weight as close to the center of the bike as possible, and low.
That’s over-simplifying the handling recipe though; Specialized states that the Tarmac is the design inspiration for the Creo, so it’s got good bones, so to speak. It’s a race bike design, and the Creo certainly feels like a race bike — or at least close to it. Of course you still pay a weight penalty, and yes, the handling lags behind something as wispy as a Tarmac, but remember, this isn’t road riding; this is e-road riding. In that category, the Creo establishes itself early on as a pick of the litter.
That’s largely a function of weight, but also the location of that weight. I’ve now ridden e-bikes with batteries in the downtube, like the Creo, and batteries on the seatpost, like BMC’s Alpenchallenge AMP. There’s a case to be made for both locations, but it seems like it’s possible to create better handling by focusing the battery’s weight as close to the center of the bike as possible, and low.
That’s over-simplifying the handling recipe though; Specialized states that the Tarmac is the design inspiration for the Creo, so it’s got good bones, so to speak. It’s a race bike design, and the Creo certainly feels like a race bike — or at least close to it. Of course you still pay a weight penalty, and yes, the handling lags behind something as wispy as a Tarmac, but remember, this isn’t road riding; this is e-road riding. In that category, the Creo establishes itself early on as a pick of the litter.
Of course, when one of the climbs kicked up to 17%, I was happy to have that assist. It doesn’t punch forward; rather, it ramps up as you pedal, rewarding you for your efforts. This might end up feeling a bit defeating for a user who relies on that big pickup to indicate they’re being assisted, but for someone more used to race bikes and more challenging rides, the Creo feels incredibly natural.
So am I ready to run out and buy a Creo? No, mostly because it’s incredibly expensive. ($9,000 to $17,000. Ouch.) This bike is intended for a very niche audience, and while I am certain that audience exists, I am not it. Every single e-bike ride I have been on has been a lot of fun, but it’s still not my game, especially when I can buy a top of the line road bike without a motor for the same price, if not cheaper. For my money, motorless bikes are still where my heart’s at.
But we’re seeing a big change in mobility happening before our eyes. Consider the Creo the Lamborghini of e-bike mobility. If that speaks to your mobility needs and desires, the Creo is hard to beat.
Up to 240 watts of assist with a 28mph cutoff
Claimed range of up to 80 miles. Optional range extender adds another 40
About 27 pounds
Price: $14,000
Weight: 26.9lb (medium)
whatever happend to just riding your bike...??
I dunno taking the cripple and the spouse who really doesn't like bike riding all that much anyway....i kinda just think maybe its another way some fat guy doesn't really wanna do the work but get the KOMS anyway...
doesn't matter any how i aint got the ridiculous 14K grip asking price the big S brand is asking for it anyhow...
Hmmm wonder if medicare will cover half?
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Friday, July 26, 2019
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
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