E-bikes can be cumbersome compared to their human-powered counterparts, and that can be not easy when navigating around town.
However, an American firm Specialized wants to make them viable. The brand has launched the Como SL, a super light version of the Como that promises to make urban commuting easier. Aimed at those whose greatest concern is lightness, the Como SL is about 8.8lbs lighter than the regular model and roughly 40% lighter than a typical e-bike.
The new Specialized Como SL is a low-maintenance bike equipped with everything you need for spontaneous fun. Take it up the stairs, speed across town, it is ready to fly. Plus, the Como SL amplifies your cycling efforts up to double thanks to the 240-watt SL1.1 system, weighing less than 2 kg. The motor develops a torque of 35 Nm and offers a speed of up to 45 km/h (28 mph) with it (25 km/h or 15.5 mph in Europe).
The Como SL has a 320 Wh battery hidden in the frame with a range of up to 100 km (62 miles) in Eco mode. You can boost it to 150 km (93 miles) with a range extender. This second battery can be installed instead of the drink holder. The battery takes whopping two hours and 35 minutes to charge from 3% to full.
The Specialized Como SL comes fully equipped to carry just about everything you need. A rear rack holds two panniers (up to 20 kg), an integrated front basket for grocery shopping on an empty stomach (up to 25 kg). In addition, the bike comes standard with a kickstand. The Como SL is also supposed to be a comparatively low-maintenance e-bike with an optional belt drive, an internal gear hub, and integrated cables.
You can connect the bike to your phone and control everything related to it. Before the ride, enter your ride’s distance or time in Smart Control and let the bike manage the power, so you never run out of assistance on your ride.
Regarding prices, the Specialized Turbo Como SL 4.0 model starts at $4,000 with a KMC chain, custom alloy chainrings, a Shimano cassette, and a five-speed shifter. And the Turbo Como SL 5.0 version is available at $4,800 with a Gates Carbon Drive belt, matching Gates chainrings and cassette parts, and eight-speed shifting. The price difference is at the rear hub model and Gates belt model.
