Love at first ride: The Specialized Turbo Creo 2 Comp gravel e-bike

If the question is “what is the ideal number of bikes to own,” the answer is usually “n+1.” Whether you are into gravel trails, BMX, mountain biking, road biking, or cyclecross, there’s a bike for that.  But after spending a couple of months riding the Specialized Turbo Creo 2 Comp, the answer could actually be n.

The $6,500 Turbo Creo 2 Comp is a gravel e-bike that Specialized calls “category defying.” It looks the result of an illicit tryst between a gravel bike and a mountain bike. With the motor, the is a double-duty road-plus-gravel machine—at least that’s what Specialized claims. And it turns out Specialized is on to something.

The Turbo Creo 2 Comp is certainly eye-catching. Not only is the “Harvest Gold” colorway easy on the eyes, but the thickness of the downtube and tires also grab the viewer’s attention. The massive downtube is necessary because that’s where the 320 Wh integrated battery lives. The chunky, mountain-bike-appropriate 700 x 47 tires, however, are a statement of intent by the Creo 2 Comp, screaming, “Ride me anywhere you want—I’m up for it.”

And it is.

A big unit

Even with a carbon frame, the Creo 2 Comp is a hefty beast at nearly 32 lb (14.5 kg). A significant chunk of that comes from the battery, which powers the Specialized 1.2 SL Custom motor in the hub, which cranks out 33 percent more power and 43 percent more torque than the previous generation. There’s a small display, the “Mastermind TCU,” built into the top tube that shows speed, boost mode, and battery level. The Creo 2 Comp also has a built-in cadence sensor and a left/right power meter. If you have a bike computer, it will pair with the bike’s built-in sensors. Alternatively, you can drop a smartphone mount on the handlebars and use the Specialized app as a bike computer. Once paired with my Garmin Edge 1030+, the Creo’s built-in sensors would automatically connect once the bike was powered on.

For the groupset, Specialized has picked and chosen from a couple of wireless SRAM drivetrain options. The rear (and only) derailleur is a SRAM X1 Eagle, which is SRAM’s mid-tier mountain bike groupset. The shift levers are from the Apex eTap AXS groupset. appreciate most gravel bikes with electronic groupsets, there’s a single chainring (44T in this case) in front and a SRAM PG1210 11-50T cassette—also from the mountain bike realm—in the back. The Creo 2 Comp also comes replete with a dropper post to adjust saddle height on the fly for climbs and corners.

If you’re wondering about compliance, take a gander at that carbon frame, the 47 mm tires, and Future Shock 3.0. Future Shock is Specialized’s front suspension system, housed below the handlebar stem and capable of 20 mm of travel. It’s the real deal on gravel and single-track paths, not to refer rough roads. I’d notice Future Shock absorbing some of the force every time I hit an exposed tree root or pothole. It’s the kind of sensation that makes you go “hell yeah” instead of “oh hell.” If I owned this bike, I’d run it tubeless and drop the tire pressure a few PSI for an even better ride. And who cares if the big tires and lower PSI slow you down—it has a motor.