Market: Specialized presented their new pedelec, the Turbo FLR, for the first time as part of the Berlin Bicycle Show and the Testival on the Tempelhofer Feld. As the name suggests, it is based on the extremely successful Turbo, but the FLR is a thoroughbred pedelec with significantly more "urban bike genes".
When Specialized launched their (S-)Pedelec Turbo on the market in 2012, the elegant design and the performance, which has only rarely been surpassed to this day, caused a stir. After all, it was one of the very few "sporty" pedelecs, both in terms of its outer and inner values. With the new Turbo FLR, Specialized is reacting to the trend on the pedelec market and to explicit customer and dealer requests.
The Turbo FLR inherits the battery that is elegantly integrated into the frame from its big, sporty brother, the shape of the frame and even the motor on the inside are the same as the Turbo-S counterpart. But while the normal turbo manages up to 45km/h, the FLR is limited to 25km/h, for which the software has been specially adapted. Some may ask why - after all, the engine is powerful enough. Well, the FLR is aimed in particular at customers who are looking for a vehicle to get to work in the urban jungle or for a leisurely weekend tour. But the reduced top speed also has a huge advantage: the range increases considerably. Although reliable values are still missing, up to 70 km in energy-intensive city traffic and over 100 km in the countryside should not be a problem.
Specialized is particularly proud of the new software, which provides very subtle motor support. While many competing products suddenly stop the support at 25 km/h, the Specialized software gradually reduces the support between 24 km/h and 27 km/h, resulting in a smooth transition that is hardly noticeable to the driver.
In contrast to its sporty counterpart, however, the Turbo FLR is fully suitable for the city: the mudguards that are beautifully integrated into the design, as well as the luggage rack and the integrated lighting, ensure a wide range of uses.
And Specialized wouldn't be Specialized if the bike didn't have clever detailed solutions: We found the reflective decals in the color option "Satin Black / Silver Reflective" really cool. Completely inconspicuous at first glance, the lettering shines really brightly when a little light falls on it.
When it comes to equipment, Specialized relies entirely on Shimano for the FLR and installs the entire Deore group from brakes to drive.
The Specialized Turbo FLR will be available in stores soon and has a RRP of €2.999€ also significantly cheaper than the other Turbo models.