Product news: With the Specialized Como SL, the variety among city e-bikes will be even greater this year. The stylish and reduced bike weighs just over 20 kilograms - small compromises only have to be made with the drive.
More bike, less E
With the vast majority of e-bikes - whether on the road or off-road - the motor is the "star of the show". Its support performance determines the handling, provides the much-cited built-in tailwind and gets so many people on the bike. Unfortunately, a powerful drive with a large battery also has disadvantages: the extra weight is particularly noticeable here. A city e-bike with full equipment easily weighs 27-30 kilograms; carrying it over the steps is a real feat of strength.
Specialized would now like to offer the trend towards lighter e-bikes, which is already almost established in the sporty sector, a stage in the city as well - curtain up for the Specialized Como SL. With a weight of 21-22 kilograms, it is significantly lighter than most other e-bikes for the city, but has everything you need for everyday use. You have to make compromises when it comes to drive power - but, let's be honest: Hardly anyone needs the power of most mid-drive motors on their daily journeys.
Comfortable, carefree, stylish
Like all SL models from the Californians (Levo, Creo or Vado), the Como SL can hardly be identified as an e-bike at first glance: Slim tube shapes, compact motor, no bulky display. A real incognito bike! But the bike still attracts attention - in addition to the sometimes bright frame colors, the special frame shape, which is also highly functional, is responsible for this. The cross brace on the seat tube becomes a comfortable carrying handle and the low seat tube with a flat angle ensures comfortable sitting - even at traffic lights, where you can put your foot comfortably without having to get up from the saddle.
Despite its eye-catching looks, the Specialized Como SL wants to be one thing above all: A carefree everyday companion. This is supported, for example, by the standard handlebar basket and the minimalist luggage rack. Although the latter has to do without a classic spring clamp, it does have rails for panniers. It's nice that the Americans have also thought of details that are otherwise often forgotten, such as the mudguard on the front wheel that is pulled down very far, which promises dry feet even when the road is completely wet.
The choice of wheel size is also exciting: Here you get small 27,5 inches on the Como SL, but in combination with wide tires. With appropriately adjusted air pressure, this ensures a lot of comfort and makes an unnecessarily heavy suspension fork obsolete in most situations. Thanks to the use of a rigid fork, the Como SL is also pleasingly low-maintenance - the hub gears in both equipment variants also speak for this. The top model even has a Gates carbon belt, which makes lubricating the chain a thing of the past.
Proven SL mid-motor and integrated battery
The overall concept of a light city e-bike is made possible primarily by the choice of drive. Here, Specialized can use an in-house, proven solution: The compact and light SL mid-engine weighs less than two kilograms and is therefore around 30-40% lighter than a full-blown mid-engine. You can also get over the fact that it also offers significantly less support with "only" 35 Nm. It is powered by a permanently installed, non-removable battery in the down tube with 320 Wh. Specialized states a maximum range of approx. 100 km. If that's not enough, you can attach an optional range extender to the frame: Disguised as a bottle, this provides a further 55 km range.
The full battery integration not only saves weight, but also makes the very slim silhouette of the Como SL really possible. Disadvantage: If you want to charge the bike or the battery, you have to place the bike more or less next to a socket.
Minimalist operating concept and clever app
As the motor is already known from other SL models from Specialized, the operating concept should look familiar to fans of the Californians: The so-called TCU unit is located on the top tube, which provides information about the selected support performance and the remaining battery charge via LED strips. The drive can be operated with a single button: switch it on and off and of course switch between the three support levels. A bike computer attached by magnet in the cockpit unit also provides information about speed and other data - if you don't need it, you can simply remove it.
With the Mission Control app, Specialized also offers technology fans the option of adapting the drive to their own needs. Not only can the behavior of the three levels of support be adjusted in this way, the app, which is available for Android and iPhone, also comes with features such as Smart Control, which uses various parameters (time, distance, etc.) to calculate how much battery the journey will use and dynamically adapts the support performance of the motor accordingly. Cool!
Specialized Como SL: models and trim levels
The Como SL will initially be available in two configurations, which differ fundamentally neither in terms of price nor technology. There are no differences in the frame - apart from the color - nor in the drive and battery. All models rely on the Specialized SL 1.1 motor and the integrated 320 Wh battery. The biggest difference lies in the gears: While the Como SL 5.0 is equipped with a Shimano Alfine 8 with Gates carbon belts, the Como SL 500, which is around 4.0 euros cheaper, has to be content with a Nexus 5-speed hub and a conventional drive chain.
Specialized Como SL 5.0
Drive: Specialized SL 1.1
Battery pack: 320 Wh
Circuit: Shimano Alfine 8 + Gates belts
Brake: Tektro TKD124F
Price: € 3.999
Specialized Como SL 4.0
Drive: Specialized SL 1.1
Battery pack: 320 Wh
Circuit: Shimano Nexus 5
Brake: Tektro TKD124F
Price: € 3.499
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