CHASING THE DREAM
POWER. WEIGHT.
RANGE.
CHASING THE DREAM
POWER. WEIGHT.
RANGE.
Innovation at Specialized never stops. Turbo Mission Control data and rider surveys give us unique opportunities to understand how riders use our bikes, so we can make their rides even better. We went to our Full Power Turbo riders to discover how we could improve their experience and found 80% of rides happened in Eco Mode (the lowest level of assistance). And riders told us they’d be willing to lose the top speed mode to save 10 lbs from their bike. We discovered a need for a new kind of e-bike experience—one that offers riders a better balance of ride amplification without losing the more natural feel of riding that they love. So, in 2015, our Swiss engineering team launched a mission to create a new kind of e-bike that eliminates any need to compromise between power, weight, range, and ride quality.
We emerged with Super Light System technology, Specialized’s dream blend of performance, portability, and possibility. The SL system combines smooth power (up to twice your physical output), revolutionary weight (40% lighter than typical e-bikes), and increased range (up to 120 miles with Range Extender), all while delivering ride characteristics that you’d expect from the very best unassisted bikes.
Super Light System technology is all about empowering the rider with bikes that blaze a middle lane between traditional analog ones and fully amplified e-bikes. SL pedal assistance doubles your effort, forging a bionic partnership that will have you zooming over trails and zipping through streets.
You determine how much the quietly powerful 240-watt Super Light motor amplifies your ride, from a slight nudge up hills to top speeds of up to 28 miles per hour. Or take all the guesswork out of ride planning completely to ensure you never run out of power on your ride. Go into our Mission Control app and activate Smart Control, enter your distance or time and the bike manages power distribution based on rider performance, altitude changes, and even helps riders who use a heart monitor ensure they stay in their target range.
Fully powered e-bikes are a blast… though lugging all 60 pounds of one up a four-story walkup isn’t always ideal. And, now, there’s a 26.2-pound alternative.
How'd we pull it off? Our engineering and design teams collaborated to optimize the balance between frame weight, battery capacity, and motor system, resulting in a dramatic reduction to overall weight. Super Light System technology delivers the nimble, sophisticated performance you expect from every Specialized bike, but with added e-bike functionality. SL bikes are so light, you’ll forget they’re electric.
Enjoy more time pedaling, less time plugging in: Charging the 320Wh internal battery for just 2.5 hours can power Super Light e-bikes for up to 80 miles of pedal-assisted riding. Our optional, detachable Range Extender adds up to 40 bonus miles of pedaling assistance, plus the freedom to charge away from your bike wherever you go. Shift between three pedal-assist modes (Eco, Sport, Turbo) or switch the motor off entirely for limitless unassisted mileage.
The Super Light engineering team logged over 10,000(!) test miles while developing the technology—almost double the journey from Switzerland to Specialized HQ in California. Development was all done in-house, allowing our Swiss brain trust to fine-tune the experience from the very first blueprints to the last trial run.
It was worth it: Super Light bikes look and ride like the best un-assisted bikes, but pack a game-changing boost, whether you’re cruising streets on the Vado SL, chasing dirt on the Creo EVO SL, or taking a few extra laps on the Levo SL. The custom Mission Control app lets you smartly harness that power by adjusting motor and battery output, customizing preset features, monitoring diagnostics, and tracking sharable ride info. You can even name your bike, and really, why wouldn’t you?
REIMAGINING MOVEMENT
What’s the actual cost of that second car? Globally, most car trips are short—we’re talking, on average, under 10 miles. Switching to Super Light System technology helps pedal the planet forward by letting riders reimagine their commutes, workouts, errands, and journeys to trailheads. Making the switch to two wheels means saving money on gas, saving the stress of traffic headaches and, on congested urban roads, even saving time. Shrinking your carbon footprint rarely feels this fun.
REIMAGINING MOVEMENT
What’s the actual cost of that second car? Globally, most car trips are short—we’re talking, on average, under 10 miles. Switching to Super Light System technology helps pedal the planet forward by letting riders reimagine their commutes, workouts, errands, and journeys to trailheads. Making the switch to two wheels means saving money on gas, saving the stress of traffic headaches and, on congested urban roads, even saving time. Shrinking your carbon footprint rarely feels this fun.