The Creo’s low-weight, high-tech motor

As with most e-bikes, the Creo uses a brushless motor mounted around the cranks. Instead of using a throttle or trigger to control acceleration, as you would to control the motor of a cordless drill or battery-powered chainsaw, it has torque- and rpm sensors to determine power output.

The sensors measure how hard you’re pedalling and relay that to the motor, which delivers extra watts (in the Creo’s case, up to 240 of them) based on your effort. The Creo has three standard power settings. In the lowest, it matches your power up to 30 per cent of its maximum output; in the middle mode, that figure increases to 60 per cent; and in the highest setting, it matches up to 240 watts.

You can even customise the settings through an app.

Almost all motors operate most efficiently at a given rpm. But not many e-bike motors are designed to work at rpm where many cyclists like to pedal (about 70 to 100 rpm at higher speeds). To match that, Specialized attached reduction gears to the motor, allowing it to better match that higher cadence, giving the Creo’s assist a more fluid, seamless feel than other e-bikes.