A lot of work was done on the new bike during the three-year development phase at Specialized's European headquarters in Cham in the canton of Zug, where specialists Marc Faude and Jan Talavasek played a key role in the development of the e-bike. While Talavasek was previously involved in the development of mountain bikes, this know-how was also incorporated into the new e-bike from Specialized. For example, the frame is equipped with an X-12 thru-axle on the rear triangle, the head tube has a tapered shape and the rigid aluminium fork can be operated with a 15-millimetre axle when the wheel is fitted.

What is far more interesting, however, is how Specialized gives the electromobile offspring a boost: the focus is consistently on speed, as the bike is only available in a 45 km/h version. The rear wheel hub motor with 250 watts has a battery with 342 watt hours of power. The battery is housed in the down tube - a solution already familiar from Stromer and Grace e-bikes.

A display mounted above the stem provides the rider with information on the support level, battery status and the light switch. The bike is already equipped with a permanently installed lighting system powered by the battery, and devices for mounting mudguards and pannier racks are also on board. An integrated and illuminated control switch for selecting the support level awaits the rider in the right handlebar.

The rear hub motor is coupled with the rear brake and when the rear brake is activated, the motor brake, which also has a recuperation mode, is activated without any further action on the part of the rider. This means - as known from BionX drives - that this drive has a braking energy recovery function. Specialied promises that the battery will be fully charged in two hours and that the charger will not hum quietly as it does not require a fan. This battery can be charged when removed or inserted in the bike and has an LED charge level indicator, a diagnostic function after switching on and a magnetic charging plug.

The drivetrain and cable routing are characterized by simple purism. The ten gears are provided by a 10-speed Sram XX cassette, a Sram X0 rear derailleur in combination with an FSA single crank. The outer shift covers and the hydraulic lines of the Magura MT 8 brakes are routed internally, giving the bike a clean appearance.

The first 50 bikes will soon be sent to selected dealers throughout Europe to enable initial test rides. In order to get feedback from these test riders, the manufacturer has set up the option of leaving comments on the website linked below. According to the manufacturer, the first bikes destined for sale will go to Specialized dealers in May. After this first, limited delivery, further deliveries of the new e-bike are expected from September 2012.

Further information: http://turbo.specialized.com/