Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH Review, 2024

Intro

Of the big legacy bike brands, Specialized was the first to begin offering an e-bike here in the U.S. That gave them a head start in figuring out what consumers wanted and has kept them one step ahead of their competition at almost every turn. The Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH is a up-market commuter aimed at a rider who can appreciate a high-quality bike and wants an e-bike to commute on day-in-and-out. In our review of the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH, we will look at what sets this e-bike apart from the majority of commuters we review. This e-bike retails for close to double of most e-bikes in that $1500-$2000 price range.

E-Bike Category: City/commuter

Who the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH Electric Bike Is for:

The rider who wants a zippy commuter with the feel and acceleration of a mid-drive motor will love this e-bike.

Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH E-Bike Specs

• Battery: 530Wh
• Expected Range:
• Charger: 42V, 4A
• Motor: 250W mid-drive producing 50Nm of torque
• Pedal Assist:
• Throttle: N/A
• Display: Specialized MasterMind
• Headlight: Lezyne 210 Lumen
• Taillight: Spanninga Commuter Glow
• Frame: E5 Aluminum
• Fork: Suntour MobieA32, 80mm travel
• Fenders: Specialized Drytech, front and rear
• Kickstand: Specialized, alloy
• Handlebars: Alloy
• Grips: Specialized Body Geometry, lock-on
• Drivetrain: Enviolo continuously variable hub
• Brakes: Shimano hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotor front and 160mm rotor rear
• Pedals: Specialized Commuter with grip tape and reflectors
• Saddle: Specialized Body Geometry, gel
• Tires: Pathfinder Sport Reflect, 27.5 x 2.3 in.

In-Depth Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH Review

Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH Review: Comfort, Handling, and Ride Qualities

The first thing to say about Specialized where rider comfort is concerned is that this company has led the way in reforming how the high end of the market considers rider fit and comfort. They began their own in-house fitting school and redesigned many of their components to better fit riders based on actual anatomic research.

Specialized offers the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH in three sizes that will reliably fit riders between 5 feet and 6 feet 3. When looking at Specialized’s fitting guidelines it is easy to see why we doubt the ability for an e-bike that comes in one size to fit everyone from 5 feet up to 6 feet 5 inches.

Moving beyond size, there are plenty of other reasons to like the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH. The frame features a step-thru design with one of the lowest standover heights we see with step-thru frames, just 14 in. The saddle features a gel-infused foam that offers better support and more comfort than many competing saddles. The lock-on grips have a shape that provides a bit more hand support than a traditional round design.

Comfort comes in lots of packages and another detail to note about the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH is notable because its fenders are longer than we typically see. That extra-long fender up front will make a difference in how dry the rider’s feet stay on a wet day. Their shoes might not stay dry, per se, but they won’t get as wet as they would, not to mention that shorter fenders also mean wet pant legs.

The rider position aboard the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH is more upright for most riders than they find with many other brands. It means a more relaxed back and neck.

On the score of handling, Specialized has long been a leader in bikes that handle superbly and the Turbo Como is no exception.

The suspension fork features 80mm of travel, which will smooth rough roads and take the edge off of bumps. And while really fat tires are popular, the 27.5 x 2.3-in. tires offer plenty of comfort while making for an efficient-rolling e-bike.

Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH Review: Motor, Battery, and Drivetrain Performance

E-bike marketing usually leads with big wattage numbers to try to impress people. Because e-bikes with hub motors dominate the market, the advantages of a mid-drive motor often get buried. The Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH uses a Brose (say Broze-uh) motor that produces a seemingly measly 250W and 50Nm of torque. Compared to ads for e-bikes with motors producing 500, 750 or even 1000 watts, a motor producing 250W will get lost in the competing marketing messages. That’s why we counsel readers to take note of any time an e-bike has a mid-drive motor.

Mid-drive motors add power exactly when and where the rider does—at the crank. That means that the gears that multiply the rider’s effort to get up hills or go roaring back down the other side also multiply the effort of the motor. And because a mid-drive motor uses a torque sensor that spurs the motor to act the very instant it detects pressure on the pedals, there is no lag between when the rider begins pedaling and when the motor sends power to the crank. Even more exciting is that the harder the rider goes, the more the motor will spring into action. And when the rider backs off, the motor chills some, too. As terrific as e-bikes in general are, e-bikes with mid-drive motors … well, there’s no contest to which is more enjoyable. They are worth the upcharge.

Equipped with a 530Wh battery, the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH offers riders terrific range, range that would be surprising for a battery that size were it not the fact that mid-drive motors are known to be more efficient. Our colleagues tested the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH until its battery died both in eco mode and its maximum assist mode. In eco, their test rider covered 63 mi. until needing to call for a lift. And in its max PAS, it still covered 32 mi.—long enough for someone who lives 3 mi. from work to commute all week without recharging.

Because the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH is spec’d with a 250W motor and a 530Wh battery, it carries yet another benefit. This e-bike weighs just 47 lbs. To put that in perspective, we frequently review e-bikes that weigh 20 lbs. more than that, and there are e-bikes that weigh nearly twice that. A small motor and battery mean less weight.

The Enviolo internally geared hub is what happens when an engineer decides to re-think the old-style 3-speed internal hubs. The Enviolo is a CVT—continuously variable transmission. That means that when the rider twists the grip shifter, there aren’t these big changes in gear as the chain moves from one cog to another; rather, the changes are very incremental. The gear range is wider than we often see with 7- or even 8-speed drivetrains, which means easier gears going uphill and a bigger gear for hitting cruising speed.

Specialized pairs the Enviolo hub with a Gates Drive belt. By eliminating the chain, Specialized makes the Turbo Como 3.0 IGH nearly maintenance-free. Gone is the chain that leaves big, black smudges on everything it touches. That Gates belt needs no lube and with the internally geared hub, tuneups essentially become a thing of the past.

Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH Review: Braking, Safety & Warranty

The product team at Specialized chose a Shimano hydraulic disc brake that is designed specifically for entry-level riders. Paired with a 180mm rotor front and a 160mm rotor rear, it is designed to offer a broader range of modulation, making it less likely that a panicked rider will grab the brakes and lock up one or both wheels. This isn’t to say that the brake lacks the power to stop promptly; it’s just easier to modulate than brakes aimed at more experienced riders. It’s little touches like this that help to illustrate just how-well-designed Specialized products are.

This is what happens when a company employs 600 people who spend their lunch hour riding bikes.

A big piece of rider safety stems from being on an e-bike that is reliable. Hopefully, we’ve painted a picture of a company that takes bicycle design very seriously. Beyond reliability, ease of use and confident handling also contribute to rider safety, as does being on the right-sized e-bike.

We don’t often talk about bike security in our reviews. That’s because most of the bikes we review don’t include anything to make them more secure. A couple of brands feature a PIN lock that prevents the motor from being activated without inputting the four-digit code. The people at Specialized understand that a commuter may be locked up outside during the day and they created security features that make their e-bikes arguably the most secure on the market. Specialized’s Master Mind display/control unit integrates with smartphones via their MissionControl app. We could write an entire article on this app and all that it does and while all of its features are useful, for this review there are two we want every reader to know about.

First, with MissionControl, the owner can disable the motor. That doesn’t just mean that an unauthorized person can’t ride this e-bike with the motor, because it is equipped with a mid-drive motor, disabling the motor means disabling the entire drivetrain. The e-bike can’t be pedaled—at all. Second, the app will allow the owner to track the exact location of their e-bike via GPS, just like Apple’s FindMy app.

What’s that kind of security worth? It’s an insurance policy without peer and in our view makes the $3750 price tag on the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH even easier to justify.

Specialized offers one of the best warranties in the bike industry. TheTurbo Como carries a lifetime warranty on the frame and fork, while all parts and factory labor comes with a two-year warranty—not one. Even more impressive is that should an original owner choose to sell their Turbo Como 3.0 IGH, their buyer will enjoy a two-year warranty, thereby increasing the e-bike’s resale value.

As one of the biggest bike brands in the world, Specialized has dealerships in most communities in the U.S. Should someone need service on their Turbo Como, they are unlikely to be more than a few minutes’ drive from an authorized dealer.

Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH Review: Recommendation/Final Verdict

Compared to most commuters, the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH can seem pricey at first glance. In a market dominated by commuters that run $1500-$2000, the nearly $4000 price tag for the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH can seem like a luxury. That cost is backed up with value at every turn, however.

Let’s frame this in terms of cars. Hyundai makes cars of terrific value. The buyer’s dollar goes a long way with a Hyundai. Were we to compare the average commuter to a Hyundai, the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH would be an entry-level BMW. This is a very well-made e-bike that was designed by a team of bike nerds who have made bikes ridden to gold medals at the Olympics. It has the power and handling necessary to make Class 3 speeds seem like an easy cruise. It will make short work of any commute and will be more enjoyable should someone be dedicated enough to commute in yucky weather by keeping them drier. And, compared to any other e-bike we’ve reviewed, it’s the most likely to be right where it’s supposed to be when someone leaves work.

It’s no secret that we are big fans of e-bikes with mid-drive motors. They offer a more enjoyable riding experience and impart a thrill unique to these e-bikes. That’s not to say we don’t like hub-drive motors. Any e-bike is better than no e-bike and we respect anyone’s need to stay within a budget. There is so much about the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH that is well-executed that we would like this e-bike even if it featured a hub motor.

We’ve reviewed Specialized’s Turbo Como 3.0 IGH, which is but one of seven variants of the Turbo Como model. The least-expensive version goes for closer to $3000. The top-of-the-line version goes for closer to $6000. Indeed, they get even fancier than this one.

Most of us have to keep an eye on a predetermined budget when making big purchases. It’s an approach we wouldn’t ever argue against. However, for some purchases, especially those that add to our enjoyment of life, sometimes we take the opportunity to re-think our budget. Were the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH a collection of a bunch of fancy features, we wouldn’t be as wowed by this e-bike. What sets this e-bike apart from most other commuters is that Specialized opted for quality at every turn. This isn’t a luxury item, but it is a cut above, one that more than justifies its cost.

When we consider how much the mid-drive motor increases the rider’s enjoyment of the ride, how the e-bike’s light weight contributes to its good ride, how easy-to-shift and fuss-free the drivetrain is, how much range it achieves with a modest battery and how secure it is, not to mention how plentiful Specialized dealers are, we struggle to find a single reason not to recommend this e-bike to everyone we know.

Thank you for reading through our review of the Specialized Turbo Como 3.0 IGH. Still have further questions? Wondering how it compares to a similar e-bike we’ve reviewed? Let us know in the comments below!