New Specialized Turbo Porto is a high-tech hauler

Specialized has launched a grocery-getting, kid-moving machine that’s equipped with top-level features. The e-cargo bike is called the Specialized Turbo Porto. While most e-cargo bikes ship without accessories, the Porto comes with some well-considered ones, so you can put it to work right away.

The Specialized Turbo Porto drive unit

At the heart of the Specialized Turbo Porto is the company’s 2.2 motor, made in partnership with Brose. It provides you with 90 Nm of torque, which is more than some eMTBs. The 710-Wh battery has enough juice for roughly five hours of riding. Speaking of five-hours, that’s also the amount of time it takes to charge it fully. The head unit—the MasterMind Turbo Connect Display—lets you select one of three assist modes: eco, sport and turbo. You can customize the behaviour of each level using Specialized’s app. Also, as you are riding, you can switch into Micro Tune, which lets you set assist levels on the fly.

While not part of the drive unit, the Garmin rear radar is wired into the system. It’s like a set of eyes watching the road behind you. It will alert you when there’s a vehicle approaching.

Other key components of the Specialized Turbo Porto

The Turbo Porto uses the Enviolo shifting system. It has a belt drive, and no gears. Yup. No gears. When you use the grip shift, you don’t select cogs or set crank-to-wheel-rotation ratios. Instead, the bearings and rings within the rear hub let you move through a range of ratios smoothly, not in steps. I’m sure you’ve found yourself wanting a gear right between, say, the fourth and fifth cog. Well, with the Enviolo system, you have a seemingly infinite amount of settings between the top and bottom end of the range.

A set of four-piston Tektro Dorado brakes bring the Turbo Porto to a stop. They work in conjunction with 203-mm-diameter rotors.

A mullet setup for an e-cargo bike

The bike has a low centre of gravity to keep it stable, especially under loads. It can handle a maximum weight, rider and cargo, of 160 kg. The bike itself ain’t light, about 40 kg, which is comparable to the Trek Fetch+ 2. The frame has a step-through design so it’s easy to get on and off.

The Specialized Turbo Porto can fit riders from 155 cm to 195 cm (5′ to 6’4″). Its stem and seatpost are adjustable.

To really dial in the bike’s handling, Specialized went with a mix of wheel sizes. There’s a 20″-diameter wheel at the back. It keeps the weight of the rear cargo or back passenger low, and the bike’s handling a bit zippier than a larger wheel. Up front, designers opted for a 24″ wheel because it worked best with the 68-degree head-tube angle and 48 mm of fork offset. A smaller wheel was a little too twitchy. Also, the 24″ hoop offers a better rollover ability. Both wheels run on 2.8″ Specialized Pathfinder tires.

Important accessories included

The prices you see for many e-cargo bikes simply include the base models. They don’t come with accessories, such as racks or seat pads or rails. For a cargo bike to be truly useful, you need that stuff. The listed price of the Specialized Turbo Porto, $9,000, includes a whack of good stuff. There’s the front rack with a carrying capacity of 20 kg. (I’m a big fan of front racks on cargo bikes. They’re great for quicker errands.) There’s also the back rack (but not rails, seat pads or foot support) that can hold 60 kg. The base model ships with an Abus Bordo lock. It immobilizes the front wheel. The lock’s key will also unlock the battery.

Added security comes via the Turbo System Lock, which disables the motor and activates a motion-sensor alarm.

Fenders and the rear-wheel cover ship with the bike, as do a mirror, a small bag behind the seat tube, and front and rear lights.

How to carry passengers

If you want to shuttle a kid or two around, there are some necessary add-ons you need to spring for. You’ll need to add a seat pad or two, safety rails, and foot platforms or pegs. (See prices below.) That setup is for the bigger kids. For tinier passengers, you can attach child seats. The rear rack is compatible with seats that use the MIK HD system.

An extra, extra

The Specialized Turbo Porto can haul a trailer. For that, you’ll need a special mount that attaches to a rear metal fender stay. You can tow a maximum of 60 kg.

The Canadian prices of the Specialized Turbo Porto and its accessories

Specialized Turbo Porto	Price
Base model	$9,000
Porto foot pegs	$40
Porto foot platforms	$350
Porto passenger seat	$70
Porto safety rails	$200

The Specialized Turbo Porto is available in Canada now.