When it comes to racing, the “S” is always up front: Florian Lipowitz rides the Specialized Tarmac to a Tour de France podium, and Loïc Bruni racks up downhill world titles aboard his Specialized Demo. All that’s missing is an urban world championship – though, sadly, there’s no trophy yet for the fastest commuter. But if there were, chances are the winner would be sitting on this rocket: the Specialized Turbo Vado SL 2 S-Racing LTD.
That’s right! The Turbo Vado SL 2 was originally designed as a city and fitness bike – available as the EQ version with mudguards and a rack, or as a step-through for maximum comfort. But with this strictly limited edition, Specialized unleashed their performance crew. The result? A city e-rocket infused with the manufacturer’s racing DNA: SRAM RED drivetrain and brakes, Roval carbon wheels, and a one-piece carbon cockpit straight out of the XC and high-end road racing world leave no doubt about its intentions.
The goal: an ultra-light e-bike built for fast commuting, fitness, and exploration. To make sure even casual city riders feel blazing fast on the climbs, it comes with Specialized’s SL 1.2 Light-Assist motor paired with a 520 Wh battery. As a result, the Turbo Vado SL 2 LTD S-Racing tips the scales at just 14.14 kg in size L, retailing at an eye-watering € 9,999. Sounds like an uncompromising city racer. But how does it ride? Let’s find out!
Specialized Turbo Vado SL 2 LTD S-Racing – What Do the DOWNTOWN Magazine and Specialized Team Riders Have in Common?
Thursday morning. The smell of freshly-ground coffee drifts through the office, with caffeine bombs waking up the last sleepy corners in the office. Routine – until suddenly the doorbell rings. “Come out to the courtyard, something’s about to happen!” someone calls. And we already know: this won’t be an ordinary workday. Because Stephan Barth, EMEA Category Marketing Lead Active at Specialized, has brought a surprise …
Out of nowhere, a bright-red heavyweight rolls into view: the Specialized Porto in blazing red. As eye-catching as the color is, the real highlight is the load at the back – and the question of how it made it onto a cargo bike. For this special moment, Specialized reworked the Porto with a custom setup to haul not one, but two Turbo Vado SL 2 S-Racing LTDs in great style. The sight alone would make any shaggy mule question its life choices. Together with Stephan, the two bikes, and the hefty construction, the rig tipped the scales at a solid 175 kg. And it still had room to spare: the compact powerhouse can handle up to 200 kg. By the way, we’ve already tested the Porto – if you want to know how the workhorse rides, you can find the full review here: Specialized Porto on Test.
Mounted on the custom-built rack are two brand-new Specialized Turbo Vado SL 2 S-Racing LTDs – two of just 220 units worldwide. And in that moment, it’s clear: this isn’t a normal test. Because this isn’t a normal bike. The Turbo Vado SL 2 S-Racing isn’t a city e-bike for everyday use, nor a mass-market model with fenders and a pannier rack. Instead, it’s a strictly-limited special edition with just one goal: maximum riding fun! With the front wheels perched on the Porto’s front rack, the cargo bike suddenly looks like a support car at a classic road race. A bold entrance, no doubt!
Stephan casually mentions that only a handful of people have received the strictly limited Turbo Vado SL 2 S-Racing LTD: Peter Sagan, Florian Lipowitz … and us, the DOWNTOWN Magazine. Sharing a podium with three-time road world champion Peter Sagan and this year’s Tour de France third-place finisher – and Germany’s rising star in road racing – Florian Lipowitz? That’s something we could get used to. Or rather, something we’ll have to, because our gaping mouths and wide eyes told a very different story when the bright-red surprise rolled up in front of us.
Specialized is deeply rooted in racing – but how much of that really rubs off on the Active line? With its carbon parts and high-end road bike groupset, the Turbo Vado SL 2 S-Racing LTD strongly suggests that there’s more racing DNA in this city bike than you’d ever expect – at least at first glance!
If you want to find out whether the limited Vado SL 2 S-Racing LTD is more of a lifestyle statement or a true city rocket, how it performs in everyday use – and whether the €9,999 price tag is justified, you can read the full article in our sister magazine DOWNTOWN.
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Words: Robin Ulbrich Photos: Jan Richter
