Specialized Globe Haul LT Spec Review
The Globe Haul LT is a utility e-bike that can carry up to three people or up to six panniers, or some mix therein. In our Globe Haul LT review we will look at what we know so far about this e-bike and what we can infer about its design based on our knowledge from testing the Globe Haul ST.
The big difference between the Haul ST and the Haul LT is capacity. With the Globe Haul ST, a rider can carry one child and some stuff, thanks to mounts for a front rack and front panniers, or they can carry four panniers, but no extra people. With the Haul LT, a rider can carry two kids and some stuff—again the front rack and front panniers, or they can carry one kid and lots of stuff—four panniers and a front rack, or they can carry all the stuff by mounting six panniers, by which time a front rack may not be necessary, but it’s there in case you’re going full Kris Kringle.
Specialized differentiated the Globe e-bikes from Specialized’s other e-bikes like the Turbo Levo, Turbo Vado and Turbo Como for a simple reason: market position. Where Specialized’s e-bikes all feature mid-drive motors made by Brose to Specialized’s specifications, the Globe e-bikes feature hub motors and carry a suggested retail price that is noticeably lower than Specialized’s other e-bikes.
The Specialized Globe Haul ST was one of the more exciting e-bikes introduced in 2022. There were plenty of reasons to be excited, too. First was that it was Specialized’s least expensive e-bike ever. Second was that it was Specialized’s first one-size-fits-most e-bike. Third was the Globe Haul marked their first use of a hub motor, which brings down the cost of an e-bike. And fourth was how Specialized chose to use a rack system that had been adopted by multiple brands, which brings consistency in production and an expanded range of products. The Globe Haul LT takes all of that and adds room for another passenger.
Specialized Globe Haul LT Spec Review: Bike Overview
While Specialized hasn’t released the specs for the Globe Haul LT just yet, we can infer a number of details based on photos and the published specs for the Globe Haul ST. One of the few details they have released regarding the Globe Haul LT is its suggested retail price—$3500.
The basics go like so: The Globe Haul LT features an aluminum frame and fork, a hub motor, 20-in. wheels, a 9-speed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, not to mention a design that will adapt this e-bike to a greater range of riders than most one-size e-bikes. Depending on how the rider wants to use the Globe Haul LT, a variety of seats, racks and panniers (saddle bags) can be mounted to tailor it to the user.
For most shoppers, the difference between a short-tail (or compact) utility e-bike and a long-tail e-bike comes down to kid(s). The choice buyers face is between an e-bike that can carry only one child and the e-bike that can carry two. For families with only one child or planning only one child, the Haul ST is the obvious choice. But for families that are bigger than that or are planning to expand beyond that, the Haul LT begins to make more sense. Even for families with more than two kids, the Haul LT can make great sense if there are circumstances that don’t require taking the whole fam.
As a utility e-bike for businesses, the Globe Haul LT is most likely to see use with companies that deliver or move anything that doesn’t involve a hot meal. Restaurants have a couple of constraints that make a short-tail utility e-bike preferable: There’s the fact that most kitchens can only produce so much food at a time. There’s also the need to deliver food hot, which means spending less time in a box, no matter how well insulated. Bottom line: It’s better to make more, shorter trips where food delivery is concerned. But just imagine if the USPS or UPS began using these.
Specialized Globe Haul LT Review: Specs & Features
Frame and Fork
Like its stablemate, the Globe Haul LT features an aluminum frame and steel fork. Because this is Specialized, the frame and fork carry a lifetime warranty, which is no small matter considering this e-bike is meant to carry heavier loads than the average e-bike.
The Globe Haul ST features a design that does a better job at accommodating a wide range of riders than any other one-size e-bike we’ve reviewed, and the Haul LT uses these same design elements. First, the seat tube is very short and features a telescoping design (a seatpost within a seatpost) that can be adjusted from as little as 20.4 in. to as tall as 33.5 in. The stem can also be adjusted up or down (it uses a design that lost favor but makes lots of sense for e-bikes) from as low as 41.4 in. above the ground to as high as 46.9 in.
A long-tail e-bike needs a reinforced frame if it is to carry more weight than its short-tail counterpart. Specialized didn’t just extend the cargo deck and chainstays and push the rear wheel back. Yes, the cargo deck is longer, but Specialized added a tube behind the seat tube running aft from the bottom bracket to the tubes of the cargo deck. They also added two tubes per side running from the chainstays to the cargo deck. No word yet on the weight capacity, but the capacity for the Haul ST was 419 lbs. and because so much of the frame design is similar and the fork and wheels are the same, it seems likely that the Globe Haul LT will have a similar, if not greater, weight rating.
Motor and Battery
With the Globe Haul ST, Specialized equipped the e-bike with a 700W brushless, geared hub motor and a 772Wh battery that took up most of the room between the head tube and seat tube as well as the top tube and down tube. While Specialized could choose to go with a larger hub motor, in our previous test of the Globe Haul ST, we found it to be one of the best-climbing e-bikes we have ever reviewed. This is a Class 3 motor capable of assisting riders up to 28 mph (and there’s an optional throttle).
In our testing of the Globe Haul ST we saw real-world range numbers of 38 mi. (PAS 5) and 54 mi. (PAS 1). The longer frame of the Globe Haul LT will increase overall e-bike weight of between 5 and 15 lbs., depending on what accessories are mounted, which will bring the range down some, though not dramatically.
One of our favorite features of the Globe Haul ST was the torque meter that gave it the ability to accelerate the moment someone began pedaling and to respond to changes in the rider’s effort.
Componentry
Like the Globe Haul ST, the LT comes equipped with a motorcycle-style dual-leg kickstand that will hold the e-bike upright while it is being both loaded and unloaded. This is as handy for dealing with kids as groceries.
In our many years of reviewing both bikes and e-bikes we don’t think we’ve ever encountered anything with as many mounting points as the Globe Haul LT. It features two sets of water bottle mounts, one on either side of the head tube along with mounts for a rack or basket on the front of the head tube. The fork includes mounts for both a rack and fenders, and more.
Behind the rider, the frame includes a dozen mounting points per side as well as a set of foot pegs, and that leaves out the mounting points for the rear rack, which could conceivably be replaced with another sort of rack.
Specialized shows the Globe Haul LT configured in a few ways, including with six panniers that look like large oval buckets and with running boards and an aluminum enclosure that not only gives kids a place to hold on, but will keep all but the smallest of Houdini from escaping mid-ride.
To further allow riders to adjust the Globe Haul LT to their comfort, it comes with the same aluminum riser bar as found on the Globe Haul ST. And as we mentioned earlier, it features the same stem found on the ST which can be raised and lowered with a single Allen wrench.
In addition to the rear rack, Specialized also includes front and rear fenders as well as front and rear lights.
Drivetrain, Brakes and Wheels
Many of the component selections on the Globe Haul LT are likely to be carry-overs from the Haul ST. Why do we think that? In many cases, Specialized made upscale choices, such as the Tektro 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 203mm rotors.
The Globe Haul LT appears to be spec’d with the same 9-speed Microshift drivetrain as the Haul ST. It is equipped with an 11-36 cassette to give riders a more than 300 percent gearing range, making it a terrific option for riders who have to negotiate hills on their daily runs.
We expect the Globe Haul LT will roll on the same 36-spoke wheels found on the Globe Haul ST, and they will be shod with Specialized’s Carless Whisper tires, which measure 20 x 3.5 in.
EBR’s Globe Haul LT First Look Review:
While we love compact cargo e-bikes for their ease of use and lighter weight, long-tail cargo e-bikes offer greater flexibility for carrying people and stuff. That flexibility can be important when dealing with an e-bike that will never offer all the capacity of an SUV.
Car reviewers sometimes note that people will select an SUV when car shopping because of its ability to handle contingencies. They are big enough to carry far more than the average sedan, but don’t suffer from the boxy look of a minivan.
The Specialized Globe Haul LT offers a similar sense of contingency for e-bike riders. This is an e-bike that if equipped for kids in the rear and with two panniers and a rack in front can handle school pickup combined with a trip to the grocery store.
Of the few details Specialized has released regarding the Globe Haul LT, aside from these photos, is that the retail price will be $3500. That’s a noticeable jump from the $2800 of the Globe Haul ST. That may not qualify for the budget-oriented shopper, but considering that long-tail cargo bikes typically start at more than $4000, Specialized will shake up the market with this e-bike.
The MIK rack system Specialized has utilized with the Globe Haul ST and LT offers manufacturers a standard to design and build accessories that will give consumers more choice when outfitting their e-bike. They won’t be tied to accessories from the maker of their e-bike. As it stands, Specialized already offers more than a dozen different accessories dedicated to the Globe Haul and dozens more that work on a variety of Specialized models.
Parents who want to drive less, ride more and not have to get the car every time they need to drop kids off or need to pick them up somewhere will find the Specialized Globe Haul LT to be a cost-effective alternative to driving. It’s a good deal more fun, too.