Why did this city commuter fall in love with the Specialized Globe Haul ST cargo e-bike?
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Specialized recently launched a new utility e-bike — the Globe Haul ST — meant for city commuters and suburban cyclists who want a complete system to haul cargo in comfort and style. With 419 pounds of total carrying capacity (including the rider) and a burly 700W motor, the Globe Haul ST can haul groceries, a single passenger and a mix of gear in up to four matching quick-release front and rear panniers or baskets. Specialized also sells a long-tail version of the e-bike — the Globe Haul LT ($3,500) — for riders wanting to carry two kids or even more cargo.
I traveled to my co-working space, the grocery store and numerous events around the city for several months to see how the Globe Haul ST stands up to other utility-style cargo bikes in our ongoing best electric bikes test series. From functionality and comfort to capacity and range, here’s what stands out about this compact cargo hauler.
Specialized Globe Haul ST
A powerful, capable electric cargo bike with plenty of utility for any city or suburban adventure
The Globe Haul ST has more cargo capacity and power than most compact utility e-bikes, so you can commute, carry groceries or haul your kids to school in style and comfort.
What we liked about it
More power than most of its competitors
The Globe Haul ST comes equipped with a 700W hub house-brand drive motor. Most of the short-tail utility bikes we’ve looked at come with 350W or 500W units, so the Globe has significantly more load-hauling, hill-climbing power than many of its rivals — the Rad Power RadRunner 2 ($1,499 $1,299) has a slightly more powerful 750W hub motor, though it falls short of the Haul ST in cargo capacity.
A torque sensor (once a rarity on hub-drive bikes but quickly becoming standard over less responsible cadence sensors) means the Haul ST’s motor responds quickly to changes in your pedaling effort.
The beefy 700W motor is enough to take you and your gear up sizable hills or across town on longer-distance commutes. I was able to power up neighborhood streets and city bridges with more than 10% grades without a change in speed or control. The same was true when the bike was loaded up with groceries. Switching into high gear across the e-bike’s nine-speed cassette, especially in Level 4 and Level 5 assist speed, I topped out at 28 miles per hour in under a minute.
The Haul ST is sold as a Class 3 e-bike, meaning you get pedal assist power up to 28 miles per hour. An intuitive handlebar-mounted computer keeps you posted on your speed and battery life, and it includes a toggle to let you choose from five levels of pedal assist, from a slow cruise to a high-speed commute. If you prefer a more moped-like experience, you can convert the Globe Haul to a throttle-driven Class 2 e-bike by installing Specialized’s plug-in Globe Throttle ($50). The conversion limits the motor to 20 miles per hour (that’s part of the Class 2 specification) while using the throttle, though you still get pedal assist up to 28 miles per hour.
Impressive cargo capacity and range
With the ability to haul up to 419 pounds of cargo (including the rider), this bike doesn’t skimp on carrying capacity — it can carry as much as many full-size cargo bikes, and outhauls short-tail competitors like REI’s Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1 ($1,499 $899), the Velotric Go 1 ($1,799 $1,299) and the Rad Power RadRunner 2 ($1,499 $1,299).
The Globe Haul ST’s 772 Wh battery gives you 60 miles maximum range (based on riding in mostly flat conditions), and it charges from empty to full in about seven hours. In my testing, I was able to get around 30 miles of almost pure throttle riding in Class 2 mode before depleting the battery. In Class 3 mode, while mostly pedaling with Level 3 and Level 4 assist engaged, I averaged one bar of power loss over 20 miles, so I’d expect to get near the maximum capacity. I used the throttle a handful of times while in Class 2 mode during my testing to get through traffic lights or accelerate quickly after stopping at a stop sign.
The bottom line is that the battery held plenty of charge to propel me on a day’s worth of commuting in the city, leisurely rides and errand runs around my neighborhood. Keep in mind, the more you use the throttle or push the pedal assist to its limits and the more weight you carry, the quicker you’ll drain the battery.
Supreme comfort and stability
The Globe Haul ST is an extremely comfortable ride — a result of its sturdy frame, big cushy seat and motor efficiency. The throttle provided a smooth and efficient transition from a standstill to a quick roll without any sudden jerks or choppiness. With an extra burst of torque, I was able to move faster and more safely after stopping at a stop sign or red light, and it let me move in and out of the flow of traffic with confidence. I front-mounted the panniers using the fork-mounted adapters, which adds stability, and found the handling effortless. I always felt in control and stable while riding this e-bike.
The one-size-fits-all frame is, according to Specialized, designed using the Retül database. It can be fine-tuned to fit a variety of body types simply by adjusting the seatpost, stem and handlebars to suit rider height as needed. The two-segment adjustable seatpost makes adjusting for riders of different heights simple.
Wide range of matching accessories
The Haul ST comes equipped with powerful front and tail lights that you can adjust the brightness of while you ride, a bike bell, a kickstand and an automatic locking battery. Sizable fenders also cover the front and back tires, and did an excellent job keeping water and snowmelt off me while riding.
As with most utility bikes, you can customize the Globe Haul ST with matching accessories like front and back racks, bucket-style panniers, cargo rails, a passenger seat and handlebars and more. Specialized’s design sensibility is clear throughout the lineup, and everything looks smoothly integrated with the bike when mounted — points for style on the bucket-style panniers, front rack and more, which complement the clean paint job and beefy front and rear racks nicely.
What we didn’t like about it
Heavy compared to competitors and challenging to store
Despite its appeal as an ideal cargo city bike, the Globe Haul ST is a beast of a bike. Battery included, this e-bike clocks in at over 77 pounds — about 10 pounds heavier than its short-tail competitors from Rad Power and Velotric. Add on cargo and it’s even heavier, of course.
In all honesty, like most cargo and utility bikes, the Globe Haul ST can be a challenging bike to own if you live somewhere without ground level (or close to ground level) storage. My three-story condo building has a small set of six concrete stairs I need to lug the Globe Haul ST up and down for use or storage. It’s a Herculean feat for me to get the bike up, and even down, the stairs.
That said, the Haul ST has a carrying capacity more in line with long-tail cargo bikes, so the heavy build does have some benefits. Still, this bike is best suited for an urban dweller who has access to a shed or garage storage, or folks in the suburbs.
The bike requires occasional updates via an app
During the second month of testing, while out on my 20-mile test ride, the speedometer randomly started jumping around, and at times stopped tracking speed altogether. I took it over to my local Specialized bike store, where the technician promptly pulled up the Globe App on his phone. He ran a brief software update, which took about two minutes, and took the bike out on a test ride. The problem was resolved. I had never installed the app, so I hadn’t seen the update.
As we’ve mentioned before, our editorial and testing team aren’t the biggest fans of e-bikes that require an app for use. And while you don’t need the app to operate the Globe Haul ST or LT, you will want to download it to troubleshoot any issues or to keep up with and manage system updates as needed.
Bottom line
If you’re a city commuter or suburban cyclist who needs maximum hauling capacity and motor power in a relatively compact e-bike and you’ve got space to store it, you should definitely consider making the Globe Haul ST your pick.
While you’ll pay considerably more for this model than the somewhat comparable Velotric Go 1 ($1,799 $1,299), Rad Power RadRunner 2 ($1,499 $1,299) and REI Co-op Generation e1.1 ($1,499 $899) e-bikes, the Globe Haul ST offers the best mix of cargo capacity and motor power of the bunch and is among the few compact utility bikes with Class 3 top speeds of 28 miles per hour. Also, while all of these bike brands offer a variety of accessories for cargo and passenger hauling, Specialized covers all of the bases with a nicely matched, simple-to-use set of bags and add-ons for both applications.
The Haul is a stylish, slick-looking bike with a unique, minimalist look, and frame and components have a fit and finish that’s just nicer all around than the cheaper competitors — important considerations for a bike you’re planning to live with long term. And it comes from a veteran bike brand with a broad dealer network, so you’re likely to find a dealer near you where you can give it a test ride to make sure it’s for you. So no matter if you’re new to e-bike commuting or ready to swap your car for a cleaner transportation option, the Globe Haul ST can carry whatever you want to bring along for the ride.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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