E-bikes were everywhere at Sea Otter this year. Heck, there was even an e-mountain bike race. But there was one e-bike at the show that stood head and shoulders above the rest. Specialized’s ’74 Scrambler won the hearts, if not the minds, of many mountain bikers with a soft spot for old dirt bikes.
Robert Egger's with his latest creation
“I love 70s motorcycles,” said Robert Egger, the creator of this concept bike.
Egger formerly held the title of creative director at Specialized, though he was recently promoted (at least we think it’s a promotion) to “trouble maker.”
“I want to challenge what we think of as bicycles,” he added.
Egger has been doing precisely that for most of his nearly three decade-long tenure with Specialized. He has designed concept bikes such as the “FUCI” time trial machine that flips a middle finger to the UCI’s strict regulations on frame geometry and design.
For this project, Egger combined his love of custom dirt bikes with his seemingly inherent need to shake things up. The result is the ’74 Scrambler, an electric-assist bicycle with a retro motorcycle aesthetic.
Interview: Specialized designer Robert Egger
The ’74 Scrambler is constructed from hodgepodge of components.
It rolls on Specialized’s 26x4.6in Ground Control fat bike tires. A RockShox Bluto fork provides the front suspension. The Scramber’s rear suspensions is supplied by a pair of Öhlins TTX shocks. The dual coil rear end gives this bike a very period-correct appearance.
A pair of Öhlins TTX shocks brings up the rear
Specialized is always on the hunt for clever ways to incorporate its SWAT storage system into new designs and the Scrambler is no different. It has a massive compartment to hold a tube, tire levers and CO2. The gas tank, sadly, has not been utilized yet.
The Scrambler's handy SWAT compartment
There’s no torquey two-stroke here; the Scrambler is powered by the same electric pedal-assist motor that Specialized uses on its other e-bikes, such as the recently-introduced Turbo Levo FSR 6Fattie.
Pedal assist is provided by Brose
I took a quick spin on the Scrambler and was eager to ditch the pedals for a throttle. Since it’s still just an e-bike, you have to make your own “braaaap!” noises — the gentle “bzzzzzz” of the electric motor just isn’t the same.
Scroll through the gallery for more details of Egger’s creation.
