First look: 2012 Specialized Source commuter

By Shannon Mominee

At the 2012 Specialized product launch in Monterey, California my time was scheduled predominantly toward the mountain bike aspect of the show, but I was glad to see that time was slotted for me to see the Specialized city/commuter bikes.

New for the coming year is the Specialized Source. It’s basically a Specialized Sirrus E5 aluminum frame with internal cable routing and disc brakes, but spec’d for commuting. It will be available in an Expert build with the traditional derailleur setup, or as the Eleven with a Shimano Alfine 11-speed internally geared hub and belt drive. Both the Expert and Eleven feature a Dynamo front hub that powers the front and rear lights via the energy produced as the wheel spins. The Dynamo can also be completely turned off for dragless, zero friction riding, unlike older models.

The Source Eleven has a very cool set of color matched fenders, and looking closer the rear fender has an integrated rack with a 22lb. limit and integrated tail light. Deep-V style rims and lots of spokes create a durable wheelset able to survive the city streets and the reflective stripe on the tires helps you survive as well. The straight handlebar includes a bell and bar-ends. A kickstand is also standard issue. The belt drive model will retail for about $2,600 and both versions are claimed to weigh under 30lbs.