EBR made me do it! (new Vado SL 5.0 EQ)

[Stefan Mikes]

Not sure whether iPhone can do it but my Samsung S24 U has a Greyscale mode. It can be combined with the lowest resolution of the display, all giving huge energy saving. Now, using a phone GPS app requires turning the Battery Saver mode off. As S24U supports Modes and Routines, I made an Exercise Mode that makes the phone go low resolution, Greyscale and Battery Saver off with a single click I could restrict many unwanted apps for the Exercise mode if I wanted as well...

 

[Chargeride]

Right.

You asked whether you could charge your phone from the e-bike, and the answer was 'not'. Equipping our e-bikes took some of us years according to growing needs and experience. Similarly to @DaveMatthews, it took me a long time to ride with the smartphone on the bars and a powerbank. (Despite owning a Samsung S24 Ultra now -- the battery holding for two days with a proper configuration -- I still carry a powerbank in my pannier just in case). I bought my first Wahoo only after I could not bear using a smartphone on e-bike anymore (and smashing yet another phone).

Which reminded me of an adventurous day in West Pomerania. West Pomerania is (I guess) one of the wildest areas of Poland (sparsely populated, forests, wolves, etc). On the second e-bike ride of that day, I had to ride with the powerbank in my jersey back pocket and the cable extending to the handlebars When I was thinking of that very day, I recollected that was the single occasion when tubeless saved my day (and me in that wilderness!) I was actually thinking on that day on last Wednesday. Which reminded me of something really important!

When I go for a long or critical ride, I carry several items in my pannier:

• A set of hex wrenches, so nothing will become loose... Check.
• A repair set for the chain, so chain wouldn't even get the idea to break... Check.
• A first aid kit, disinfectant, pads, bandage, patches, so no crash would (of course) happen... Check.
• Toilet paper, so I wouldn't... Check.
• A pump... Wait, didn't I forget something?

I've been riding my Vado SL tubeless for 4 months now. Except regular re-inflation and a single sealant replenishment, I even didn't think of catching a flat. But I was missing the security, the tubeless repair set! I ordered one on Wednesday: a Lezyne one that even included CO2 cartridges for re-seating the tyre bead on the rim. On Thursday evening, I happily pedalled my Vado SL to the nearest InPost parcel locker. To my surprise, the QR code from the app produced an "Authorization Error" in the system, for the first time in my life! What could have gone wrong?! Well, I ordered the delivery not to that parcel locker but to the gardening store a kilometre away...

I wrote this to give you Jeremy a little bit of distraction!

View attachment 181906
My Vado SL holds very well!

Stefan mentions wolves and not a single response, you can tell its an American forum.

 

[Watana Bob]

Thanks! My neighbor has a Bulls similar to yours. Very nice bike.

Going to a lower-power ebike at 76 could be pure folly on my part. If I'm not strong enough a rider after all, or if my knees reject the added loads, at least I tried. Nothing lost but some pride.

The good news: Most current riding habits should transfer nicely to the SL. Always pedal with effort at generally low assist and use the throttle only to reduce knee strain — always on top of pedaling. Also rely heavily on gearing to keep cadence at 80-90 RPM.

Getting stronger by riding more with motor off and climbing lots of hills in the last 2 months. To make up for loss of the throttle, practicing downshifting at every stop and finding other ways to squirt through intersections.

There'll still be a learning curve with the SL but probably not a drastic one.

Jeremy you will be fine on the Vado SL. I just picked up my new Turbo Creo 2 and was shocked at how nimble and fast that it was, even though you have 8 years on me I am physically 15 years older than you with very weak legs due to a late onset form of muscular dystrophy. I went up hills that I would use the sport setting on my old Bosch mid drive previously and used sport on the new Creo on same hills with no problems. If you can ride your current bike unassisted, you will feel like superman on your new ride. I've only ever ridden my old 54 lb. mid drive unassisted once when I suffered a crash that snapped my controller, and I had to ride it home about 2 miles- that was a real Jane Fonda workout! The Creo I road several miles initially before even turning on the power and it was easy-peezy. I would have gone with the Vado but I was concerned with the 35 vs. 50 newton meters of torque in my diminished condition. My only experience with the SL was in Hawaii a couple of years ago where I was able to rent a SL 4.0 for a few days, mainly a flat area and I did fine with it but this disease is progressive and I figured the extra 15 N.M would be needed now. Battery burn has been on par with my Bosch system, about 2% per mile with some unassisted some eco and some sport. I can probably expect 40-45 miles in mixed terrain the way I ride.
I have a feeling that you are going to be an animal on that bike and be loving it, hell you'll probably even be sleeping with it!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Stefan mentions wolves and not a single response, you can tell its an American forum.

Ah, sweet memories from the West Pomeranian wilderness! At one November 2021 night, I woke up before the dawn in a very small town of Tuczno (@Brix hometown). I realized we had no coffee in the guesthouse! The nearest service station was located 12 km away in another mini town of Człopa (West Pomerania is our Wild West and is really sparsely populated!) I jumped into the car and was driving in the darkness and thick fog. At any time, a big beast such as a moose could jump out the forest! And meeting wolves was quite probable!

Had coffee and brought one (still hot) to Brix; still dense fog but at least it was bright!

Later on the same day.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Ah, sweet memories from the West Pomeranian wilderness! At one November 2021 night, I woke up before the dawn in a very small town of Tuczno (@Brix hometown). I realized we had no coffee in the guesthouse! The nearest service station was located 12 km away in another mini town of Człopa (West Pomerania is our Wild West and is really sparsely populated!) I jumped into the car and was driving in the darkness and thick fog. At any time, a big beast such as a moose could jump out the forest! And meeting wolves was quite probable!

Had coffee and brought one (still hot) to Brix; still dense fog but at least it was bright!

View attachment 181974
Later on the same day.

Totally get it, my friend. Who wouldn't brave wolves for morning coffee?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Jeremy you will be fine on the Vado SL. I just picked up my new Turbo Creo 2 and was shocked at how nimble and fast that it was, even though you have 8 years on me I am physically 15 years older than you with very weak legs due to a late onset form of muscular dystrophy. I went up hills that I would use the sport setting on my old Bosch mid drive previously and used sport on the new Creo on same hills with no problems. If you can ride your current bike unassisted, you will feel like superman on your new ride. I've only ever ridden my old 54 lb. mid drive unassisted once when I suffered a crash that snapped my controller, and I had to ride it home about 2 miles- that was a real Jane Fonda workout! The Creo I road several miles initially before even turning on the power and it was easy-peezy. I would have gone with the Vado but I was concerned with the 35 vs. 50 newton meters of torque in my diminished condition. My only experience with the SL was in Hawaii a couple of years ago where I was able to rent a SL 4.0 for a few days, mainly a flat area and I did fine with it but this disease is progressive and I figured the extra 15 N.M would be needed now. Battery burn has been on par with my Bosch system, about 2% per mile with some unassisted some eco and some sport. I can probably expect 40-45 miles in mixed terrain the way I ride.
I have a feeling that you are going to be an animal on that bike and be loving it, hell you'll probably even be sleeping with it!

Thanks for the encouragement! Plan A, knees permitting, is to make myself strong enough for the SL if at all possible. I think I have a pretty good shot at it.

I've been dreaming of sleeping with the SL for weeks now, but pretty sure I'll have to do it on the couch.
;^}

Hats off for going with the Creo 2 with progressive muscular dystrophy to deal with. If I may ask, does riding help in any way, or is it just a good distraction? Or maybe an act of defiance?

 

[Watana Bob]

Hats off for going with the Creo 2 with progressive muscular dystrophy to deal with. If I may ask, does riding help in any way, or is it just a good distraction? Or maybe an act of defiance?

I think it more the distraction Jeremy, it is also good to get out and get some fresh air through my lungs. I find it very difficult to walk more than a quarter of a mile, so riding is a good way to see the things on back roads and out of the way places that I would rarely drive. The doctors encourage me to keep moving, just don’t push so hard to where I have sore muscles the next day as with this disease you can’t build muscle, if you ache, you have destroyed muscle and accelerate your destiny to the wheelchair. I probably did a lot of damage about ten years ago before I had a diagnosis. I found myself getting weaker and often fatigued so I decided I would work hard on the treadmill and build up my legs and lungs, but over the course of two years I only got worse even though I would exercise to exhaustion. I got the bad gene from my mom ( she was mis diagnosed with polymyositis before genetic testing was available) she was in a wheelchair at the age of 66, so I’m doing a little better than her at 68 though I feel I am biking on borrowed time. I sold a float plane this spring that I had for 41 years so decided to splurge on a couple of new bikes for my wife and I, just hope that I have a year or two to enjoy it. Does no good to have cash shoveled in on top of your coffin, might as well enjoy it now!

 

[Chargeride]

Ah, sweet memories from the West Pomeranian wilderness! At one November 2021 night, I woke up before the dawn in a very small town of Tuczno (@Brix hometown). I realized we had no coffee in the guesthouse! The nearest service station was located 12 km away in another mini town of Człopa (West Pomerania is our Wild West and is really sparsely populated!) I jumped into the car and was driving in the darkness and thick fog. At any time, a big beast such as a moose could jump out the forest! And meeting wolves was quite probable!

Had coffee and brought one (still hot) to Brix; still dense fog but at least it was bright!

View attachment 181974
Later on the same day.

Im now checking out West Pomerania

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Just when I thought my hike on Santa Cruz Island* on this gorgeous day couldn't get any better, I got this text from Carlsbad Specialized:

Hey Jeremy. Happy SUNday! GREAT NEWS. Your NEW BIKE is ready for pick up. We went ahead and installed ALL THE ACCESSORIES for you to be able to properly test ride it to ensure THIS IS THE BIKE FOR YOU!

Wish I could pick it up today, but will have to wait till Friday afternoon 9/13.

* Northern Channel Islands, off the SoCal coast from Ventura to Santa Barbara.

 

[Chargeride]

Ok , it seems the Germans have stolen a bit of this wild and beautiful, killer wolf infested part of Poland.

Gorgeous looking buildings and coastal cliffs, but it is the Baltic sea, and a well know saying for us Brits is to refer to that cold that bores into your bones as.
'Its bleedin Baltic here'.

But theres loads of people on the beach, are they just tough?

 

[DaveMatthews]

Just when I thought my hike on Santa Cruz Island* on this gorgeous day couldn't get any better, I got this text from Carlsbad Specialized:



Wish I could pick it up today, but will have to wait till Friday afternoon 9/13.

* Northern Channel Islands, off the SoCal coast from Ventura to Santa Barbara.

It's happening...

 

[Prairie Dog]

I've been dreaming of sleeping with the SL for weeks now, but pretty sure I'll have to do it on the couch.

Nah, you do realize that there are alternatives. We're all stoked for you!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Wish I could pick it up today, but will have to wait till Friday afternoon 9/13.

What a great news Jeremy! Now, your e-bike will be waiting for you!

Ok , it seems the Germans have stolen a bit of this wild and beautiful, killer wolf infested part of Poland.

Gorgeous looking buildings and coastal cliffs, but it is the Baltic sea, and a well know saying for us Brits is to refer to that cold that bores into your bones as.
'Its bleedin Baltic here'.

But theres loads of people on the beach, are they just tough?

The history of West Pomerania is too complicated to explain it. Suffice to say the region was Prussian then German since 1713. Pomerania proper (to the east) was Polish by 1772, then it was stolen by Prussia. Even farther to the east, there was East Prussia. Post WW2, Poland lost all her eastern lands but was given a lot of former German area for compensation. Having said that, Szczecin (Stettin) was always a German city but Tuczno (Tütz) was actually stolen in 1772.

The recovery of West Pomerania led to the depopulation of the region, and to thoughtless demolition of many beautiful towns (such as Tuczno). Only 1.6 million people live there, of which 390 thousand live in Szczecin alone. West Pomerania is bigger than Wales! Go figure.

Poland now has some 500 km of sand beaches, making the coast a popular holiday destination. I'd say it is very warm on the beaches in the summer, while the seawater temperature can range between 18 and 22 C (as the sea is shallow). People seem not to mind, and the sea coast in the summer is full (and deadly expensive!) It is not the same in the Wilderness (very cheap stay), which I deeply regret as the region deserves development and more tourists!

Quite complicated history. Before WW2, Poland had only a narrow strip access to the Baltic Sea along the Vistula and had to build the city and seaport of Gdynia. Anything else in the North was in German hands!

Jeremy, I hope you don't mind this post in your thread. I just love talking with Chris!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Jeremy McCreary: The day has come!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

@Jeremy McCreary: The day has come!

Yes! Heading straight for the bike shop when we roll back into Carlsbad— not even unpacking the car from our trip!

If the fit is right, should be riding the SL home by mid-afternoon. This hill-and-coast shakedown cruise should be pretty telling. Keeping a knee-friendly 80-90 RPM cadence up these climbs would be very promising indeed.

All fingers and toes crossed!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

And...?!

 

[BlackHand]

And...?!

I know. I'm really disappointed Jeremy isn't live streaming his first ride.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I know. I'm really disappointed Jeremy isn't live streaming his first ride.

Wait, you can do that?

 

[DaveMatthews]

Wait, you can do that?

Spill! (Not from a road rash perspective)...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

The SL's a keeper, ladies and gentlemen! And I stand at this juncture only because I got the info and encouragement needed to take the leap on EBR.

Rode the brand-new SL home the long way: 21 mi over several key test hills and along the coast with 1,243 ft of elevation gain on grades up to 10% per RideWithGPS.

Used ~60% ECO, ~20% SPORT, ~20% off, and no TURBO. Most hills conquered in ECO alone. Average rider power ~120W. Battery remaining 54%.

So the many yay-sayers were right all along: The SL will clearly get me around my usual terrain just fine — no, way better than fine — with acceptable exertion, knee loads, and battery range.

A few initial impressions relating to things you guys helped with...

1. What a sweet ride, inside and out! Much more powerful than expected, the low weight is a joy, and the responsiveness, agility, and rolling resistance are just what I'd hoped for.

2. Impressed with the Specialized app so far. Between the app on my phone on the bars and the customizable TCU pages, no need for a separate bike computer for the foreseeable future. Speed, cadence, rider power, and distance are visible at a glance, and that's really all I need in the saddle. Plus, easy to transfer rides directly into RideWithGPS for gradient display.

3. @Prairie Dog , the standard QuadLock out-front mount works fine pointing forward. Phone battery drain was quite acceptable for 21 mi, even with the screen always on.

4. The ordered suspension seat post didn't get installed, and I didn't miss it on this shakedown ride on generally nice pavement.

5. The LBS jumped the gun on replacing the stock 44t chainring with a Wolf Tooth 40t (above). Lost the chain guard in the process, but now that the 40t's in place, it feels like a keeper.

6. We'll see what's sore tomorrow, but fit, position, and saddle seem pretty good so far. Palms and wrists complained a bit after 15 mi or so, but they're used to a more upright posture. I see Ergon grips in my future.

7. Getting enough onboard storage without a full-size trunk bag will be a challenge, but this small ALMSTHRE frame bag with no TCU or boss interference will be part of the solution.

Thanks again for getting me onto this beautiful bike!