Vado SL 2 Alloy version released

[mogulman]

What does it weigh? I have not looked at it, but its geometry looks like the riding position might be more leaned over, more like a road bike than the SL. Shorter stack and longer reach. And the shorter trail indicates it might be more nimble and quick-steering. Kind of goes along with their "Born from racing" marketing slogan.
Stack (size large): Cannondale = 633mm ... SL2 = 656mm
Reach (size large): Cannondale = 401mm ... SL2 = 430mm
Trail (size large): Cannondale = 62mm ... SL2 = 85mm

Supposedly 16kg

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Since so many of the things I love about my SL 1 revolve around how it feels in action — especially the responsiveness — probably best to test how both bikes feel first-hand rather than go on specs alone.

No plans to part with my SL but wouldn't mind testing a Tesoro Carbon just to see the difference.

Not for sale here in UK site tells me. Cannondale have a habit of doing this. They didn't release the lefty mid drive gravel bike here, just the hub motor ones. The Tesoro does look lovely, like you I'd be curious to take it for a spin - especially on the hills here. The SX motor has a quirk that the faster the cadence the more peak power it delivers almost reaching CX levels. Be very interested to try that on a 20% gradient here and see if it helps!

 

[BlackHand]

What does it weigh? I have not looked at it, but its geometry looks like the riding position might be more leaned over, more like a road bike than the SL. Shorter stack and longer reach. And the shorter trail indicates it might be more nimble and quick-steering. Kind of goes along with their "Born from racing" marketing slogan.
Stack (size large): Cannondale = 633mm ... SL2 = 656mm
Reach (size large): Cannondale = 401mm ... SL2 = 430mm
Trail (size large): Cannondale = 62mm ... SL2 = 85mm

Cannondale never lists weights. The one blurb I saw said 16kg - so not super light but light. I think it may be the same frame as the drop bar Synapse.

FWIW - I stopped at my local shop this weekend. It's clear that the brands see light -upper 30s to low 40s - flat bar bikes as a growth market. They had all the new SL2 models, a couple Trek FX+7's, a couple Tesoro Neo Carbons, and a flat bar Skitch all on the floor. Oh, and no less than 11 dusty original Vado SLs

From a purely visual standpoint the Tesoro Carbon was probably the sharpest looking, though I thought its fenders aren't a good match. The Skitch is very appealing in a no nonsense kind of way - it just looks fast and comfortable enough and like you can swap out whatever you want easily enough. The Trek just confuses me - I have a hard time with that stem and handlebar.

 

[mfgrep]

As

Cannondale never lists weights. The one blurb I saw said 16kg - so not super light but light. I think it may be the same frame as the drop bar Synapse.

FWIW - I stopped at my local shop this weekend. It's clear that the brands see light -upper 30s to low 40s - flat bar bikes as a growth market. They had all the new SL2 models, a couple Trek FX+7's, a couple Tesoro Neo Carbons, and a flat bar Skitch all on the floor. Oh, and no less than 11 dusty original Vado SLs

From a purely visual standpoint the Tesoro Carbon was probably the sharpest looking, though I thought its fenders aren't a good match. The Skitch is very appealing in a no nonsense kind of way - it just looks fast and comfortable enough and like you can swap out whatever you want easily enough. The Trek just confuses me - I have a hard time with that stem and handlebar.

The handlebar alone on the Trek makes it a no go for me. As I recall, Specialized did the proprietary handlebars with the Como too. Awful

 

[gromike]

I do like that Tesoro Carbon, and I'd even buy one with the electronic shifter.
But times is tough, so I'll stick with my full suspension mid-drive:

.

 

[yurmix]

I just cannot get used to the flats. I'm too old for such a change.

I've been skiing for 45 years and my friends say 'you should try snowboarding'. Same answer. Nope.

You might want to consider the Santa Cruz Skitch with flat bar. It is 5lbs lighter and with 20% smaller battery.

 

[Base]

Santa Cruz is also a PONbike company like C'dale and Gazelle. I see some similarities between the skitch and the tesoro neo crb....

 

[mfgrep]

You might want to consider the Santa Cruz Skitch with flat bar. It is 5lbs lighter and with 20% smaller battery.

Yup. I have looked at the Skitch (on paper from a distance) and repeatedly. I love just about everything about the Skitch EXCEPT for its price. Too rich for my blood.
To me the Skitch could be the perfect E-Bike.

I'm cheap. I bought my Vado SL 4.0 on steep discount 18 months ago for $2499....and that was at my upper price limit. I'm glad that I did buy the bike and I'm enjoying it....but I can't stomach paying double (or more) for a Skitch.

 

[GAJ]

Yup. I have looked at the Skitch (on paper from a distance) and repeatedly. I love just about everything about the Skitch EXCEPT for its price. Too rich for my blood.
To me the Skitch could be the perfect E-Bike.

I'm cheap. I bought my Vado SL 4.0 on steep discount 18 months ago for $2499....and that was at my upper price limit. I'm glad that I did buy the bike and I'm enjoying it....but I can't stomach paying double (or more) for a Skitch.

I suspect the SL1s will have a semi cult status down the road.

Oddly, here in Sonoma County, the only other one I've seen is the one my riding friend has.

 

[mfgrep]

I suspect the SL1s will have a semi cult status down the road.

Oddly, here in Sonoma County, the only other one I've seen is the one my riding friend has.

It's funny that you say this. I agree and very nearly posted the same thought earlier this week.
I stopped myself from posting because, unfortunately, it seems that the bike industry (perhaps rightfully) knows that "bigger" and "more powerful" and "longer range" seem to work well for the sales/marketing departments.

The mechanic at my dealer just called me to let me know my SL1 is ready for pickup today (needed a warranty repair). We discussed the new SL2....he just built an SL2 step-thru this morning....and he said "I guess they forgot the 'SL' part!" lol. He also said "It is quite a bit bulkier....but cool bike....you can demo it".

I'm not certain that there is a sufficient volume of potential bicycle buyers that seek the SL1's analog-like character and light-weight at the inevitable expense of range/power. But there certainly are a few of us out here!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The mechanic at my dealer just called me to let me know my SL1 is ready for pickup today (needed a warranty repair). We discussed the new SL2....he just built an SL2 step-thru this morning....and he said "I guess they forgot the 'SL' part!" lol.

That's pretty funny.

He also said "It is quite a bit bulkier....but cool bike....you can demo it".

You need some time on an SL 1 to get past the specs and realize what you're actually getting for that hefty price tag. Might be an easier sell in places like the EU, where capable 250W ebikes are already common, but that's not the US.

My pre-purchase concerns about climbing local hills turned out to be totally unfounded, but I couldn't get enough of a test ride to convince me of that. And it took several rides to fully appreciate what I've come to see as the best part — the nimble, responsive ride that most ebikes lack.

All of this makes the SL 1 a bike in need of a special marketing approach — including a liberal test ride policy. Dealers are understandably reluctant to let expensive ebikes out of their parking lots, but that limits the potential market to stronger riders with good reason to believe that 250W and 35 Nm will be enough help.

Roadies are probably a big part of that potential market, but then you have get folks who worry about grams to take a chance on an extra 20 lb.

Of course, who am I to tell Specialized how to market ebikes? Just think they could have taken some of the risk off dealers and potential buyers by providing SL 1 demos to dealers at reduced cost. Then add marketing around a slogan like, "You really have to ride it to fully understand its charms."

 

[GAJ]

That's pretty funny.


You need some time on an SL 1 to get past the specs and realize what you're actually getting for that hefty price tag. Might be an easier sell in places like the EU, where capable 250W ebikes are already common, but that's not the US.

My pre-purchase concerns about climbing local hills turned out to be totally unfounded, but I couldn't get enough of a test ride to convince me of that. And it took several rides to fully appreciate what I've come to see as the best part — the nimble, responsive ride that most ebikes lack.

All of this makes the SL 1 a bike in need of a special marketing approach — including a liberal test ride policy. Dealers are understandably reluctant to let expensive ebikes out of their parking lots, but that limits the potential market to stronger riders with reason to believe that 250W and 35 Nm will be enough help.

Roadies are probably a big part of that potential market, but then you have get folks who worry about grams to take a chance on an extra 20 lb.

Of course, who am I to tell Specialized how to market ebikes? Just think they could have taken some of the risk off dealers and potential buyers by providing demo SL 1s to dealers at reduced cost. Then add marketing around a slogan like, "You really have to ride it to fully understand its charms."

I was fortunate as the store in Napa let me take it out on local roads including hills.

Took all of five minutes to figure out it was the one I wanted; bicycle first, e'bike second.

Took it home a few minutes after the test ride.

 

[mfgrep]

That's pretty funny.


You need some time on an SL 1 to get past the specs and realize what you're actually getting for that hefty price tag. Might be an easier sell in places like the EU, where capable 250W ebikes are already common, but that's not the US.

My pre-purchase concerns about climbing local hills turned out to be totally unfounded, but I couldn't get enough of a test ride to convince me of that. And it took several rides to fully appreciate what I've come to see as the best part — the nimble, responsive ride that most ebikes lack.

All of this makes the SL 1 a bike in need of a special marketing approach — including a liberal test ride policy. Dealers are understandably reluctant to let expensive ebikes out of their parking lots, but that limits the potential market to stronger riders with good reason to believe that 250W and 35 Nm will be enough help.

Roadies are probably a big part of that potential market, but then you have get folks who worry about grams to take a chance on an extra 20 lb.

Of course, who am I to tell Specialized how to market ebikes? Just think they could have taken some of the risk off dealers and potential buyers by providing SL 1 demos to dealers at reduced cost. Then add marketing around a slogan like, "You really have to ride it to fully understand its charms."

In all candor....I cannot yet confirm that the SL2 indeed lacks the SL1's nimble nature.....but if I were a betting man I would put my money on it.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

In all candor....I cannot yet confirm that the SL2 indeed lacks the SL1's nimble nature.....but if I were a betting man I would put my money on it.

Agree, we're all just speculating at this point. But the alloy SL 2's extra weight isn't the only factor here. Wheel moments of inertia and the overall moments in pitch, roll, and yaw play a significant role in responsiveness, and they're more functions of weight distribution than of weight alone. At the very least, guessing the alloy SL 2's wheel and roll moments are larger as well.

From what I read, differences in frame geometry, if any, will also affect responsiveness, but I don't understand that part well enough to comment.

 

[mschwett]

…stronger riders with good reason to believe that 250W and 35 Nm will be enough help.

Roadies are probably a big part of that potential market, but then you have get folks who worry about grams to take a chance on an extra 20 lb.

…

the test ride point is important, and should differentiate specialized from online-only brands. i had no problem finding creos and vados to test ride, but i never asked to go terribly far. when i was thinking about an analog bike, i happened into a shop near the office that had a nice s-works aethos and when i mentioned i wasn’t really sure, the guy just said, take it for a ride. be back in under an hour. he took my license and a credit card and seemed totally unconcerned with me rolling out on a $14k carbon bike in the middle of the city. i took three creo test rides. maybe specialized needs to have a “recommended policy” for their retail partners.

i do see a LOT of vado SLs, but it sounds like that’s a local quirk. most roadies wouldn’t buy one since it’s flat bar and aluminum, they’ll just get a creo, so maybe the market is a small intersection of pavement enthusiasts who aren’t roadies. it’s too bad because 320/250w is plenty in a well designed bike for anything other than going super fast or going up big hills either fast or with a big load. i am not convinced if they’re hard to sell because they’re underpowered, or too expensive, or something else. or maybe they’re not hard to sell!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

the test ride point is important, and should differentiate specialized from online-only brands. i had no problem finding creos and vados to test ride, but i never asked to go terribly far. when i was thinking about an analog bike, i happened into a shop near the office that had a nice s-works aethos and when i mentioned i wasn’t really sure, the guy just said, take it for a ride. be back in under an hour. he took my license and a credit card and seemed totally unconcerned with me rolling out on a $14k carbon bike in the middle of the city. i took three creo test rides. maybe specialized needs to have a “recommended policy” for their retail partners.

i do see a LOT of vado SLs, but it sounds like that’s a local quirk. most roadies wouldn’t buy one since it’s flat bar and aluminum, they’ll just get a creo, so maybe the market is a small intersection of pavement enthusiasts who aren’t roadies. it’s too bad because 320/250w is plenty in a well designed bike for anything other than going super fast or going up big hills either fast or with a big load. i am not convinced if they’re hard to sell because they’re underpowered, or too expensive, or something else. or maybe they’re not hard to sell!

I was hoping you'd join! Could well be that I had a harder time getting an adequate SL 1 test than most.

Given your fitness level, vast experience with high-end road and ebikes, and solid understanding of bike technology, guessing you could come to a confident SL 1 decision just on the parking lot + 5-mile hill test I eventually got.

But I'm not exactly a poster boy for fitness bikes, and I'm behind on experience and knowledge as well. The test left me with serious concerns considering the price — not least, over the SL's ability to get me and my bird legs over not 1 substantial climb but, say, the usual 4-6 — all this on, say, 40% main battery at my usual inland gain rate of 40-70 ft/mi.

Just saying that there are potential SL 1 buyers at both ends of the competence-to-judge spectrum.

Anyway, now you know why it says "Bought it anyway" under my avatar. Turns out, the SL 1 easily meets my needs. Took a chance and won big!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

get me and my bird legs

Tell mine, Jeremy You output 150 W leg power and mine (on a Vado SL) is

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Tell mine, Jeremy You output 150 W leg power and mine (on a Vado SL) is

View attachment 190978

And yet you ride way more than most members — centuries too! My longest ride is still just 42 mi.

Guess it's all relative. Every time I catch myself thinking, "Puttin' out some good power there, dude," some roadie blows by with no motor at all.

Like the wisdom goes, there will always be those lesser and greater than ourselves.

 

[BEC111]

My SL1-4eq has been terrific for most of my needs, even though I’ve had issues with the longer steep hills craved by younger members of my Ebike rider’s group rides. But as I age, I’m now 77, I am finding that I can’t ride my regular routes all in Eco mode anymore. Perhaps it’s just the cold?

I’ve long wanted that little bit of extra oomph offered by the 1.2 motor, but a new expensive bike isn’t in the cards right now. I’ll make the excuse that the extra weight would make it challenging for me to hang the bike on the wall rack in my garage. Yeah! That’s believable.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I’ll make the excuse that the extra weight would make it challenging for me to hang the bike on the wall rack in my garage.

Carbon non-EQ is only 16 kg or 35 lbs (riding a Carbon EQ here today).