Turbo Vado 2 4.0 or 5.0 or 6.0?

[Jeremy McCreary]

Just now Spec website shows SL (not 2) 5.0 EQ in silver available from warehouse in XL and in stock at a few stores in M and L. $5249.00!
$150 more than the new SL 2 5.0 EQ.

That's what I paid for my 2022 in 2024!

This is starting to smell like manufactured scarcity: Hold back some NOS on models with a strong niche following and trickle them out at full price.

 

[rochrunner]

This is the dorky looking Selle Royal I've been using on my Como (quite upright posture).
I have found it comfortable for 3-4 hours riding. No chafing ever.
10" long, 8.5" wide, very soft.
View attachment 205717

My wife has that saddle on her Trek Verve+ and likes it a lot, but she rarely rides for more than an hour at a time. I had the equivalent in a narrower size on my e-bike and/or road bike at one time. That Serfas looks interesting. If they have it at REI I might give it a try (REI because of EZ returns at the local store).

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

If they have it at REI I might give it a try (REI because of EZ returns at the local store).

Took 6 saddle tries to break the 30 mi butt pain barrier on my commuter. Thanks to REI's generous return policy (full refund after plenty of time for a good trial), 3 of them cost me only some time and gasoline.

Well, more than that actually, cuz I NEVER get out of REI without buying something I didn't even know I wanted till I went in.

 

[rochrunner]

Took 6 saddle tries to break the 30 mi butt pain barrier on my commuter.

What did you end up with?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Regarding saddles

I tried many of them (especially the wide and soft Selle Royal). Developed skin issues as the aftermath.
After 3 years of suffering I removed stem risers from all my e-bikes. Modified my e-bikes to assume a more forward position. In other words, I could fit my e-bikes myself.
I was explained by my gravel cycling buddies (but also @mschwett) that certain types of bikes require narrow and firm saddles. Having said the above, my longest riding distance was 163 miles (6 hours of sleep), and the second longest was 129 mi (a single day, 10 hours in the saddle). No pain, no ache. Yes, I wear chamois on longer rides.

I need to re-iterate: Como is a bike type that assumes the upright riding position and a "comfy" saddle.

The Spec website implies they aren't available at all. Sure sounds like a computer glitch.

No, it's a different pool of e-bikes (the one for dealers).

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

What did you end up with?

Pretty sure it was this one:

611 ERGOWAVE® active 2.1

www.sq-lab.com

SQlab makes high-quality saddles, has a good return policy, and superb customer service.

This one takes care of the perineal and coccygeal pain on my upright commuter — provided I keep my sit bones back where they belong. But still not perfect, as (a) I tend to slide forward onto my perineum, and (b) the nose is too long and tends to snag on my shorts at times.

Frankly, if the commuter were my only bike, I wouldn't have stopped there. But once I got the SL, it was relegated to utility and beach rides well under 20 mi.

On the other hand, the stock saddle on my SL 1 5.0 is the best I've ever had. Neck gives out long before my butt does now.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

On the other hand, the stock saddle on my SL 1 5.0 is the best I've ever had.

I once replaced the Bridge Sport with something else but returned to the stock saddle soon. It is even better than the expensive Specialized Phenom Expert I use on my other e-bike!

Neck gives out long before my butt does now.

Meaning, your Vado SL is very well fit to your body!

Besides, I had a chance to ride a Vado SL 2 6.0 EQ. I might just take that e-bike as it was and ride home!

 

[Cycologist]

Speaking of saddles, has anyone tried the Fizik 3D printed saddles?
I ride with a guy who has one and swears by it. We've done some long rides (50+ miles) and he has no issues.

I still have the factory saddle on my SL 4.0 and while it's OK for short rides, it can cause saddle sores if I do too many long rides in a row.

Right now, part of my pre-ride checklist is:
1. Wash butt crack with bidet (don't laugh, this is important ).
2. Apply Chamois Butt'r to problem areas (this stuff really works).
3. Put on a good pair of biking shorts with gel pads.

Still after all that, a 3-hour 50-mile ride can still cause irritation.
Supposedly the Fizik 3D saddles will bend and conform better than regular saddles, but they're not cheap.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

No saddle will help if your e-bike is not fit to your body.

 

[mschwett]

Speaking of saddles, has anyone tried the Fizik 3D printed saddles?
I ride with a guy who has one and swears by it. We've done some long rides (50+ miles) and he has no issues.

I still have the factory saddle on my SL 4.0 and while it's OK for short rides, it can cause saddle sores if I do too many long rides in a row.

Right now, part of my pre-ride checklist is:
1. Wash butt crack with bidet (don't laugh, this is important ).
2. Apply Chamois Butt'r to problem areas (this stuff really works).
3. Put on a good pair of biking shorts with gel pads.

Still after all that, a 3-hour 50-mile ride can still cause irritation.
Supposedly the Fizik 3D saddles will bend and conform better than regular saddles, but they're not cheap.

they look very similar to the specialized 3d printed ones - which i really love, although the right shape is still key and i believe they’re made more for the weight-forward position of a road bike.

the more narrow shape works best for me, like the fizik “vento antares” or the specialized “romin evo with mirror”

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Love the way these Fizik and Spec 3D printed saddles look, and the engineered compliance and total ventilation seem really smart.

But at those prices, what happens if they don't work out?

 

[Cycologist]

Love the way these Fizik and Spec 3D printed saddles look, and the engineered compliance and total ventilation seem really smart.

But at those prices, what happens if they don't work out?

I believe Fizik has a no-question return or exchange policy.
The guy I ride with who has one had to exchange the first one he bought since he didn't like it (a "short nose" saddle).

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I believe Fizik has a no-question return or exchange policy.
The guy I ride with who has one had to exchange the first one he bought since he didn't like it (a "short nose" saddle).

Encouraging. The fanciest 3D printed Spec saddles even pricier.

Realistically, though, the next $500 of bike money I get my hands on will have to go to a range extender (my first). Maybe a cool 3D printed saddle once the CFO's racked up about double that in Amazon orders.

 

[mcdenny]

Mother Nature smiled on us today so I could get in a nice first real ride. Did 7 miles back and forth on a straight flattish stretch in my neighborhood trying out the different dynamic micro tune (xx/100) settings then an 11 mile greenway ride I've done many times in the past.

The back and forth was to gather data for the rider power vs motor power experiment. I saved many short rides but learned I need to rename the rides immediately after saving them as later I wasn't really sure what microtune setting went with which ride. Watching the "boost" ratio it did seem pretty constant ramping up to saturation. I tried to ride at a steady 100 watts rider power but that was really hard as the slightest grade change made a big difference. Max motor power was shown to be 380 watts. I imagine that's electric power in, not mechanical power out. More complete data to follow. The in app graph of ride data has both instant and 30 averaged rider power and motor power. I'm going to repeat the experiment tomorrow with more careful data collection.

The familiar greenway ride was to get a first impression of the differences between my new bike and existing Turbo Como and Trek FX3. Random thoughts: I couldn't really go very fast as this was the first sunny 65 degree day after three weeks of snow and ice so there were lots of people out walking. My neck got sore after 16 or 20 minutes, really looking forward to new higher bars. Seat height seemed just right. The Serfas seat swapped from the Trek was fine, much better than the OEM one (of course I've been riding the Trek with it for 2 years) The bike seems just as easy to pedal with the power off as my Trek acoustic bike and certainly has a smoother ride. I rode the first 7 miles in 10/100, seemed like plenty of assist for the gentle hills. Turned to motor off for the last 4 miles and barely noticed the difference. There is a little motor whine but you have to listen for it. Interestingly it's there even with the motor off. You can hear it when you pedal but not coasting. The tires are a little knobbier than either the Como's or Trek's so that adds a bit of noise too. I probably wouldn't have even noticed it but for all the discussion about SL 1 motor noise vs SL 2. Bottom line, I was hoping to get a bike that felt as nimble as my Trek but with the hill eraser button. I think the SL2 nailed it.

 

[rochrunner]

I rode the first 7 miles in 10/100, seemed like plenty of assist for the gentle hills. Turned to motor off for the last 4 miles and barely noticed the difference.

On my SL1 I found the 10% microtune setting to actually be detrimental. It tended to cut in and out as I easily exceeded its upper limit and I then found that it was definitely easier to pedal with the motor off than when keeping it at the 10% setting. So I use 20% as my minimum microtune level.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I rode the first 7 miles in 10/100, seemed like plenty of assist for the gentle hills. Turned to motor off for the last 4 miles and barely noticed the difference.

Glad you had a chance to try out your new SL 2. Sounds like your evil scheme is working.

I find that E/M = 10/10 on my SL 1 gives little if any real help, and the motor sounds confused. Not much better at 20/20, but a BIG jump in perceived assist at 30/30.

Sounds like the SL 2 might be different, but I conclude that the SL 1 requires E > 20 for the motor to function properly.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Max motor power was shown to be 380 watts. I imagine that's electric power in, not mechanical power out.

Interestingly, 380 W electrical * 0.79 efficiency is 300 W mechanical, which is promised by Specialized as the max power at the cadence of 80 rpm.