Issue(s) with Specialized App & 'Smart Control'

GuruUno

Well-Known Member
I'll attempt to summarize.
Planned a ride, set the Specialized app control to 35-mile expected distance, left all other setting as is, never really care about remaining battery, elevation, etc., just set it and forget it.
Worked as advertised, been using since I learned that I preferred it over manually switching between Eco/Sport/Turbo and having to monitor my needs.
All in all, met my expectations, regardless of other(s) opinions or experiences.

Today, set out for a ride, set it at 35 miles, went about my ride. Stopped for lunch, turned off the bike via the display/power button, came back, and usually once I turn the display/power back on, it resumes to the Smart configuration previously set and I resume my ride to completion. However, a few times in the last week or 3, especially today, it does not "resume" from where left off after turning back on, goes to Eco, and if I manually hit the handlebar controls to go to Sport or Turbo, I get no assistance whatsoever. Dead as a doornail. So I get the iPhone out of the trunk bag, go to the Mission Control app, I try to hit the resume button, no response. I hit the Stop button, then I go to the joystick controller icon, tap it, the configuration screen pops up, I verify the initial settings for Smart Control (35 miles), and press set/go/ride,(whatever it is), and then Smart Control jumps back on the LCD screen of the display on the handlebars and off I go.

Odd thing though, I have reduced power. My opinion is that somehow, at the pause for my lunch I had 54% remaining battery, and once getting the Smart Control to resume, it provided me 35 miles on the remaining 46% of battery, hence the reduced assistance.

Upon returning home, I zeroed out the ride on the display, I had 33% remaining after 30 miles and tried to ride in Eco/Sport/Turbo, no assistance. So, then I used the F2 button, went 10-20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90-100% and had the response as expected with each choice.

Previously after a similar experience, the next morning I start out a new ride, set the Specialized App to 35 miles as described in the first part of this post, all is well and I do my ride, return in 1:30 min to 2 hrs. with no issues.

Am I doing something wrong, is something occurring that may be associated to the new updated software or is it an indication of further lurking problems that may lie ahead?

Much appreciate any input from those that may have had any similar occurrences or magic secret to avoid the issue, or is it time to get Specialized to interpret the logs to chime in?
 
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Are you talking about the Specialized App? Mission Control has been dead for a quite long while!
If I ride solo on either of my two longer rides planned for this weekend, I will use the Specialized App with Smart Control and tell you of the outcome.
 
Yes, the Specialized App (the newer replacement issued not the old Orange Mission Control app, the new black 'Specialized' app).
I reworded to post to reflect the Specialized app referenced.
 
Bob, I have indeed made a realistic Smart Control ride on Saturday.
  • Started the ride (Vado 6.0) with the 96% battery
  • Set Smart Control to:
    • Ride for 72.5 km
    • With predicted Elevation Gain of 200 m
    • Demanded 10% battery at the ride end.
I was on a gravel ride together with a buddy of mine who is a flexible person and keeps the tempo of the other rider. Importantly: I never switched the system off during the ride, and Smart Control was properly going in Auto-Pause on our stops.

As usual, Smart Control started with a very low assistance. As we progressed against a strong headwind, I was getting more assistance until the speed stabilized at the figure I could live with. After we turned the ride direction and were both assisted by a tailwind, I was getting more and more assistance, which was bad as I had to pedal more and more lightly not to drop my mate. The ride was completed at the predicted 72.5 km and 16% battery was left.

The ride data stored to the Specialized cloud seem to be reasonable now. However, the data I got instantly post ride seemed weird. For example, Specialized App thought the total ride time was an absurd 7 hours at funnily low speed of 9 km/h! There was a clear message the app did not trust all the data. Yet, the ride data I can read now look totally fine.

I think Specialized App/Smart Control may occasionally give up due to "electronic gremlins". I believe Smart Control is vulnerable at most when you turn the system off for a longer stop. For that reason, I do not use Smart Control on most of my rides (just applying a gut feeling for fixed assistance level) and only rely on my Wahoo for the ride data.
 
I did a 23/24 mi. ride with no issues today.
But, as previously referenced, it's odd that I have the experiences I referenced.
Thanks for your input.
 
There was a funny moment, though. I discovered I was getting very little assistance at some point. It was weird! We stopped. I tried to figure out what was happening but to no avail. We restarted the ride and it looked very badly! Until I discovered I had hit the minus button to go OFF :)
 
My issue occurred again a few times since last posting(s), so I thought I'd clarify a few items.
Prior to starting out on a ride, I always select my anticipated distance and add 5 miles. Usually 30-35 is the selected total. I set no other items, such as how much remaining battery, etc.
I ride, works as expected, and for the most part all is well.
But, as previously stated, sometimes I have issues, and most recently, I came close to the 30 miles which was set in Smart Control, and at about 22%-25% remaining battery being displayed, I got kicked out of Smart directly into Eco, but Eco offered zero assistance and it was like I was pedaling in a concrete slurry until completely stopped and I had to exert massive effort. Pushing into Sport or Turbo made no difference.
However, hitting the F2 button and increasing the percentage in 10% increments, and going all the way to 100% gave me sufficient assistance to complete my ride with a little effort, but nothing like Turbo or even Sport assistance. At the end of the example ride, I had done 35 miles (5 more than the inital Smart setting of 30 miles) and after all of the adjusting, I had maybe 4% remaining on the battery.
So, in the end, Smart Control, I'd assume is smart enough to say, "OK, you set it for 30 miles, you go 30 miles, no more Smart Control", but the odd part is that the complete "un-assistance" that the bike changed to after it reached the setting desired.
Overall, I find everything else with Smart Control to be a more pleasurable ride, no fumbling between Eco, Sport and Turbo or 10% increments, and all I actually do is continuously upshift and downshift the mechanical gears to keep my cadence between 65-80 depending on my desired level of participation.
As previously stated, I feel this is the best e-bike I've owned and have zero regrets. I just hope that the next generation gives more of what already is but makes it even better. If they ever do make a next one.
 
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