Old road bike rider considering Vado SL 4 or 5 for long sometimes steep climbing rides.

[Artbarton]

Hi All,
I ride a modern carbon road bicycle, no motor, still ride a little over 2000 miles a year with some pretty big hills in Northern California. But at 75 years old, it’s time to think again about that Specalized Vado sl4.0 I test rode three years ago because I’m already experiencing age limitations despite being cycling fit, age adjusted. Two purposes for this light e-bike.
1) I would be using this some of the time for no sweating light shopping, so want to know about the built-in antitheft features. It’s understood anyone can just carry it away, so I’m talking only smaller markets in a safer community, so basically trying to stop local teenagers from trying to steal it, can’t stop the pros when they are roaming.
2) The big reason I’m looking at this bike is for long very hilly mostly rural rides. I can’t do these big hills on long rides comfortably any more. So what’s the actual probable range for the Vado 4.0 or 5.0 when going up and down 4500 feet, not continuously, but total, over 40 to 50 miles, with grades of up to 11% for some extended climbs and then back down? . With and without the apparently available range extender? Factor that I weigh about 155 pounds, or a little less, and when I tried out that 4.0 Vado three years ago I only needed the medium boost on around 10% grades, anything less than that, I used only the low boost, and I could peddle it ok without boosts on the rare flat areas, and easily at 2 % or 3% downhill grade..but I’ll probably be using more boost as I age. As age 80 is only 5 years away.

So now Im looking at some lightly used versions of the same 2023 Vado bike I tried out then, a couple of 2022 models also, most around $2200 from shops or recognizable on line shops. Any major improvements since 2022 or 2023 for my specific dual purposes I should know about? What about in the 5.0 version? Can’t spend anything like $4K this year, or probably next year either, not happening.

That’s in part because I had to replace my carbon road bike last year because the older one wouldn’t take over the narrowest 28mm tires, much less wider tubeless, because of the frame limitations. And even the closeout version that allows 32mm tubeless with good components wasn’t cheap, at my age I really do feel better with 32mm tires on the downhills…So I’m tapped out for a good long while, unless I buy used.

 

[mschwett]

you can’t say exactly without knowing how much power you’re putting down, but in sport on a Vado or creo SL you’ll be drawing perhaps 160w from the battery. if your climbs are typical Northern California roads they’ll average 6-8%. let’s just say 8%, which is around 11 miles of climbing. for that weight and power (130w from you 130w from the motor (80% efficiency)) you’re going 7.5mph. an hour and a half of climbing at 160w is 240wh. the battery is 320wh. if you don’t use the motor at all except when climbing, or sparingly use eco mode on some flats or headwinds, you should be fine.

lots of people do 40-50 mile 4000-5000’ rides on these bikes, it really depends how much power you’re able to put down on the climbs and whether you every try and use the motor to go fast, like putting it in sport or turbo on the flats to try and go 20+. range will tank very fast that way.

i assume since you’ll also use it in town you don’t want another drop bar bike? the first gen creo is a nice bike too,very smooth ride on 32mm tires.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Hi All,
I ride a modern carbon road bicycle, no motor, still ride a little over 2000 miles a year with some pretty big hills in Northern California. But at 75 years old, it’s time to think again about that Specalized Vado sl4.0 I test rode three years ago because I’m already experiencing age limitations despite being cycling fit, age adjusted. Two purposes for this light e-bike.
1) I would be using this some of the time for no sweating light shopping, so want to know about the built-in antitheft features. It’s understood anyone can just carry it away, so I’m talking only smaller markets in a safer community, so basically trying to stop local teenagers from trying to steal it, can’t stop the pros when they are roaming.
2) The big reason I’m looking at this bike is for long very hilly mostly rural rides. I can’t do these big hills on long rides comfortably any more. So what’s the actual probable range for the Vado 4.0 or 5.0 when going up and down 4500 feet, not continuously, but total, over 40 to 50 miles, with grades of up to 11% for some extended climbs and then back down? . With and without the apparently available range extender? Factor that I weigh about 155 pounds, or a little less, and when I tried out that 4.0 Vado three years ago I only needed the medium boost on around 10% grades, anything less than that, I used only the low boost, and I could peddle it ok without boosts on the rare flat areas, and easily at 2 % or 3% downhill grade..but I’ll probably be using more boost as I age. As age 80 is only 5 years away.

So now Im looking at some lightly used versions of the same 2023 Vado bike I tried out then, a couple of 2022 models also, most around $2200 from shops or recognizable on line shops. Any major improvements since 2022 or 2023 for my specific dual purposes I should know about? What about in the 5.0 version? Can’t spend anything like $4K this year, or probably next year either, not happening.

That’s in part because I had to replace my carbon road bike last year because the older one wouldn’t take over the narrowest 28mm tires, much less wider tubeless, because of the frame limitations. And even the closeout version that allows 32mm tubeless with good components wasn’t cheap, at my age I really do feel better with 32mm tires on the downhills…So I’m tapped out for a good long while, unless I buy used.

Welome aboard! As a 77 year old SL 1 5.0 rider, I can share some pertinent ride data and experience with the 5.0 version.

First, I absolutely LOVE this ebike! I'm a so-so fitness/fun rider with 2800-3000 mi/yr over the 2 years ending in September, 2025, but less since for reasons I hope are behind me now.

My SL weighs 38 lb as ridden. My terrain varies from rolling to hilly, ridden mostly in ECO and OFF. About 80% pavement, 20% gravel. Usually average ~150W normalized.

Below are 2 representative rides with assist and battery usage data. First, longest ride to date — a rolling Coast Highway ride in San Diego County:

Modest climbing at 51 ft/mi. Crudely, 65% of battery (main only) over 41 mi = 1.6%/mi. At this burn rate, I'd expect to have 20% left at 50 mi.

A more strenuous inland hill ride:

Double the climbing at 99 ft/mi. Crudely, 73% of battery (main only) over 30 mi = 2.4%/mi. At this higher burn rate, I'd expect to be down to 9% at 41 mi. To go 50 mi comfortably, you'd need to carry a single range extender.

Don't know about the 4.0, but the 5.0 has some really nice features, including the always-legible Mastermind display (TCU) on the top tube:

Custom start-up page showing assist mode, ground speed, time, and battery remaining.

Custom main riding page with assist mode parameters, rider power, and cadence.

Note the rider power metric. Never had a power meter before but would never be without one again. Don't do any formal training, just a very interesting lens on my riding and environment.

Mastermind also includes MicroTune for fine-tuning of assist.

 

[Extreme1]

Go to your Local Bike Shop and rent a Vado for a day. My wife and I are 63 yo and each have one. When I was younger I did two Century’s one year on an old school road bike, but those days are gone.

You will love the Vado. Also try out a Creo.

Ebay has a lot of great used listings.

 

[Allan47.7339]

It is a pet peeve, but we need to be a little more precise when talking about a "Vado SL" vs a "Vado". They are two very different models. A Vado currently has a (Brose) Specialized 3.1 motor w/ 810 W & 105 Nm, 840 Wh Battery. A Vado SL 2 currently has (Mahle) Specialized SL 1.2 motor / 320 watts power / 520 Wh Battery. As Vado SL 2's become more common they will have the same issuse as Creo's with different sub-models have different answers to component questions.