Vado SL 4.0 with a suspension fork?

[Allan47.7339]

A normal steerer tube.

I don't think that is a precise enough answer if it referencing a Vado SL. The steerer tube is customized for the future shock system. As far as I know it's not a standard diameter.
Example is to delete the future shock, you need a custom part.

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[Stefan Mikes]

The steerer tube is customized for the future shock system

Not in Vado SL 1 4.0. Only in 5.0: it is a carbon fork. I use Redshift on my Vado SL 1 4.0; it's a normal steerer.

 

[Allan47.7339]

OK. I thought you were referring to the steerer tube which is part of the fork assembly not the handlebar stem.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes I meant the steerer tube. Vado SL 4 and 5 have different forks.

 

[sandyman44]

collecting a 2nd hand vado 4.0 Sl this weekend. I'll frankenbike it with a suspension fork from an old hardtail mtb just to prove the concept, then work out what to actually fit.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

collecting a 2nd hand vado 4.0 Sl this weekend. I'll frankenbike it with a suspension fork from an old hardtail mtb just to prove the concept, then work out what to actually fit.

Good stuff! Was it via ebay or a local shop? Good deal?!

 

[sandyman44]

Good stuff! Was it via ebay or a local shop? Good deal?!

ebay. £1k, which is about right. My understanding to-date is that its will take a 1-1/8" straight tube fork. hoping that one of whats in the garage will fit that, for the test purpose.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

ebay. £1k, which is about right. My understanding to-date is that its will take a 1-1/8" straight tube fork. hoping that one of whats in the garage will fit that, for the test purpose.

Thats a very good price. Fingers crossed on the conversion. Really interested to see the result.

 

[sandyman44]

got it last night. morning of tinkering. starting point, I'd already taken the front wheel off

stock specialised fork removed

removed the city bike bits, swapped fork and front wheel from an old Giant Roam "trekking/city" bike. 60mm travel fork, made of lead. Bike's headset bearing doesn't sit quite right at the bottom for this older fork and steerer only long enough for 1 stem bolt to clamp... so not properly rideable yet... but.. frankenbike is born and doing baby crawling.

only ridden gently up and down the street as the headset and stem aren't safe for much more...but the new geometry feels good. stock steering setup felt "twitchy" , as you'd expect for a city bike. This now feels "about right for gravel". Bars will need to go up and forward for my posture. And, its massive frame triangle for a days worth of stuff.. takes my biggest frame bag with room to spare...happy so far.
For the record, there is nothing fancy going onside the headtube of this bike. not easy to photo - but its just a hollow tube. Couple of cables in there going to the TCU from the motor, but they are protected by a plastic cuff.
It's significantly larger internal diameter than that of my older non-e city bike that I pinched the fork from.
now I need to go learn about headset, headtube and fork sizes and types....not something I've been into deeply before.

 

[Chazmo]

Yeah, definitely don’t ride it for real until those bearings sit properly and snugly in the tube. I don’t know exactly what you’re dealing with, but you probably need a new race at the bottom of the tube to make the thing fit properly. Or, maybe there’s some kind of steerer tube sleeve that can be incorporated. Best of luck.

BTW, I’m not a Specialized wonk, but I think what you’ve got looks good!

 

[sandyman44]

Yeah, definitely don’t ride it for real until those bearings sit properly and snugly in the tube. I don’t know exactly what you’re dealing with, but you probably need a new race at the bottom of the tube to make the thing fit properly. Or, maybe there’s some kind of steerer tube sleeve that can be incorporated. Best of luck.

BTW, I’m not a Specialized wonk, but I think what you’ve got looks good!

bit of reading and learning about headsets. Seems that the stock fork is 1 1/8" all the way down, and has a shim on the crown to adapt to 1 1/2" sizing on the bike. The current crown bearing in the bike expects a 1 1/2". Implying I can either use another 1 1/8" straight fork , with another shim, or I can use a 1 1/8" to 1 1/2 tapered fork without shim.

the fork I bodged in doesn't have a shim on top, I suspect that older bike is 1 1/8" at the crown bearing. hence the wobble. don't worry I'm not riding it.

time to work out what to buy! Seems like I will have lots of options as either of the common types will fit and I don't need to go super low travel - 60mm seems good geometry.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

bit of reading and learning about headsets. Seems that the stock fork is 1 1/8" all the way down, and has a shim on the crown to adapt to 1 1/2" sizing on the bike. The current crown bearing in the bike expects a 1 1/2". Implying I can either use another 1 1/8" straight fork , with another shim, or I can use a 1 1/8" to 1 1/2 tapered fork without shim.

the fork I bodged in doesn't have a shim on top, I suspect that older bike is 1 1/8" at the crown bearing. hence the wobble. don't worry I'm not riding it.

time to work out what to buy! Seems like I will have lots of options as either of the common types will fit and I don't need to go super low travel - 60mm seems good geometry.

Superb work! Fascinating to see the ol' Vado with the sus forks. Didn't realise you were a tall lad, so funny for me (medium size, 5'10") to se such a massive triangle. Looks like it'll work. If the budget stretches to a lightweight suspension it will look and feel great I think.

What tyres are you going to fit?

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Also worth tweaking the gearing to go with the front sus off road gravel bike/mtb feel. I've got a 36 chainring on the front and went 11-46 on the rear from stock 44T and 11-40 (i think) makes the steep Dartmoor hills much easier and kinder on the motor as I can spin more, less feeling the motor is grinding.

 

[sandyman44]

going to run 10-52 rear. 38 or 40 front. AXS. I prefer to spin and have legs do most the work, motor for help when nothing left (or I my old back injury causes a leg spasm, which can happen, then I am on 1 legs worth )
I'm a rugby player shaped ape. weight to match. Only 6'0" but really long legs and arms in proportion to torso, and very broad shoulders. Not at all the "roadie" shape!

Teravail Rutland are the favourite, I've been running those at 650b/47mm on my Creo and like them. Offroad Grip is good, rolling resistance on road is pretty good as well. Want to go as large as poss on the width.

Fork, am currently looking at the Suntour GVX 60mm as I need an enormous un-cut steerer length for it to work - bike's head tube is tall. Long chats with AI telling me that the rockshox and fox offerings aren't long enough. MRP Baxter also recommended by AI but they don't seem to actually exist to buy.

Gonna stop resarching and go ride a bike now ;-)

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Yeah be careful with AI, I was asking questions about a bike on ebay and it told me a downright lie, which I corrected and it said of course! You're right! then immediately got it wrong again. Have to double check stuff. Teravail Rutland look good. Your issue on the back is the stupidly low seat stay bridge. I've got 44s and its fine but above that seems tricky. Years ago a member on here in California successfully went 650B and got wider clearance that way, ideal for their desert trips.

 

[Catalyzt]

Its Salter Fell in the Forest of Bowland. I did it on the creo. Was going very slow by the end as my hands were in intense pain.
Came back from that trip deciding to do "need another bike" research.
Canyon Grizl:ON with Rudy looked possible, until I found they use a non-standard headtube 1 1/2", so I can't get riser stem to work... very few aftermarket stems in this size.

You are way deeper into modding than I will ever get, so I only have a few tangential points to add just based on riding experience.

My unscientific, back-of-the-envelope assessment is that the road you are riding on is significantly more challenging than the road Stefan photographed, though Stefan may be riding longer distances and faster. The Grizl: ON CF 7 could manage those roads, but it would be ugly, and only practical for short distances. IMHO, the limiting factors would be that 40mm is not QUITE enough travel and the riding position is shifted too far forward.

What the Grizl can do is short segments like this, on surprisingly slippery/sandy terrain with grades up to 19%. In other words, some ruts that are a bit deeper and terrain that's steeper, but not the extended rock garden:

Stage 3 osteoarthritis here, so a few miles of this is hard on the hands-- but not miserable, could still play guitar the next day.

Yeah be careful with AI, I was asking questions about a bike on ebay and it told me a downright lie, which I corrected and it said of course! You're right! then immediately got it wrong again. Have to double check stuff. Teravail Rutland look good. Your issue on the back is the stupidly low seat stay bridge. I've got 44s and its fine but above that seems tricky. Years ago a member on here in California successfully went 650B and got wider clearance that way, ideal for their desert trips.

Very good point. I have found AI to be terrible for bike parts and cameras, any commercial mechanical instrumentality. I asked it yesterday where a first gen RX100 stores video files, and it told me the camera didn't have any video capability. So it was not only wrong, it was wrong with great confidence. For medical stuff, where it gives citations you can check, I've had a lot more luck!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I insist a proper e-MTB would be the right e-bike to be ridden in a rocky terrain. First, 2.6" lowly inflated tubeless tyres. Second, full long travel suspension for maintaining the traction. Third, a proper dropper seat-post for descents.

Once, I rode my Giant Trance E+ on a violent descent on the rocks. The vibration was as strong as it threw my pannier off the bike and the impact damaged my expensive camera inside. As I finished the ride, I found the suspension had been all locked, and it were only the DH tyres that helped maintain the traction!

While that trail turned out to be impossible for my big Vado.

The same mountain for both e-bikes, different years.