25,000 km On E-Bikes In Less Than Three Years

[Stefan Mikes]

Thank all for your kind words!

 

[TrevorB]

Stefan do you have maintenance records. Curious on your drivetrain life.

I'm currently at 7500km on 11spd cassette and 4000km on 2nd chain. Plan to run whole lot into ground till it starts giving me problems, then replace complete drivetrain including chainring.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Stefan do you have maintenance records. Curious on your drivetrain life.

I'm currently at 7500km on 11spd cassette and 4000km on 2nd chain. Plan to run whole lot into ground till it starts giving me problems, then replace complete drivetrain including chainring.

Yes, I keep maintenance records. Unfortunately, not from the beginning of my big Vado history.
For instance, the latest Vado cassette was installed exactly a year ago, that is, 4,650 km ago. I do not need to replace it.

With chainrings, I swap them pretty often to make my big Vado more suited for specific purposes (e.g. mountain vs flatland rides). For instance, the latest Garbaruk 42T chainring has been in use for 1,940 km. Before, I used a Shimano 38T steel chainring that was ridden for 2,700 km. Any of these chainrings plus older 48T Praxis chainring are in excellent shape.

I change the chain each 6 months (typically) but the latest was only used for 2,800 km, so it still has some life in it.

 

[teskow]

@Djangodog: Sorry for replying late!
"Carpathians" is a wide term as Carpathians consist of many mountain ranges and (if I am not wrong) even extend deep into Romania. Yes, I rode in Bieszczady (pretty high mountains on the Polish/Ukrainian/Slovak border). Exciting rides indeed! Then, I spend a long riding day in Lower Beskyd and another mountain range near Krynica in Poland. On that occasion I crossed so-called "green border" to Slovakia over a mountain hiking trail! (Nothing illegal inside the EU though). Later, I had a long ride in Slovak and Polish Pieniny. (All these places belong to the Carpathians).

Sudety in southwestern Poland are even more exciting to me. I and brother had several days of fantastic rides there, on two separate vacation (2020 and 2021). Too many stories o tell, especially as the Sudety are also divided into many ranges (and each range is very different). What is important: my brother loves routes extending to or contained inside the Czech Republic as he loves Czech beer!

Who could not love Czech beer?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Who could not love Czech beer?

Basically, I'm not in Lager or Pils. I'm not in any mass produced beer. Grateful to America to invent "craft beer"!
While in the Czech Republic, I conform to the country's lifestyle and drink their pilsners and lagers. It is nothing wrong for the Czech to have one light beer on a ride (especially, as these are pretty weak at inns, pubs, etc). Still, I am not particularly fond of the taste of hops used for pilsner and lager.

 

[Captain Slow]

That's a lot of riding!

 

[Downhiller]

In less that 3 years, I have ridden various e-bikes to exceed the 25,000 km mark...

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All these rides are my own achievements as registered on Strava. My e-bikes have been ridden by other people, too, so their mileage is greater than shown.


Before I bought my first e-bike, I asked FB friends about their knowledge/experiences/recommendations regarding e-bikes. My post met with silence. Nobody of my several hundred FB "friends" knew anything on the subject! I was considering a conversion of my traditional bike to learn even that was not easy! Meanwhile, I made some research (3 weeks) and decided the Lovelec was worth buying it.
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Lovelec Diadem (576 Wh battery). A Czech hub-drive motor hybrid e-bike. It gave me understanding how good e-bikes were. It made me ride faster, farther and more often then it was ever possible with my traditional bike. I survived two crashes soon, and that was a lesson riding e-bikes could be dangerous. I made my two first Metric Centuries on the Lovelec. And if I had no other option, I would have stayed with the Diadem until this day. (It is ridden by a friend of mine nowadays).

After 5 weeks of riding the Lovelec, a friend of mine destroyed the derailleur and bent the derailleur hanger. It took Lovelec a month to deliver the replacement part. Meanwhile, I was e-bikeless I was studying the Internet for e-bikes. I learned of the brand Specialized (and Brose motors) from EMBN channel on YT. And I could watch Court's review of a 2017 Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 (28 mph). I checked if I could buy it in Poland... And I could, as a special 45 km/h Euro version. Found an unsold 2017 model, got an excellent discount, and...

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...started riding it on November 1st, 2019. The bike's electronics was not good. After 7 months, my Highway Star got a free overhaul to 2020 electronics by Specialized. Now, the Vado 5.0 is my heavy duty e-bike for long touring, especially in the mountains. I made my two Imperial Centuries on the Vado.

In May 2020, my two current e-bikes were in servicing in respective LBSes. Because of the pandemic, the waiting time was long, and I became e-bikeless again. Attracted to the idea of Full Suspension, I bought a Giant Trance E+ 2 Pro, a full suspension e-MTB.

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An excellent e-MTB, no two ways about it. However, I discovered I was riding that specific e-bike quite rarely. Simply, trail riding was not of my interest! (Now it is my brother who rides the Monster to his delight).

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June 12th, 2021. I'm booking a Vado SL 4 non-EQ demo ride at Specialized Warsaw. Near to the end of the ride, I was met with a storm (headwind), heavy raining, and hail. Vado SL carried me through all of this so I could return the e-bike on time. And I thought it was the e-bike I really needed!

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June 23rd, 2021. Buying a Vado SL 4.0 EQ, a.k.a. Fearless. My everyday e-bike! I also like riding gravel with that e-bike on a group rides with cycling clubs.

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October 16th, 2021. Demo riding a Specialized Turbo Tero 3.0 ST. (Did I say I was not interested in trail riding?)

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November 20th, 2021. Demo riding a Creo SL E5. Not for me!

Currently, I'm very happy with my full-power Vado that will take me anywhere; and with my Vado SL that is ready to ride at any moment!

As always, I appreciate your knowledge and passion !