Chain ring tooth selection

[Art Deco]

At last I have figured out to search this forum , and this question was asked back in 2018, for the same reason:

42t versus 48t Vado 3.0

Curious to know more about swapping out the 40t chainring for the 48t chainring. I’ve only owned my Vado for two weeks and logged about 100 miles on my normal road and hard packed cinder trail route. But it’s becoming apparent that I need to change something. I stay in the lowest level of...

electricbikereview.com

Some helpful info there.

That's it. Thanks. Working on search function limited to find one thread.

 

[manrubia]

I am slowly changing various components on my Vado 4 to suit my personal situation - having changed the tyres, the grips and the seatpost so far.

I have noticed that I am only using the smallest 3 cogs on the cassette, and I would rather be operating a couple of cogs up from that - the chainring I have is 40T.

In addition, if I want to increase the size of the chainring with Shimano components it is really quite expensive.

I am quite a keen cyclist who has recently moved over to an ebike, and I ride 99% of the time on Eco because I am looking for the exercise in our local area, which is quite short of hills. I plan to increase my normal ride to 30 miles soon, but will need to do some map work.

I am limited to 15.5 mph by legislation, if that is a factor.

I would appreciate any inputs.

I wish Specialized offered the option of upgrading the Vado 3.0 and 4.0. So far I've replaced the seat, seat post, front and rear brakes, sprocket, chain and chair guard. Now I have a lot of discarded parts. Also the ability to buy a larger battery would be nice. Replacing the 40t sprocket with a 48t sprocket was the best upgrade by far and I have had no problem with the 3.0 Vado motor.

 

[bellandbottle]

I wish Specialized offered the option of upgrading the Vado 3.0 and 4.0. So far I've replaced the seat, seat post, front and rear brakes, sprocket, chain and chair guard. Now I have a lot of discarded parts. Also the ability to buy a larger battery would be nice. Replacing the 40t sprocket with a 48t sprocket was the best upgrade by far and I have had no problem with the 3.0 Vado motor.

From reading the various threads on this forum, it is clear that the after-market business on these bikes is considerable. It is difficult to say just how much of it Specialized is missing out on but, for certain, the ability to pick a larger/smaller battery at the time of purchase would seem sensible.

 

[Art Deco]

From reading the various threads on this forum, it is clear that the after-market business on these bikes is considerable. It is difficult to say just how much of it Specialized is missing out on but, for certain, the ability to pick a larger/smaller battery at the time of purchase would seem sensible.

I think both battery size and chainring size should be dealer installed options, so that the dealer can set each bike up for each customer's use case for hills or flats, long distances or short commutes, etc.

 

[Marcela]

I think both battery size and chainring size should be dealer installed options, so that the dealer can set each bike up for each customer's use case for hills or flats, long distances or short commutes, etc.

Would you like to pay more to have that option?

 

[Art Deco]

Would you like to pay more to have that option?

Yes I expect to pay more for options. A bigger battery will cost more, a dealer that provides more services will cost more, etc. I still see that as a better deal than buying online.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes I expect to pay more for options.

You can do that when you are choosing a new e-bike. The price difference between the 5.0 and 4.0 is US$850 and it includes, inter alia, the bigger battery and a larger chainring.
Yes, that would be fine if you could configure your new e-bike. Riese & Mueller let you do it but also look at their prices. Specialized don't care. Their e-bikes sell easily anyway...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

From reading the various threads on this forum, it is clear that the after-market business on these bikes is considerable.

There's even a bigger problem than that. Specialized parts are so specialised you can hardly find spare parts aftermarket.

 

[bellandbottle]

There's even a bigger problem than that. Specialized parts are so specialised you can hardly find spare parts aftermarket.

Just building on your point, I am really surprised that there is not a parts breakdown catalogue, which shows which parts are "dealer only". For instance if I wanted a new fender, front lamp etc. I would not know where to go other than the LBS. And, as we know, all LBS's are not equal .

Is this situation the same with other ebike manufacturers?

 

[Art Deco]

Just building on your point,... if I wanted a new fender, front lamp etc. I would not know where to go other than the LBS. And, as we know, all LBS's are not equal

This. Your LBS is not a Burger King. Some are good, some are great, some just need to find a new occupation. Like car dealers or furniture stores.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Let me give you an example.

In most of e-bikes, a mudguard/fender is a simple, inexpensive item. It is not how Specialized think. My 2017 Vado 5.0 is an EU S-Pedelec with the rear light/STOP light and lit number plate support integrated with the rear fender and the rack. If I need to replace the front fender in my Vado, I need to order the whole fender/rack/light set just to get the front fender... Anything unclear?

You might say: But Stefan, the rear rack, fender etc are something you could re-use! Not. Because the 2020 display upgrade required a brand new rear fender, a brand new rack and brand new lighting... So, to get just the front fender requires buying the whole set and disposing of the rear parts as completely useless!
------------
These of you who own Vado/Como with the Specialized Stealth stem cannot replace the stem to anything better.... Because the Stealth stem holds the integrated Supernova headlight...

Sometimes I wonder whether all of us, the Specialized Turbo e-bike owners are not just victims of the Stockholm syndrom...

 

[bellandbottle]

Let me give you an example.

In most of e-bikes, a mudguard/fender is a simple, inexpensive item. It is not how Specialized think. My 2017 Vado 5.0 is an EU S-Pedelec with the rear light/STOP light and lit number plate support integrated with the rear fender and the rack. If I need to replace the front fender in my Vado, I need to order the whole fender/rack/light set just to get the front fender... Anything unclear?

You might say: But Stefan, the rear rack, fender etc are something you could re-use! Not. Because the 2020 display upgrade required a brand new rear fender, a brand new rack and brand new lighting... So, to get just the front fender requires buying the whole set and disposing of the rear parts as completely useless!
------------
These of you who own Vado/Como with the Specialized Stealth stem cannot replace the stem to anything better.... Because the Stealth stem holds the integrated Supernova headlight...

Sometimes I wonder whether all of us, the Specialized Turbo e-bike owners are not just victims of the Stockholm syndrom...

I must admit to being a bit taken aback by all this . I was ready to hear that the motor, display etc would be proprietary because of the firmware implications, but not the body parts.

I had better look after them.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

There is no doubt Specialized e-bikes are beautiful and very well designed. However, it is the Specialized Bicycle Components company with a lot of custom parts and integration. I would be happy to just be able to buy the spare parts without asking a dealer for mercy...

 

[bellandbottle]

There is no doubt Specialized e-bikes are beautiful and very well designed. However, it is the Specialized Bicycle Components company with a lot of custom parts and integration. I would be happy to just be able to buy the spare parts without asking a dealer for mercy...

@Stefan Mikes When you had your display upgraded, were all those parts replaced by Specialized?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Stefan Mikes When you had your display upgraded, were all those parts replaced by Specialized?

Yes, and that was a free guarantee service & parts (respect!) (The old parts were damaged by Specialized, or so they said).

P.S. I'm talking about "mercy" not without a reason. I had been waiting for 7 months between the e-bike purchase and the part replacement.

 

[Art Deco]

Stefan, any idea why the long delay, Specialized, the lbs, or Covid disruptions ? Or just karma?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Stefan, any idea why the long delay, Specialized, the lbs, or Covid disruptions ? Or just karma?

Specialized Poland wrote the LBS they had no certified EU "class 3" display, not telling anything they hadn't had the full conversion set between November 2019 and May 2020. As you may understand, the EU L1e-B class requires quite a lot bells & whistles by law. Instead of re-using old good design, they had to create a brand new specialized conversion set:

1. TCD-W with cables, requiring dismantling 3/4 of the bike
2. New stem
3. New headlight
4. New remote with a cable
5. New rear fender
6. New rear rack
7. New rear light with STOP functionality
8. New horn button & its cable
9. New number plate support, lit.

The bike has to carry all-day lights with automatic switching to low-beam at dark and optional high-beam operated from the remote. All EU certified. You have to be Specialized Bicycle Components to invent such a madness.

The delay was simply related to the fact SBC had to produce a number of conversion sets for all old EU S-Pedelec Vados (5.0 & 6.0). Add to this slow shipment and two weeks of my Vado waiting in the LBS workshop.

 

[manrubia]

Would you like to pay more to have that option?

The Vado batteries all cost about $900, but to buy a bike with a small $900 battery and replace it with a larger $900 would be a waste of money. I would pay $100 extra for a larger battery when I buy a new Specialized Vado 3.0

 

[Art Deco]

The Vado batteries all cost about $900, but to buy a bike with a small $900 battery and replace it with a larger $900 would be a waste of money. I would pay $100 extra for a larger battery when I buy a new Specialized Vado 3.0

Sure. And so would I. Likewise, buying the better motor, buying better components, and so on are all cheaper compared to replacing brand new components with better ones ... but you may have to pick a more expensive bike. In Stefan's case with EU rules he already had to buy the most expensive version Vado just to get the legal speed version.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

To be honest, other big brands have similar policy regarding e-bike model configuration. For example, If I wanted to have a 625 Wh battery in Giant Trance E+, I would have to spend two-and-half thousand bucks more to just get the larger battery, with SRAM group, 220/200 mm SRAM brakes and carbon crank as a bonus. I e-mailed the otherwise good LBS asking for the cost of the 625 Wh battery with a "rockguard" and the LBS has never replied to that specific request!

My new friend Archie has bought his wife the last Giant Explore E+ 0 Pro size S left for sale in Germany. He was ready to pay several hundred euro more for the 625 Wh model but none was available.

The major difference between Giant and Specialized is Giant at least try using standard bike parts, so it is easier to find spares aftermarket. Not that everything is so easy with Giant either. To be fashionable, Giant have used the 35 mm clamp-size handlebars in the Trance E+. While you can buy a variety of stems of 31.8 mm size, it is hard (but doable) to find a 35 mm stem.

OK, enough of bitching from my side! To give Specialized a credit, here are the great points of Vado and Como:

• Silent, powerful motors
• Beauty and elegance
• Excellent geometry
• Fully integrated design
• The best display and smartphone app in the market

As long as your Turbo bike works and there is a reliable LBS behind your back, we all love and enjoy our Turbo bikes!