Class 1 alternative to Vado SL?

[rochrunner]

Okay, I went out riding today. I found a flat almost straight-away section and started pedaling furiously. I had the bike to about 22 mph in Eco (30/60, I think) when the path started to curve. I still felt the motor in the mix. It was not like when you Press/HOLD the Power Sector Button (and the motor drops out). In a RESTRICTED bike would the motor simply drop out like the Press/Hold or would it resist the pedaling higher speed. Again, my label (USofA bike) shows the 25km/h limit so would it have dropped out at around 15mph if it were restricted?

When you reach the cutoff speed, the motor doesn't "resist" your pedaling, but it does suddenly get harder exactly as if you'd changed to "Off" mode. You definitely know that you're not being assisted any longer.

 

[kahn]

When you reach the cutoff speed, the motor doesn't "resist" your pedaling, but it does suddenly get harder exactly as if you'd changed to "Off" mode. You definitely know that you're not being assisted any longer.

Thanks. I believe I was still being assisted. I will have to try again.

The friend I was riding with went ballistic when I told her about the limitations. She says it should be just based on posted speed limits on the trails and that UNpowered bikes can go 28mph and how is that any different. I could not even discuss it with her. She insisted it was a nonsense rule or limitation. She also does not know what class her bike is.

 

[rochrunner]

Thanks. I believe I was still being assisted. I will have to try again.

Why not put it in Turbo to try it? That way, when the motor cuts out you will definitely feel it!

 

[Allan47.7339]

Thanks. I believe I was still being assisted. I will have to try again.

The friend I was riding with went ballistic when I told her about the limitations. She says it should be just based on posted speed limits on the trails and that UNpowered bikes can go 28mph and how is that any different. I could not even discuss it with her. She insisted it was a nonsense rule or limitation. She also does not know what class her bike is.

Don't ask, don't tell and don't worry about it. It's only an issue if someone goes flying past walkers and crashes into somebody. I also have a 2014/2015 Turbo S with a 250-500W motor that I can get to 28mph. At 28mph you will get a saw-tooth (not quite sinusoidal) result of speed vs effort. You hit 28 and the motor cuts and you are 300 watts short and your speed drops. As soon as your speed drops the power comes back on an you can accelerate again so the stable speed is really about 26mph. I max out my Vado SL at about 20-22 mph.

Go to http://www.bikecalculator.com/ enter your weight and desired speed and see how many watts you need. Example a 180lb person on a 34lb bike needs 531 watts for 28 mph.

 

[kahn]

Why not put it in Turbo to try it? That way, when the motor cuts out you will definitely feel it!

Next ride with flat straight-away.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Again, my label (USofA bike) shows the 25km/h limit so would it have dropped out at around 15mph if it were restricted?

@kahn: All signs show your Creo is at the Class 3, and the 25 km/h label had just been placed there in Taiwan before your e-bike was imported in the United States. The distributor must have reprogrammed the Creo batch to meet your regional requirements.

The sign of the SL 1.1 motor cut-off is sudden silence. I'm sure your motor was whirring all the time!

22 mph? Very correct value. My derestricted Vado SL can achieve about the same, only the motor plus myself are too weak to push it faster. (If you rode in the drops, you could achieve something more).
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Allan mentioned a full power 28 mph Turbo e-bike. My Vado is a similarly specced e-bike, only with a mid-drive motor. With the original 48T chainring and slick tyres, I can easily achieve 40 km/h (25 mph) in Turbo mode. The air drag makes it very hard to ride my Vado any faster. However, riding a mild decline makes it possible to hit the 45 km/h limiter. Mid-drive motor is very natural there. Upon reaching 45 km/h, the acting forces get in balance, and you just ride at 28 mph but not any faster.

I had the chance riding at the restrictor speed for several times. The most humiliating situation was with a roadie who could ride just faster than I could on the same slope... (With real downhill, it makes no sense to pedal at all unless it is a road e-bike with high gearing; my top speed downhill was 64.8 km/h or 40.2 mph; I made it on a wide straight road made of perfect asphalt, no traffic whatsoever. And I applied a technique that allowed me reducing the air drag: while standing on the pedals, I move my backside far to the rear, and I heavily lean on the handlebars the way my body is horizontal, and the centre of gravity is rearwards).

 

[kahn]

@kahn: All signs show your Creo is at the Class 3, and the 25 km/h label had just been placed there in Taiwan before your e-bike was imported in the United States. The distributor must have reprogrammed the Creo batch to meet your regional requirements.

The sign of the SL 1.1 motor cut-off is sudden silence. I'm sure your motor was whirring all the time!

22 mph? Very correct value. My derestricted Vado SL can achieve about the same, only the motor plus myself are too weak to push it faster. (If you rode in the drops, you could achieve something more).
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Allan mentioned a full power 28 mph Turbo e-bike. My Vado is a similarly specced e-bike, only with a mid-drive motor. With the original 48T chainring and slick tyres, I can easily achieve 40 km/h (25 mph) in Turbo mode. The air drag makes it very hard to ride my Vado any faster. However, riding a mild decline makes it possible to hit the 45 km/h limiter. Mid-drive motor is very natural there. Upon reaching 45 km/h, the acting forces get in balance, and you just ride at 28 mph but not any faster.

I had the chance riding at the restrictor speed for several times. The most humiliating situation was with a roadie who could ride just faster than I could on the same slope... (With real downhill, it makes no sense to pedal at all unless it is a road e-bike with high gearing; my top speed downhill was 64.8 km/h or 40.2 mph; I made it on a wide straight road made of perfect asphalt, no traffic whatsoever. And I applied a technique that allowed me reducing the air drag: while standing on the pedals, I move my backside far to the rear, and I heavily lean on the handlebars the way my body is horizontal, and the centre of gravity is rearwards).

Good description of how it works. I did hear my motor "purring" yesterday so I'm fairly certain my bike is set to US standards. I know I can hit 45mph on a good downhill with the motor "off" as I did that plunging down the eastside of our Cascade Mountains about a month or two ago. It is thrilling fun hitting those top speeds on the right downhill road. I was doing 30 to 40 mph for quite a long stretch. Even in the city I can hit 25 mph - Seattle is a more gentle San Francisco-like terrain city. But I hope to do one more test on another path with a long flat straight-away.

 

[JeffC57]

View attachment 99201

Okay, I went out riding today. I found a flat almost straight-away section and started pedaling furiously. I had the bike to about 22 mph in Eco (30/60, I think) when the path started to curve. I still felt the motor in the mix. It was not like when you Press/HOLD the Power Sector Button (and the motor drops out). In a RESTRICTED bike would the motor simply drop out like the Press/Hold or would it resist the pedaling higher speed. Again, my label (USofA bike) shows the 25km/h limit so would it have dropped out at around 15mph if it were restricted?

My central USA delivered Creo CC does not have the sticker on the left and it is definitely not cutting out at 25 km/hr. I wish it did have the sticker as I sometimes ride in areas which Class 3 riding is technically not allowed and it might keep me from getting a ticket someday.

My theory is your bike came from a Specialized distributorship which also ships outside the US. Those that go outside the US are set to Class 1 limits and use metric units; perhaps by default. Yours was programmed as a Class 3 ride if you could hear to motor at 22 mph.

 

[kahn]

My central USA delivered Creo CC does not have the sticker on the left and it is definitely not cutting out at 25 km/hr. I wish it did have the sticker as I sometimes ride in areas which Class 3 riding is technically not allowed and it might keep me from getting a ticket someday.

My theory is your bike came from a Specialized distributorship which also ships outside the US. Those that go outside the US are set to Class 1 limits and use metric units; perhaps by default. Yours was programmed as a Class 3 ride if you could hear to motor at 22 mph.

I guess it is possible that a distributor might service Seattle and possibly Canada. I see what you mean - with my "restricted sticker" I should be able to claim innocence and have a sticker to prove it! I will have to copy that back to my phone. Goes next to my vaccination picture!