Class 1 alternative to Vado SL?

[kahn]

You have to buy your own sticker. There’s a link somewheres in this thread.

Hey, I can print one, too. But I'm curious and don't want to crawl on the floor to find out.

Is there a sticker on your bike?

 

[BlackHand]

Sticker is visible in this pic from the EBR review

https://electricbikereview.com/wp-content/assets/2020/01/specialized-turbo-creo-sl-expert-sl-1-1-mid-drive-motor-and-charging-port.jpg

PS: it took me a year to spot the sticker on my Haibike: on the underside of the downtube where it meets the headset, black type on my dark charcoal colored bike.

 

[mschwett]

i would agree that there's a tiny risk of liability if you got in an accident, particularly >20mph, on a mixed use path on a class 3 eBike. although 300w isn't enough to go 28mph by itself, if you can put out even 150w yourself that +300w makes the difference between 20 and 28mph. that's why they have the rule about class 3 bikes, and it's a reasonable one. 28mph on a shared path is, well, a highly situational situation. perfectly safe if visibility is good, there are no cross paths, and you can see a long way ahead of you and there's no pedestrians, slower cyclists, dogs, etc. but doing that on a crowded path is a recipe for disaster.

the sticker on my creo is exactly as shown in the image referenced by @BlackHand ... it's also covered up by most bottle cages which have a little hook to support the bottom of the bottle, and certainly very very hard to spot if you have a bottle in there.

i do ride my creo on mixed use paths, but always with the motor turned off completely. i'm sure i also go faster than "legal" at some point, since on flat ground, no motor, i can do 15-25mph depending on the wind. if something terrible happened that wasn't my fault and someone came after me, i'd certainly hope that the ride records from mission control showing that the motor was off at the time of accident would be helpful.

i personally think class 3 bikes should have a class 1 switch, paired with some sort of very small uniquely colored light. obviously people could circumvent it, but if your bike has the "class 1 light" on and you're going 28mph... well...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If this is of a general interest to you, see the class sticker put by Specialized on SL ebikes for Europe at the bottom of the bottom tube (the sticker location is so weird I had to rotate my SL upside down...)

 

[ActionJackson]

Hey, I can print one, too. But I'm curious and don't want to crawl on the floor to find out.

Is there a sticker on your bike?

You should crank up that printer and sell them on eBay haha !! No Class sticker on mine - no class system here. Bicycles restricted to 25km/h max assist. Not sure why but torque can vary all the way up to 85nm but all wattage rated 250W. I might try that magic mod that @Stefan Mikes did with his Vado SL though. Not sure why I would need it though - trying to reign back on my stupidity. Last week I caught myself at ~75km/h on a downhill passing cars on a metro 6 lane major road. Darn lucky a cop or a car door didn’t catch me.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

No Class sticker on mine - no class system here. Bicycles restricted to 25km/h max assist.

Really no sticker there? Class system or no class system: the manufacturer has to prove it is a 25 km/h, up to 250 W e-bike.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Not sure why but torque can vary all the way up to 85nm but all wattage rated 250W.

The answer is very simple.
250 W is the rated (nominal) power, that is, the power that can be safely produced by the motor for a lengthy amount of time. Full power e-bikes produce far more power as "peak power". In case of full power Vado 5.0 it is 550 W @ 90 Nm. Our SL e-bikes are made to be absolutely bikes. Therefore an SL e-bike has the peak power equal to nominal power and it is 240 W (so it is a bike without any doubt). That is translated to, what, 35 Nm of torque.

 

[kahn]

Sticker is visible in this pic from the EBR review

https://electricbikereview.com/wp-content/assets/2020/01/specialized-turbo-creo-sl-expert-sl-1-1-mid-drive-motor-and-charging-port.jpg

PS: it took me a year to spot the sticker on my Haibike: on the underside of the downtube where it meets the headset, black type on my dark charcoal colored bike.

Ah, that's where I looked and did not see any sticker. I looked at the downtube, too. I will look around a bit more. But, I guess, it will not change where I ride. I can assure you that the powerless but very fast roadies on one of our popular MUP early in the morning can do more damage in a collision than I would do.

Bike-pedestrian collision and fatality deemed a tragic accident; no charges pending – Renton Community Update

www.randycorman.com

Renton considering slower speed limit for the Cedar River Trail

Changes are coming to the Cedar River Trail – possibly, a lower speed limit for bike...

www.seattlepi.com

 

[kahn]

I was on the "restricted" trail today and grabbed this photo. The other day in dozens of rides down this trail, this was the first time I ever saw it. The trail ends at the north end of downtown Seattle about a block from here. So it really is not only not very noticeable but at the end of the trail. There is not a complementary sign going in the opposite direction for the miles of trail that way.

As long as I'm posting, here's the end of the trail at a controversial piece of art

SAM's (Seattle Art Museum) Olympic Sculpture Park

 

[rochrunner]

I was on the "restricted" trail today and grabbed this photo. The other day in dozens of rides down this trail, this was the first time I ever saw it. The trail ends at the north end of downtown Seattle about a block from here. So it really is not only not very noticeable but at the end of the trail. There is not a complementary sign going in the opposite direction for the miles of trail that way.View attachment 98090

What I don't understand is, if there is a posted speed limit, what difference does it make between Class 1 & 3? After all, a Class 1 bike can exceed 15mph just as my car can exceed every posted speed limit. But due to many valid and not-so-valid complaints, our local trails are now getting more serious about specifying their e-bike rules, and most are stated as Class 1 or Class 1 & 2 only.

Since these are state-recognized classifications (Michigan), it is pointed out that altering the class sticker is illegal. So that's where I draw the line. If I'm "caught" riding a Class 3 bike I can probably claim ignorance or get off with a warning, but if I've altered the class sticker, it shows willful intent to violate the rules and could theoretically result in a hefty fine and/or confiscation.

That said, I've never seen any indication of enforcement so, frankly, I'm not going to worry about it (until "caught!").

 

[kahn]

What I don't understand is, if there is a posted speed limit, what difference does it make between Class 1 & 3? After all, a Class 1 bike can exceed 15mph just as my car can exceed every posted speed limit. But due to many valid and not-so-valid complaints, our local trails are now getting more serious about specifying their e-bike rules, and most are stated as Class 1 or Class 1 & 2 only.

Since these are state-recognized classifications (Michigan), it is pointed out that altering the class sticker is illegal. So that's where I draw the line. If I'm "caught" riding a Class 3 bike I can probably claim ignorance or get off with a warning, but if I've altered the class sticker, it shows willful intent to violate the rules and could theoretically result in a hefty fine and/or confiscation.

That said, I've never seen any indication of enforcement so, frankly, I'm not going to worry about it (until "caught!").

You've got a good point but the arbitrary rules don't care. There might also be some odd-ball thinking when they drafted the rules about the WEIGHT of these powerful machines and that the heavier bike could hurt pedestrians or other light bike riders more than the lower class units. But there are now some "utility" bikes which are pretty darn hefty that could inflict just as much damage without any e-power. They are also probably trying to keep gas or electric scooters and even small motorcycles off MUP's. So they draw this rather arbitrary line in the sand.

I'm with you. Hope I don't get caught or in an accident with another person. And I've looked and don't see any label about CLASS on my bike. I used a mirror to see under the top tube and while there is a label near the seat tube, it has my serial number, Taiwan and some other info but not class. I have not looked under the bottom bracket/motor housing.

I guess they make it easier in Europe/Asia(/Canada?) by restricting the bikes right out of the factory.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have not looked under the bottom bracket/motor housing.

Look under the downtube, near the head tube. The Euro ebike spec label is there.

 

[Allan47.7339]

The Cedar river MUP has a strict 10 MPH speed limit enforced by volunteers in golf cart with a radar gun and 110 dollar tickets. This was caused by a fatal accident several years ago with a bicycle passing a elderly walker and the walker stepped left when the rider yelled "on your left".

 

[Allan47.7339]

Look under the downtube, near the head tube. The Euro ebike spec label is there.

On a US Creo it is on top of the motor housing by the seat tube. It might be obscured by a water bottle.

 

[kahn]

The Cedar river MUP has a strict 10 MPH speed limit enforced by volunteers in golf cart with a radar gun and 110 dollar tickets. This was caused by a fatal accident several years ago with a bicycle passing a elderly walker and the walker stepped left when the rider yelled "on your left".

If I recall, Denis, the then mayor, was also hit on one of the trails. That might have had something to do with it. Yes, a speed limit as opposed to these rules on power would probably make more sense.

 

[kahn]

On a US Creo it is on top of the motor housing by the seat tube. It might be obscured by a water bottle.

I am heading to the bike right now and will look it over again.

 

[Art Deco]

On my and my wife's Comos it's on the seat tube clear down by the bottom bracket, a tiny 1/2 inch black square with white letters. I need stronger glasses or a magnifying glass to read it. Maybe the dealer puts it where they want?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

On my and my wife's Comos it's on the seat tube clear down by the bottom bracket, a tiny 1/2 inch black square with white letters. I need stronger glasses or a magnifying glass to read it. Maybe the dealer puts it where they want?

That is placed by the factory.

 

[jimk]

I hate stickers so I peeled mine off, along with the store name and Made in Taiwan.

 

[kahn]

I "don't have no stinkin' stickers"

Well, I do but they are "Handmade in Taiwan" and and "M" which I think is its Medium size. Then there's that wordy one under the top tube. And I think I got cheated rather than cheating. It was built in 2019 and I purchased 2021. I looked under the downtube and under the motor and bracket. No stickers. And maybe mine is restricted as its kilometer value on that sticker is 25!!! Yikes.