Como vs Vado- HELP!

I got my new Vado 4 a couple of weeks ago and have ridden 20-35 miles a day every day since. My afternoon bike rides are probably the only thing keeping me sane right now. Crimson was my first choice and is what I got, but I would have been happy with any color. I just wanted the bike.

Congrats!!
 
Welcome to the Club, @MAPC!

electricbikereview.com

Specialized Turbo Vado/Como/Tero/Tero X User Club

Majority of EBR Forum owners of Specialized e-bikes ride either a Turbo Vado or a Como. This is natural, as these two major models have been designed for an average cyclist. Turbo Levo and Kenevo are technical ride stuff, discussed on e-MTB fora. Creo is for road cycling fanatics :) It is...
electricbikereview.com electricbikereview.com
 
Congrats you are going to have a blast on your New Bike !!! ,my vote is for Riser if you need it before the seat ..
 
Ah, @MAPC, in case you will need a stem riser, bear in mind than anything taller than 75 mm or 3" cannot be used on the Vado because of the cable stretch.
 
Well, I was trying to weigh in on this for you over the past few days but have been waiting to get my account approved so I could post (Yes, this is my first post on this forum).

I shopped and rode the Como and Vado when I made my purchase a few months ago. I was able to ride them back to back and really other than the more upright stance on the Como - they are very similar bikes. As a 6', 200 lb, 51 yr old out of shape guy going through a mid-life crisis, my main motivation was to just be more active in general and not become a riding fanatic necessarily. So I opted for the Como as the more comfortable casual option of the two. Plus, I wasn't going to do anything more aggressive than road and occasional flat canal path surfaces, so didn't see a need for the Vado fork. The final factor that weighed into my decision is that I was able to get very good deal on a leftover 2019 Como floor model.

Now after a couple of months, I do debate my decision. I'm happy with the Como, it is everything I honestly need, but as others have mentioned - an e-bike can transform your riding experience. I find myself riding for longer distances and more aggressively and that makes me wonder if the Vado would have been a better choice long-term. If I was buying today (which I honestly thought hard about upgrading with the current deal going on) I might opt for the Vado instead.

Seeing that you pulled the trigger on the Vado, I think you made a great choice. And that Dove Grey is very classy and tasteful. It would have been my choice if I went with the Vado. Congrats!
 
Heard from my LBS this AM- bike was ordered from Specialized on Monday AM and 'hopefully' will arrive to them by Friday and they will 'hopefully' have time to prep it for Saturday pick up.

That is a lot of 'hoping' so I won't count on it but there is at least a possibility that I will have it this weekend. :)
 
MAPC said:
Heard from my LBS this AM- bike was ordered from Specialized on Monday AM and 'hopefully' will arrive to them by Friday and they will 'hopefully' have time to prep it for Saturday pick up.

That is a lot of 'hoping' so I won't count on it but there is at least a possibility that I will have it this weekend. :)
Click to expand...
There is nothing fast with Specialized 😊 I'm still waiting for the new TCD-W conversion set hopefully to be delivered to Warsaw this week...
 
I've had my Vado 3.0 for about a year now and am very happy with my purchase. I'll be 71 in August and have arthritis all over my body and I wanted a way to exercise that would be easy on my body. I try to ride most every day for about an hour in the morning and in the evening. Living in Florida makes it easier to ride all year round. After buying the bike I second guessed my purchase wondering if I should have gotten the Como, but I'm glad I gt the Vado. Yes I sit a bit forward, but nothing uncomfortable. I've gone on extended rides without any problems as far as comfort is concerned. There were some hiccups after I first purchased the bike in that I kept getting a motor error warning and after one charge the battery refused to accept a charge. Specialized replaced the battery and I haven't had any other problems. I believe the motor error problem happened when I turned the power on and turned down the assist before the system had a chance to stabilize. A couple of weeks ago my kickstand loosened up and the problem was the piece that accepts the screws had stripped out. My LBS replaced it under warranty. I think that either the Vado or the Como will make anyone happy. I like that the Vado 3.0 came with lights, fenders, computer, & rear rack. $2700.00 is more than I ever thought I'd ever pay for a bike, but I enjoy riding it so much and would do it all over again in a heatbeat.
 
Didn't hear from my LBS today so unsure if it arrived from Specialized yet. Will check in with them tomorrow AM when they open (although they tend to be crazy busy on Saturdays during C19!).
 
I rode both of these bikes today. The Vado was peppier, but both had excellent assist. The wide "Cup" seat on the Como was much better than the slim saddle on the Vado. I gave up mountain bikes because of the pressure on my hands and wrists from the forward position. Although the Vado was a more forward posture, it did not put a lot of pressure on my wrists. I believe the Vado is class 3 and the Como class 1? Not sure if this is standard, but the Vado had regular grips and the Como had ergonomic grips. I rode both over some bumps in the parking lot and could not tell much difference between the Vado with front suspension and the Como without it. I think I could enjoy both of these bikes.
 
kimmiller59 said:
I rode both of these bikes today. The Vado was peppier, but both had excellent assist. The wide "Cup" seat on the Como was much better than the slim saddle on the Vado. I gave up mountain bikes because of the pressure on my hands and wrists from the forward position. Although the Vado was a more forward posture, it did not put a lot of pressure on my wrists. I believe the Vado is class 3 and the Como class 1? Not sure if this is standard, but the Vado had regular grips and the Como had ergonomic grips. I rode both over some bumps in the parking lot and could not tell much difference between the Vado with front suspension and the Como without it. I think I could enjoy both of these bikes.
Click to expand...
Both are excellent ebikes. We rode both and decided on Vado 5's for their torque in our very hilly town.

As to ebike classes, both are available in Class 1 or 3. Class 2 is throttle which Specialized does not offer. Class 1 is 15mph max assist, Class 3 is 28mph max. Class 1 is for mostly trails, class 3 mostly streets.

Ride on!
 
kimmiller59 said:
I rode both of these bikes today. The Vado was peppier, but both had excellent assist. The wide "Cup" seat on the Como was much better than the slim saddle on the Vado. I gave up mountain bikes because of the pressure on my hands and wrists from the forward position. Although the Vado was a more forward posture, it did not put a lot of pressure on my wrists. I believe the Vado is class 3 and the Como class 1? Not sure if this is standard, but the Vado had regular grips and the Como had ergonomic grips. I rode both over some bumps in the parking lot and could not tell much difference between the Vado with front suspension and the Como without it. I think I could enjoy both of these bikes.
Click to expand...
The Vado and Como 4.0’s are both Class 3. Regarding the saddle, you can always add the Cup (Como) saddle to the Vado if you find the Vado saddle uncomfortable. I think it’s only a $50US part.
 
Last edited:
The three contact points on the bike:grips, seat, pedals are easy changes and the shop might give you a break if done at purchase so I would use the smile rule. Which bike gave you a bigger smile?
 
The Vado didn’t get here for the weekend and my LBS is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so hopefully I’ll hear tomorrow that it has arrived and they are prepping it for me!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Contemplating the Specialized Vado or the Vado SL?
2 3
Replies
50
Views
8K
AvalancheRun
AvalancheRun
S
Specialised Como 5 SL
Replies
8
Views
596
Styx81
S
Stefan Mikes
The Weight of Specialized Full-Power E-Bikes Listed As Dry Weight (Without Battery)?
Replies
10
Views
1K
mschwett
mschwett
Douglas Ruby
Vado SL and Vado SL 2 assist levels
Replies
18
Views
1K
mschwett
mschwett
B
TCU warranty only 2 years on the Vado SL
Replies
14
Views
971
Steve Brown
S
Back