Curious How many Vado SL Owners & reviews after several miles riding

[BarryS]

Curious How many Vado SL Owners & reviews after several miles riding : I see original comments : Was hoping for some feedback from those who have a month plus riding these > Does anyone wish they had gotten the Original Vado?

 

[Nubnub]

I ride for fun and exercise. Was looking for an e-bike to expand range that I could comfortable explore new areas without having to drive somewhere. The Vado SL does that for me. The only experience I had with the original Vado was my first e-bike test ride on a Vado 5.0. I was impressed with how smoothly the e-bike handled the pedal assist. I also noted the Vado had much more power than I needed as well as being noticeably more heavy and clunky to move around off the bike.

Having ridden the SL for > 2 months and > 1000 miles, I'd say my only regret is I didn't get the 5.0 instead of the 4.0. I tend to shift more on the SL than a regular bike and I think the better derailleurs and 2 extra rear cogs would be worth it for me. I may end up getting a 5.0 anyway. My 4.0 is an EQ model. I did want the fenders for upcoming wet weather riding, but I find they do pick up more debris between tire and fender than I expected. I also wanted the rack since I can do some errands by bike instead of taking the car. I'll see how the SL holds up for a few more months. Then if all goes well I'll get a 2nd SL, 5.0 no eq for most of my e-bike riding and keep the eq for errands and bad weather riding.

 

[Pete 6016]

Curious How many Vado SL Owners & reviews after several miles riding : I see original comments : Was hoping for some feedback from those who have a month plus riding these > Does anyone wish they had gotten the Original Vado?

 

[Pete 6016]

I’ve had my Vado 4 SL (unequipped ) for about 2 months now and nearly 500 miles. I absolutely love the bike and have no regrets. One of my biking partners has the regular more powerful Vado 4 so I had an opportunity to ride his bike several times. Our rides are primarily on scenic bike trails. If anything I think he regrets not getting the SL. The regular Vado is somewhat overkill for trail riding. But there are definitely trails with some challenging hills. The SL handles these easily. I’ve made some changes of course. Shortened the handle bars, installed an adjustable stem to move the bars up and forward a tad. And recently added a Kinekt suspension seat post. One of my better purchases. My only criticism at this point is the 11- 42 cluster. There’s only 3 or 4 cogs that I find useful. I’ll probably switch it out for a 11- 34. Although I have a bike rack on order, its so easy to slide in the back of my SUV. If a person is interested in a recreational urban/fitness bike, this is the one to get.

 

[STLABRAT]

Never ridden the Vado but love my SL 5.0. It is just so easy from a dead stop and I’ve only used the turbo mode once up a very steep dirt path. Had a great hill ride today getting up some long hills but I completely felt like I was doing the work (my heart rate agreed). i would not have made it half way on my standard specialized bike. If I was commuting to work and didn’t want to have to work at all I can see the appeal of the Vado, but if you want to ride a bike for fun and fitness the SL is awesome. I started looking at some bigger hills since I’ve yet to really need the top boost.

 

[BarryS]

I’ve had my Vado 4 SL (unequipped ) for about 2 months now and nearly 500 miles. I absolutely love the bike and have no regrets. One of my biking partners has the regular more powerful Vado 4 so I had an opportunity to ride his bike several times. Our rides are primarily on scenic bike trails. If anything I think he regrets not getting the SL. The regular Vado is somewhat overkill for trail riding. But there are definitely trails with some challenging hills. The SL handles these easily. I’ve made some changes of course. Shortened the handle bars, installed an adjustable stem to move the bars up and forward a tad. And recently added a Kinekt suspension seat post. One of my better purchases. My only criticism at this point is the 11- 42 cluster. There’s only 3 or 4 cogs that I find useful. I’ll probably switch it out for a 11- 34. Although I have a bike rack on order, its so easy to slide in the back of my SUV. If a person is interested in a recreational urban/fitness bike, this is the one to get.

Thanks This is the Sort of reply I am looking for : On a regular Bike I've put on almost 600 miles in 2 months : My 3 riding buddies are all 30 years younger : I can keep up on a 25 mile trip but when they go 40 it's just to much. I'm 64 and the oldest of them is 32 : I'm looking for something I can keep up with them once we pass 25 miles : The regular vados just appear to easy. I'm sure they are a blast > My Problem is where I live in Michigan. Not a single Dealer carries these in stock. Closest LBS is 4.5 hrs away > Right in the area Riots are right now

 

[Cable Dude]

I just posted on the Introductions forum about a reviewer who says the Turbo Vado SL best eBike out there. Not going to argue. Have had my Vado 5 SL for 3 weeks and it is unbelievably fun to ride. Best thing on the Bike is the $9 bell and its ringing all the time as I pass people on the trails. In suburban Philly they have an on going project to pave the old railroad right's of way for bike and walking trails. Its almost too crowded on weekends so hard to hit 20--23 MPH. Truly a joy to ride.

 

[Winglovespea]

I have an SL, my wife has a regular Vado.
I am very much a fan of my bike’s lighter weight, hers can be a bit much to move around and get off of a rack. She likes the extra assist her motor offers. The SL is noticeably louder too.
I bought the EQ model and wound up taking the fenders off. This is my first rigid fork in a long time, some of the rough roads would be nicer with a suspension fork.
We are both very happy with our respective purchases.

 

[David Falcão]

I bought my SL 4.0 today, will have to wait untill the end of december to get it . Hope it performes well and gives me the extra push to get up hills faster and safer away from cars.

 

[STLABRAT]

If you want to do some hill climbing you might consider whether the extra 2 gears in the 5.0 are worth it. I did a couple of hard climbs for all the guys in their tight shorts and even with assist on turbo was still in the lowest gear. That says more about my level of fitness but FYI. I will say I did a nice level ride and turned the assist off totally but since it was gravel the added flex to the handlebars for the 5.0 was also a nice to have.

 

[David Falcão]

If you want to do some hill climbing you might consider whether the extra 2 gears in the 5.0 are worth it. I did a couple of hard climbs for all the guys in their tight shorts and even with assist on turbo was still in the lowest gear. That says more about my level of fitness but FYI. I will say I did a nice level ride and turned the assist off totally but since it was gravel the added flex to the handlebars for the 5.0 was also a nice to have.

I would love the 5.0 but it,s just to expensive. Besides i am relatively fit, the eletric part is mostly to aid in the fun and of course the steepest climbs

 

[Recontra]

I'm still in love with my bike! Vado SL 5.0 EQ. Rode it about 12 miles Saturday down to our local Saturday market with a buddy who has a Trek Verve. I was amazed how many tomatoes, packs of frozen organic meat, sweet onions, radishes, ears of corn, etc. I could get in my RackTime bag w/ folding Paniers (and how much I didn't notice biking it uphill back home). We went 30 miles on Sunday, and would have done about 7 more if my friend's Trek battery hadn't gone to zero--and his Verve is so heavy he doesn't even try to ride it without the battery. I started the mixed hilly/flat ride at 150% battery (main and auxiliary fully charged), and I ended with 103%. I weigh 260 lbs., and we rode hard, especially me (I often pulled over to wait for my buddy, which is funny, because before my Vado SL, he'd often sit on the side of the rode waiting for me to huff and puff up to him on my mechanical bike). Sunday, I used ECO, Sport, and Turbo throughout the ride, rolling flats or downhill was ECO, moderate uphill Sport, and steep uphill Turbo. I can't get up to 30 mph on the rolling flats in ECO, but I can easily get up to 27! Top speed Sunday was 32 dropping off some South Salem hills--I've had the bike up to 40 mph downhill, but the sweet stable safety spot for me is 32-35, at which point I now either back off or start braking.

Several times Sunday I got the "Zoomies." You know, that insatiable itch we sometimes get in your legs to just rip it up a long moderate hill or "zoom it!" along some rolling flats. LOL. My wife started calling those the "Zoomies," named after our golden retriever, Kevin, who occasionally gets the Zoomies when he's outside--the uncontrollable desire to just sprint at full speed around and around our large back yard. And the few times I got the Zoomies, I just took off--and both times it happened going uphill--I just felt the need for some speed And my bike delivered.

I'm now fully an e-biker, and am so over the idea that less assist is always better, or that no assist adds a visible halo to your helmet. Nope! Not me. I'm now an e-biker. Riding without any assist is for sucks!

Did I mention that I'm still in love with my bike?

 

[jorukfundan]

I'm still in love with my bike! Vado SL 5.0 EQ. Rode it about 12 miles Saturday down to our local Saturday market with a buddy who has a Trek Verve. I was amazed how many tomatoes, packs of frozen organic meat, sweet onions, radishes, ears of corn, etc. I could get in my RackTime bag w/ folding Paniers (and how much I didn't notice biking it uphill back home). We went 30 miles on Sunday, and would have done about 7 more if my friend's Trek battery hadn't gone to zero--and his Verve is so heavy he doesn't even try to ride it without the battery. I started the mixed hilly/flat ride at 150% battery (main and auxiliary fully charged), and I ended with 103%. I weigh 260 lbs., and we rode hard, especially me (I often pulled over to wait for my buddy, which is funny, because before my Vado SL, he'd often sit on the side of the rode waiting for me to huff and puff up to him on my mechanical bike). Sunday, I used ECO, Sport, and Turbo throughout the ride, rolling flats or downhill was ECO, moderate uphill Sport, and steep uphill Turbo. I can't get up to 30 mph on the rolling flats in ECO, but I can easily get up to 27! Top speed Sunday was 32 dropping off some South Salem hills--I've had the bike up to 40 mph downhill, but the sweet stable safety spot for me is 32-35, at which point I now either back off or start braking.

Several times Sunday I got the "Zoomies." You know, that insatiable itch we sometimes get in your legs to just rip it up a long moderate hill or "zoom it!" along some rolling flats. LOL. My wife started calling those the "Zoomies," named after our golden retriever, Kevin, who occasionally gets the Zoomies when he's outside--the uncontrollable desire to just sprint at full speed around and around our large back yard. And the few times I got the Zoomies, I just took off--and both times it happened going uphill--I just felt the need for some speed And my bike delivered.

I'm now fully an e-biker, and am so over the idea that less assist is always better, or that no assist adds a visible halo to your helmet. Nope! Not me. I'm now an e-biker. Riding without any assist is for sucks!

Did I mention that I'm still in love with my bike?

Hello Recontra. Thanks for posting some thoughts about your Vado SL. I'm looking for a street ebike. I ride an eMTB and it's so rad. It is limited to 20 mph and it will hold at that speed on the road, but it's not easy with the MTB tires. I want perhaps put some slicks on it and commute, but 20 mph isn't super fast and again, it's not easy to hold it at that speed. 18 would be more realistic. I bought my wife a demo Como ebike and I've ridden that on the road. It has a lot power and I think it would sustain a higher speed, but I haven't tried it as it is a bit small for me. But I don't want another 50 lb ebike. The Vado SL intrigues me and I had a chance to ride one for a few minutes once, but I couldn't get a sense of what it could do. I liked that it was pretty light and had a fun geometry. What I wonder is if it could hold a 25-28 mph speed with reasonable input. Back in the day I was able to ride at 20 mph on a regular road bike for long periods, so I wonder if I put in a decent effort if I could get 25-28. Of course the Vado is an upright, wide bar bike, so there is no aerodynamic advantage. The other consideration is the Creo SL, but it starts at $5000 rather than the $3350 for the Vado. I think for me, the Vado SL would be more useful (I don't really use the dropped handlebars position) Why 25-28? That is a speed that is hard for all but the fittest cyclists to achieve over a distance. I simply want to get in street clothes, put in a decent effort, get to a 25-28 mph speed so I can get to work in a reasonable amount of time, and be done with it.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

but it's not easy with the MTB tires. I want perhaps put some slicks on it and commute,

Try Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres and ride your e-MTB. Very good for road, good enough off-road (if your tyres are within 2.6" limit, you can find Smart Sams for you).

so I wonder if I put in a decent effort if I could get 25-28. Of course the Vado is an upright, wide bar bike, so there is no aerodynamic advantage. The other consideration is the Creo SL, but it starts at $5000 rather than the $3350 for the Vado. I think for me, the Vado SL would be more useful (I don't really use the dropped handlebars position) Why 25-28? That is a speed that is hard for all but the fittest cyclists to achieve over a distance. I simply want to get in street clothes, put in a decent effort, get to a 25-28 mph speed so I can get to work in a reasonable amount of time, and be done with it.

I'm interested with the answer myself. I ride the 45 km/h (28 mph) "full" Vado 5.0. It is possible to maintain 23-25 mph in Turbo mode and with considerable effort. It is very hard to get at 28 mph and it is hardly possible to maintain such a speed unless it is at least slightly downhill and it is downwind or no wind. So I wonder if that's possible at all with the Vado SL. Creo SL? Possibly, in the aero position...

 

[Captain Slow]

Stefan I think your Vado is similar to my Juiced CCS in that the upright position of the bike makes it hard to average higher speeds. I find once I hit around 38-40 km/hr. that the wind resistance has a significant effect on battery consumption. With my Creo that is less of an issue, but then the speed limit of 32 km/hr. comes into play. I can and have for short times ridden above the 32 km/hr. limit but at my age I can no longer maintain that for long. I have averaged 29 km/hr. for a ride of just under an hour. If my speed limit was 45 km/hr. then I think maybe I could average around 25 mph, but I am only guessing.

Definitely wind resistance is less than for a Vado, but compared to a road race bike or a triathlon bike the Creo isn't as aero. My Cervelo feels slightly more aggressive which in turn is less aggressive than a dedicated race bike like a Trek Emonda.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Just out of curiosity, Cpt: What is your average speed on the Cervelo, let's say, riding on the flat, windless?

 

[Captain Slow]

That's a hard question to answer. I don't have anywhere that is flat for that long a stretch where it would be a valid comparison. There is one stretch on my commute where I generally don't have to stop for traffic where it's flat that is about 1-2 km's and if I'm feeling good I can average about 38-40 km/hr. there on my Cervelo. But I couldn't sustain that for an hour.

These days I don't generally ride my Cervelo when I'm on my own. The reason being is that the Creo is generally too fast to use with my ride companions, so I end up riding my Cervelo for group rides. So when I'm by myself I ride the Creo, otherwise it wouldn't get used. So it's been a while since I've ridden my Cervelo by myself.

I do recall a couple of years ago my commute to work I did 27 km/hr. on the Cervelo but that's with a number of lights and significant elevation gain. My guess is that if it were relatively flat and no lights that I could have done about 35 km/hr. but that is just a guess.

If I headed out to the country side where I wouldn't have to stop for lights frequently and it was flat and if I had a US Creo with a 45 km/hr. speed limit I think averaging 40 km/hr. in turbo mode for an hour would be possible.

Sorry OP for getting off topic. To your original question. I do enjoy the bike, but I'm finding that my Canadian model restricted to 32 km/hr. is less useful as if I ride with a fast group well the 32 km/hr. limit is too low. The group goes above 32 km/hr. numerous times on the ride and then I'm just riding a heavier bike than everyone else. With slower groups well the bike makes it such that I'm barely using the motor so I generally don't take the Creo unless it's a really hilly day and I feel like taunting my ride companions

I don't like the 1x drivetrain as I find the cassette has gaps between gears bigger than I want for a road bike.

Overall I like the bike and enjoy it, but it's not as satisfying as it could be. For me it's a good but not great bike. It would be great if I had a 45 km/hr. speed limit and I had a 2X drivetrain up front. That would make the bike great. Make the spacing on the wheels 100 x 12 and 142 x 12 so it's compatible with most newer road bikes and then it would be amazing.

So in a future version if they could produce the same power from the motor but make it narrower and a bit lighter. If the motor were narrower then I think they could make a 2X drivetrain work. I'm guessing energy density for the battery will improve so that's always good. I think I'd prefer a lighter battery with the same capacity rather than a battery of the same weight with more energy. I've never gone on a ride and come back with less than 20% on the battery and generally my rides are around 70-80 km's, but even on 100+ km rides I haven't come anywhere close to running out of battery.

I'd love to get some nicer wheels for the bike, but the spacing they use is uncommon so it's hard to get aftermarket wheels. If I were buying again today I'd serious consider the Trek Domane+ because then I'd get a 2X drivetrain and normal spacing on the wheels. Mind you, I don't think the Fazua motor is as efficient as the Mahle motor in the Specialized bikes so I'd have to think about it.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Captain, I suspect there will be a lot of wheel companies putting out wheels that will fit the Creo in the near future. Where there's a need it the market it will be filled.

 

[Recontra]

Joruk: On the flats I've never been able to hit 30mph, but I also haven't tried too many times. It's way it's easy for me to get to 27 mph on the flats (and I'm a big guy 6'2" 260--a fairly fit fat guy!). But I would find a motor cutting off at 20 mph to be annoying, because it's really easy and comfortable to ride just above 20 mph on the bike. I don't know that I could do 27 mph in work clothes on my way to work, and not get there needing a shower. I'm pedaling hard to get to and maintain that speed. Also, while I'm comfortable going downhill at 35 mph on the SL, pedaling hard on the flats to 27 mph does (for me) get close to my comfort level in terms of stability and maneuverability. Not sure I'd want to have to maneuver in traffic to avoid a surprise pedaling/exerting that hard at that speed. I've just done it on farm road in the country side (because I can and it's fun). Hope that answers your question, at least in part.

But I'll also add that since you're a more accomplished cyclist able to ride long distances at 20 mph without fatigue on a regular bike, then I'd think 25 would be easy for you to do on the Vado SL. I know I always feel like I could do 18-21 mph "all day" on my Vado SL on the rolling flats (not literally all day--but clearly for extended periods of time without excessive fatigue).

 

[GrayFox]

I bought a Vado SL 5.0 (non EQ ) principally because I am over eighty years old. I have kept records for eleven years and it was clear that I was getting slower and the hills were getting higher.

The Vado SL is just what the doctor ordered. Even in ECO mode the local hills have gotten shorter and less steep. Sport mode knocks 5 to 5 years off of my age. I rarely feel the need for Turbo mode.

I really enjoy riding the Vado SL.