No expert but I suspect there is tolerance - after all you get riders of all shapes sizes and weights. Plus when cycling, different pressures and percentage of body weight resting on the bars fluctuates as you ride. A light bag with some coats snacks gloves keys phone what have you, probably wouldn't affect the future shock tolerances too badly. If in use and you notice the suspension is less effective, less dampening & if you end up using a handlebar bag regularly you could always swap out the compression to a firmer one. That's maybe what that "Compatible with Future Shock systems" might allude to.
EBR made me do it! (new Vado SL 5.0 EQ)
- Thread starter Jeremy McCreary
- Start date
fatshark
Active Member
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- The Howling Wildernes
I'd be astounded if it made a difference ... and riding mine with/without anything in the bag doesn't seem to change the feeling of the suspension.
Of course, if I packed the bag with the lunch I wanted, rather than what I need for the day, then perhaps it would compress the FutureShock
Of course, if I packed the bag with the lunch I wanted, rather than what I need for the day, then perhaps it would compress the FutureShock
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
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- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Beginning to come around to the idea of a single right Tailwind pannier to be clipped on only when I know I'll need the extra storage.
Are you absolutely SURE that the Tailwind's compatible with my SL 5.0 EQ's Racktime rack? Getting conflicting info from the Specialized website.
Have to say, that rack's pretty worthless for uses other than a Racktime-compatible trunk bag or basket — mainly for lack of secure bungee cord and net attachment points.
Why so? I've ridden with a small (1L?) waist pack many times. If all else fails, a slightly larger one with room for a windshell and a few small items seems like a tolerable fallback for my most pressing storage needs.
Again, I'd only consider a much smaller than normal trunk bag for this bike, and the only Racktime offering comes in the wrong color.
Thanks again for all your help!
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
It worked for me. As you know, I have de-equipped my SL since, so my opinion here wouldn't be really useful. Could you visit your LBS and do a check?
I hold no high opinion on that rack. I used to treat my SL as a grocery shopping e-bike, and I was overloading the rack with Ortlieb panniers (I could not use their bottom hook). The first rack got bent, which was pulling the rear fender and rubbing the tyre. The rack was irreparable after getting bent. Bought and installed the next rack (and actually stopped doing grocery shopping with the SL). After de-equipping the e-bike, I attach a removable Ortlieb Quick Rack, which is absolutely fantastic. Aye, I had to get rid of the Racktime and the tail-light...
Jeremy McCreary
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- USA
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- Carlsbad, CA
Pedaled over to the one local shop with a Tailwind pannier to try. Compatibility with the Racktime EQ rack confirmed. Didn’t test for heel strikes.
Ambivalent about the quick-release clips. Very convenient for my use case, but they make the pannier awfully easy to steal. The Tailwind also looks really bulky on the bike. Since I have another bike for shopping trips, will look for something smaller.
Why do you prefer a solo pannier on the right?
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Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
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- Mazovia, PL
That could be an issue! (I had this problem with my Tailwind but my feet are large!)
Yes. All good panniers I have owned (mostly Ortliebs) were quick release. I didn't think it could be a problem (but that depends on the crime rate in the area).
Yes it does
- Easier to get off the bike (I dismount the bike on the right)
- Protecting the derailleur in the case of a crash. It will be the pannier to get the impact.
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Coming up on the 2 month mark on the SL. Just want to thank everyone who moved me closer to pulling the trigger on a glorious bike that I really wasn't sure I had the legs — or knees — to ride in this hilly area.
Turns out my fears were totally unfounded, the low power, torque, and battery capacity specs notwithstanding. As predicted by SL riders in this thread.
The bike's a dream to ride, even up short 15% grades. Reduced the chainring from 44t to 40t with encouragement from several SL riders here. Big win on the climbing front!
The nimble handling and sure-footed cornering are real joys -- as is the ability to just pick up the bike and put it where I want it. Far cry from my 70 lb hub-drive!
Riding more and more in OFF — surprisingly satisfying. ECO's plenty of assist most of the time but enjoying the thrill of SPORT and occasionally TURBO when the mood or need to squirt through traffic arises. Plenty of battery for my own neck-limited range (maybe 40 mi) with no foreseeable need for an RE.
Having no interest in hard-core MTB, totally satisfied with the offroad performance on tubeless 700x38 Pathfinder Pros at 35-40 psi. Between these and the Future Shock 1.5 up front, ride quality's just fine. Wouldn't have known to make that tire swap without EBR.
Of course, all of that was foretold in this thread. Here's what I didn't see coming...
As a STEM guy with an interest in cycling science, having an ebike that shows me assist mode, cadence, and real-time rider power all at once adds a new cerebral dimension to my riding -- without investing $$$ in a fancy third-party power meter and bike computer. Never knew my power before. Fascinating to watch assist mode, rider power, and cadence interact with the wind and terrain as I pedal along.
Spend most of my time in the lower custom TCU screen, occasionally flipping back to the home screen above it to see how much time and battery I have left. Between just this built-in display and the Future Shock, the 5.0 premium's been worth every penny.
The power display's also a gentle nudge to pedal a little harder. Between that and the joy of riding the SL in general, I've lost a good 6 lb since taking delivery and at 76 am now in my best shape in decades.
The SL's often called a "fitness bike", but I had no idea that it just sucks you into riding harder, smiling the whole way. Hard to avoid the Carrot Effect on this bike!
Last but not least, the bike's a total chick magnet -- at least when I'm not on it.
;^}
So thanks again for making me do it, EBR!
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mschwett
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
so great to read this post, and that level of fitness at 76 is a real accomplishment, new bike or not! kudos!
there are many reasons to cycle, but i am pretty convinced that if your main reason is “fun” or “exercise” or “mental health” or “health” then less is absolutely more when it comes to assist. as tempting as it is to want to go faster, physics is a cold-hearted-master and the best e-bike is the ones that gets as close as possible to not being there while enabling bigger and more challenging rides than circumstances would otherwise allow. very different story for commuting, utility, children!
your +/- 50 feet per mile of climbing isn’t too bad, that’s about what i see these days too, typical coastal california roads while avoiding the big climbs for health reasons.
have you done mt soledad from the north yet? (capri rd.) a little steep but ought to be really fun on the SL!
for a long, gradual climb, throw the bike on your car and get as close as you need to palomar mountain to make the round trip doable, and climb this:
Climbing Palomar Mountain East, CA by bike - cycling data and info
Cycling Palomar Mountain East. View route map, streetviews, images, slideshows, videos and more for this cycling route to the top of Palomar Mountain East, CA, USA. All the info (difficulty, distance, altitude gained, elevation, average grade) you'll need to climb Palomar Mountain East by bike...
pjammcycling.com
should be a perfect time of year for it.
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MartsEbike
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- Dunstable
This bike is fantastic! In bright yellow against the stunning California sunshine, it looks perfect.
I can't help but agree with everything you've said about it!
If I can resist the “carrot effect,” this bike is impressively efficient. With a Euro-spec motor (limited to 15.5mph), pushing it faster under leg power costs nothing. On flat ground, with fresh legs, I can comfortably hit 17-20mph without much strain. And when my legs start to tire, there’s always plenty of battery capacity left to give me that extra boost to keep going.
Having Rider Power and Cadence info is a game-changer. Before owning this bike, I underestimated my power—never thought I could reach nearly 700 watts or my cadence hit over 130 rpm! Now, thanks to Strava's stats, I have the data to prove it. With winter approaching, I'll be holding off for a bit, but next spring, when the weather improves, I can’t wait to try and push myself and the bike to its limits.
As for changes to the bike? The only items I've purchased for it are new pedals and a Suspension Seatpost, which should arrive in a couple of days. I had considered changing the tyres - thinking they might be too skinny, but they’ve held up perfectly well after actually riding it.
I've also purchased a Range Extender, which, honestly, I haven’t needed yet—but I’ll put it to good use soon enough.
Anyway, to sum up, this bike does everything I need it to and I’m extremely happy with my purchase! Which again was mainly due to the great advice of EBR members!
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
My 3 1/2 year old Fearless has undergone many modifications as I didn't realise during the purchase I actually needed a Vado SL 5.0 unequipped I was successfully riding this e-bike on numerous gravel group rides including races (the longest race was 263 km, four Range Extenders and overnight recharging! Bear in mind, you need to ride fast in a race!)
Today, I tried my Vado SL 4.0 on a Cross Country group ride, leader of which was riding a fat-bike and all the rest had XC bikes. Singletracks including climbing and descending on the tree-roots, a little bit of sand, and occasionally lifting the e-bike to carry it over fallen trees Nothing I hadn't tried before! I always prefer a lightweight e-bike in a rough terrain, and my Vado SL allowed me to participate in that interesting ride! For those interested: the principal assistance mode here was 60/80%. I went Turbo on a 6 km solo ride in the hope to catch up with the group before the finish line. 55 km plus 10 km for the commute used most of the Main Battery and Range Extender.
Regarding the Range Extender: I treat the extra bottle batteries as the way to protect the main battery against premature degradation. You can set 'Discharge the Extender Battery first' if you are on an occasional shorter ride (such as grocery shopping or other local errands). During the normal use, Main Battery + Range Extender together allow for a long ride with high power output until both batteries are almost spent. I completed my rides of today with 6/13% of the batteries, and still could have used Turbo for the last flyover!
I was successfully riding this e-bike on numerous gravel group rides including races (the longest race was 263 km, four Range Extenders and overnight recharging! Bear in mind, you need to ride fast in a race!)Today, I tried my Vado SL 4.0 on a Cross Country group ride, leader of which was riding a fat-bike and all the rest had XC bikes. Singletracks including climbing and descending on the tree-roots, a little bit of sand, and occasionally lifting the e-bike to carry it over fallen trees
Nothing I hadn't tried before! I always prefer a lightweight e-bike in a rough terrain, and my Vado SL allowed me to participate in that interesting ride! For those interested: the principal assistance mode here was 60/80%. I went Turbo on a 6 km solo ride in the hope to catch up with the group before the finish line. 55 km plus 10 km for the commute used most of the Main Battery and Range Extender.Regarding the Range Extender: I treat the extra bottle batteries as the way to protect the main battery against premature degradation. You can set 'Discharge the Extender Battery first' if you are on an occasional shorter ride (such as grocery shopping or other local errands). During the normal use, Main Battery + Range Extender together allow for a long ride with high power output until both batteries are almost spent. I completed my rides of today with 6/13% of the batteries, and still could have used Turbo for the last flyover!
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Looks like a fun gathering! About to try a local Wednesday morning group ride for the comraderie around cycling if nothing else. It's said to be pretty casual, probably all pavement. Receptivity to ebikes to be determined.My 3 1/2 year old Fearless has undergone many modifications as I didn't realise during the purchase I actually needed a Vado SL 5.0 unequipped
View attachment 185622
View attachment 185623
Today, I tried my Vado SL 4.0 on a Cross Country group ride, leader of which was riding a fat-bike and all the rest had XC bikes. Singletracks including climbing and descending on the tree-roots, a little bit of sand, and occasionally lifting the e-bike to carry it over fallen trees
Regarding the Range Extender: I treat the extra bottle batteries as the way to protect the main battery against premature degradation. You can set 'Discharge the Extender Battery first' if you are on an occasional shorter ride (such as grocery shopping or other local errands). During the normal use, Main Battery + Range Extender together allow for a long ride with high power output until both batteries are almost spent. I completed my rides of today with 6/13% of the batteries, and still could have used Turbo for the last flyover!
Very interesting point about using the RE to preserve main battery. Enjoying the SL's light weight so much that lugging an RE around just for that purpose has little appeal right now. But if a pressing need for an RE comes up, I'll certainly consider this option.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
There is one more thing...
We have an excellent public transportation system in Warsaw and around. However, not all the stations for railways, commuter trains or Metro are equipped with lifts. Now fancy me carrying my 26 kg plus pannier Vado 6.0 upstairs (Can be done with Walk Mode). Vado SL? I can carry it upstairs together with a pannier!
I could get with an SKM and then Metro from a SW county city to the very south of Warsaw under an hour at the cost of... £1.34 or US$1.73! With the bike! (A full price ticket!)
We have an excellent public transportation system in Warsaw and around. However, not all the stations for railways, commuter trains or Metro are equipped with lifts. Now fancy me carrying my 26 kg plus pannier Vado 6.0 upstairs
(Can be done with Walk Mode). Vado SL? I can carry it upstairs together with a pannier! I could get with an SKM and then Metro from a SW county city to the very south of Warsaw under an hour at the cost of... £1.34 or US$1.73! With the bike! (A full price ticket!)
MartsEbike
Well-Known Member
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- United Kingdom
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- Dunstable
Excellent idea! You won't be surprised to hear that I'll be copying this!
Pulling power from two batteries instead of one helps with their longevity. Despite the weight penalty, I have constantly ridden my Frey dual-battery bike with both batteries. It's capable of pulling 30amps, and I was always mindful that this could damage the battery prematurely. Using both batteries means I've never pulled more than 15amps from each, well within its capabilities, it's certainly helped extend their life. It's 3 years old now and still performing well with little reduction in capacity.
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Jeremy McCreary
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- Carlsbad, CA
Very kind, but I really can't believe it's anything special — even for my age. Lots of older seasoned cyclists on EBR, and I'm sure many would leave me in the dust on a road bike.
Not sure I would have agreed with the less-assist-is-more part of that pre-SL, but I do now.
Good to hear. Is there a name for that vertical feet (vft) per mile stat? I'd like to learn more about it.
I've been watching it with casual interest since I started recording every ride in RideWithGPS ~2 years ago, but in a format I call "equivalent grade". A steady 100 vft/mi is very close to a 2% grade. Somehow easier to do in my head than straight vft/mi.
Most of my inland hill rides these days fall in the 1.5-2.5% range. I glance at my display and use this metric to decide whether to tackle another hill or drop down to the coast for the rest of the ride. Just another mind-game to play in the saddle.
Great idea! Familiar territory from a 2-month stay in La Jolla Shores in 2022, just before my return to cycling. Steep indeed, but stunning views and maybe accessible by train from Carlsbad.
Another interesting suggestion to look into! Did an introductory Palomar-Julian-Lake Cuyamaca-Laguna Mountain car trip last fall. Gorgeous! Saw lots of cyclists but kept thinking — wow, pretty steep country and not much bike infrastructure.for a long, gradual climb, throw the bike on your car and get as close as you need to palomar mountain to make the round trip doable, and climb this:
Climbing Palomar Mountain East, CA by bike - cycling data and info
Cycling Palomar Mountain East. View route map, streetviews, images, slideshows, videos and more for this cycling route to the top of Palomar Mountain East, CA, USA. All the info (difficulty, distance, altitude gained, elevation, average grade) you'll need to climb Palomar Mountain East by bike...
should be a perfect time of year for it.
mschwett
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
i don’t think it has a name, but used very commonly. for serious road cyclists 100 feet per mile over a long ride is where rides start to get “hard,” becuase of course you also have to go down. assuming you’re going up half the time and down half the time, that’s about 4% for half the ride, which over hours adds up to a LOT of climbing, and of course it’s more likely to be 8% for a quarter of the ride, a quarter flat, and the rest the opposite.
average grade for a ride will of course always be zero if you end where you start, but your “equivalent grade” could be considered to be half the grade that you’re actually going up. again, assuming you end where you started!
the commonly used serious cyclist metric around actually climbing is VAM, which is italian for meters climbed per hour
pro tour riders can hit 1500+ as could an e-bike rider!
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Just to give some perspective to it, my race metrics in rolling hills of Sudovia:the commonly used serious cyclist metric around actually climbing is VAM, which is italian for meters climbed per hour
A classic 50 mile race in the area of serious post-glacial hills (not 'real' mountains!) See the VAM, 1/3 of what a pro rider can make. Jeremy, VAM is one of the metrics reported by RideWithGPS!
Jeremy McCreary
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- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Impressive stats. Yes, I've seen the VAM in RideWithGPS but haven't paid much attention to it till now.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
FYI: That was my Vado 6.0, which is twice as powerful as Vado SL.
jason.flood
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- Edinburgh
I was also advised not to go lower than 40t by Specialized Rider Support.
Jeremy McCreary
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- Carlsbad, CA
Did they tell you why? My dealer's service manager mumbled something about risk of motor damage per Specialized but had no details.
Interesting because several EBR members like @Rás Cnoic run 38s on the SL with no reported problems.
In any event, 40t turned out to be just right for my legs and terrain. Would've lost too much top end with a 38t.
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