EBR made me do it! (new Vado SL 5.0 EQ)

[Jeremy McCreary]

@Jeremy McCreary: The day has come!

Yes! Heading straight for the bike shop when we roll back into Carlsbad— not even unpacking the car from our trip!

If the fit is right, should be riding the SL home by mid-afternoon. This hill-and-coast shakedown cruise should be pretty telling. Keeping a knee-friendly 80-90 RPM cadence up these climbs would be very promising indeed.

All fingers and toes crossed!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

And...?!

 

[BlackHand]

And...?!

I know. I'm really disappointed Jeremy isn't live streaming his first ride.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I know. I'm really disappointed Jeremy isn't live streaming his first ride.

Wait, you can do that?

 

[DaveMatthews]

Wait, you can do that?

Spill! (Not from a road rash perspective)...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

The SL's a keeper, ladies and gentlemen! And I stand at this juncture only because I got the info and encouragement needed to take the leap on EBR.

Rode the brand-new SL home the long way: 21 mi over several key test hills and along the coast with 1,243 ft of elevation gain on grades up to 10% per RideWithGPS.

Used ~60% ECO, ~20% SPORT, ~20% off, and no TURBO. Most hills conquered in ECO alone. Average rider power ~120W. Battery remaining 54%.

So the many yay-sayers were right all along: The SL will clearly get me around my usual terrain just fine — no, way better than fine — with acceptable exertion, knee loads, and battery range.

A few initial impressions relating to things you guys helped with...

1. What a sweet ride, inside and out! Much more powerful than expected, the low weight is a joy, and the responsiveness, agility, and rolling resistance are just what I'd hoped for.

2. Impressed with the Specialized app so far. Between the app on my phone on the bars and the customizable TCU pages, no need for a separate bike computer for the foreseeable future. Speed, cadence, rider power, and distance are visible at a glance, and that's really all I need in the saddle. Plus, easy to transfer rides directly into RideWithGPS for gradient display.

3. @Prairie Dog , the standard QuadLock out-front mount works fine pointing forward. Phone battery drain was quite acceptable for 21 mi, even with the screen always on.

4. The ordered suspension seat post didn't get installed, and I didn't miss it on this shakedown ride on generally nice pavement.

5. The LBS jumped the gun on replacing the stock 44t chainring with a Wolf Tooth 40t (above). Lost the chain guard in the process, but now that the 40t's in place, it feels like a keeper.

6. We'll see what's sore tomorrow, but fit, position, and saddle seem pretty good so far. Palms and wrists complained a bit after 15 mi or so, but they're used to a more upright posture. I see Ergon grips in my future.

7. Getting enough onboard storage without a full-size trunk bag will be a challenge, but this small ALMSTHRE frame bag with no TCU or boss interference will be part of the solution.

Thanks again for getting me onto this beautiful bike!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yay! I'm so glad to hear your Vado SL has met or even exceeded your expectations! I knew the 5.0 was an excellent e-bike (even right out-of-the-box), and the several enhancements you invested in could even improve your first experience!

• Are you changing the tyres and going tubeless?
• What are your impressions of FutureShock?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Thanks for all your help on the SL project!

1. Yes, going immediately to tubeless Pathfinder Pros PROVIDED they'll work with stock rims. LBS was unclear on this, and I can't afford new rims.

2. Hard to be sure this early, but the stock FutureShock 1.5 seemed to soften the front-wheel blows better than the hub-drive's Suntour spring forks.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

PROVIDED they'll work with stock rims. LBS was unclear on this, and I can't afford new rims.

Take my word they will work Someone once quoted a Specialized document promising the stock rims on Vado SL (even ver 4) were tubeless ready. I'm running tubeless on the stock rims of Vado SL 4.0 since Apr 15, 2024 (replenished the sealant after 3 months). If you can be picky, ask for Chris King tubeless valves. These are of the top quality, and the valve caps are tools at the same time! So I just use one of the caps (each of them is a different tool!) to unscrew the valve core. Then I use a small 30 ml syringe to inject the sealant directly into the valve stem.

Hard to be sure this early, but the stock FutureShock 1.5 seemed to soften the front-wheel blows better than the hub-drive's Suntour spring forks.

A friend has recently demo ridden a Diverge with FutureShock. He made a short video in which he said: 'I regret I tried that bike. I regret doing that as the FutureShock turned out to be as good as it would be hard for me to ride any bike not having the FS!' I deeply trust the FutureShock is even better than Redshift ShockStop stem! (I've demo ridden a FS bike in rough terrain and the fact I didn't even think of the suspension must have meant something!)

What about the bike fit? Good for you, Jeremy?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

What about the bike fit? Good for you, Jeremy?

So far, so good on fit. The SL's a little less upright than I'm used to from the hub-drive commuter, but that unloads my coccyx — my main source ride-limiting butt pain. So saddle seems good, and reach is comfy.

However, the added load on the hands and wrists made them a little sore late in the 21-mile shakedown ride. Fine a few hours later, and nothing else sore 10 hrs out.

Thinking about Ergon 5 grips with bar ends to get 3 hand positions. Don't you use grips like that on one of your bikes?

 

[Saratoga Dave]

I had those wing style grips on my Trek XM700 and loved them. Rented an ebike in Canada last week with them again, still find it very comfortable to have that sort of flattish surface to rest your palms on.

That 40 tooth chainring has everything to do with the performance on the hills! As long as you’re not spinning out at the higher speed end, it works very well with the 1.1 motor. My Creo currently has a 40 on it, switches out with a 42 on occasion.

And that is a great color!

 

[Chargeride]

Ive found the footage of his first ride.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I had those wing style grips on my Trek XM700 and loved them. Rented an ebike in Canada last week with them again, still find it very comfortable to have that sort of flattish surface to rest your palms on.

That 40 tooth chainring has everything to do with the performance on the hills! As long as you’re not spinning out at the higher speed end, it works very well with the 1.1 motor. My Creo currently has a 40 on it, switches out with a 42 on occasion.

And that is a great color!

Thanks again for all your intel and encouragement on this new bike!

Willing to sacrifice some top speed for climbing ability around here. The 40t drops bottom gear to 22 gear-inches and top gear to 99 gear-inches. The latter gives 25 mph at my usual 85 PRM and 28 mph at 94 RPM. Start spinning out above that, but plenty fast for me, and assist cuts out at 28 mph anyway.

Coming from a heavy upright commuter with hybrid 2 3" tires, very impressed at the SL's speed and stability on descents. Hit 40 mph on one yesterday, and the bike felt rock-solid.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Ive found the footage of his first ride.

Huntington Beach has a wonderful paved MUP either right on the beach or on the bluff above. Wife and I rode 14 miles on it on rentals just 2 days ago. Lots of bikes everywhere.

There, the obstructions are way worse than junkies. They're gangs of entitled moms with baby strollers, lost in conversion as they spread out across the entire path as if they owned it.

Wife and I called out "on your left" maybe 8 times as we approached one stroller brigade. No reaction. When we were right behind them, the leftmost grudgingly moved over just enough for us to squeak through between her and the seawall.

When we were far enough past, she screamed, "Get a bell!" We didn't have bells, but the moms got plenty of warning without them. No doubt that they would have ignored bells, too.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

The SL's a keeper, ladies and gentlemen! And I stand at this juncture only because I got the info and encouragement needed to take the leap on EBR.

View attachment 182333View attachment 182334
Rode the brand-new SL home the long way: 21 mi over several key test hills and along the coast with 1,243 ft of elevation gain on grades up to 10% per RideWithGPS.

Used ~60% ECO, ~20% SPORT, ~20% off, and no TURBO. Most hills conquered in ECO alone. Average rider power ~120W. Battery remaining 54%.

So the many yay-sayers were right all along: The SL will clearly get me around my usual terrain just fine — no, way better than fine — with acceptable exertion, knee loads, and battery range.

A few initial impressions relating to things you guys helped with...

1. What a sweet ride, inside and out! Much more powerful than expected, the low weight is a joy, and the responsiveness, agility, and rolling resistance are just what I'd hoped for.

View attachment 182335
2. Impressed with the Specialized app so far. Between the app on my phone on the bars and the customizable TCU pages, no need for a separate bike computer for the foreseeable future. Speed, cadence, rider power, and distance are visible at a glance, and that's really all I need in the saddle. Plus, easy to transfer rides directly into RideWithGPS for gradient display.

View attachment 182336
3. @Prairie Dog , the standard QuadLock out-front mount works fine pointing forward. Phone battery drain was quite acceptable for 21 mi, even with the screen always on.

4. The ordered suspension seat post didn't get installed, and I didn't miss it on this shakedown ride on generally nice pavement.

View attachment 182337
5. The LBS jumped the gun on replacing the stock 44t chainring with a Wolf Tooth 40t (above). Lost the chain guard in the process, but now that the 40t's in place, it feels like a keeper.

View attachment 182339
6. We'll see what's sore tomorrow, but fit, position, and saddle seem pretty good so far. Palms and wrists complained a bit after 15 mi or so, but they're used to a more upright posture. I see Ergon grips in my future.

View attachment 182338
7. Getting enough onboard storage without a full-size trunk bag will be a challenge, but this small ALMSTHRE frame bag with no TCU or boss interference will be part of the solution.

Thanks again for getting me onto this beautiful bike!

Nicely done sir! Congrats on the new steed, she's a beauty!

 

[Prairie Dog]

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

The SL's a keeper, ladies and gentlemen! And I stand at this juncture only because I got the info and encouragement needed to take the leap on EBR.

View attachment 182333View attachment 182334
Rode the brand-new SL home the long way: 21 mi over several key test hills and along the coast with 1,243 ft of elevation gain on grades up to 10% per RideWithGPS.

Used ~60% ECO, ~20% SPORT, ~20% off, and no TURBO. Most hills conquered in ECO alone. Average rider power ~120W. Battery remaining 54%.

So the many yay-sayers were right all along: The SL will clearly get me around my usual terrain just fine — no, way better than fine — with acceptable exertion, knee loads, and battery range.

A few initial impressions relating to things you guys helped with...

1. What a sweet ride, inside and out! Much more powerful than expected, the low weight is a joy, and the responsiveness, agility, and rolling resistance are just what I'd hoped for.

View attachment 182335
2. Impressed with the Specialized app so far. Between the app on my phone on the bars and the customizable TCU pages, no need for a separate bike computer for the foreseeable future. Speed, cadence, rider power, and distance are visible at a glance, and that's really all I need in the saddle. Plus, easy to transfer rides directly into RideWithGPS for gradient display.

View attachment 182336
3. @Prairie Dog , the standard QuadLock out-front mount works fine pointing forward. Phone battery drain was quite acceptable for 21 mi, even with the screen always on.

4. The ordered suspension seat post didn't get installed, and I didn't miss it on this shakedown ride on generally nice pavement.

View attachment 182337
5. The LBS jumped the gun on replacing the stock 44t chainring with a Wolf Tooth 40t (above). Lost the chain guard in the process, but now that the 40t's in place, it feels like a keeper.

View attachment 182339
6. We'll see what's sore tomorrow, but fit, position, and saddle seem pretty good so far. Palms and wrists complained a bit after 15 mi or so, but they're used to a more upright posture. I see Ergon grips in my future.

View attachment 182338
7. Getting enough onboard storage without a full-size trunk bag will be a challenge, but this small ALMSTHRE frame bag with no TCU or boss interference will be part of the solution.

Thanks again for getting me onto this beautiful bike!

Congrats on taking delivery of your SL Jeremy and we look forward to future adventures with your trusty 'palomino' steed! Lovin' the clean look of the cockpit.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

However, the added load on the hands and wrists made them a little sore late in the 21-mile shakedown ride. Fine a few hours later, and nothing else sore 10 hrs out.

Thinking about Ergon 5 grips with bar ends to get 3 hand positions. Don't you use grips like that on one of your bikes?

Do you wear fingerless padded cycling gloves? In my opinion, these give you the biggest bang for the buck, especially in the warm climate. Specialized grips are similar to Ergon GP1 or SQlab 710 and are really good, only these do not allow multiple hand positions.

I do not recommend Ergon GP5. These are monster bull-horns that do not look or feel right on a sporty lightweight e-bike. You could try Ergon GP2 (I use them on my Vado). The idea here is you never hold onto the bar-end but conveniently rest a part of your palm on the junction of the grip and the bar-end. (I may take a good picture on Sunday, weather permitting!) GP2s have short bar-ends, are lightweight and look very good in the proportion.

I could preach how SQlab Innerbarends 411 (the universal version) further improve your ride comfort but perhaps let us talk about it after a couple of months of your riding?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Do you wear fingerless padded cycling gloves? In my opinion, these give you the biggest bang for the buck, especially in the warm climate. Specialized grips are similar to Ergon GP1 or SQlab 710 and are really good, only these do not allow multiple hand positions.

I do not recommend Ergon GP5. These are monster bull-horns that do not look or feel right on a sporty lightweight e-bike. You could try Ergon GP2 (I use them on my Vado). The idea here is you never hold onto the bar-end but conveniently rest a part of your palm on the junction of the grip and the bar-end. (I may take a good picture on Sunday, weather permitting!) GP2s have short bar-ends, are lightweight and look very good in the proportion.

I could preach how SQlab Innerbarends 411 (the universal version) further improve your ride comfort but perhaps let us talk about it after a couple of months of your riding?

Yes on the gloves but sometimes need full fingers on windy winter days.

Thanks for reminding me about SQlab. The hub-drive has one of their saddles. Excellent customer service.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I use SQlab 710 grips with Innerbarends 410/402 on my Vado SL. Honestly, I would be better off with Ergon GP2 and Innerbarends 411 (the set of my Vado) as I sometimes miss the bar-ends, especially riding long segments downwind! The matter is not easy here as the grips and Innerbarends take a lot of real estate of handlebars. If you are ever tempted, please select the grips size Small.

 

[Prairie Dog]

To add to Stefan’s remarks about Ergon GP2s, I installed a pair of small grips on my wife’s Trek FX 5 for a overseas cycling trip. They are not too obtrusive, provide a good amount of adjustability to tailor a rider’s ergonomic fit and are pleasing to the touch.