Ever take your Vado off road?
- Thread starter kattanm
- Start date
My Vado 4.0 has seen a lot of gravel, though to be fair it has been mostly on well groomed rail-to-trail routes. The large volume tires and suspension fork serve to make even rougher gravel trails enjoyable. I don't think I'd go so far as to try single track, but at 70 I think my single track days are over on any kind of bike 
Sierratim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Nevada City, CA & Paradise Valley, AZ
I too regularly ride my V5 on local gravel back roads. The tires could use more grip where the gravel is loose but other than that, no issues. I do keep the tire pressures at the lower end of the tire ratings when I know I'll be on gravel for more than just a mile or two. Seems to help with wash boarded sections.
mdl2020
New Member
I did once took it down a trail on my normal 5 day a week ride and the trail started out innocent enough but once I got in so far it got worse and worse to the point I was walking my bike down the trail. My bad in that I didn't know the trail before I chose to ride down it. The trail ended up having steep switch backs, wash outs drops and even stairs but at a certain point I felt it was better to keep heading down rather than try and wrestle my bike back up the trail. There were spots that weren't wide enough to walk the bike down but couldn't ride it either. The front tire kept wanting to washout while walking the bike and using the brakes to try and control the speed. Finally on one really steep switchback the front tire washed out taking me off the trail and slid 15 down the bank and the bike luckily got hung up on a tree only 8 or so feet off the trail. I eventually made it down but not without leaving some DNA behind and I was walking, lol lesson learned?
Attachments
Art Deco
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Selinsgrove Pennsylvania
I ride a Como, not a Vado, so its even less like a mountain bike. But it does fine on rough stuff like jeep roads and steep rutted trails, I tried to ride through a recently brush hogged field and it made it, but not quickly or easily. If you drop the tire pressure a bit, these bikes will go through a lot.
With the right tires any Vado should be well suited for gravel. Gravel, not MTB...
I ride a Creo Comp Evo and maybe 70% an gravel paths. Today I came for the forst time to trails which were definitely to difficult for me and even with better skills not really suited for gravel bikes or Vados and I almost ended up like mdl2020.
The last years we got used here to this single trail classification, I don't know if it's already international standard: http://www.singletrail-skala.de/
Perfectly suited for gravel is S0+S1. For more difficlutl trails you need dropper post, much wider tires and better brakes/bigger diameter (and on the Creo a straight wide handle bar).
S4+S5 ist impossible for me no matter which bike, you need to be able to do acrobatics, turn around the rear wheel while blocking the front wheel and stuff like that...
I ride a Creo Comp Evo and maybe 70% an gravel paths. Today I came for the forst time to trails which were definitely to difficult for me and even with better skills not really suited for gravel bikes or Vados and I almost ended up like mdl2020.
The last years we got used here to this single trail classification, I don't know if it's already international standard: http://www.singletrail-skala.de/
Perfectly suited for gravel is S0+S1. For more difficlutl trails you need dropper post, much wider tires and better brakes/bigger diameter (and on the Creo a straight wide handle bar).
S4+S5 ist impossible for me no matter which bike, you need to be able to do acrobatics, turn around the rear wheel while blocking the front wheel and stuff like that...
Last edited:
FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley
A good Ebike E50 or E75 rated off-road tire will make a huge difference in grip and control.
Take a look at the Schwalbe EMTB tires...
The Marathon Plus and Smart Sam both have a center rib for smooth on-road riding.
TIPS FOR PEDELEC AND E-BIKE | Schwalbe Tires North America – schwalbetires.com
Schwalbe North America: Best driving comfort ✓ Latest technology ✓ Discover the range of Schwalbe North America online now!
www.schwalbetires.com
Last edited:
kattanm
Active Member
The Vado doesn’t have room for much more than the stock 38s though does it?A good Ebike E50 or E75 rated off-road tire will make a huge difference in grip and control.
Take a look at the Schwalbe EMTB tires... the Marathon Plus and Smart Sam both have a center rib for smooth on-road riding.
TIPS FOR PEDELEC AND E-BIKE | Schwalbe Tires North America – schwalbetires.com
Schwalbe North America: Best driving comfort ✓ Latest technology ✓ Discover the range of Schwalbe North America online now!
View attachment 63807
Stefan Mikes
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, Poland
The lesson I've learned is never take a Vado for anything worse than decent gravel. I could compare the Vado with an e-MTB on forest paths recently and the verdict was don't for Vado.
One of the issues is hardly any aggressive and wide tyre would fit the Vado fenders. 2" slick Electrak tyre is the widest that fits.
One of the issues is hardly any aggressive and wide tyre would fit the Vado fenders. 2" slick Electrak tyre is the widest that fits.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
Great video on off road riding a Vado:
Nxkharra
Well-Known Member
thanks for posting. I have been looking for any video I can find for Vado and haven’t been able to find many.
Art Deco
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Selinsgrove Pennsylvania
Very nice find, a bit slow starting but very interesting from halfway on. I toured that area and while those aren't the Alps, they are real mountains and seem very remote.
Stefan Mikes
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, Poland
Whatever you say Vado loves the road
The video shows good the ATB posibilities for Vado or Creo. It's enough to watch from minute 12:00-14:00.
The path ist somewhere between S1 and S2 of the levels I posted before, what's the limit for these bikes. But it's very wide and it's much much easier uphill while you slow so you have enogh time and room to find your way. It's much more difficult downhill, but at this hill not to steep and wide trails it's still possible with Vado or Creo. Of course much easier and relaxing with a MTB...
Apart from tires and supsension also the front chain ring seems too big aleady for this hill.
The path ist somewhere between S1 and S2 of the levels I posted before, what's the limit for these bikes. But it's very wide and it's much much easier uphill while you slow so you have enogh time and room to find your way. It's much more difficult downhill, but at this hill not to steep and wide trails it's still possible with Vado or Creo. Of course much easier and relaxing with a MTB...
Apart from tires and supsension also the front chain ring seems too big aleady for this hill.
Stefan Mikes
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, Poland
Try doing that with the 48T chainring on the Vado 5.0. Besides, it is not the matter if Vado can climb (because it can). What really matters if how Vado handles rough terrain. The answer is: it hardly can do it.
kattanm
Active Member
Makes me think, if you already have a Creo, should skip Vado and got for Levo.
e-levity
Active Member
Levo SL
Stefan Mikes
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, Poland
I've got Giant Trance E+
