For Specialized SL owners. Have you bought the bottle battery and is it helpful to you?

[mfgrep]

Following this thread with great interest, as my new SL 5.0 EQ is only 4 days away now!

The SL will be my 1st mid-drive AND 1st lightweight ebike, so not quite sure what expect on my hilly home turf. Short grades of over 10% are pretty common on inland rides, and even the coast rides are more rolling than flat.

Plan A is to hold off on an RE as long as the hills and my so-so fitness allow — partly for the weight, and partly to give my credit card (and wife) some time to cool down.

If I can get a reliable 30 mi out of the main battery at current fitness, I'll be happy. If the SL increases my ride distances beyond that as hoped, the RE will be a nice reward.

Congrats. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you take delivery.
It is just too difficult for me/anyone to credibly estimate your battery consumption/mileage. Fitness, weight, wind, hills etc. That said....I'd think you will get more than 30 miles per charge. We shall see.
I rode my little 12 mile route this morning before the heat set in and left with VERY low charge and came back with similar charge. It is really going to come down to how much assistance you need for hill climbing and whether you are willing to turn the motor off when on the downhills or flats. The good news is that if you ever do run out of battery altogether...the SL is manageable without motor assist.

The SL just keeps getting better and better from my perspective....I love the bike....much to the dismay of my full power Vado which I seldom seem to ride.

KEEP IN MIND with the mid-drive: Let the bike do the work for you. Don't 'over-ride' the motor assist with too quick of a cadence. It is hard to explain....but with the mid-drive.....find your gear and pick your motor assist while keeping your preferred cadence. If done correctly I believe you will find that the SL provides enough assistance. I know that you are under no illusions related to the SL's total power availability. Use the SL's assist as needed and use your muscle otherwise. You will be sure to get in great shape!! Those that complain about the SL's lack of power, generally speaking, were misinformed as to what the SL's primary use(s) are.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Congrats. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you take delivery.
It is just too difficult for me/anyone to credibly estimate your battery consumption/mileage. Fitness, weight, wind, hills etc. That said....I'd think you will get more than 30 miles per charge. We shall see.
I rode my little 12 mile route this morning before the heat set in and left with VERY low charge and came back with similar charge. It is really going to come down to how much assistance you need for hill climbing and whether you are willing to turn the motor off when on the downhills or flats. The good news is that if you ever do run out of battery altogether...the SL is manageable without motor assist.

The SL just keeps getting better and better from my perspective....I love the bike....much to the dismay of my full power Vado which I seldom seem to ride.

KEEP IN MIND with the mid-drive: Let the bike do the work for you. Don't 'over-ride' the motor assist with too quick of a cadence. It is hard to explain....but with the mid-drive.....find your gear and pick your motor assist while keeping your preferred cadence. If done correctly I believe you will find that the SL provides enough assistance. I know that you are under no illusions related to the SL's total power availability. Use the SL's assist as needed and use your muscle otherwise. You will be sure to get in great shape!! Those that complain about the SL's lack of power, generally speaking, were misinformed as to what the SL's primary use(s) are.

Very encouraging! My knees dictate cadence, which I do my best to keep at 80-90 RPM no matter what. They'll tolerate short climbs at 70 RPM. Below that, they remind me that knee longevity is on the line.

Luckily, 80-90 RPM is apparently the SL's sweet spot. Current riding habits should translate well to the SL.

If the SL's gearing is low enough to support 80-90 RPM over local terrain, the main battery might well be enough. Otherwise, I'll reduce the 44t chainring, as several other SL members have done. The numbers for 40t look promising.

Based on experience with my 61 lb hub-drive, I should be able to ride much of the coast on EVO or OFF with decent range. Inland — we'll see.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Very encouraging! My knees dictate cadence, which I do my best to keep at 80-90 RPM no matter what. They'll tolerate short climbs at 70 RPM. Below that, they remind me that knee longevity is on the line.

Luckily, 80-90 RPM is apparently the SL's sweet spot. Current riding habits should translate well to the SL.

If the SL's gearing is low enough to support 80-90 RPM over local terrain, the main battery might well be enough. Otherwise, I'll reduce the 44t chainring, as several other SL members have done. The numbers for 40t look promising.

Based on experience with my 61 lb hub-drive, I should be able to ride much of the coast on EVO or OFF with decent range. Inland — we'll see.

Jeremy,

If your hills are really tough, think of the 36T chainring, same as @Rás Cnoic installed on his SL for his English hills. The 36T will by my own choice after the current chain wears out. (I keep a good 36T chainring in my box, just waiting).

Your cadence of 80-90 will be perfect. The SL 1.1 motor reaches its top efficiency in that region.

Now, some range information. I told you about MicroTune. As I do not have it myself, I often set something such as 50/100 assistance in the Specialized App. The ride of yesterday at such assistance and the main battery only would be 32 miles in mild rolling hills. The 50/100 means the motor returns 0.5 * 180 = 90 W for each 100 W you input pedalling (so, if you temporarily input 200 W, you'd get 180 W of assistance), and 100% means you allow the motor to assist you with the maximum 240 W mechanical if you pedal hard and fast.

The 40/100 setting would give me 46 miles with 1,200 ft of elevation on the main battery. I could ride the same route at 35/100 for 49 miles on the main battery.

Your hills are certainly steeper. You might need to climb in full Turbo and a low gear. However, simply do not pedal downhill, so the range would not drop that much!

 

[rochrunner]

I bought my RE right after getting my SL 5.0 based on what I thought I'd be using the bike for. As is often the case, what I pictured doing didn't come true and in two riding seasons I have yet to have had a need for it. Mainly I was expecting to use it on multi-day tours where I might not be able to charge the bike every night but could always charge the RE in my room, and it would be more than sufficient for riding the next day's distance. However, I'm certainly not getting any younger, and at my age now the types of rides I did in the years before I needed an e-bike at all are probably no longer appropriate.

 

[mfgrep]

Very encouraging! My knees dictate cadence, which I do my best to keep at 80-90 RPM no matter what. They'll tolerate short climbs at 70 RPM. Below that, they remind me that knee longevity is on the line.

Luckily, 80-90 RPM is apparently the SL's sweet spot. Current riding habits should translate well to the SL.

If the SL's gearing is low enough to support 80-90 RPM over local terrain, the main battery might well be enough. Otherwise, I'll reduce the 44t chainring, as several other SL members have done. The numbers for 40t look promising.

Based on experience with my 61 lb hub-drive, I should be able to ride much of the coast on EVO or OFF with decent range. Inland — we'll see.

You will just have to experiment. You likely will want to ride the coast or the flats with the motor off.....and this is something that you likely cannot yet fully comprehend coming from a 61lb bike.
I VERY rarely put the SL into Turbo mode.....and I rarely ride using more than 45% assistance. I'm in my 50's and am not un-fit....nor am I Superman. My 55lb full power Vado is never ridden without some degree of motor assist.

The trick really is USING the mid-drive's benefits properly. The mid-drive is directly assisting the amount of exertion necessary to turn those cranks while the hub drive is pushing and/or pulling you along. This doesn't really sound like a big difference....but in my experience.....it is. With the mid-drive you should use the appropriate 'gear' and cadence along with the motor assist level to provide you with both (a) desired assistance level and (b) desired battery usage/efficiency.

I'll be honest. I've had the SL since 06/23 and I had believed that I 'knew it all' at the end of last season. This 2024 season taught me otherwise. I've become far more proficient at using the gears in combination with the motor to more directly provide my desired results. It does take some time to really 'dial it in' and totally figure things out. In the meantime, even with your prospective experimentation, I believe that you are likely to be surprised and pleased with your battery/mileage without the range extender. I typically get 100+/- miles for each charge cycle. I also have lost about 16lbs since buying the SL and have sharpened my physique to a degree that surprises even me.

I no longer really think about battery/motor when riding. Some days I have the motor near completely off for my rides.....other days I have the bike in ECO mode for the majority of a ride. I only move up to SPORT/medium mode after entering an incline and when I desire extra assistance. The majority of rides I avoid Turbo altogether....though on rare occasions I might use Turbo for some seconds up to a minute or so. Turbo'ing around will deplete your battery quickly. Turbo is there for you....but the bike is not intended to be Turbo'd around constantly. If you need Turbo to a degree that it reduces your range to a silly low level....then you bought the wrong bike or are using the bike for purposes that it was not intended. Given what you've typed...I predict that after some time you too will forget about range anxiety.

Again...Looking forward to hearing about your experience(s). I'm excited for you.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Jason,
Only bear in mind you are in your 50's, I'm in my sixties, and Jeremy is in his 70's
I do not want to re-iterate on my ailments but I actually hardly can ride my SL without any assistance! (Yes I can but that's tiresome).
The xx/100 assistance trick promotes the effort done by the rider.

 

[mfgrep]

Jason,
Only bear in mind you are in your 50's, I'm in my sixties, and Jeremy is in his 70's
I do not want to re-iterate on my ailments but I actually hardly can ride my SL without any assistance! (Yes I can but that's tiresome).
The xx/100 assistance trick promotes the effort done by the rider.

Understood Stefan....and partly why I am curious to hear Jeremy's findings.
Yes....XX/100 tuning can be quite interesting and quite fun. I don't find XX/100 beneficial for me personally as I am typically attempting to ride for fitness/workout......but it certainly is fun.
It should be interesting to see how Jeremy finds the SL's battery life and motor assist and whether it meets his needs and/or expectations.
If the SL does not work for Jeremy....will that be the bike's fault?....or Jeremy's fault?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

You will just have to experiment. You likely will want to ride the coast or the flats with the motor off.....and this is something that you likely cannot yet fully comprehend coming from a 61lb bike.
I VERY rarely put the SL into Turbo mode.....and I rarely ride using more than 45% assistance. I'm in my 50's and am not un-fit....nor am I Superman. My 55lb full power Vado is never ridden without some degree of motor assist.

The trick really is USING the mid-drive's benefits properly. The mid-drive is directly assisting the amount of exertion necessary to turn those cranks while the hub drive is pushing and/or pulling you along. This doesn't really sound like a big difference....but in my experience.....it is. With the mid-drive you should use the appropriate 'gear' and cadence along with the motor assist level to provide you with both (a) desired assistance level and (b) desired battery usage/efficiency.

I'll be honest. I've had the SL since 06/23 and I had believed that I 'knew it all' at the end of last season. This 2024 season taught me otherwise. I've become far more proficient at using the gears in combination with the motor to more directly provide my desired results. It does take some time to really 'dial it in' and totally figure things out. In the meantime, even with your prospective experimentation, I believe that you are likely to be surprised and pleased with your battery/mileage without the range extender. I typically get 100+/- miles for each charge cycle. I also have lost about 16lbs since buying the SL and have sharpened my physique to a degree that surprises even me.

I no longer really think about battery/motor when riding. Some days I have the motor near completely off for my rides.....other days I have the bike in ECO mode for the majority of a ride. I only move up to SPORT/medium mode after entering an incline and when I desire extra assistance. The majority of rides I avoid Turbo altogether....though on rare occasions I might use Turbo for some seconds up to a minute or so. Turbo'ing around will deplete your battery quickly. Turbo is there for you....but the bike is not intended to be Turbo'd around constantly. If you need Turbo to a degree that it reduces your range to a silly low level....then you bought the wrong bike or are using the bike for purposes that it was not intended. Given what you've typed...I predict that after some time you too will forget about range anxiety.

Again...Looking forward to hearing about your experience(s). I'm excited for you.

My hub-drive has an excellent torque-sensing implementation, so I'm familiar with the amplification concept. I can ride the flatter parts of the coast with no motor even now but need a little help on the hills around the lagoons. Lowest assist (level 1/9) generally suffices there — unless I'm in a hurry.

Thanks to my lowered gearing, many inland hills are also doable at 1/9, though slowly. Fine by me, but some take 7/9 or more with all my legs can give. Those are ones I'm worried about.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

If the SL does not work for Jeremy....will that be the bike's fault?....or Jeremy's fault?

No problem if it turns out to be my fault. As a married man, I'm used to things being my fault.
;^}

Of course, I'd be very disappointed. Such a beautiful bike! But at least I have plenty of time to figure it out risk-free.

My bookie says 10 to 1 I'll keep it and 2 to 1 I'll get by without an RE in the short term.

 

[BikeOn]

I have three range extenders and yes they are helpful - but all depends on your situation. I ride in headwinds, I like going fast, and I often camp and do not always have access to electrical to charge it up.

 

[sandyman44]

for those who run with multiple range extenders, what options did you look at for carrying the extra one(s) and what did you decide?
I run the creo carbon expert evo v1 with two cages on the down tube (using an m-wave doubler) and one on the seat tube. "normal" rides (~2 hrs, < 30 miles, mostly flat near where I live only short steep hills) I carry 1 or 2 bottles (heat dependent) and no RE. "medium rides" (~4-5 hrs, < 50 miles, medium hills) I carry two bottles on the downtube, the RE on the seat tube and a 3rd bottle in a stem bag. I'm looking at options for all-day epics (8hrs, 100 miles, properly hilly terrain) which probably means 2 RE's. mostly I ride Eco but sometimes my left leg will experience "power failure" so I have to go sport or turbo to ask the bike to do the hill for me (which is why I got this bike).
I'm on the XL frame with a Topeak mondopack under the seat for tools/spares, and an Apidura Race 4L frame bag for layers / phone / food etc. I don't like the "roadie" thing of stuffing the back of your jacket ;-)

Of course there are always options to move the water/layers/food to a hydration pack or hip bag (Both of which I already own for mountain biking) but interested in on-bike options , without going as far as fitting a rack if possible. I was considering using the space at rear of the top tube up against the seat post. there are umpteen "anywhere cage" designs but they all stick out somewhat - ideally would want the RE to sit as close to the tube as possible for stability reasons.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A pannier.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Looking forward to hearing about your experience(s). I'm excited for you.

Thanks to SL intel and encouragement from you, @Stefan Mikes , @Prairie Dog , @Saratoga Dave , @DaveMatthews , and many others on EBR, I picked up the SL 2 days ago and declared it a keeper after its hilly 21-mile shakedown ride home.

What a wonderful bike — a class act all around! More first impressions here.

As of now, the bike has 27 miles and 1,562 ft of vertical under its belt on grades up to 10%. Most of this was in ECO with equal parts OFF and SPORT and no TURBO. Thanks to the reduced 40t chainring, most hills were conquered in ECO alone at cadences above 75 RPM — the happy place for my knees.

Battery remaining = 41%. Left the shop at 100%, so that's about 2%/mile in some of my hilliest terrain. And as many of you predicted, that means no RE on typical rides!

You guys kept telling me that the SL's a lot zippier than you'd think from the 250W and 35 Nm motor specs, and boy were you right! Having never had a power meter, I was also quite surprised to see an adjusted (average) rider power in the 120-150W range with short bursts of over 300W. Guess I have 3,000 mi on a heavy torque-sensing hub-drive to thank for that!

Thanks again guys. This bike is gonna be fun!

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Jesus, that’s a good looking bike. Put some helicopter or other 3M tape under those straps on the bag so the paint doesn’t get worn there!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Jesus, that’s a good looking bike. Put some helicopter or other 3M tape under those straps on the bag so the paint doesn’t get worn there!

Thanks! Helicopter tape is a great idea.

At least on a bike. Still find it disconcerting that tape has any role whatsoever in a helicopter. No more helicopter tours for me!
;^}

 

[BikeOn]

Bumble bee beauty! I wish that color was available when I bought mine. Good for safety and pretty. Tip from an expereinced Specialized owner - be sure and register it AND scan in your receipt to the specialized web site. Recently had mine in for service and they made a big deal out of the "original receipt" issue in order to get discount; even though it had been serviced at their shop many times and bought at an affliate store.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Congrats. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you take delivery.
It is just too difficult for me/anyone to credibly estimate your battery consumption/mileage. Fitness, weight, wind, hills etc. That said....I'd think you will get more than 30 miles per charge. We shall see.
I rode my little 12 mile route this morning before the heat set in and left with VERY low charge and came back with similar charge. It is really going to come down to how much assistance you need for hill climbing and whether you are willing to turn the motor off when on the downhills or flats. The good news is that if you ever do run out of battery altogether...the SL is manageable without motor assist.

The SL just keeps getting better and better from my perspective....I love the bike....much to the dismay of my full power Vado which I seldom seem to ride.

KEEP IN MIND with the mid-drive: Let the bike do the work for you. Don't 'over-ride' the motor assist with too quick of a cadence. It is hard to explain....but with the mid-drive.....find your gear and pick your motor assist while keeping your preferred cadence. If done correctly I believe you will find that the SL provides enough assistance. I know that you are under no illusions related to the SL's total power availability. Use the SL's assist as needed and use your muscle otherwise. You will be sure to get in great shape!! Those that complain about the SL's lack of power, generally speaking, were misinformed as to what the SL's primary use(s) are.

Thanks for the range tips! Very impressed (a) with how often I can comfortably use ECO and OFF on the SL, even on hills, and (b) with the %battery/mile figures I'm getting by doing so. And this with the stock tuning.

Still early days, of course, but very encouraging. If this keeps up, my typical rides won't need an RE.

So far, the 40t chainring seems to be a good fit for my terrain. Climbed a known one-block 16% grade with it yesterday in TURBO with no problem. Next time through I'll try SPORT.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Jeremy, have you tried the MICRO mode yet? That is, Micro Tune?

I could see your leg power estimate, which is excellent (my bad legs can produce a half of your leg power!) You say you often ride in OFF, which I was trying a year ago when my legs felt stronger. You could now optimize your assistance with the MICRO mode Read the Range estimate and Range Trend if you can put them into your customized screens.

You would definitely need no Range Extender unless your appetite for long rides grows! Why carry more than a kilogram extra if you don't need it?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Jeremy, have you tried the MICRO mode yet? That is, Micro Tune?

I could see your leg power estimate, which is excellent (my bad legs can produce a half of your leg power!) You say you often ride in OFF, which I was trying a year ago when my legs felt stronger. You could now optimize your assistance with the MICRO mode Read the Range estimate and Range Trend if you can put them into your customized screens.

You would definitely need no Range Extender unless your appetite for long rides grows! Why carry more than a kilogram extra if you don't need it?

Just saw this. Yes, using Micro Tune (MT) more and more. Might even help me avoid an RE altogether, as the Levo test below suggests. The conclusions start at 11:30.

Between MT and the SL's 12-speed cassette, I can keep a knee-friendly cadence in just about any situation. As you've noted elsewhere, very helpful when trying to match ground speed with other riders.

MT's also a good way to try out assist mode tunings in the saddle before programming them in the app.

Useful fact: All MT assist levels set M = E, where E = ease, and M = motor power in current Specialized parlance. On entering MT for the first time on a ride, E/M = 50/50.

It's easy to show that whenever M = E on a Vado SL, assist power always "saturates" (maxes out) at the same "saturation rider power" of 133W. Pedal harder than 133W all you want, but the only way you'll get more help from the SL's motor is to increase M first. MT allows you to do that in 10% increments.

Interestingly, the Creo 1, Creo 2, Vado SL, and full-powered Vado all have saturation rider powers in the 130-140W range. Not sure why but doubt it's a coincidence.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Interestingly, the Creo 1, Creo 2, and full-powered Vado all have saturation rider powers in the 130-140W range. Not sure why but doubt it's a coincidence.

That's why Turbo e-bikes provide the extra boost if you set M > E I made my group ride on Vado SL at 50/100% today.