Front suspension on Como & Vado

[Rogerc53]

Been looking at Specialized Como and Vado and found some used Como's but they are 2020 models with no front suspension.
MY neighbor has a 2019 Como with no front suspension and she hates it.
How bad is the ride on a Como with no suspension?
How much does a suspension seat post help?
Are there any other mods that can be done to help soften the ride?
I know letting a little air out of the tire will help but probably not enough.
Will be riding mostly bike trails and some fire trails that have some bumps, cracks and holes.
Thanks in advance,
RC

 

[landonphd]

I have a 2020 Turbo Como, which (I think, because I'm not well-versed in bike specs) has no front suspension. There might have been a redesign of the model between the 2019 and 2020 models so my experience might not be exactly comparable with the 2019 owner's experience. Also, there is a 2022 model so the currently-available Turbo Como might ride differently as well.

I wouldn't call the ride "bad" at all. In fact, I think it's exactly the opposite. I find the ride to be very smooth - almost cushy - and I love it. I tell people it's like comparing the smooth ride and build quality of a high-end luxury sedan to the build quality and ride of a small economy sedan. My previous analogue bike, which I always described as the Ford Taurus of bikes, rode like an economy sedan but the Turbo Como definitely rides like a luxury sedan. My Turbo Como has a feeling of well-built strength and smoothness that is comparable to that of a high-end luxury sedan. My after-market seat has built in springs. The wider tires (inflated to ~ 35 psi for me) help to absorb some of the bumps. There will always be some bumps that you will feel no matter what the characteristics of the bike.

My biggest criticism of the bike is the danger and ease of accidentally destroying the battery. This is the biggest design flaw of the 2020 model. Whoever thought this design was a good idea needs to go back to school. Hopefully, this has been fixed on the 2022 model. It's very very very very (add multiple additional "very's" here) easy to accidentally touch the terminals with the key that unlocks the battery from the frame, which immediately destroys the battery to the tune of $1K for a replacement. I recommend adding a rubber grommet as an insulator of the terminals (see the photos).

Test ride a current Turbo Como bike and see if it fits your needs. I recommend it from my experience but there's no substitute for a test ride.

 

[Jim in Central CA]

We have a 2018 Como with no front suspension and have no issue with it. In fact, we love it! I suppose it depends on the type of riding you want to do, but we don't go off-road, and I would not recommend either the Como or the Vado for any serious off-road use. A week ago today we rode the entire length of 17 Mile Drive from its start in Pacific Grove all the way through Pebble Beach and back. It took us about 2 hours and there is a very strenuous climb a little over half-way through, but my girlfriend had no trouble keeping up with my 2019 Vado 3.0. We stopped at the Pebble Beach clubhouse for lunch and met another couple who were riding rented Comos, also with no front suspension, and they told us they had decided to buy a pair for themselves because they were having so much fun. Just my two cents, but unless you want to ride off-road on rough trails there is nothing wrong with the Como not having a front suspension. Also, neither of us uses a suspension seat post, although I have upgraded the seat on my Vado to the Expedition Gel. However, our Como has its original seat and it is very comfortable.

 

[CodyDog]

My wife rides a Como without front suspension and it rides great. I ride it from time to time and prefer it over the other suspension bikes I have owned.