Hei, from Norway with a Turbo Vado SL5

[Cori]

Hey all. Thanks for allowing me in. Originally from Michigan, I’m currently living in Norway. I’ve been lurking for a bit and decided to finally join. I’ve got a 2023 Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5 EQ. I use it both for some commuting/errands as well as road & gravel rides. I’ve done a few shorter bike packing trips with it. It even saw a bit of singletrack this past weekend. I’ve been quite impressed with it and it only makes me want a full eMTB since that’s really my first love. And yes, I hate that I can’t choose to turn the lighting off. It sure would help eeeek every bit of energy from the battery for forward motion when pushing its limits.

P.S. Is there a secret for getting photos to post? Even screenshots of photos are apparently too large for the server.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Welcome aboard! We have quite a few Vado SL 1 enthusiasts, myself included (5.0 EQ). There's even a club within the forum:

Specialized Turbo Vado SL: An Incredible E-Bike (User Club)

I had never believed in the whole Specialized SL thing until I could ride an SL myself. My bad legs can deliver 70-80 W on average (with short burst of far more if I have to). I have got used to the "full power" modern e-bikes, the 24 kg (or heavier), mid-motor, and integrated removable battery...

forums.electricbikereview.com

There's a 2 MB file size limit on uploaded images. Speaking of which...

We'd love to see photos of your bike and the places you ride in Norway. My 3 favorite forum threads are the ones for sharing ride photos.

2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

So, the calendar rolls over yet again… what will it be this time? Will RabH decide to test the 7000 mile barrier? Will Stefan figure out a way to sneak into the Tour de France? Will Art outrun a bear? Will Dave Matthews get a Fender guitar? This place is very much about the people, though of...

forums.electricbikereview.com

Show us pictures of where you ride your ebikes!

This is around in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State

forums.electricbikereview.com

SHOW us YOUR PIX here .... Odd, WeiRd ,UnUSuAl or EyE CaTchIng things from your rides

I can't wait

forums.electricbikereview.com

 

[JGcycle]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Cori]

Welcome aboard! We have quite a few Vado SL 1 enthusiasts, myself included (5.0 EQ). There's even a club within the forum:

Specialized Turbo Vado SL: An Incredible E-Bike (User Club)

I had never believed in the whole Specialized SL thing until I could ride an SL myself. My bad legs can deliver 70-80 W on average (with short burst of far more if I have to). I have got used to the "full power" modern e-bikes, the 24 kg (or heavier), mid-motor, and integrated removable battery...

forums.electricbikereview.com

There's a 2 MB file size limit on uploaded images. Speaking of which...

We'd love to see photos of your bike and the places you ride in Norway. My 3 favorite forum threads are the ones for sharing ride photos.

2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

So, the calendar rolls over yet again… what will it be this time? Will RabH decide to test the 7000 mile barrier? Will Stefan figure out a way to sneak into the Tour de France? Will Art outrun a bear? Will Dave Matthews get a Fender guitar? This place is very much about the people, though of...

forums.electricbikereview.com

Show us pictures of where you ride your ebikes!

This is around in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State

forums.electricbikereview.com

SHOW us YOUR PIX here .... Odd, WeiRd ,UnUSuAl or EyE CaTchIng things from your rides

I can't wait

forums.electricbikereview.com

Thanks for sharing the resources! Planning some great rides for Memorial weekend if the weather cooperates. I'll be sure to share photos!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Cori, I think this thread is even more popular

2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

So, the calendar rolls over yet again… what will it be this time? Will RabH decide to test the 7000 mile barrier? Will Stefan figure out a way to sneak into the Tour de France? Will Art outrun a bear? Will Dave Matthews get a Fender guitar? This place is very much about the people, though of...

forums.electricbikereview.com

How does your SL handle the Norwegian hills? Even if I work for a Norwegian company and been to Norway for numerous times, I have never cycled there!

 

[Cori]

@Cori, I think this thread is even more popular

2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

So, the calendar rolls over yet again… what will it be this time? Will RabH decide to test the 7000 mile barrier? Will Stefan figure out a way to sneak into the Tour de France? Will Art outrun a bear? Will Dave Matthews get a Fender guitar? This place is very much about the people, though of...

forums.electricbikereview.com

How does your SL handle the Norwegian hills? Even if I work for a Norwegian company and been to Norway for numerous times, I have never cycled there!

You're missing out! So much good riding and gravel! If you've never seen it, look up cyclenorway.com and also his YouTube channel called @matthewnorway

I haven't challenged it with any longer passes yet. That will happen in a few weeks. I don't recall (but I'm sure you know) how the bike's "estimated range" is figured. But we rode to the ferry to Denmark (from Larvik) and when we got to Denmark and started riding I was very disturbed by what I saw for my estimated range and worried I might not make it to the campground. So loaded bike and eco-mode it was. The next thing I know, 58km went up to 62, 78, and by the time I got to the campground 60km from the ferry, I think I still had 90km left! It really opened my eyes to the range of the bike in the flat-lands of Denmark! I do wish the motor was set to North American standards. When I'm riding with others on road rides, it can be hard to keep up on long, low-grade downhills where it's hard to pedal enough to keep up with their pace. Usually I can catch up on the climbs.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

So much good riding and gravel! If you've never seen it, look up cyclenorway.com

Stunning scenery in the promo video! Interesting touring service they provide.

Added to the long and growing list of things I should have done when I was 20 years younger.

 

[Cori]

Stunning scenery in the promo video! Interesting touring service they provide.

Added to the long and growing list of things I should have done when I was 20 years younger.

I'm eyeballing the snowpack to see if it melts enough to try Tusenmeteren, the ride in that promo in 3wks. I'm not holding my breath but we're going to be up in that area with other day rides planned. I will gladly ditch one to hit that gem. If not, it's a great excuse to go back in the fall once everyone goes back to school/work (when we typically try to plan our vacations).