Hello from HappyGrandpa

[HappyGrandpa]

Hello
I am new to this forum and at 73 years have taken up cycling again for the first time in decades. At the start of Covid lockdown in 2020, my wife and I bought ourselves Mirider One folding e-bikes. They are great fun and very convenient as we can fit the both in the boot of our car. However the 16 inch wheels means that nearly every bump and pot hole in the road is met with a resounding thud. They have some handy features like the rear rack and mud guards; I particularly like the throttle boost. The Mirider have been updated since we bought ours and they now have more power and further range; they also a kilo or two lighter.
In the summer of this year I bought a Specialized Turbo Vado 5 SL EQ - I absolutely love it. I was looking for a full size e-bike to complement my Mirider and went to an e-bike shop with a view to buying a RD Gazelle or a Merida. I saw the Specialized - lifted it up and was amazed, at 15 kilos, how much lighter it was than the other e-bikes. it and took it for test ride at was immediately smitten.
The Mirider at St Agnes, Cornwall and the Specialised at Firle Beacon, East Sussex.

 

[PedalUma]

Welcome!

 

[Marci jo]

Hello
I am new to this forum and at 73 years have taken up cycling again for the first time in decades. At the start of Covid lockdown in 2020, my wife and I bought ourselves Mirider One folding e-bikes. They are great fun and very convenient as we can fit the both in the boot of our car. However the 16 inch wheels means that nearly every bump and pot hole in the road is met with a resounding thud. They have some handy features like the rear rack and mud guards; I particularly like the throttle boost. The Mirider have been updated since we bought ours and they now have more power and further range; they also a kilo or two lighter.
In the summer of this year I bought a Specialized Turbo Vado 5 SL EQ - I absolutely love it. I was looking for a full size e-bike to complement my Mirider and went to an e-bike shop with a view to buying a RD Gazelle or a Merida. I saw the Specialized - lifted it up and was amazed, at 15 kilos, how much lighter it was than the other e-bikes. it and took it for test ride at was immediately smitten.
The Mirider at St Agnes, Cornwall and the Specialised at Firle Beacon, East Sussex.View attachment 108533View attachment 108532View attachment 108533
View attachment 108532

Congrats!
Now you’re hooked on ebikes. It’s one of the better addictions.
Many fun miles to you.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Yes welcome to EBR. Ebikes, a fun way to expand ones horizons and life experiences.

Edit: So glad you took the opportunity to try a full size ebike too. In renting ebikes 4 or 5 times before I bought one I rented a small wheeled ebike from an automated stand that had 10 or 15 available at anytime. We drove about 30 minutes to where we were going to ride and after a bit I apologized to my wife and asked if we could take it back. It just felt so odd to me.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

In the summer of this year I bought a Specialized Turbo Vado 5 SL EQ - I absolutely love it. I was looking for a full size e-bike to complement my Mirider and went to an e-bike shop with a view to buying a RD Gazelle or a Merida. I saw the Specialized - lifted it up and was amazed, at 15 kilos, how much lighter it was than the other e-bikes. it and took it for test ride at was immediately smitten.

Welcome to the Forums! I'm glad you could appreciate the Vado SL! There is a strong community of Vado SL riders here in the Specialized Forum, please join us!

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...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Solarcabin]

I m not as old as you but a grandpa with bad knees and back and thought my bike riding days were over.

I was very active in sports through out my life and tore the ligament out in my right knee at 15 playing football. That was before they had orthoscopic surgery.

I went on to be a college racquetball player and coach and high school coach and tore that same knee out 2 more times until the doctor said there was nothing left to fix and took out the ligament completely.

On top of that I developed degenerative disk disease in my lower back and bone spurs pinching the nerves in my back and neck. I was out of shape, overweight and depressed.

I had to give up most activities I loved but I could still swim and then a friend introduced me to his ebike. I took it on a ride and loved it. Made me feel like a kid again and I could get up hills without pain and get some exercise I needed.

A year later and my knees are better than before, lost some weight and my balance and stamina are better.

I like the slower pace and enjoy riding in nature and on my back country roads. I even have a trailer to take my dog along and we go go rockhounding and fishing with the trailer and ebike.

An ebike can definitely give you a fresh outlook on life!

 

[HappyGrandpa]

Hello,
Thanks for your response. I am afraid the sporting gene passed me by and I never excelled at any discipline. At thee start of lockdown last year, I purchased a Dynamic bicycle on EBay; it had a shaft drive and an 8 speed Shimano Alfine hub gearbox. But at 73 years I needed more help on the hills that lead from our house to all points of the compass. That is why I splashed out on the Turbo Vado 5 SL. I am so pleased I went for the 5 sl and not the 4 sl.
Unfortunately, while riding the bike back in late September, I had a blackout and spent 4 days in hospital, while they tried to ascertain the underlying cause. Alas nothing was revealed, but I left hospital with a 6 months driving suspension. So the bike is even more important to me now. Winter has set in over here in Sussex in the UK, but I try and get out on the bike whenever I can. another bonus of owning a bike is that the family no longer agonise over what to buy me for Christmas and birthdays.
I have just treated myself to a set of Ergon SP1 ergonomic handle bar grips. They are not cheap, but they are superbly comfortable and eliminated any numbness that I get in my hands on longer rides.