Cyklefanatic
Well-Known Member
I had been an avid cyclist for years but after two rounds of chemotherapy I no longer have the stamina to ride any distance. A few years ago I purchased two folding Pedago ebikes that me and my wife can throw in the car and go for rides together. It was great to get out riding again and to get my wife riding too. The bikes are slow, heavy with a bit of a rough ride but I guess that is the price of there portability. I wanted something faster that I could ride to work so in August I bought a Specialized Vado 4.0.
Wow what a great ride! The power is seamless and quiet. It feels like riding a bike before I got sick and I look forward to any opportunity to get out and ride. I commute 48k round trip to work and enjoy it so much more than the grind of using the car in stop and go traffic.
I find that I only ever use the four top gears, all the other gears are too low. With all of the torque available from the motor anything more than five well spaced gears is a waste.
The bike is limited to 31k/hr which feels like hitting a wall when you suddenly reach the limit. This happens often and quickly. Too bad they can’t program a soft limit where the power reduction is reduced gradually as you go faster. At 31k it’s kind of embarrassing when you get passed by other non ebikes on the road. The spandex riders generally ride at 35k/hr.
My only complaint would be how difficult it is to install the battery. Initially the battery could not be removed at all. After an hour at the shop the mechanic managed to get the battery out and change a shim inside to make it easier to remove. Now you have to pound the battery hard in order to get it all the way in. My wife is not strong enough to get the battery in properly. Twice while riding to work the battery pooped out! It doesn’t fall off the bike it just disconnects and cuts power. Over the winter I am going to see if I can get it working better.
Some minor gripes are, no charging port on the bike which would be handy. Nobody in my area carries bags that fit the narrow rack. I hate buying stuff online without being able to see the fit, size, quality.... Currently I have Mcqivered I bag to fit.
Still I love this bike and I can see myself riding it everywhere next summer.
Wow what a great ride! The power is seamless and quiet. It feels like riding a bike before I got sick and I look forward to any opportunity to get out and ride. I commute 48k round trip to work and enjoy it so much more than the grind of using the car in stop and go traffic.
I find that I only ever use the four top gears, all the other gears are too low. With all of the torque available from the motor anything more than five well spaced gears is a waste.
The bike is limited to 31k/hr which feels like hitting a wall when you suddenly reach the limit. This happens often and quickly. Too bad they can’t program a soft limit where the power reduction is reduced gradually as you go faster. At 31k it’s kind of embarrassing when you get passed by other non ebikes on the road. The spandex riders generally ride at 35k/hr.
My only complaint would be how difficult it is to install the battery. Initially the battery could not be removed at all. After an hour at the shop the mechanic managed to get the battery out and change a shim inside to make it easier to remove. Now you have to pound the battery hard in order to get it all the way in. My wife is not strong enough to get the battery in properly. Twice while riding to work the battery pooped out! It doesn’t fall off the bike it just disconnects and cuts power. Over the winter I am going to see if I can get it working better.
Some minor gripes are, no charging port on the bike which would be handy. Nobody in my area carries bags that fit the narrow rack. I hate buying stuff online without being able to see the fit, size, quality.... Currently I have Mcqivered I bag to fit.
Still I love this bike and I can see myself riding it everywhere next summer.
