HELP - Messed up my Vado SL 4.0 after trying to change rear tire.

While tubeless are of value in MTB (especially competition), I don't think tubeless are some magical cure-all, especially on road.
 
I have considered going tubeless for MTB but I don't think it's worth the bother for the road.

For an ebike, I'd rather not deal with all the mess and just use a highly flat resistant tire like a Schwalbe Marathon and not worry about the weight of it because I have a motor.
 
I didn't see anyone mention narrow-wide chainrings. If you have that on your bike you have to install the chain and chainring correctly for it to work at all.
 
Ugh ...

Thought I'd change our the stock pathfinder 38c for Smart Sams 40C. Tires look like they would have great traction. Unfortunately, I could not get them onto the rims after about 45 minutes of struggling with it and watching numerous videos on how to do so. I could get one side and 80% of the other, but it just would not go. At this point I'm likely sending them back; even if I had the LBS do it, what happens when I get a flat on the trail?

Worse, when I removed the rear wheel, I didn't set the gear to the smallest setting. Once I get it back on, when I shifted all the way to one end of the gears, one one side the front hub would not spin, and the other end of the gears the chain came off. And, the chain proceeded to come off the front hub and get stuck between the front gear and the motor housing. After wrestling that for a while I got that fixed, but I cannot get the rear gears right. Now it seems that the derailleur is in the way. I have no idea what to do other than take it to the LBS tomorrow.

I'm pretty disappointed and frustrated.
What can I say? It´s a learning process. Screw up often enuff & you will become a master bike mechanic.:rolleyes:
 
Even Schwalbe Marathon plus will eventually meet their match.
bent nail.jpg
 
I’ve talked to people on Facebook groups that did successfully run the SL 4 rims tubeless with a conversion kit. I spoke to the LBS about it and they said it is possible, but not advised as the interior shape of the rim isn’t ideal and this more likely to produce flats.

If I was starting over again I’d get the 5.0 non EQ
 
If I was starting over again I’d get the 5.0 non EQ
If I decided the SL were for me, I'd go for the 4.0 EQ :) Horses for courses.
You see Rook, the more experience I gain, the less demanding I become...
 
I hear ya. I would like the stock future shock more than I anticipated. I realize I can get a shock stem to do basically the same thing and intend to do so.

Specialize actually said you can retrofit the future shock into the 4.0 but the LBS was not aware of that. Specialized also said you can get an aftermarket fork with shocks, but my search found no one makes a shock that would fit the straight tube. I’m sure that would be a bit expensive anyway.
 
1. Baramind BAM suspension handlebars (Trek or City)
2. Lower tyre inflation pressure.

Rook, I own a fully suspended premium e-MTB. You would be surprised how little of comfort is provided by the FS. FS is for traction, not comfort.

Of course you can do whatever your heart and dreams dictate (but I am already well past that phase) :)
 
I’ve talked to people on Facebook groups that did successfully run the SL 4 rims tubeless with a conversion kit. I spoke to the LBS about it and they said it is possible, but not advised as the interior shape of the rim isn’t ideal and this more likely to produce flats.

If I was starting over again I’d get the 5.0 non EQ
I would be cautious about running tubeless on non-tubeless rims. I have had a couple of rear tires blow off the rim even though it was a tubeless rim and tubless tire set up by the bike shop as part of a semi-custom traditional road bike with 650B x 42mm tires. I now run that wheel with a tube but I may try tubless again with Vittoria Air-Liner inserts. I had a new wheel built by a different favorite shop where they suggested a different rim model and spoke count. That wheel has been fine tubeless. I wanted to use tubeless for my road bike since most of my flats are either small pieces of glass or pieces of truck radial tire wire that should easily be sealed. I'm still on the stock tires on my Vado SL 5 EQ and have not decided if I will try tubeless on this bike.
 
P.S. I have forgotten to add you should be careful to not to pinch the inner tube on the tyre replacement. Happened to me thrice, so ignorant I used to be!
Good advice, as always.

I always put just a little bit of air into the fresh tube -- just enough to give it a little bit of shape -- before putting it inside the tire. That generally helps keep it from being pinched, although care is still required.
 
I always put just a little bit of air into the fresh tube -- just enough to give it a little bit of shape -- before putting it inside the tire. That generally helps keep it from being pinched, although care is still required.
This is the norm, and how it has been always since inner tubes were invented :)

Only the uninformed attempt to install brand new flat inner tubes.
 
Only the uninformed attempt to install brand new flat inner tubes.
My point was, the explosion of inner tube (that happened to me three times) occurred with some air inside the tube when installing the tyre. I was just fast and careless.
 
My point was, the explosion of inner tube (that happened to me three times) occurred with some air inside the tube when installing the tyre. I was just fast and careless.
Yeah, I did that once on a hot, dusty day by the side of the road fixing my 2nd flat in 10 miles. It blew the tire off the rim! Luckily I was near a bike repair facility so walked in, handed the guy my wheel & tire, and just said "please fix this!" :rolleyes:
 
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