Kitting out a new Vado

[rochrunner]

In preparation for picking up my new Vado, I’ve been making a list of the various accessories that I’ll be equipping it with to get it set up just right for my purposes. This might not agree with your list, but you might find it of interest.

- Pedals. Sorry, but I just feel weird riding a bike not clipped in. Shimano makes some nice 2-sided ones with SPD clips on one side while the other is a platform. So I can ride in full kit with my regular cycling shoes or jump on wearing sneakers for a trip up to the coffee shop.

- Mirror. Don’t know how anyone does without one. Our choice on all our flat-bar bikes is the popular MirCycle mirror.

- Seat. Not right away, but I’ve never kept the OEM seat on any bike for long. My current favorite on another bike is the Selle Royal “Respiro”, which should also work nicely on the Vado.

- Bottle cages. I like to carry two bottles on my longer treks.

- Garmin Edge bar mount. I know that the Mission Control app can record and upload rides, but I really like my Edge 1000 for use on all my rides. It also has a built-in map for routing, although I’ve never really used it for that. And of course it syncs to Strava and my other tracking site.

- Racktime adapter. Amazon sells a Racktime baseplate that will snap onto the carrier, and I can mount an existing trunk bag that I have on it, turning it into a nice quick-release pack.

- Seat bag or other flat repair “kit”. This comprises a seat bag, spare tube, small patch kit, tire levers, and a mini-pump and/or CO2 inflater. I’ve had few flats lately, but I know as soon as I go out without these items… What do others here do in this regard? Will a 700x47 tube even fit in a typical seat bag? (Between my wife and I, we will have 4 bikes and none take the same size tube!)

- Basic lock. I’m in a suburban/rural area and really only need protection from casual thieves – the joyriders, etc. – for short periods of time. I like Ottolock for being light and compact. No need for Kryptonite!

A few of these items I already have for our other bikes, but have found that if I try to share things among multiple bikes, I’m likely to need something and find that I forgot to transfer it from one of the others. This happened to me once when I really needed to lock up the bike but had left my lock back in my garage. So I just fully equip them all with the essentials.

 

[Marci jo]

Whoo hoo! New bike accessories, another fun part of a new bike.
In total agreement about the mirror. One of the best accessory.

 

[Oberst]

Pretty well agree with your list. Try the Vado seat first though. I usually change saddles immediately but the vado seat for me is very comfortable.

 

[Quadracer]

Yes added a mirror on my 2017 Vado, woulded cycle without one in the city. Added clipless pedals - so much better in the wet. Added a suspension seat post. With my tools and pump - they go in my rack bag of which clips in with the racktime system. I also have a larger saddle bag for the shopping trips.

 

[Marci jo]

Yes, a seat post made a huge difference, especially on the rough, poorly repaired roads. The Kinect is great.

 

[rochrunner]

Yes added a mirror on my 2017 Vado, woulded cycle without one in the city. Added clipless pedals - so much better in the wet. Added a suspension seat post. With my tools and pump - they go in my rack bag of which clips in with the racktime system. I also have a larger saddle bag for the shopping trips.

I forgot about the seat post, although I'll stay with the original for a while. I've never felt the need for a suspension post on similar bikes -- plus the wide tires will help -- but I might consider a simple dropper post as was discussed here at length on another thread.

 

[Sierratim]

I forgot about the seat post, although I'll stay with the original for a while. I've never felt the need for a suspension post on similar bikes -- plus the wide tires will help -- but I might consider a simple dropper post as was discussed here at length on another thread.

Looks like your list is pretty well dialed in. Personal preference plays a big part in the details. Here are mine;

- Pedals. I too use the 2-sided Shimano SPD pedals though they do tend to rotate so the clips are up so I'm flipping them over with a toe to get the flat up when I want it. I've gotten into a rhythm so it's working out.

- Mirror. Can't feel safe without one. I started with a handle bar mounted mirror but find a helmet mounted mirror gives me more flexability; a small shift in head position can scan a large area to the rear.

- Saddle. I too usually change out the standard saddle, though I have found the Vado's quite comfortable. I'd suggest giving it a try.

- Bottle cages. I find one bottle is OK around town, but I always carry 2 (or more) for longer rides. The Vado diamond frame has 2 sets of cage mounts but I use one of these for a lock (more below). My saddle bag (more below), handle bar 'feed bags', and fork mounted cages give me plenty of other options for more bottles without using pannier volume.

- Garmin Edge. I like the Garmin for longer trips, esp on new routes. I've found the Mission Control app to be more than enough for local rides, esp since I always carry a phone as a safety measure.

- Racktime accessories. I like the Racktime accessories and have several. My only gripe is that the Vado rack has a single horizontal rail preventing the use of the Racktime accessories with clipon panniers like my Ortliebs. I recently read on another thread that a wood spacer might fix this. I'm looking into this.

- Saddle bag. The 700x47 tube is pretty bulky. I use a vertically oriented saddle bag that also straps to the seat post. It holds my spare tube, metal reinforced tire levers, patch kit, small hand pump, CO2 inflator & cartridges, and a basic bike tool. It also has mesh side pockets that hold smaller volume water bottles, snacks, etc.

I've had two rear flats so far so I'm glad I carry this stuff. BTW - my record is 3 flats in a day. Yeah patch kit!

- Lock. We're in a small town, but I would never leave my Vado unlocked. In town I use an Abus frame lock with its integrated cable to hopefully secure it to a post, etc. The cable stores in the frame bag or pannier. There is a tolerance issue with the Abus frame locks that has been discussed in another thread.

For out of town riding I also carry an Abus folding lock carried in its frame mounted holder.

I still get nervous and try to bring the bike indoors whenever I can.

- Grips. I prefer the Ergon GP3 grips. I have these on my Vado and my mechanical.

- Light. The Vado comes with running lights. Even during the day I add flashing front and rear lights to help get drivers attention. Both of these lights are suitable for night time use so when the light dims I'm still good to go.

- More tools. We're setting up for an unsupported tour up Oregon's Willemette Valley. For this trip my wife and I will each carry an additional spare tube and extra CO2 cartridges in a top tube mounted bag. I'll also carry a small ratchet tool set strapped to the seat stays just under the saddle bag.

- Seatpost. I do use a suspension seat post on my non-suspension mechanical. It makes a nice improvement in comfort. I haven't found it necessary on the Vado with its larger tires and front suspension. The standard seat post also allows me to use the higher volume vertical saddle bag.

- Brakes. Our area is quite hilly (hence the ebikes). I wore out the front standard resin pads within the first few months of riding. I moved the front 180mm rotor to the rear and upgraded the front to a 203mm rotor. I also changed the pads to the J03A resin pads with integrated heat sinks. Braking is noticeably stronger.

Hope this helps. Maybe we'll see you out there.

 

[DaveHertle]

Yes, a seat post made a huge difference, especially on the rough, poorly repaired roads. The Kinect is great.

I just bought the Kinect and love it. It comes in two seat posts lengths. I got the longer one, but the seat post does not extend far enough into the frame. I am about two inches too high. It is too late to send back for the shorter seat post, and I will probably take a hacksaw to it and shorten it.

 

[Sierratim]

I just bought the Kinect and love it. It comes in two seat posts lengths. I got the longer one, but the seat post does not extend far enough into the frame. I am about two inches too high. It is too late to send back for the shorter seat post, and I will probably take a hacksaw to it and shorten it.

A tubing cutter won't leave a burr at the cut. Your LBS should have one.

 

[rochrunner]

- Light. The Vado comes with running lights. Even during the day I add flashing front and rear lights to help get drivers attention. Both of these lights are suitable for night time use so when the light dims I'm still good to go.

An accessory that I use on my road bike along with the Edge is the Varia radar tailight. It really works well and can pick up cars before they're visible to me in my mirror and indicates their proximity on the Garmin display. It also flashes its taillight faster and at higher intensity as the car gets close, which helps attract the attention of the driver. I might also use it on the Vado if I'm expecting to ride it on a road.

 

[DaveHertle]

A tubing cutter won't leave a burr at the cut. Your LBS should have one.

Good Advice. I was thinking I would need to file down the fresh edge, but they will have the bike soon for the first tune-up

 

[Stefan Mikes]

In preparation for picking up my new Vado, I’ve been making a list of the various accessories that I’ll be equipping it with to get it set up just right for my purposes. This might not agree with your list, but you might find it of interest.

- Pedals. Sorry, but I just feel weird riding a bike not clipped in. Shimano makes some nice 2-sided ones with SPD clips on one side while the other is a platform. So I can ride in full kit with my regular cycling shoes or jump on wearing sneakers for a trip up to the coffee shop.

- Mirror. Don’t know how anyone does without one. Our choice on all our flat-bar bikes is the popular MirCycle mirror.

- Seat. Not right away, but I’ve never kept the OEM seat on any bike for long. My current favorite on another bike is the Selle Royal “Respiro”, which should also work nicely on the Vado.

- Bottle cages. I like to carry two bottles on my longer treks.

- Garmin Edge bar mount. I know that the Mission Control app can record and upload rides, but I really like my Edge 1000 for use on all my rides. It also has a built-in map for routing, although I’ve never really used it for that. And of course it syncs to Strava and my other tracking site.

- Racktime adapter. Amazon sells a Racktime baseplate that will snap onto the carrier, and I can mount an existing trunk bag that I have on it, turning it into a nice quick-release pack.

- Seat bag or other flat repair “kit”. This comprises a seat bag, spare tube, small patch kit, tire levers, and a mini-pump and/or CO2 inflater. I’ve had few flats lately, but I know as soon as I go out without these items… What do others here do in this regard? Will a 700x47 tube even fit in a typical seat bag? (Between my wife and I, we will have 4 bikes and none take the same size tube!)

- Basic lock. I’m in a suburban/rural area and really only need protection from casual thieves – the joyriders, etc. – for short periods of time. I like Ottolock for being light and compact. No need for Kryptonite!

A few of these items I already have for our other bikes, but have found that if I try to share things among multiple bikes, I’m likely to need something and find that I forgot to transfer it from one of the others. This happened to me once when I really needed to lock up the bike but had left my lock back in my garage. So I just fully equip them all with the essentials.

1. Pedals: I use the Shimano two-sided ones, a wise choice;
2. Mirrycle. Because my Vado is treated as a moped, I use two mirrors for increased safety. Properly tightened screws and the Mirrycle is a miracle. The mirror folds on a bike fall or any collision. My Vado fell for several times and both Mirrycles hold. $11 apiece on Amazon.
3. I got the women Myth Sport saddle with Vado and I'm very happy with it. I use the Respiro on the other e-bike of mine. Regarding the seat-post, I'm waiting to get the new PNW Coast suspension dropper post to be installed.
4. Bottle cage: In case of the step-over frame it is OK. Unluckily, the step-through frame of my Vado makes the bottle cage impractical: very hard to remove the battery or re-insert it because of lack of space.
5. I use a smartphone mount, no Garmin.
6. Racktime rack. I advice to not use any of Racktime accessories. Ortlieb panniers fit the Racktime very well without any hassle. I recommend the Ortlieb E-Mate which is also good for the spare battery.
7. I carry accessories, tools and spares in the Ortlieb E-Mate pannier.
8. Cannot help you with any advice. I carry a Kryptonite in the pannier.
9. Why to replace the fantastic grips of the Vado?

 

[Sierratim]

1. Pedals: I use the Shimano two-sided ones, a wise choice;
2. Mirrycle. Because my Vado is treated as a moped, I use two mirrors for increased safety. Properly tightened screws and the Mirrycle is a miracle. The mirror folds on a bike fall or any collision. My Vado fell for several times and both Mirrycles hold. $11 apiece on Amazon.
3. I got the women Myth Sport saddle with Vado and I'm very happy with it. I use the Respiro on the other e-bike of mine. Regarding the seat-post, I'm waiting to get the new PNW Coast suspension dropper post to be installed.
4. Bottle cage: In case of the step-over frame it is OK. Unluckily, the step-through frame of my Vado makes the bottle cage impractical: very hard to remove the battery or re-insert it because of lack of space.
5. I use a smartphone mount, no Garmin.
6. Racktime rack. I advice to not use any of Racktime accessories. Ortlieb panniers fit the Racktime very well without any hassle. I recommend the Ortlieb E-Mate which is also good for the spare battery.
7. I carry accessories, tools and spares in the Ortlieb E-Mate pannier.
8. Cannot help you with any advice. I carry a Kryptonite in the pannier.
9. Why to replace the fantastic grips of the Vado?

I prefer the Ergon bar ends for another hand position. Helps relieve numbness due to Carpel Tunnel in both hands.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Rochrunner, DO NOT buy an Ottolock. They are 100% garbage. There's videos on Youtube showing how an Ottolock can be cut into two pieces in seconds with a pair of tin snips.
I got sucked in when they first came on the market and bought two-one (shorter model) for my carbon road bike and one (longer model) for by ebike. Two weeks ago the Ottolock jammed while my bike was locked to a post, when I'd stopped for coffee. I had to have my wife drive to my location with a pair of bolt cutters.

I still use the lock on my road bike, because it's so light, but every time I lock it now I think to myself, "Will this sucker jam too?"

 

[DaveHertle]

1. Pedals: I use the Shimano two-sided ones, a wise choice;
2. Mirrycle. Because my Vado is treated as a moped, I use two mirrors for increased safety. Properly tightened screws and the Mirrycle is a miracle. The mirror folds on a bike fall or any collision. My Vado fell for several times and both Mirrycles hold. $11 apiece on Amazon.
3. I got the women Myth Sport saddle with Vado and I'm very happy with it. I use the Respiro on the other e-bike of mine. Regarding the seat-post, I'm waiting to get the new PNW Coast suspension dropper post to be installed.
4. Bottle cage: In case of the step-over frame it is OK. Unluckily, the step-through frame of my Vado makes the bottle cage impractical: very hard to remove the battery or re-insert it because of lack of space.
5. I use a smartphone mount, no Garmin.
6. Racktime rack. I advice to not use any of Racktime accessories. Ortlieb panniers fit the Racktime very well without any hassle. I recommend the Ortlieb E-Mate which is also good for the spare battery.
7. I carry accessories, tools and spares in the Ortlieb E-Mate pannier.
8. Cannot help you with any advice. I carry a Kryptonite in the pannier.
9. Why to replace the fantastic grips of the Vado?

I like the RackTime rack that comes on the Vado. Remember it is the narrow version of the Racktime racks. I bouight a RackTime Tourbox that is itself lockable and Racktime sells a lock that goes into the release mechanism. so I can leave my stuff in the Tourbox, locking the bike while I make a short visit.
I also bought the Racktime Baskit Trunk. This is what I use the most. I found a small cargo net which I drape over the open top of the basket while riding. While in the garage, the basket holds my glove, glasses, lock, vest, helmet, and extra water bottle. While riding, I can take the charger, extra battery, rain gear, clothing all in the basket all covered by the mesh cargo net.
I also bought a Racktime adapter plate that mounts to the rack, then has multiple fittings to transition to another item, such as a larger box, a pannier, maybe even a large flat board or piece of plastic that would be a better base for a larger item. Remember all of the racktime accessories come with an adaptive fitting for both their wider and narrow racks. And the lock that keeps the item on the rack works that same whatever bag/trunk you have on the rack at the time. Remember the 20 kilograms or 45 pound weight limit for the rack. For some riders that alone might be a none starter.

 

[Deacon Blues]

My wife test rode a Vado yesterday. She really liked the bike but didn't think much of the rack (narrow with few attachment points). It's nice to know there's accessories that make the rack more useful.

 

[Sierratim]

I like the RackTime rack that comes on the Vado. Remember it is the narrow version of the Racktime racks. I bouight a RackTime Tourbox that is itself lockable and Racktime sells a lock that goes into the release mechanism. so I can leave my stuff in the Tourbox, locking the bike while I make a short visit.
I also bought the Racktime Baskit Trunk. This is what I use the most. I found a small cargo net which I drape over the open top of the basket while riding. While in the garage, the basket holds my glove, glasses, lock, vest, helmet, and extra water bottle. While riding, I can take the charger, extra battery, rain gear, clothing all in the basket all covered by the mesh cargo net.
I also bought a Racktime adapter plate that mounts to the rack, then has multiple fittings to transition to another item, such as a larger box, a pannier, maybe even a large flat board or piece of plastic that would be a better base for a larger item. Remember all of the racktime accessories come with an adaptive fitting for both their wider and narrow racks. And the lock that keeps the item on the rack works that same whatever bag/trunk you have on the rack at the time. Remember the 20 kilograms or 45 pound weight limit for the rack. For some riders that alone might be a none starter.

I too have several Racktime accessories that I use for running errands, my favorite being the Talis trunk bag. I do use the Racktime rack lock so I can do quick errands without taking the bag with me. As you say the weight rating (45lbs) may be off-putting to some as compared to a more common 55lb rating, but no issues for me even grocery shopping. My only complaint is the lack of a 2nd horizontal rail like other bolt on Racktime racks that would allow the use of clip on panniers with Racktime accessories. I'm guessing that the designers wanted the minimalist aesthetic of the single rail, not feeling their target market of urban commuters would mind. The Vado is so much more capable. I think they over thought this issue and limited the usefulness of the rack.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

For spare tubes, I'd consider the Tubolito tubes. They are much lighter and and about half the volume as a regular inner tube (although they also cost from $35-$40).

 

[Deacon Blues]

Is it possible to run tubeless on the Vados?

 

[rochrunner]

Rochrunner, DO NOT buy an Ottolock. They are 100% garbage. There's videos on Youtube showing how an Ottolock can be cut into two pieces in seconds with a pair of tin snips.
I got sucked in when they first came on the market and bought two-one (shorter model) for my carbon road bike and one (longer model) for by ebike. Two weeks ago the Ottolock jammed while my bike was locked to a post, when I'd stopped for coffee. I had to have my wife drive to my location with a pair of bolt cutters.

I still use the lock on my road bike, because it's so light, but every time I lock it now I think to myself, "Will this sucker jam too?"

Maybe a good tip. Like you I was an early adopter, getting in on the Kickstarter campaign and getting an early model that I still use on my road bike since it's so compact (fits in a jersey pocket). I did notice that they now sell it as prevention for "crimes of opportunity," which pretty much covers my intended usage. I do have a couple of older cable locks, but they would also easily succumb to a determined thief, although I do trust their locking mechanisms more than the Ottolock which I've also found a bit finicky.

Since weight is not a big issue with the Vado, and since hearing your experience, I might go in the cable direction instead