Neither love nor money can get you this Vado?

[Phyz]

So I did my research and settled on a Turbo Vado 4.0 L ST Dove Grey.

LBS indicates ... no dice. "Sold Out!"

The LBS doesn't carry Vado's at all, but is a Specialized dealer who can order bikes. But after entering the details into the computer, he tells me he can order the dark red. I assure him that's not the one I'm interested in. But he believes all the whites in route to LBSs are spoken for. And since we're at the end of the model year, the whites that were made may have all been sold. And a new model year will mean new colors.

Not looking to buy a dark red and paint it. May have to wait ... longer than anticipated. I clearly mistimed this whole enterprise, not knowing how delicate it was. I didn't even know May was the end of the 2020 MY. Such a n00b.

 

[Nova Haibike]

FWIW, a white bike look great when it is new. But if you do not clean it often, the paint ends up looking terrible. I know because I have refurbished thousands of bicycles, and white is the worst. In fact I was rehabbing a white Trek bike this weekend. I spend a very long time trying to clean and polish the paint. Some of the defects just would not come out. Looks like the Vado is matte paint as well? Matte paint is even more difficult to maintain.

So...if it makes you feel any better, you avoided a dirt and stain magnet.

 

[MAPC]

I have the Dove Gray. It is non-metallic but it is not matte...and I LOVE it.

 

[byunbee]

I don't think you "mistimated". In a normal year, I'm sure there would have been plenty of stock to choose from. This COVID-19 just threw everyone off both consumers and vendors with the unprecedented spike in demand.

 

[Phyz]

I wouldn’t be here if not for COVID, either. Snake eats tail. I was slower to settle on a conclusion. Paying the price.

 

[MAPC]

I wouldn’t be here if not for COVID, either. Snake eats tail. I was slower to settle on a conclusion. Paying the price.

FWIW- the Crimson is still a really nice color. There were several on here who hold it to be the best color - and they were trying to convince me to go in that direction. Like you, I preferred the Dove Gray but thought that the Crimson was still pretty sharp.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I didn't even know May was the end of the 2020 MY.

Neither did I.
@Phyz, I sympathise with you. Exactly the same happened to my planned Turbo Levo purchase...

 

[Marci jo]

Phys,
Don’t feel bad about your decision. This is such a weird year. Everything is back ordered. I’m still waiting for pedals. Pedals??!! Who could predict such a mess.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Pedals??!!

WHAAA?!

 

[Phyz]

With their run of Vados essentially gone by the beginning of May, there will be none for shops to sell through the spring and summer. Color me an ugly American capitalist, but that strikes me as leaving a fortune of money on the table.

The upside of not needing to deeply discount any 2020s when the 2021s emerge seems trifling compared to a spring and summer of zero sales. But if that’s their business model, that’s their business model.

I was initially looking at Trek’s Verve+ 3. I don’t know that they’re tagged as 2021s, but I do know they’re just now making their way into the shops. Do different manufacturers have wildly different model year calendars?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Do different manufacturers have wildly different model year calendars

I have been informed by a Specialized dealer the premiere of the Turbo Levo SL 2021 is scheduled for today

 

[TMH]

Well, this year's sales volume probably caught a whole lot of businesses off guard. With the writing on the wall I'm now wondering why Specialized even went with their Spring sale and double-the-discount rebate program. I'm just glad I was fortunate enough to pull the trigger and get that deal. Red would not have been my first choice, but it was in second place and available in my needed XL frame size. And it turned out to be a color I am fine with - it is only a bicycle after all.

It truly does seem odd that the next model year bikes come out at the very beginning of the riding season? Heck, some places in the U.S. are still getting snow and haven't even begun their Spring outdoor activities, and the current model year bikes are done? I'm more familiar with motorcycles, where the new models are introduced at the end of the season and start to become available in the Winter.

 

[Phyz]

My aversion to all the dark colors that so many manufacturers are fond of (black, navy blue, dark red, etc.) is that I’m not looking to go stealth in an era of distracted drivers. I want to be seen when I’m sharing the road with newly-licensed teenage text-addicts. The sell-out of white and relative “overstock” of dark red would argue that I’m not the only one. Seems there are still plenty of 5.0s to had. The color might have something to do with that, too.

Must be the manufacturers imagine we’re all riding for some kind of special ops team.

 

[rich c]

Phys,
Don’t feel bad about your decision. This is such a weird year. Everything is back ordered. I’m still waiting for pedals. Pedals??!! Who could predict such a mess.

Our city has a bicycle co-op. It's main goal is to put deserving kids on bicycles. They take donations of old bicycles and have classes to have kids refurb their own bicycle. They must have 30 pair of slightly used pedals just spilling out of a bin. See if you have something like that around you. Pedals are about the most universal item on all bicycles!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Pedals are about the most universal item on all bicycles!

I think @Marci jo is waiting for some special pedals

 

[Phyz]

Our city has a bicycle co-op. It's main goal is to put deserving kids on bicycles. They take donations of old bicycles and have classes to have kids refurb their own bicycle. They must have 30 pair of slightly used pedals just spilling out of a bin. See if you have something like that around you. Pedals are about the most universal item on all bicycles!

My city has a bike co-op, too. Closed for the pandemic, as are some of the LBSs in town.

 

[Marci jo]

I think @Marci jo is waiting for some special pedals

Hey gang,
Thanks for all the input and suggestions regarding my search for pedals. Actually, I have a whole bag of them sitting in my basement and the Vado has black mtb platform pedals for easy grip.
However, I decided to "Pimp-out" the Vado by adding bright accessories, including bright neon pink pedals. They are on back order at my lbs. It's certainly not a big deal, given the current crises. There are worse problems to have. I was just surprised that pink pedals are affected by the stunted supply chain.
I'll post a photo when it's all done.

 

[Phyz]

Looks like my options for a Turbo Vado 4.0 in Large are
1. Dove Grey but high step
2. Step Through but metallic crimson

Cue the Rolling Stones ... I saw her today at the reception ...

 

[TMH]

That Crimson Red is a fine color And the bike has a bunch of reflective features on it - tire sidewall stripes, decals on the fenders, etc.

 

[MAPC]

As you can see, I am a fan of the Dove Gray and I have the high step. However, the Crimson is a very nice color and I needed a step through and all that was available was Crimson, I wouldn’t hesitate.

...a glass of wine in her hand...