New Vado 5

[Stefan Mikes]

I’m 6’1” and 230lbs, so concerned over that!

I'm 236 lbs and no problem with Vado 5.

 

[Rick53]

I have a 2020 Vado 5 with nearly 1,400 miles.
I never had spoke issue.
see my other post re “Vado 5 not responding”
LBS changed the control unit and trouble free since.
it is amazing bike. I have been riding every day (versus once a week with my conventional bike) Can’t get enough. Always smile on my face.
This is my second ebike. Sold the other one after one month after I test ride Vado.

Are you limited on Speed?

 

[Nxkharra]

I keep up my biker son (actually he now tries to keep up with me). I keep it on turbo and #28 miles is about the max I hit.
unless downhill which I go much faster.
Don’t really need to go much faster.
the main reason I sold the old class 1 ebike was to keep up with my son.

 

[Rick53]

I keep up my biker son (actually he now try to keep up with me). I keep it on turbo and #28 miles is about the max I hit.
unless downhill which I go much faster.
Don’t really need to Go much faster.
the main reason I sold the old class 1 ebike was to keep up with my son.

What age have you managed to get to Is the vado upright enough Debating on this or Como In acoustic Bike I have a Trek Dual Sport and Verve 3 Both comfortable. Verve just more so .

 

[DanInStPete]

On my XL I would like the bars to be about 1" higher, or the stem shorter. I will probably address it with bars with 25mm more rise.

This pic is double-posted in the general "Where do you ride your ebikes..." thread, but I thought you guys might appreciate it. Got in a little mud today at Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, FL...

 

[Nxkharra]

What age have you managed to get to Is the vado upright enough Debating on this or Como In acoustic Bike I have a Trek Dual Sport and Verve 3 Both comfortable. Verve just more so .

I am 66 years old and 185 pounds (struggling to keep at this level). Torn meniscus on left knee, with no cartilage left on both knees, signs of arthritis on both knees. Years of tennis, skiing, and other abuses are catching up. Retired.
live in a hilly neighborhood in San Diego which requires climbing to get home at the end of all rides.
couldn’t use conventional bike to climb these hills. Sold my bikes and tandem.
now riding almost everyday (average 20-25 miles).
riding my Vado 5.0 with no pain or issues up to 28 miles per hour.
always smile.
Vado has been worth every penny I have paid for. Best decision.
Ride on Vado is so comfortable. It is upright enough. No shoulder or back pain.
Use to get pain with my previous ebike.
Sorry for my grammatical errors.

 

[Rick53]

I am 66 years old and 185 pounds (struggling to keep at this level). Torn meniscus on left knee, with no cartilage left on both knees, signs of arthritis on both knees. Years of tennis, skiing, and other abuses are catching up. Retired.
live in a hilly neighborhood in San Diego which requires climbing to get home at the end of all rides.
couldn’t use conventional bike to climb these hills. Sold my bikes and tandem.
now riding almost everyday (average 20-25 miles).
riding my Vado 5.0 with no pain or issues up to 28 miles per hour.
always smile.
Vado has been worth every penny I have paid for. Best decision.
Ride on Vado is so comfortable. It is upright enough. No shoulder or back pain.
Use to get pain with my previous ebike.
Sorry for my grammatical errors.

Grammar Erros ?? LOL You're an Old Fart like Me : No issues with errors in grammar who cares : Thanks for the Input : Looking at Vados and Comos Tough decision : Although I am just 63 No Arthritis No heart issues : My Interest in electric is Farther distances Faster : My Riding Buddies think Prices will drop a lot in Next few years : Personally I don't see How : Maybe a little The specialized aren't bad Now : THanks for reply

 

[kiwi chris]

Hi.
I am in New Zealand and just taken delivery of a new Vado 5.
I would like to raise the handlebar. Can anyone tell me if a spacer can be fitted to the stem? Do Specialized make a spacer or riser that would fit?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes, you can. A local mechanic put a raiser and more spacers on the stem in my Vado 5. It does not need to be a Specialized riser, it's enough it has the right diameter.

The riser cannot be too tall because the risen handlebars will pull the cables on but several centimeters is doable and it will change your position from forward to upright. Shall I post a picture how that looks like?

Note: That is the A-HEAD stem typical for mountain bikes. It is a standard.

 

[Rick53]

Hi.
I am in New Zealand and just taken delivery of a new Vado 5.
I would like to raise the handlebar. Can anyone tell me if a spacer can be fitted to the stem? Do Specialized make a spacer or riser that would fit?

If you are even remotely coordinated You can switch it yourself. The only thing to be cautious of is over torquing > Which really isn't that big of deal > Just make sure to leave the Front wheel planted on the ground. Other then the motor It's just a Peddle Bike : I don't know that a spacer would work. Pictures indicate the Riser is at the top of the steering tube already : You should be able to get a Riser like a Ritchey Adjustable ,or one of Treks . You're going to have to raise it 30-40 degrees to make any difference > Do some Youtube research to see how easy these are to change out yourself.

 

[DanInStPete]

Another option is to use riser bars like these:

Deity Highside 50mm

The standard bars have 15mm rise, so these would give you another 35mm.

I have these bars but haven’t installed them on my Vado yet (and I'm not sure if I will).

I did install them on my girlfriend’s mountain bike and she loves them. I also cut 30mm off each side for her, making them the same width as my Vado bars. This is easily done with a cheap tube cutter.

 

[kiwi chris]

Another option is to use riser bars like these:

Deity Highside 50mm

The standard bars have 15mm rise, so these would give you another 35mm.

I have these bars but haven’t installed them on my Vado yet (and I'm not sure if I will).

I did install them on my girlfriend’s mountain bike and she loves them. I also cut 30mm off each side for her, making them the same width as my Vado bars. This is easily done with a cheap tube cutter.

Great help .thanks everyone . Any more pics or details of the risers would be appreciated.
Just explaining why I wish to raise the handle bat height --
I am a 71 yo. 6.2. 95kgs . Legs are xtra long which means the seat is high and there is a lot of weight on my hands .

 

[DanInStPete]

I understand, I’m 6’4” and have had a lot of problems with hand pressure and numbness. Ergon grips help a lot (mine are the GP3) as well as raising the bar or bringing it closer.

For the Vado, I think riser bars are a better option than a stem change since the stem already has a high degree of rise.

I just got in from a ride and had some numbness, tingling and uncomfortable pressure in my palms. I’ll probably put the bars on...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Great help .thanks everyone . Any more pics or details of the risers would be appreciated.
Just explaining why I wish to raise the handle bat height --
I am a 71 yo. 6.2. 95kgs . Legs are xtra long which means the seat is high and there is a lot of weight on my hands .

I understand, I’m 6’4” and have had a lot of problems with hand pressure and numbness.

I have had the same. So I went to my local mechanic and explained the problem to him and he did whatever necessary. The riser and the spacers make the handlebars 8.5 cm higher than it was before. The change is dramatic: my riding position changed from forward to upright. No more height increase was necessary and it was impossible either as the cables limit the upward movement.

Note: I promised to myself not to do things I am no expert in and I didn't want to destroy the bike or compromise my own safety. The A-HEAD is the standard system in MTB bikes and Vado borrows many features from MTB. The geometry is meant you lean over the handlebars; but the handlebars can be risen by the standard solution shown here. (My other e-bike has another system in which the height of handlebars is controlled by stem rotation).

 

[Nxkharra]

I was also experimenting with riser on my previous ebike. I had neck pain and numb hands. I am not by all means expert but I read that you should be careful not to raise the handlebar too much so you are very upright because this could cause more pressure on your hip and spine.
the article was referring and comparing bike riding to horse riding and that some of the pressure should be absorbed by core as opposed to fully load all the weight on arms.
some of us me included who are older do not have strong core and can not absorb some of the load by core end up loading the weight on arms and handlebar hence neck, back and hand issues.
This, raising the handlebar, should be done by involvement of someone knowledgeable about posture on the bike. The higher the handlebar does not necessarily translates to a good position on the bike.
Thankfully Vado standard setup has been perfect for me and no neck pain and numb hands.
just thought I share my experience with you. I realize I am not providing solutions and just a warning.
hope you find a good solution to your issues.
Please feel free to counter and criticize my observation as I am as lost as some older bike riders.
Here is a pic of my previous ebike.

 

[DanInStPete]

I think at some point, if someone is raising the bar really high on a Vado, they should probably be looking at a Como. The Vado has forward, fitness bike geometry, while the coming has a more relaxed cruiser geometry with high bars in relation to the saddle.

Personally, I would be concerned about the integrity of the steering column using a stem extender with a bunch of spacers. While probably safe for a light rider on smooth surfaces, as a heavy rider who likes to ride bumpy roads sometimes I would worry about putting too much torque in that area between the stem and the headset. I definitely wouldn't want to take any big hits with it, like a pothole at speed.

 

[Nxkharra]

I think at some point, if someone is raising the bar really high on a Vado, they should probably be looking at a Como. The Vado has forward, fitness bike geometry, while the coming has a more relaxed cruiser geometry with high bars in relation to the saddle.

Personally, I would be concerned about the integrity of the steering column using a stem extender with a bunch of spacers. While probably safe for a light rider on smooth surfaces, as a heavy rider who likes to ride bumpy roads sometimes I would worry about putting too much torque in that area between the stem and the headset. I definitely wouldn't want to take any big hits with it, like a pothole at speed.

Do use any sort of special seat post to make the ride even smoother?
I was looking at the ones specialized offers (expensive). My LBS told me that those are mainly used by Levi riders and don’t help much with Vado.
your thoughts?

 

[DanInStPete]

A Levo has full rear suspension so wouldn't need a suspension seat post. On my Vado I have a Cane Creek Thudbuster ST (short travel).

On my first electric, a Juiced CCS, I did not have one at first. I didn't like the jolts I was getting on bumps. Once I added it I noticed a major difference. Definitely smooths things out.

I know a lot of people like the Kinect Bodyfloat. I'm sure it is better, but also more expensive and more than I personally need.

 

[Nxkharra]

A Levo has full rear suspension so wouldn't need a suspension seat post. On my Vado I have a Cane Creek Thudbuster ST (short travel).

On my first electric, a Juiced CCS, I did not have one at first. I didn't like the jolts I was getting on bumps. Once I added it I noticed a major difference. Definitely smooths things out.

I know a lot of people like the Kinect Bodyfloat. I'm sure it is better, but also more expensive and more than I personally need.

Thanks. I just ordered one from Amazon to test and see how it works. It is free return so I have ease of mind in case it doesn’t work for me.
ordered Kinect Bodyfloat. I ordered 350mm length which seems like to same length of my current seat post. Will this add a lot more weight to the bike?

 

[Nxkharra]

Thanks. I just ordered one from Amazon to test and see how it works. It is free return so I have ease of mind in case it doesn’t work for me.
ordered Kinect Bodyfloat. I ordered 350mm length which seems like to same length of my current seat post. Will this add a lot more weight to the bike?

Your comments about Levo makes more sense than what my LBS is telling me.