Ok, I get it now...

[AHicks]

Re: the pedals in the picture above, I'm using a set of those, or something identical, and blame them for my last crash. I had done an emergency stop, to the point the rear tire locked (to avoid some butt head running a stop sign), and when I got the bike stopped, couldn't get my foot off of the left pedal fast enough, causing me to loose my balance, and a "less than graceful" dismount followed. I like the pedals, but feel they are TOO "sticky" as is. Now trying them with most of the bolts (studs) removed.

Note this is an old man riding on pavement. If I were off road, I might have a different viewpoint.... -Al

 

[BioWheel]

Understood, but I do not have this problem with another brand/set of grips on my other bike. The rubber seems tackier, and there is more channeling of air and water. If my new grips end up not alleviating this, then yes - gloves are next.

Can you upload pics of the non-sweating grips? I live in hot area of US and if this is true you've really hit on something.

 

[Marci jo]

Joe, I’m lovin your impressions and posts regarding your Vado.
Looks like you are totally addicted! This is a great addiction. The only type of “treatment” is more ebike miles.

 

[Avg_Joe]

Can you upload pics of the non-sweating grips? I live in hot area of US and if this is true you've really hit on something.

Nothing fancy, and they're not non-sweating - if I could find something like that, I'd buy them all! I have Ergon GP-3 on my Rover and found that even when wet, I do not lose my grip. I am going to try GA-3 on the Vado.

The Ergon rubber does feel much tackier to me, and they have more pronounced grooves and texture than the ones that came on the Vado. I am hoping this solves the wet grip problem due to more water- and air-flow.

If not, I'll keep looking; or try some tennis racquet handle tape (I never had a problem gripping a racquet); gloves are still a consideration.

 

[Avg_Joe]

Re: the pedals in the picture above, I'm using a set of those, or something identical, and blame them for my last crash. I had done an emergency stop, to the point the rear tire locked (to avoid some butt head running a stop sign), and when I got the bike stopped, couldn't get my foot off of the left pedal fast enough, causing me to loose my balance, and a "less than graceful" dismount followed. I like the pedals, but feel they are TOO "sticky" as is. Now trying them with most of the bolts (studs) removed.

Note this is an old man riding on pavement. If I were off road, I might have a different viewpoint.... -Al

Dang, Al, sorry you had that experience! I hope to never be in that position, and the few slightly sudden stops I've had with them did not result in any problems. BTW I'm riding the Vado about 75% onroad and 25% off, except on the weekends when it's 90% off.

Not sure if it makes a difference, but I wear some several-year-old Astral TR1 mesh shoes while riding, and the tread on them seems perfect for these pedals. I had these shoes for kayak fishing, beach, general use around water. This winter, I wore some waterproof socks with thin merino liners and my feet stayed perfectly comfortable; now in the summer, I wear some thin wool socks and my feet are still completely comfortable. I tried other shoes I have and they just didn't work with the pegs on the Wellgo pedals or these Chester pedals. The approach of removing some of the bolts makes perfect sense, or even using some shorter ones - gotta find what works!

 

[Avg_Joe]

Joe, I’m lovin your impressions and posts regarding your Vado.
Looks like you are totally addicted! This is a great addiction. The only type of “treatment” is more ebike miles.

Thank you! And I completely agree! This has been a transformative hobby: something we can all do virtually every day, improves physical health, see things and places we miss when driving or couldn't otherwise experience, and the social component is fantastic too (both here/online, and in meeting people).

I started last year on my Rad Rover; the Vado has simply kicked it up ten notches as it is so much more fun and pleasurable to ride!

Stay safe, have fun, and happy 4th!

 

[JES2020]

Today was fun, but I broke a cardinal rule in my profession: don't make multiple changes at once! This makes a mess of sorting out each individual change.

First, the Schwalbe Hurricane tires. I went with 27.5 x 2.25 instead of the 2.4 wide. As I've only had the stock Pathfinder tires on my Vado, take this fwiw:

• PSI range for us cavepeople in the US is 30-50psi. I set them at 40 psi to get a feel for them.
• They are quiet. "Whisper quiet" per the Schwalbe marketing? I suppose, no difference between them and the Pathfinders that I can discern.
• They seem to roll as well, maybe slightly better than the stock tires. They run a bit smaller (about 1/2" less diameter), which is obvious in the fender clearance.
• The side lugs are not as pronounced as I expected, but they are beefier than the stock tires.
• On the dirt hills, traction was similar to the stock tires. One part of a nasty hill I enjoy riding up had a fresh layer of sand (!) and I could not get any appreciable bite and had to walk it up. After a good rain when the surface is back to usual state, I'll see how they do. The stock tires just spun on this hill.
• They are definitely more supple and compliant, esp in the rough stuff...
• ...and they took some nasty rocks just fine, sidewalls got scuffed up pretty severely but no issues.
• They "look" better imho; however, safety is somewhat compromised since they do not have the reflective stripe all the way around.
• I'll revisit after some miles, but initial impression is they are a good replacement tire - not a huge upgrade nor transformative by any means.

I also removed the stock pedals and put on some old Race Face Chester pedals I had. This completely transformed the bike! I know it is old hat/common knowledge, but my feet kept slipping off the stock pedals w/ the grip tape. Now, they are 100% planted throughout the pedal cycle - when I thought this bike couldn't be any better to ride, it now is! Gaining that confidence that the feet will stay in place and power through is just awesome.

Did a fun, long ride today, and had my first crash on the Vado. Going down another truly nasty dirt hill, my right hand lost grip due to sweat, I hit a rock and got thrown. Bike suffered no damage whatsoever, I escaped with cuts on one elbow and palm, but nothing serious. Thankfully.

Some current pics.
120 seconds before the crash:
View attachment 127077

Tire closeup:
View attachment 127078

Love these things for grip and easy replacement of the nuts:
View attachment 127079

That's an interesting tread. Looks like you get the best of both worlds low resistance on roads and grip in the soft stuff.

I'll wager a guess you're in computer programing / debug?

 

[Avg_Joe]

That's an interesting tread. Looks like you get the best of both worlds low resistance on roads and grip in the soft stuff.

I'll wager a guess you're in computer programing / debug?

Not a developer! Voice networking/SIP routing, I try to script as much as possible (Powershell, bash). And yep, these tires are working nicely so far for my riding - kind of like an all-terrain.

 

[Neverlost99]

Today was fun, but I broke a cardinal rule in my profession: don't make multiple changes at once! This makes a mess of sorting out each individual change.

First, the Schwalbe Hurricane tires. I went with 27.5 x 2.25 instead of the 2.4 wide. As I've only had the stock Pathfinder tires on my Vado, take this fwiw:

• PSI range for us cavepeople in the US is 30-50psi. I set them at 40 psi to get a feel for them.
• They are quiet. "Whisper quiet" per the Schwalbe marketing? I suppose, no difference between them and the Pathfinders that I can discern.
• They seem to roll as well, maybe slightly better than the stock tires. They run a bit smaller (about 1/2" less diameter), which is obvious in the fender clearance.
• The side lugs are not as pronounced as I expected, but they are beefier than the stock tires.
• On the dirt hills, traction was similar to the stock tires. One part of a nasty hill I enjoy riding up had a fresh layer of sand (!) and I could not get any appreciable bite and had to walk it up. After a good rain when the surface is back to usual state, I'll see how they do. The stock tires just spun on this hill.
• They are definitely more supple and compliant, esp in the rough stuff...
• ...and they took some nasty rocks just fine, sidewalls got scuffed up pretty severely but no issues.
• They "look" better imho; however, safety is somewhat compromised since they do not have the reflective stripe all the way around.
• I'll revisit after some miles, but initial impression is they are a good replacement tire - not a huge upgrade nor transformative by any means.

I also removed the stock pedals and put on some old Race Face Chester pedals I had. This completely transformed the bike! I know it is old hat/common knowledge, but my feet kept slipping off the stock pedals w/ the grip tape. Now, they are 100% planted throughout the pedal cycle - when I thought this bike couldn't be any better to ride, it now is! Gaining that confidence that the feet will stay in place and power through is just awesome.

Did a fun, long ride today, and had my first crash on the Vado. Going down another truly nasty dirt hill, my right hand lost grip due to sweat, I hit a rock and got thrown. Bike suffered no damage whatsoever, I escaped with cuts on one elbow and palm, but nothing serious. Thankfully.

Some current pics.
120 seconds before the crash:
View attachment 127077

Tire closeup:
View attachment 127078

Love these things for grip and easy replacement of the nuts:
View attachment 127079

What’s in the rear bag?

 

[Avg_Joe]

What’s in the rear bag?

Tools, spare tube, tire levers, digital tire pressure gauge, basic 1st aid kit, extra MissingLink, tire patch, zip ties, small bag of spare nuts/bolts/washers/spacers. It's a very compact bag, enough stuff so that if I experience issues I can repair and ride home; or help someone who is broken down. And again, since it is a Molle pack with 4 snap straps on the back, I strap it to the seatpost w/o worry when I need the rack.

 

[rjaTV5]

I am working on something similar on my Vado. Please let us know what you decide on and how the changes impact your ride.

I installed my first attempt at this over the weekend. I installed Jones H Bars with a 2.5" rise. I also got the stem from a size small and medium Vado, which is 15mm (0.59") shorter than the stem on my size large Vado.

My first impression of my mods are positive. The riding position is a bit more upright and the bars closer to the rider. But I have only ridden around the block a couple times since I installed these. Looking forward to a longer ride to see how these changes impact comfort on 40+ mile rides.

Did you find that all the cables (brake/remote) were long enough?

 

[mattie_b]

The front brake cable is shorter than I would like. The cable gets tight when turned ~90 degrees to the right. I do plan on extending it the next time I take the bike to my LBS. Not sure how big of a deal it is since I would never intentionally turn the bars that far. But can see if being a problem if the bike gets bumped or knocked over when not riding it.

No issues with the other cable lengths.

 

[AHicks]

The front brake cable is shorter than I would like. The cable gets tight when turned ~90 degrees to the right. I do plan on extending it the next time I take the bike to my LBS. Not sure how big of a deal it is since I would never intentionally turn the bars that far. But can see if being a problem if the bike gets bumped or knocked over when not riding it.

No issues with the other cable lengths.

Just an FYI, but replacing that front cable isn't that hard a job. Universal brake cables are available, and they're very inexpensive. If inclined, it may make a great DIY project. Worst case, you totally blow it somehow, and you have to take it to the shop anyway....

 

[Avg_Joe]

If anyone is still reading this, I would like to confirm something:

The Vado's "Flowset" stem is simply aesthetic? Meaning it has the teardrop shape. Obviously the tube it clamps onto is round, but the stem base, spacers, and plastic garnish are shaped for appearance, not for function?

Not been able to ride much this week due to the crazy heat/humidity, but I did install my Ergon GA-3L grips, more on that later. I'm revisiting stem options and have 1 crazy idea if the above is true.

 

[Avg_Joe]

You have to solve the sweat problem with gloves. Because the stock grip isn't the problem. You could buy and install $100 grips made of graphene infused leather and you'll have the same result when you sweat - slippery as hell.

You are correct, and I intend to get some asap.

I tried the Ergon GA-3L grips. First of all, I cannot find any position in which they are comfortable. I tried adjusting them on my rides and - nothing but pain.

I was completely wrong about their rubber and channeling water/air. I could barely hold on once the sweat really started. I did not experience this on my GP-3's.

For me, these simply do not work at all and are a huge downgrade compared to the OEM grips. I can't return them either, bummer.

 

[AHicks]

You are correct, and I intend to get some asap.

I tried the Ergon GA-3L grips. First of all, I cannot find any position in which they are comfortable. I tried adjusting them on my rides and - nothing but pain.

I was completely wrong about their rubber and channeling water/air. I could barely hold on once the sweat really started. I did not experience this on my GP-3's.

For me, these simply do not work at all and are a huge downgrade compared to the OEM grips. I can't return them either, bummer.

For myself, I found that the "wing" part of the grip is about spreading out some of the load on your hands. If that "wing" isn't positioned to do that, they're not doing the job they were designed for. I generally install them so they are just about level when viewed from the end, then go for a ride to see if that might need to be tweaked one way or another. If not firmly locked, they WILL turn down on you after a while, loosing their ability to add support area.

These are what I use. They seem to get the job done for the wife and I. Suit yourself, but I go with the "Without Barends" version.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CB8VM35/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[Avg_Joe]

For myself, I found that the "wing" part of the grip is about spreading out some of the load on your hands. If that "wing" isn't positioned to do that, they're not doing the job they were designed for. I generally install them so they are just about level when viewed from the end, then go for a ride to see if that might need to be tweaked one way or another. If not firmly locked, they WILL turn down on you after a while, loosing their ability to add support area.

These are what I use. They seem to get the job done for the wife and I. Suit yourself, but I go with the "Without Barends" version.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CB8VM35/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I mentioned I have the GP-3 grips on my Rover, and I find them supremely comfortable - they are very similar to the ones you linked. These GA-3L, though - I don't know about them. I've adjusted and re-adjusted and no luck. Maybe I should try the GP-3's on the Vado, although I have the short right grip to accomodate the Rad throttle. Quick and easy experiment.

@AHicks, those grips you posted state Non-Slip. Have you had occasion to to get them wet/sweaty; and if so, how was your grip? (and do you wear gloves?)

 

[AHicks]

I mentioned I have the GP-3 grips on my Rover, and I find them supremely comfortable - they are very similar to the ones you linked. These GA-3L, though - I don't know about them. I've adjusted and re-adjusted and no luck. Maybe I should try the GP-3's on the Vado, although I have the short right grip to accomodate the Rad throttle. Quick and easy experiment.

@AHicks, those grips you posted state Non-Slip. Have you had occasion to to get them wet/sweaty; and if so, how was your grip? (and do you wear gloves?)

I don't wear gloves, or ride in the rain. The grips are made of a soft rubber/silicone like material that seems pretty sticky when it comes to maintaining a grip. Soft to the touch for sure.

 

[Avg_Joe]

I don't wear gloves, or ride in the rain. The grips are made of a soft rubber/silicone like material that seems pretty sticky when it comes to maintaining a grip. Soft to the touch for sure.

I like the ones you posted, but sadly there is no texture where the thumb rests or grips - which seems to be a huge issue for me w/ the Specialized, Ergon grips.

You don't sweat either?

 

[AHicks]

I like the ones you posted, but sadly there is no texture where the thumb rests or grips - which seems to be a huge issue for me w/ the Specialized, Ergon grips.

You don't sweat either?

I sweat like a pig, but it doesn't seem to affect my grip.