Hi All,
I ride a modern carbon road bicycle, no motor, still ride a little over 2000 miles a year with some pretty big hills in Northern California. But at 75 years old, it’s time to think again about that Specalized Vado sl4.0 I test rode three years ago because I’m already experiencing age limitations despite being cycling fit, age adjusted. Two purposes for this light e-bike.
1) I would be using this some of the time for no sweating light shopping, so want to know about the built-in antitheft features. It’s understood anyone can just carry it away, so I’m talking only smaller markets in a safer community, so basically trying to stop local teenagers from trying to steal it, can’t stop the pros when they are roaming.
2) The big reason I’m looking at this bike is for long very hilly mostly rural rides. I can’t do these big hills on long rides comfortably any more. So what’s the actual probable range for the Vado 4.0 or 5.0 when going up and down 4500 feet, not continuously, but total, over 40 to 50 miles, with grades of up to 11% for some extended climbs and then back down? . With and without the apparently available range extender? Factor that I weigh about 155 pounds, or a little less, and when I tried out that 4.0 Vado three years ago I only needed the medium boost on around 10% grades, anything less than that, I used only the low boost, and I could peddle it ok without boosts on the rare flat areas, and easily at 2 % or 3% downhill grade..but I’ll probably be using more boost as I age. As age 80 is only 5 years away.
So now Im looking at some lightly used versions of the same 2023 Vado bike I tried out then, a couple of 2022 models also, most around $2200 from shops or recognizable on line shops. Any major improvements since 2022 or 2023 for my specific dual purposes I should know about? What about in the 5.0 version? Can’t spend anything like $4K this year, or probably next year either, not happening.
That’s in part because I had to replace my carbon road bike last year because the older one wouldn’t take over the narrowest 28mm tires, much less wider tubeless, because of the frame limitations. And even the closeout version that allows 32mm tubeless with good components wasn’t cheap, at my age I really do feel better with 32mm tires on the downhills…So I’m tapped out for a good long while, unless I buy used.
I ride a modern carbon road bicycle, no motor, still ride a little over 2000 miles a year with some pretty big hills in Northern California. But at 75 years old, it’s time to think again about that Specalized Vado sl4.0 I test rode three years ago because I’m already experiencing age limitations despite being cycling fit, age adjusted. Two purposes for this light e-bike.
1) I would be using this some of the time for no sweating light shopping, so want to know about the built-in antitheft features. It’s understood anyone can just carry it away, so I’m talking only smaller markets in a safer community, so basically trying to stop local teenagers from trying to steal it, can’t stop the pros when they are roaming.
2) The big reason I’m looking at this bike is for long very hilly mostly rural rides. I can’t do these big hills on long rides comfortably any more. So what’s the actual probable range for the Vado 4.0 or 5.0 when going up and down 4500 feet, not continuously, but total, over 40 to 50 miles, with grades of up to 11% for some extended climbs and then back down? . With and without the apparently available range extender? Factor that I weigh about 155 pounds, or a little less, and when I tried out that 4.0 Vado three years ago I only needed the medium boost on around 10% grades, anything less than that, I used only the low boost, and I could peddle it ok without boosts on the rare flat areas, and easily at 2 % or 3% downhill grade..but I’ll probably be using more boost as I age. As age 80 is only 5 years away.
So now Im looking at some lightly used versions of the same 2023 Vado bike I tried out then, a couple of 2022 models also, most around $2200 from shops or recognizable on line shops. Any major improvements since 2022 or 2023 for my specific dual purposes I should know about? What about in the 5.0 version? Can’t spend anything like $4K this year, or probably next year either, not happening.
That’s in part because I had to replace my carbon road bike last year because the older one wouldn’t take over the narrowest 28mm tires, much less wider tubeless, because of the frame limitations. And even the closeout version that allows 32mm tubeless with good components wasn’t cheap, at my age I really do feel better with 32mm tires on the downhills…So I’m tapped out for a good long while, unless I buy used.
