Over50's Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5 EQ (& Como SL 5) Chronicles

[Rincon]

Is it possible to install a carbon handlebar on an alloy e-bike? That is, with an alloy stem?

Yes. Be sure to use carbon fiber assembly gel. Use it anywhere a carbon fiber component is installed with a friction fit or clamp.

 

[kahn]

Yes. Be sure to use carbon fiber assembly gel. Use it anywhere a carbon fiber component is installed with a friction fit or clamp.

View attachment 92557

Funny, there are a few reviews on Amazon saying it made things more slippery (g) but most are good reviews.

 

[Rincon]

Funny, there are a few reviews on Amazon saying it made things more slippery (g) but most are good reviews.

It’s like gelled sandpaper. I started using it after I installed a Selle Anatomica seat with carbon fiber rails. It kept slipping backward. The gel solved that problem. Now I just use it wherever there’s a CF friction fitting.

 

[rochrunner]

It’s like gelled sandpaper. I started using it after I installed a Selle Anatomica seat with carbon fiber rails. It kept slipping backward. The gel solved that problem. Now I just use it wherever there’s a CF friction fitting.

@Rincon How do you like the Selle Anatomica seat? I've got my eye on it as a possibility for my future SL.

 

[kahn]

@Rincon How do you like the Selle Anatomica seat? I've got my eye on it as a possibility for my future SL.

I've been using Selle Anatomica for about 4 or more years and moved one from my Trek Madone to the Creo along with the Kinekt seat post. Then got another set of those for the Madone a few weeks back. So third set of each. I guess I LIKE it!

 

[Rincon]

@Rincon How do you like the Selle Anatomica seat? I've got my eye on it as a possibility for my future SL.

Roch, I’ve been through a lot of saddles. Now I have three Selle Anatomica saddles, so I like them. They’re great. If they ever get uncomfortable I just tighten the bolt to stretch the leather and they’re instantly back to form. SA is good for hours of comfortable road riding.

I recently bought a Specialized Power Saddle with Mirror. Very comfortable. Very similar to Selle Anatomica. But very expensive. The Selle is absolutely the better deal. They’re both great on the road. On a stationary bike, using Zwift, they both hurt after an hour. That’s why I bought the Power saddle, to solve the Zwift issue. Didn’t work out. Turns out the Selle Anatomica is as good as it gets. Maybe I just need a big, fat Cloud 9 saddle for Zwifting.

 

[JeffC57]

Roch, I’ve been through a lot of saddles. Now I have three Selle Anatomica saddles, so I like them. They’re great. If they ever get uncomfortable I just tighten the bolt to stretch the leather and they’re instantly back to form. SA is good for hours of comfortable road riding.

I recently bought a Specialized Power Saddle with Mirror. Very comfortable. Very similar to Selle Anatomica. But very expensive. The Selle is absolutely the better deal. They’re both great on the road. On a stationary bike, using Zwift, they both hurt after an hour. That’s why I bought the Power saddle, to solve the Zwift issue. Didn’t work out. Turns out the Selle Anatomica is as good as it gets. Maybe I just need a big, fat Cloud 9 saddle for Zwifting.

I use Selle Anatomica saddles on both my Vado SL and Creo CC EVO. They work well with my boney butt . Other parts of my body hurt before my butt on long rides. If I do have any discomfort down there, it always goes away as soon as I get off the bike.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If I do have any discomfort down there, it always goes away as soon as I get off the bike.

I'm just standing on pedals while coasting. Several seconds of such riding and taking the seat again makes miracles, as my backside takes slightly different position on the saddle.

 

[Rincon]

I use Selle Anatomica saddles on both my Vado SL and Creo CC EVO.

Jeff, You know to stand off the saddle over bumps, right? Off road with the Selle Anatomica can stretch the leather pretty quickly. If you’re riding an EVO, then you’re probably already handling it light in the saddle on gravel. The Creo is loads of fun on gravel. I it!

 

[kahn]

Roch, I’ve been through a lot of saddles. Now I have three Selle Anatomica saddles, so I like them. They’re great. If they ever get uncomfortable I just tighten the bolt to stretch the leather and they’re instantly back to form. SA is good for hours of comfortable road riding.

I recently bought a Specialized Power Saddle with Mirror. Very comfortable. Very similar to Selle Anatomica. But very expensive. The Selle is absolutely the better deal. They’re both great on the road. On a stationary bike, using Zwift, they both hurt after an hour. That’s why I bought the Power saddle, to solve the Zwift issue. Didn’t work out. Turns out the Selle Anatomica is as good as it gets. Maybe I just need a big, fat Cloud 9 saddle for Zwifting.

As I derail the thread although saddle RAILS will apply! How much do you like the Specialized saddle. It is definitely PRICEY but my butt is probably worth it - like I will spend whatever to keep my toes from freezing in cold weather biking. I investigated the Fizik saddle but I think it is too narrow for my sitting bones. I also use the Sella Anatomica. My butt was creamed years ago by a pickup truck. I dented in the entire length of the truck's side panel. I had holes cut on my saddle for a few years!

 

[Rincon]

As I derail the thread although saddle RAILS will apply! How much do you like the Specialized saddle. It is definitely PRICEY but my butt is probably worth it - like I will spend whatever to keep my toes from freezing in cold weather biking. I investigated the Fizik saddle but I think it is too narrow for my sitting bones. I also use the Sella Anatomica. My butt was creamed years ago by a pickup truck. I dented in the entire length of the truck's side panel. I had holes cut on my saddle for a few years!

I have two of the Power Mirror saddles. Super comfortable and they conform to your backside like no other. It, like the Selle Anatomica, cured all of my issues on the road: numb nuts and butt pain. If the SA didn’t work for you, the Power with Mirror would be the next step. They come in two sit bone sizes. There are instructions on Specialized’s saddle page on how to measure at home, if you don’t already know your size.

 

[JeffC57]

Jeff, You know to stand off the saddle over bumps, right? Off road with the Selle Anatomica can stretch the leather pretty quickly. If you’re riding an EVO, then you’re probably already handling it light in the saddle on gravel. The Creo is loads of fun on gravel. I it!

I have a EVO, but live in the city so I ride it mostly on pavement. I do occasionally get it on gravel when I hit the rail trails or get out of the city. I’m still getting used to riding on gravel and stand on the pedals when it gets bumpy paved or gravel.

 

[Over50]

I guess I learned something today about using the range extender battery. I charged it fully and packed it for the work commute due to forecasts of pretty hefty headwinds on the route home. I thought in Mission Control, in my preset, that I had toggled it to "not discharge range extender first". But I think I must have reversed things. I was in about my 19th mile and I started to think that my bike wasn't working. I wasn't feeling much assist and it wasn't a sudden feeling but I realized the pedaling had been harder over the last couple of miles - harder than I could attribute to the stout headwind. So I toggled up from power level 2 to 3 (using a preset where I have turned down the overall assist levels) and nothing happened - for about 30 seconds. Then I felt the power surge and noticed my single remaining bar of green light indicating the level of the 2nd battery disappeared completely - the bike switched fully to the regular battery. So I guess I had toggled the Mission Control setting to "fully discharge range extender first" by mistake - and the bike had started to manage the assist due to the battery running out. Once my range extender had discharged, the bike returned to normal function for my remaining 4 miles. Note to self: make sure to set that toggle correctly if on a longer ride.

 

[kahn]

I guess I learned something today about using the range extender battery. I charged it fully and packed it for the work commute due to forecasts of pretty hefty headwinds on the route home. I thought in Mission Control, in my preset, that I had toggled it to "not discharge range extender first". But I think I must have reversed things. I was in about my 19th mile and I started to think that my bike wasn't working. I wasn't feeling much assist and it wasn't a sudden feeling but I realized the pedaling had been harder over the last couple of miles - harder than I could attribute to the stout headwind. So I toggled up from power level 2 to 3 (using a preset where I have turned down the overall assist levels) and nothing happened - for about 30 seconds. Then I felt the power surge and noticed my single remaining bar of green light indicating the level of the 2nd battery disappeared completely - the bike switched fully to the regular battery. So I guess I had toggled the Mission Control setting to "fully discharge range extender first" by mistake - and the bike had started to manage the assist due to the battery running out. Once my range extender had discharged, the bike returned to normal function for my remaining 4 miles. Note to self: make sure to set that toggle correctly if on a longer ride.

I understand that you may have inadvertently selected Range Extender first. I did it purposely to see how that worked in practice.

Are you saying that the bike (or Mission Control) automatically switched from the Range Extender (RE) to the Main when the RE depleted and you kept on pedaling. Because the one time I experimented with using the RE first in Mission Control, I was pedaling up a pretty good incline when I lost power and finally realized the the RE was depleted. But I had to stop and I unplugged the RE and then I got power back. Maybe it does change automatically but I did not give it enough time????

So curious if your bike may have switched to Main without your intervention?

 

[Over50]

I understand that you may have inadvertently selected Range Extender first. I did it purposely to see how that worked in practice.

Are you saying that the bike (or Mission Control) automatically switched from the Range Extender (RE) to the Main when the RE depleted and you kept on pedaling. Because the one time I experimented with using the RE first in Mission Control, I was pedaling up a pretty good incline when I lost power and finally realized the the RE was depleted. But I had to stop and I unplugged the RE and then I got power back. Maybe it does change automatically but I did not give it enough time????

So curious if your bike may have switched to Main without your intervention?

Yes. When I started to notice I wasn't getting assist and I requested more power to test whether the bike was functioning, there was a delay of 20-30 seconds and then the power kicked in - and the battery switched from the range extender to the downtube battery as indicated by the green lights completely disappearing in conjunction with the surge of power. The only other time, like you described, that I came close to exhausting the range extender, I toggled it off at a stop with Mission Control. I never let it fully run out until the experience I described this week. The range extender got me about 19 miles but probably the last 2 miles the motor wasn't providing much assist - and I didn't notice it immediately because of 1). stout headwinds and 2). I usually ride in lower power settings. What I'm guessing, is that the software is reducing the power output gradually, almost unnoticeably, as the battery is running out. Perhaps in the experience you described, if you had kept riding for a period longer, or boosted the power level over what the almost drained range extender can support, that the software would have eventually switched batteries.

 

[kahn]

Yes. When I started to notice I wasn't getting assist and I requested more power to test whether the bike was functioning, there was a delay of 20-30 seconds and then the power kicked in - and the battery switched from the range extender to the downtube battery as indicated by the green lights completely disappearing in conjunction with the surge of power. The only other time, like you described, that I came close to exhausting the range extender, I toggled it off at a stop with Mission Control. I never let it fully run out until the experience I described this week. The range extender got me about 19 miles but probably the last 2 miles the motor wasn't providing much assist - and I didn't notice it immediately because of 1). stout headwinds and 2). I usually ride in lower power settings. What I'm guessing, is that the software is reducing the power output as the battery drains. Perhaps in the experience you described, if you had kept riding for a period longer, the software would have eventually switched batteries.

Thanks for the additional insight. I was following my friend up the hill and she was getting further and further ahead. That's when I finally stopped, dismounted and pulled the plug. I will have to try it again and see if the Main kicks in. I expected that it would rather than leaving the rider high and dry but didn't give it sufficient opportunity I guess.

Again, thanks.

 

[Nubnub]

I set Mission Control to drain the range extender first. When the range extender gets low the max support/assist does get limited. Around 10% - possibly higher but I was in Eco so didn't really notice. At <10% the 100% peak power is no longer available. At 5% on the range extender - the internal battery automatically kicked in and turbo 100/100 assist was available again.

One possible other consequence of the use range extender first setting occurs if the range extender is say 25 % while the internal battery is at 100%. I think it is possible that the higher voltage of the internal battery is trickle charging/discharging into the range extender. Normally if I leave the bike charged to 100% overnight it is still 100% the next day. This AM I noticed the internal battery was at 97% even tho it had never been used on a ride since the charge to 100%.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I use both batteries at the same time. It is good as it ensures equal number or charging cycles on both. And requires fewer charging cycles.

 

[kahn]

I use both batteries at the same time. It is good as it ensures equal number or charging cycles on both. And requires fewer charging cycles.

Ah, but I don't take the Range Extender for rides of less than 30 miles. I don't want to drag along the extra weight when I know I won't need it. And sometimes I want the extra water bottle.

 

[BEC111]

Ah, but I don't take the Range Extender for rides of less than 30 miles. I don't want to drag along the extra weight when I know I won't need it. And sometimes I want the extra water bottle.

I hadn’t thought about a second water bottle instead of the RE. Of course, for long rides on very hot day, two bottles aren’t enough so I need my geigerrig. For short rides, often one bottle plus a beverage at the turn are usually adequate. It’s those shorter, 20 mile hot day rides for which the RE is irrelevant where a second bottle, perhaps with electrolytes, would be very helpful.