Pre-sales advice: Vado 4.0 for Seattle hills?

ibex

ibex

New Member
Region
USA
Hi Specialized geeks. I'm 65, female, pretty good shape, but not a big bicyclist. I've identified Specialized Vado as a dream bike that would allow me to climb these nasty Seattle hills and enjoy many comfy errands by bike. This summer I gave up my 1990 Terry 21-speed with 23mm tires. I need more stability for the rain, pot holes and cobblestones of my Seattle neighborhood.

I would like advice on whether Turbo Vado 4.0 would work great for these hills or whether I should think of Turbo Vado 5.0. I suspect that Turbo Vado 5.0 is heavier so that would be a mark against it. Based on reading here, I suspect Turbo Vado 3.0 may leave me wishing for a bit more oomphf! on the hills.

I have also considered the Specialized Vado SL line. The SL is attractive for its weight, especially for us ladies. But, it has a bit narrower tires and I'm not sure it has enough power + torque to make it easy to go up the hills. I think it would be ideal if I were using my bike for recreational bike rides, but I very often use it to run errands or pop over to visit the kids.

Thank you for any advice you may care to share. It has been quite fun to read all the comments on the Specialized forums, and even from as far away as Poland. Fantastic.

- Kim
 
I think the Turbo Vado 4 or Vado 5 will make the steeper hills such as Capitol Hill or even Queen Anne easily doable for errands. Fenders and lights are necessary year round. The Vado SL will be more like riding a regular bike with a little help and is great for riding with other non-assisted riders. Consider where you will store the bike and if you need to carry it up or down stairs. You can easily test ride the bikes at local shops and I would pick the shop where you will be most comfortable taking the bike for service.
 
My wife and I are 60 years old, but in fairly good shape for that age. Two years ago we bought Vados, I think they are the 3.0’s. You will have no problem climbing any hill, if you shift to 1st gear and use the highest motor assist. We ride around Ventura, CA and there is a very steep hill near the Civic Center. It’s almost comical how easy the bike goes up it. Both our bikes have fenders and lights, and I put a small soft bag on the back of both bikes for somewhere to put our keys, sunglasses case, lock, etc. We also have double pannier bags for when we travel on them. We went from Ventura to Santa Barbara, which was 42 miles. We spent the night in a hotel, recharged both bikes, then did another 42 miles back the next day. We probably could have gone another 15-20 miles each day on the remaining battery charge.
We’ve had so much fun on the bikes that I can’t say enough good about them. I’m sure you will too.
 
All rightey, then. Thank you for your comments. I'll figure out where to test ride them. Sounds like a Vado 4 will work, and I might even consider a Vado 3.

Can anyone confirm that the bikes get heavier as the numbers go up? Would that be several pounds more between 3 and 4, and between 4 and 5?
 
I've got the aluminum Creo which is in the SL lineup. It and I (with more than 10 years on you!) manage to get up many of our hills but occasionally would appreciate, as you put it - more oppphm (spelling). I purchased at Gregg's Greenlake. I played around on the hills east along Ravenna Avenue to test ride. As suggested, I would consider if you have to DRAG the bike up stairs and than, safely locking it on errands. Bike theft around Seattle is troubling. Good luck with the decision.
 
ibex said:
All rightey, then. Thank you for your comments. I'll figure out where to test ride them. Sounds like a Vado 4 will work, and I might even consider a Vado 3.

Can anyone confirm that the bikes get heavier as the numbers go up? Would that be several pounds more between 3 and 4, and between 4 and 5?
Click to expand...

My Vado 4.0 handled riding up Currahee Mountain in Georgia just fine. I suspect you'll be good in Seattle.

No, the bikes do not necessarily get heavier -- according to email convo with RiderCare the 2022 Vado 5.0 in Medium is 55.8lb and the Vado 4.0 is 58.2lb. Primary difference is the upgraded and lighter suspension fork on the 5.0.


1667757502712.jpeg
 
I've got a Vado 5.0 IGH and it's amazing on our hills in Vancouver. I would strongly recommend it over the 4.0. The belt drive and IGH are game changers, greasy dirty chains and dreauillers suck!
 
I live in Whidbey Island. I’m a 74 year-old woman. I started with a Vado 3 two years ago, and upgraded to a Vado 5 IGH this spring. As far as weight, they are both heavy when I put them on a bike rack, but I can handle both. Bike rack has a ramp feature. The Vado 3 made the hills on the island possible to ride, but the Vado 5 IGH makes them easier. I have a very steep hill to climb at the end of every ride. Don’t worry about the weight difference, it’s nominal. You don’t feel the weight when you are riding the bike. My friend who has a Vado Sl does find hills much more difficult. I love the Vado 5 IGH and don’t think about changing gears any more.
 
Here's my vote for a Vado SL 5.0. I'm 75, in reasonable shape, but certainly not an athlete. I live in the Berkeley, CA, hills and ride with ease all over town and through the hills. I've only spent a little time in Seattle, but I think you'd do fine with this bike.

I regularly ride up Mt. Diablo--12 miles one-way, 3,400 vertical feet. The SL 5.0 has plenty of power. In fact, I set my Turbo Mode to 80% of full power for when I don't want to work too hard. The SL 5.0 has Future Shock which helps hugely with bumpy roads. The tires are quite substantial--much wider and heavier tread than a road bike. I had a much heavier ebike before the SL 5.0--about 58 lbs--and moving it around was a pain in the butt. I can easily lift the SL 5.0 onto my Thule bike rack. If you plan to carry your bike on a car rack, be sure to check whether your rack will support a heavy ebike. While perhaps not important, the SL 5.0 is a star in the "cool factor" department. I frequently get asked about the bike and people are surprised to hear it's an ebike because it almost doesn't look like one. Lastly, if you are concerned about range, the range extender battery is a good investment.

Good luck with your choice!

vado-sl-5.jpg
 
@ibex: I have found my Vado 5.0 invaluable for climbing extremely steep inclines (up to 19% and with a smaller chainring). As other participants have pointed it out, the greatest feature of Vado SL is its light weight, enabling you to carry the bike upstairs and keeping it inside. However, my case proves climbing steep hills with Vado SL is not the best of ideas :)
 
The Vancouver, Seattle and Whidbey Island hills were created by the ice age glaciers. They tend to be short, steep, frequent and usually less than 500 ft (150 m) in altitude. The cities have moderated some of the hills but it still affects planning routes for errands or commuting trying to avoid some of them. The direct route is lumpy but the longer route more gentle. Hopefully the OP will consider a Vado 5 IGH or the Vado 5 IGH step-through.
 
These guys in Ballard do daily rentals for $80 and are also a Specialized dealer. Maybe worth seeing if they have a Vado or Vado SL you could rent.

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The best advice I saw here is to test ride both the Vado 4 and the Vado 5 so you can compare them. There are a lot of thoughtful comments here that I agree with, but I personally recommend you skip the Vado 3 due to its lower power for climbing hills. The Vado 3's motor is rated at 50NM of torque while the Vado 4 has around 70NM and the Vado 5 has something like 85NM. Although the Vado 3 might work for you, my 2 cents is to stick with the 4 and, if you can afford it, the 5. Plus, you get the benefit of a more powerful battery with the higher end models. I have owned my Vado for 18 months and I absolutely love it. Where I live there are not many hills so my only experience climbing hills is when we take our bikes over to the coast, but we rode the entire length of 17 Mile Drive a couple weeks ago and I can tell you I was very happy to have the higher torque for the climb from the Carmel Gate up to the Highway 1 Gate. Again, just my 2 cents, but hopefully it helps.
 
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