I just joined the forum after spending quite a bit of time reading the many informative posts. I need some experienced advice and insights! I am a very long time cyclist (72 yrs young now), in very decent shape but getting older. I live in San Diego and love to ride. I have a Marin mountain bike circa 1992 which I still ride mostly on streets now. No problem riding 25 miles or so at about a 15 mph clip. Exercise rides at HIIT of 1/4 mile at 20 mph followed by 1/4 mile 15 mph pace. Do about 10 to 15 of those repeats. I'm looking at Specialized Vado 4.0 SL and Turbo Vado 4.0/5.0 bikes. I would like to be able to ride 30 to 45 miles with single charge from my inland home (elevation 1000 ft to the coast and back. Road conditions are fairly smooth with bike paths; sometimes some mildly rough roads. Based on forum member experiences I was hoping to get some insights as to recommendations. I thank you in advance. Look forward to comments.
Seeking experienced forum members advice - EBike selection
- Thread starter larrybike
- Start date
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
About all I can say is Turbo Vado owners seem to love their bikes. Can you even get one now, or is it something you have to pre-order?
Sierratim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Nevada City, CA & Paradise Valley, AZ
Also being in my 70's I would say with your current conditioning you'd be able to meet your distance and elevation gain goals with any of the bikes you've mentioned. But (there's always a but...) we're not getting any younger, are we? The Vado 4 SL bikes have the lowest torque motor (35Nm) and lowest capacity battery (320wh) of the models you've mentioned. I'm going to suggest that you, like I, will want more torque and battery for your rides as the years go by. I think you'd have a better experience over time with a Vado 4 with 75Nm of torque and a 500Wh battery. It's smaller chain ring (compared to the 5.0) should be OK for the speeds you like though some feel that it's too small.
I ride a Vado 5 with 90Nm of torque and a 600Wh battery which seems well suited to our very hilly N. California town. My average ride has well over 2,000 feet of gain with lots of street rides at over 20mph. It's large chain ring (48t) makes it fast, the motor torque makes it a capable hill climber. Doesn't seem like you need this bike.
I have a line on one. Hopefully still available to see this week
I appreciate your insight. I also was wondering about the smaller chain ring on the 4.0. I suppose I could replace it with a larger 48t if needed and add some chain.
Will do.
goldconch
Active Member
The Specialized bikes are aesthetically gorgeous with elegant, smooth lines, hidden frame cables, and high lux/covet factor. Where I live, and my purposes, I'd be anxious about leaving anything that refined (and overtly 25x more expensive than the other bikes), at any cycling rack. If these are garage-to-garage exercise rides, then it's all for you - go for it! Agree with others that a real world test ride at max throttle will give you good feedback data about your own comfort preferences going much faster than you have been on your Marin. Even "flat" and "smooth" can get awfully percussive when sustained above 20mph speeds without suspension on thin tires over many miles. The throttle seduces. You will feel every tactile imperfection of the road surface - and quickly - especially in the hands and seat. It's similar to a single track mtn bike decent - except all the time. Some people like that sportiness, others can't wait to dismount. Very curious what you choose as an experienced rider, and welcome!
Thank you for the feedback. Going to do some test rides in a few hours. It will be interesting.
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