Should I buy a Vado SL, or Wait for the Release of the Version with the 1.2 Motor?

[Stefan Mikes]

I feel the same way.

Did I mention a carbon drive belt and an IGH? Or, electronic shifting!

I don’t think you should feel any FOMO for the Creo 2 either. It’s so similar (and yes, I know drops don’t work for you!)

The biggest e-biking mistake I have ever done was buying an e-MTB (pictured in the background). An e-MTB is the thing for MTBers by heart, and I am not one of them! (But my brother is!) Creo 2 is so attractive because it is beautiful and perfectly engineered, a perfect gravel e-bike. However, I realize I am even not a real gravel cyclist. Drop bar, bar tape? Clipless pedals and shoes? Oh, no no no, that's not me On the last group gravel ride, there were many people riding bicycles not being gravel bikes. Many XC bikes, for example. If someone is not a competing rider, any bicycle good for a mixed terrain is indeed acceptable.

 

[GAJ]

Agreed, unless the weight dropped 10 lbs, which is basically impossible at the moment, no thought of upgrading for the newer version as I'm quite happy with the abilities of the SL 5.0 non EQ. Really don't need any extra range beyond stock as there is zero range anxiety as it is such a great non assist bicycle in its own right.

 

[mfgrep]

Agreed, unless the weight dropped 10 lbs, which is basically impossible at the moment, no thought of upgrading for the newer version as I'm quite happy with the abilities of the SL 5.0 non EQ. Really don't need any extra range beyond stock as there is zero range anxiety as it is such a great non assist bicycle in its own right.

I agree with this. One must view their choices through a lens based in the reality of our current technology. Of course I can dream of a lighter or better bicycle...but that is just a dream.
I bought a Vado SL 4.0 in June 2023 and was immediately smitten. Despite my delight, human nature was tugging at my brain cells and I wondered if 'this bike' or 'that bike' might have been a better choice.
I also had thoughts of my 1.1 motor as inferior to the prospective 1.2 motor....again....just human nature right?
After some time and miles on my Vado SL....I came to realize that it truly does offer precisely what I had sought. I simply do not need more battery power (which would come with trade-offs). The Vado SL allows me to ride under traditional analog power more effectively than 99 out of 100 available ebikes....rendering range anxiety a non-issue. Not only that....I can use some degree of motor assist and STILL obtain more miles than needed for any typical ride.
Then I thought that perhaps a more powerful motor would have been nice (which would also come with trade-offs). I then realized that the 1.1 motor actually provides MORE than enough power for my desired uses. I seldom use full power mode....I just don't need (or even desire) more power.
The addition of more power (not needed) or more battery life (not needed) inevitably add to the girth and/or weight of the bike....and I purposefully bought the SL for its lightweight and nimble attributes.
The grass is most definitely always greener, however, I objectively do not believe that any new variation of this bicycle will cause me to envy. Sensibly speaking....at this price-point and with the SL features....it is still a very 'hard to beat' bike within this specific class of ebikes.

Still the only bike out there that I desire is the Santa Cruz Skitch. The Skitch is capable of accomplishing precisely what the Vado SL does....but with carbon frame and a bit more powerful motor....and it costs 100% more than my Vado SL. Should Specialized introduce an updated Vado SL model....you can be assured that it will cost more money....and even if it were produced with a more compliant carbon fiber frame I can be certain that I would not be willing to pay whatever premium is dictated.

I am a real happy camper with this bike. It does exactly what I had intended for it to accomplish....and does it very well. My only complaint is that the motor noise can annoy me at times....a relatively small issue for sure.
The Vado SL is not a 'do it all' bicycle.....but it fills its own niche rather perfectly. For other niches....there are other bikes. I wouldn't trade mine....and if mine were lost/stolen....I'd buy another one immediately.

 

[AvalancheRun]

My only complaint is that the motor noise can annoy me at times....a relatively small issue for sure.

Creo 2 or Skitch don’t solve that for me. The full sized Vados do, but I found it to be quite noticeable with the 1.2 and the Fazua Ride 60. When people say “silent” I don’t think they know what that word means

 

[mfgrep]

Creo 2 or Skitch don’t solve that for me. The full sized Vados do, but I found it to be quite noticeable with the 1.2 and the Fazua Ride 60. When people say “silent” I don’t think they know what that word means

I read an article about the 1.2 motor noise vs. the 1.1. The article stated that the volume is similar/same, however, Specialized "tuned" the 1.2 motor so that its noise/sound is less annoying to the typical rider's ears.
I'd by lying if I said that the 1.1 sound does not occasionally annoy me, but that said, this is a very small issue in the grand scheme of things.
And yes...those full power Vado motors are very very quiet by comparison. For my purposes....the Vado SL is still the bike for me. Life on an ebike requires some trade-offs.

 

[AvalancheRun]

I read an article about the 1.2 motor noise vs. the 1.1. The article stated that the volume is similar/same, however, Specialized "tuned" the 1.2 motor so that its noise/sound is less annoying to the typical rider's ears.
I'd by lying if I said that the 1.1 sound does not occasionally annoy me, but that said, this is a very small issue in the grand scheme of things.

Yes, it’s lower. And that’s really the main issue with all of them - high frequencies are annoying to the ear, even when quiet. Especially static pitches. Sound quality and quantity are both important. There are thousands of sounds I could tolerate all day at that volume level.

To me the Fazua had more noticeably high frequency content whereas the 1.2 has something akin to white noise accompanying it. I find it to be better.

I’m in my 30s with excellent hearing - and bad tinnitus (moderate to severe according to testing), so it becomes a real issue

 

[GAJ]

I'd never heard of that bike but it does not offer a lightweight front shock solution from what I can see which is actually a useful feature for me on my 5.0.

It is marginally lighter than my 5.0 by 3 lbs or so as a result. I wonder if the claimed 60 mile range is optimistic.

The wired article, second link below, seems to say it has no better range than my SL.

BTW, the motor noise is a non issue for me and it has certainly not gotten louder as the miles have increased.

Santa Cruz Skitch eBike Reviews

The Skitch is the ultimate city-slicking, traffic-flicking, alleycat-slipping, rat race-escaping teleportation device. The powerful and light motor gives you a nudge to spend less time behind a glass windscreen and more time with your knees in the breeze. You’ll look for even more excuses to get...

ridereview.com

The Santa Cruz Skitch Ebike Won My Heart but Not My Wallet

This pleasingly versatile ebike is powerful, light, fun to ride, and a little too expensive.

www.wired.com

 

[mfgrep]

I'd never heard of that bike but it does not offer a lightweight front shock solution from what I can see which is actually a useful feature for me on my 5.0.

It is marginally lighter than my 5.0 by 3 lbs or so as a result. I wonder if the claimed 60 mile range is optimistic.

The wired article, second link below, seems to say it has no better range than my SL.

BTW, the motor noise is a non issue for me and it has certainly not gotten louder as the miles have increased.

Santa Cruz Skitch eBike Reviews

The Skitch is the ultimate city-slicking, traffic-flicking, alleycat-slipping, rat race-escaping teleportation device. The powerful and light motor gives you a nudge to spend less time behind a glass windscreen and more time with your knees in the breeze. You’ll look for even more excuses to get...

ridereview.com

The Santa Cruz Skitch Ebike Won My Heart but Not My Wallet

This pleasingly versatile ebike is powerful, light, fun to ride, and a little too expensive.

www.wired.com

I haven't ridden the Skitch yet. I frankly don't want to....for fear that I will love it lol. To me the biggest attribute to the Skitch over the Vado SL....is its carbon fiber frame. I can only assume that the Skitch would offer a much more compliant and comfortable ride. The $7K price is, however, not acceptable to me.
After adding a suspension stem, Ergon grips, and PanaRacer tires at appropriate PSI....my Vado SL 4.0 ride is improved and MORE than acceptable.

Within the genre of ebikes that is occupied by the Vado SL.....the Skitch is simply the only other bike that 'rings by bells'.....so I mentioned it.

 

[Green Moss]

Hello guys,
I’m new here, I didn’t use a forum for years And didn’t find how to create a new post. I hope I can find some answers here for my question.
I’m a light biker, few rides and MTB contests, but more than 20k km by bike to work, cca 3000km/year, moderate elevation. Lately I rode a city e-bike Cube with Bosch 40Nm/500Wh battery. The longest trip was 90km and recently, ~70km with 800+ elevation. Obviously, a city bike isn’t for offroad. I want to go for a trail of 1400km, mountain, hills, asphalt, and so on. And I thought I need a E-MTB. I’m not poor, but very rich neither. I fall in love with Specialized brand. I need a xs or S1 size, or S, depending on bike.
I have to choose between:
1. Turbo Tero ST 4.0 (70Nm/710Wh) - 3900€, hardtail Standover 66 (it is step through)
2. Turbo Tero X 4.0 (50Nm/530Wh ) - 3400€ or 5.0, full suspension, standover 72,6
3. Turbo Levo comp alloy (90Nm/710Wh)- 5250€, full, Standover 72 25kg
4. Commencal MaxMax Power, hardtail (60Nm/500Wh) 2925€ 21kg, (shipment included) Standover 69
The last one has the best Standover, 69 cm, which is my inside legs, and the best price, but the engine is pretty poor.
So, from your experience, if any, on trails, do you think a hard tail is enough? I don’t go downhill with high speed, as I said, I’m a light rider. But I’d like to have some assistance on steep climbs.

Thank you for your thoughts . Tomorrow I hope to place an order.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Hello guys,
I’m new here, I didn’t use a forum for years And didn’t find how to create a new post. I hope I can find some answers here for my question.
I’m a light biker, few rides and MTB contests, but more than 20k km by bike to work, cca 3000km/year, moderate elevation. Lately I rode a city e-bike Cube with Bosch 40Nm/500Wh battery. The longest trip was 90km and recently, ~70km with 800+ elevation. Obviously, a city bike isn’t for offroad. I want to go for a trail of 1400km, mountain, hills, asphalt, and so on. And I thought I need a E-MTB. I’m not poor, but very rich neither. I fall in love with Specialized brand. I need a xs or S1 size, or S, depending on bike.
I have to choose between:
1. Turbo Tero ST 4.0 (70Nm/710Wh) - 3900€, hardtail Standover 66 (it is step through)
2. Turbo Tero X 4.0 (50Nm/530Wh ) - 3400€ or 5.0, full suspension, standover 72,6
3. Turbo Levo comp alloy (90Nm/710Wh)- 5250€, full, Standover 72 25kg
4. Commencal MaxMax Power, hardtail (60Nm/500Wh) 2925€ 21kg, (shipment included) Standover 69
The last one has the best Standover, 69 cm, which is my inside legs, and the best price, but the engine is pretty poor.
So, from your experience, if any, on trails, do you think a hard tail is enough? I don’t go downhill with high speed, as I said, I’m a light rider. But I’d like to have some assistance on steep climbs.

Thank you for your thoughts . Tomorrow I hope to place an order.

Depending on where you live, as bike brand/dealer is important for motor warranty & repairs, it might be worth checking out the Orbea Kemen as it's a sort of long distance off-road & road hardtail designed for exploring.

Kemen

Kemen

www.orbea.com

 

[AvalancheRun]

Hello guys,
I’m new here, I didn’t use a forum for years And didn’t find how to create a new post. I hope I can find some answers here for my question.
I’m a light biker, few rides and MTB contests, but more than 20k km by bike to work, cca 3000km/year, moderate elevation. Lately I rode a city e-bike Cube with Bosch 40Nm/500Wh battery. The longest trip was 90km and recently, ~70km with 800+ elevation. Obviously, a city bike isn’t for offroad. I want to go for a trail of 1400km, mountain, hills, asphalt, and so on. And I thought I need a E-MTB. I’m not poor, but very rich neither. I fall in love with Specialized brand. I need a xs or S1 size, or S, depending on bike.
I have to choose between:
1. Turbo Tero ST 4.0 (70Nm/710Wh) - 3900€, hardtail Standover 66 (it is step through)
2. Turbo Tero X 4.0 (50Nm/530Wh ) - 3400€ or 5.0, full suspension, standover 72,6
3. Turbo Levo comp alloy (90Nm/710Wh)- 5250€, full, Standover 72 25kg
4. Commencal MaxMax Power, hardtail (60Nm/500Wh) 2925€ 21kg, (shipment included) Standover 69
The last one has the best Standover, 69 cm, which is my inside legs, and the best price, but the engine is pretty poor.
So, from your experience, if any, on trails, do you think a hard tail is enough? I don’t go downhill with high speed, as I said, I’m a light rider. But I’d like to have some assistance on steep climbs.

Thank you for your thoughts . Tomorrow I hope to place an order.

This sounds a little strange but I’m more comfortable taking my Creo or Diverge off road than a Tero 4 with full suspension. Something about the heaviness increases the impact. Levo is going to perform way better off-road, Tero better for everyday city riding and tasks.

Just basing that on one experience with the Tero, but comfort has been an issue for me but I have had no issue taking the Creo on any terrain. Perhaps it’s the same story with the Vado SL and suspension stem (Creo has one built in).

The 2.2 motor is the peak of e-bike motors imo. The lightweight models really require you to work for it.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Green Moss: if you do not intend riding technical singletrack 90% of your time, and a big part of your trip would involve asphalt, do not buy the Levo. Levo has been designed for the off-road use only, and you would hate it from the start even if 30% of your ride would involve sealed roads.

Do you carry panniers? If you can afford a Levo, why not aTero X 5.0? Tero 4.0 (not X) is a good idea, too.

Do you need a lightweight sporty e-bike? Why not a Vado SL ST?

 

[Green Moss]

This sounds a little strange but I’m more comfortable taking my Creo or Diverge off road than a Tero 4 with full suspension. Something about the heaviness increases the impact. Levo is going to perform way better off-road, Tero better for everyday city riding and tasks.

Just basing that on one experience with the Tero, but comfort has been an issue for me but I have had no issue taking the Creo on any terrain. Perhaps it’s the same story with the Vado SL and suspension stem (Creo has one built in).

The 2.2 motor is the peak of e-bike motors imo. The lightweight models really require you to work for it.

Forgot to mention that I have a backpack with clothes & other for about 1 month. I prefer to place the luggage on bike, not on my back. And sometimes the trail is very bad, something like in photo. No chance to use a Creo or Diverge. But, yes, I thought that a lighter bike is better when pushbike is needed ( it could be the case).

 

[Stefan Mikes]

And sometimes the trail is very bad, something like in photo.

Ugh. A Levo in that case. But forget a pannier then.

 

[Green Moss]

@Green Moss: if you do not intend riding technical singletrack 90% of your time, and a big part of your trip would involve asphalt, do not buy the Levo. Levo has been designed for the off-road use only, and you would hate it from the start even if 30% of your ride would involve sealed roads.

Do you carry panniers? If you can afford a Levo, why not aTero X 5.0? Tero 4.0 (not X) is a good idea, too.

Do you need a lightweight sporty e-bike? Why not a Vado SL ST?

@Green Moss: if you do not intend riding technical singletrack 90% of your time, and a big part of your trip would involve asphalt, do not buy the Levo. Levo has been designed for the off-road use only, and you would hate it from the start even if 30% of your ride would involve sealed roads.

Do you carry panniers? If you can afford a Levo, why not aTero X 5.0? Tero 4.0 (not X) is a good idea, too.

Do you need a lightweight sporty e-bike? Why not a Vado SL ST?

I don’t want to carry panniers. I have a backpack with camelback for water and probably some stuff will fit there. Maybe a light bag for saddle will be enough for the rest.
Turbo Tero 4.0 ST is on my short list (4.0 with diamond frame is too big for me, even S size). I’m not sure about 4.0 ST weight, I found different numbers on google. X 5.0 - didn’t find my size. Vado isn’t for this trail (I hiked 300 km last year and I know how it looks like).

 

[Green Moss]

Depending on where you live, as bike brand/dealer is important for motor warranty & repairs, it might be worth checking out the Orbea Kemen as it's a sort of long distance off-road & road hardtail designed for exploring.

Kemen

Kemen

www.orbea.com

Ok, I’ll check Orbea kemen. I looked at rise and wild only, but they have too weak motor and battery.

 

[AvalancheRun]

I wonder how much better the suspension is on the Tero 5/6 versus the 4. Their marketing photo seems optimistic to me..

Edit: and if they can tubeless that would be huge.

 

[AvalancheRun]

Santa Cruz Skitch eBike Reviews

The Skitch is the ultimate city-slicking, traffic-flicking, alleycat-slipping, rat race-escaping teleportation device. The powerful and light motor gives you a nudge to spend less time behind a glass windscreen and more time with your knees in the breeze. You’ll look for even more excuses to get...

ridereview.com

Btw, careful with Ride Review. It's all (crappy) AI-driven and they are extrapolating "reviews" and scores from forum users commenting on the bike announcements.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Green Moss if there is more rock like you showed in your picture on the trail then it is a Levo. Been on a trail like that myself. A real FS e-MTB could do that but I'm afraid a Tero could require walking it there.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Green Moss: A real life story.

During our vacation 2021, I and brother were on rides in a mountainous area. My brother rode a Giant Trance E+ (a full suspension e-MTB) while my ride was... (don't laugh!) ...a Vado. We did not intend to explore any technical trails but once we had to. While I could make a dramatic climb...

...I could not descend on those rocks! My brother was looking at me with disbelief as he could ride those rocks himself easily...

That would be an easy cake for a Levo.

We asked our Czech friend, an experienced touring cyclist what she thought about that trail and she said: 'Frames of more delicate bicycles break there!'