Specialized Turbo Vado/Como/Tero/Tero X User Club

[Nxkharra]

Ok @Sierratim you are the GOD of bikes. I removed the teeth so wide tooth is in wide slot. It seemed the problem and the sound went away. Went for a test ride. Now the chain drops when I change gear to the lowest. (Biggest cog).
Do you think the chain is too big?

I am a bit confused now after watching some pictures. Don’t know which is wide and which is narrow. I thought it refers to the tooth top but looks like there is wider and narrower base of the tooth. See picture with green ring. If that is correct then LBS has correctly installed.

 

[Marcela]

From my experience, the wide tooth is centered, it goes in the narrow link, the narrow tooth is offset, it goes in the wide link.

When taking my chain off for cleaning when purchased new, if you get it wrong the chain will ride too high on the crank gear, don't force it on. My first experience with narrow/wide gear.

 

[TS25]

Wife does not ride solo anymore. Age related I guess. We had a nice Cannondale tandem and we got too old, grumpy, and weak for that so we sold that. The other option for her to ride is electric tandem..

You might go for joint riding on something like this but I'd choose elektric version:

 

[Sierratim]

Narrow slot is on the wide tooth. Please see the pic.
can I change this?

This looks correct to me; seems the widest tooth is in the widest chain slot.

 

[TS25]

Narrow slot is on the wide tooth. Please see the pic.
can I change this?

Why? LBS has mounted it correctly. No need to kill him presently.

 

[Sierratim]

I am a bit confused now after watching some pictures. Don’t know which is wide and which is narrow. I thought it refers to the tooth top but looks like there is wider and narrower base of the tooth. See picture with green ring. If that is correct then LBS has correctly installed.

You can almost always see a difference in the teeth from the top. The wide teeth are more squared, the narrow teeth look flattened.

 

[Marcela]

Don't know JayVee, think they got that wrong. Went out and looked at mine again. If I tried to mount my chain as they depict, it would ride way too high on the gear. The full width tooth centers the chain and goes in the narrow link, the offset tooth which you can see in the picture is thinner, and must go to the wide link, it is offset and if tried to fit into the narrow link will not work.

It is counterintuitive to what you think would work. Unless they are machining the gears differently, or stamping.

 

[Sierratim]

Don't know JayVee, think they got that wrong. Went out and looked at mine again. If I tried to mount my chain as they depict, it would ride way too high on the gear. The full width tooth centers the chain and goes in the narrow link, the offset tooth which you can see in the picture is thinner, and must go to the wide link, it is offset and if tried to fit into the narrow link will not work.

It is counterintuitive to what you think would work. Unless they are machining the gears differently, or stamping.

My Vado chain is still original. It was installed with the wide chain ring teeth in the wide chain slot, etc. The pic isn't the best, but I think you can make this out;

Is your chain matched to your drive train, i.e. an 11-spd chain on a 11-spd drive train?

 

[Marcela]

My Vado chain is still original. It was installed with the wide chain ring teeth in the wide chain slot, etc. The pic isn't the best, but I think you can make this out;
View attachment 53092

Is your chain matched to your drive train, i.e. an 11-spd chain on a 11-spd drive train?

That's funny. I was going to take a pic of mine also and it looks like yours, all the little dirt particles show up though to the naked eye it looks clean.

Mine is exactly as yours. Your wide tooth is in the narrow slot, the narrow tooth is in the wide slot. See how the narrow link is filled with the tooth, look at the wide link, there is a gap with the tooth to one side. You can see it in a couple links.

Loosen your rear derailleur and try to move the chain one tooth on the front gear, it won't ride correctly, that is going to be the ultimate test of whether it is mounted correctly.

My parts are OEM btw.

 

[TS25]

Uoch.
Anybody in doubt still could take a look at the drawing that's on the inner side of the chainring and looks like this:

Just mount your chain exactly that way and you're done.

 

[Sierratim]

That's funny. I was going to take a pic of mine also and it looks like yours, all the little dirt particles show up though to the naked eye it looks clean.

Mine is exactly as yours. Your wide tooth is in the narrow slot, the narrow tooth is in the wide slot. See how the narrow link is filled with the tooth, look at the wide link, there is a gap with the tooth to one side. You can see it in a couple links.

Loosen your rear derailleur and try to move the chain one tooth on the front gear, it won't ride correctly, that is going to be the ultimate test of whether it is mounted correctly.

My parts are OEM btw.

My pis is pretty fuzzy so just to be sure I just went out and looked at both our Vados. You are absolutely correct. The wide tooth is in the narrow slot, etc. My apologies.

I too have read the online articles and went with the 'conventional' wisdom. Wrong, again...

 

[Sierratim]

Uoch.
Anybody in doubt still could take a look at the drawing that's on the inner side of the chainring and looks like this:

View attachment 53095


Just mount your chain exactly that way and you're done.

Another feature I didn't know existed! Checked my bike, again. The installation matches this label with the narrow tooth in the wide chain slot.

 

[TS25]

Narrow slot is on the wide tooth. Please see the pic.

Your pic shows exactly the opposite: your wide slot is on the wide tooth, and that is the correct mounting.
Please notice: "wide" or "narrow" tooth is to be seen from side to side and not in the chain line (as the chain runs)!

I have marked your narrow tooth with a yellow frame, and your wide tooth with a red frame:

 

[Marcela]

Uoch.
Anybody in doubt still could take a look at the drawing that's on the inner side of the chainring and looks like this:

View attachment 53095


Just mount your chain exactly that way and you're done.

Pretty slick. Mine matches up just fine. There is also the tooth count next to the diagram. What will Specialized think of next?

 

[Nxkharra]

Your pic shows exactly the opposite: your wide slot is on the wide tooth, and that is the correct mounting.
Please notice: "wide" or "narrow" tooth is to be seen from side to side and not in the chain line (as the chain runs)!

I have marked your narrow tooth with a yellow frame, and your wide tooth with a red frame:


View attachment 53098

So is this OK? I am confused?
If mounting is OK then I do have problem with the chain ring wearing out. Hence the sound.

 

[Sierratim]

So is this OK? I am confused?
If mounting is OK then I do have problem with the chain ring wearing out. Hence the sound.

I suggest using the graphic on the reverse of the chainring. This should eliminate the terminology confusion that seems to have crept into this thread.

 

[Nxkharra]

Just did and it is mounted correctly.
I must have chain ring issue then.
here is a pic.
how does the chain ring look to you?

Your pic shows exactly the opposite: your wide slot is on the wide tooth, and that is the correct mounting.
Please notice: "wide" or "narrow" tooth is to be seen from side to side and not in the chain line (as the chain runs)!

I have marked your narrow tooth with a yellow frame, and your wide tooth with a red frame:


View attachment 53098

i get it now. Saw the graphic on the back of chain ring. Mounted correctly. Thanks to all for help.

 

[Nxkharra]

Here is a not very funny but amusing story after my chain ring sob story.
due to the noise issue with changing the chain and issue with chain ring and unavailability of it for couple of weeks I decided to borrow my son’s MTB to ride for this period so I don’t ride the Vado and not creat damage.
it is a very light MTB with some graphite components. So there is no negative to point out about the bike. However I felt the bike was not moving freely and seemed like some ghost had applied the break. It came to me the word that I learned from @Stefan Mikes who coined it. Oh noooo I have ebike legs.
I am so used to the power output of Vado that any bike is now giving me the feeling of riding a cement truck.
oh well. Long live the Vado and it’s power.
so is it really me but faster??

 

[PaD]

Wow. Confused

Edit
Sorry I now see I was way too late posting this.

On Specialized chain ring there is a symbol. It’s difficult to see on the bike but possible if you look ”through the frame” and then press chain down to chain ring.

 

[PaD]

Here is a not very funny but amusing story after my chain ring sub story.
due to the noise issue with changing the chain and issue with chain ring and unavailability of it for couple of weeks I decided to borrow my son’s MTB to ride for this period so I don’t ride the Vado and not creat damage.
it is a very light MTB with some graphite components. So there is no negative to point out about the bike. However I felt the bike was not moving freely and seemed like some ghost had applied the break. It came to me the word that I learned from @Stefan Mikes who coined it. Oh noooo I have ebike legs.
I am so used to the power output of Vado that any bike is now giving me the feeling of riding a cement truck.
oh well. Long live the Vado and it’s power.
so is it really me but stronger??

No, it’s you but faster
Same thing happened to me when my first Vado was at LBS for service. I took out my regular hybrid bike I had used a few months earlier. My initial reaction was - There is something wrong with this bike!