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

Charlotte said:
Hi there, So impressive all the riding you have done on your Comos! So I've been about to buy an ebike. I love the way the Como test drives. But it's always on concrete/asphalt. So how is the Como on gravel or dirt, like on a bike trail? My husband thinks the Vado is what I should buy...but I really like the position and the way the Como feels...Is the lack of suspension an issue? Thanks for u help!
Click to expand...

We've had customers get Vado's and ride them only on road and Como's and use them on lots of trail (mild trail). The Como can run low tire pressure which really smooths things out, especially with a suspended stem and seatpost.

That said I run Como bars on my Vado because I prefer them. It's totally possible to make a Vado fit like a Como with a few mods. Worst case is you have to run longer brake hoses and shift cable/housing. The wiring for the computer is plenty long.
 
Brendon@TBSM said:
We've had customers get Vado's and ride them only on road and Como's and use them on lots of trail (mild trail). The Como can run low tire pressure which really smooths things out, especially with a suspended stem and seatpost.

That said I run Como bars on my Vado because I prefer them. It's totally possible to make a Vado fit like a Como with a few mods. Worst case is you have to run longer brake hoses and shift cable/housing. The wiring for the computer is plenty long.
Click to expand...
More here https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/como-vs-vado-help.33169/
Even more https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/reason-s-for-the-harsh-vado-ride.34590/
 
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Easy question for the knowledgeable folks on this forum. Which bike would be better at climbing fairly steep hills on pavement?
Vado 5.0
11-42 11 speed
48 chainring
10 more nm torque
Or
Vado 4.0 11-42 10 speed
40 chainring
10 less nm of torque

It seems like it’s a question of gearing vs torque. I’m a 69 year old guy and will bow to your expertise in this area!
Thank you in advance for your help!
 
45srbest said:
Easy question for the knowledgeable folks on this forum. Which bike would be better at climbing fairly steep hills on pavement?
Vado 5.0
11-42 11 speed
48 chainring
10 more nm torque
Or
Vado 4.0 11-42 10 speed
40 chainring
10 less nm of torque

It seems like it’s a question of gearing vs torque. I’m a 69 year old guy and will bow to your expertise in this area!
Thank you in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
The Vado 4 granny gear ratio is 42/40 = 1.05. Assuming 80Nm peak motor torque this equates to 1.05 x 80 = 84Nm at the hub. For the Vado 5 the granny gear ratio is 42/48 = 0.875 yielding 0.875 x 90Nm = 79Nm at the hub. From this perspective, the Vado 4 has an edge on climbing. You also need to look at peak motor power as torque, power and motor rpm are all ineterelated. Here the Vado 5 has an edge of ~5%. Hard to say if one ends up being a better climber than the other with all things considered.

With that said I can tell you that I have yet to find a hill my Vado 5 can't climb. I live in a very hilly little town and typically get 2,000' of climbing on every ride. My SAT ride had over 3,800'. I'm in my 70's so a young fella like yourself may get different results...😎

Screenshot_2020-08-08-13-59-21.png

Vado 5 ride last Saturday.

Ride On!
 
Great breakdown! Thank you. I think I was off, according to what I was looking at the Vado actually has 15nm more torque than the Vado 4.0. But even if it has it would seem the climbing ability is essentially the same between them.
So if this is true it would seem that what the 5.0 gets you over the 4.0 is the larger battery and an upgraded shifter, derailleur and brakes.
Tomorrow I have to make my decision!
 
45srbest said:
Great breakdown! Thank you. I think I was off, according to what I was looking at the Vado actually has 15nm more torque than the Vado 4.0. But even if it has it would seem the climbing ability is essentially the same between them.
So if this is true it would seem that what the 5.0 gets you over the 4.0 is the larger battery and an upgraded shifter, derailleur and brakes.
Tomorrow I have to make my decision!
Click to expand...
You have to mention the color 😃
 
45srbest said:
Great breakdown! Thank you. I think I was off, according to what I was looking at the Vado actually has 15nm more torque than the Vado 4.0. But even if it has it would seem the climbing ability is essentially the same between them.
So if this is true it would seem that what the 5.0 gets you over the 4.0 is the larger battery and an upgraded shifter, derailleur and brakes.
Tomorrow I have to make my decision!
Click to expand...
The Vado 4 motor torque is quoted in different sources ranging from 72-80Nm. Feel free to adjust my calcs for a comparison with the Vado 5, but the wheel torques will still be close.

With similar wheel torques, what are the differences? They are both Class 3 bikes, though Vado 4 owners have posted that getting to the 28mph assist limit is difficult with the smaller chainring. Some have changed to a larger chainring with better top-end speed, but now less hill climbing ability.

There is a 20% difference in battery capacity which can be important, depending on your planned use. I often get home with 10% or less capacity remaining. The Vado 4 is a 10-spd drivetrain, the 5 is 11-spd with upgraded components. The 4 has Shimano BR MT200 hydraulic brakes, the 5 Shimano Deore XT MT8000.

Do the differences justify the $ difference? They did to us, I bought 2. Neither one of us has said, gee, I wish I had a smaller battery...YRMV

BTW - It has been 'well established' that the Vado 4 Rocket Red color is the fasterest color available, so plan accordingly.
 
Sierratim said:
The Vado 4 motor torque is quoted in different sources ranging from 72-80Nm. Feel free to adjust my calcs for a comparison with the Vado 5, but the wheel torques will still be close.

With similar wheel torques, what are the differences? They are both Class 3 bikes, though Vado 4 owners have posted that getting to the 28mph assist limit is difficult with the smaller chainring. Some have changed to a larger chainring with better top-end speed, but now less hill climbing ability.

There is a 20% difference in battery capacity which can be important, depending on your planned use. I often get home with 10% or less capacity remaining. The Vado 4 is a 10-spd drivetrain, the 5 is 11-spd with upgraded components. The 4 has Shimano BR MT200 hydraulic brakes, the 5 Shimano Deore XT MT8000.

Do the differences justify the $ difference? They did to us, I bought 2. Neither one of us has said, gee, I wish I had a smaller battery...YRMV

BTW - It has been 'well established' that the Vado 4 Rocket Red color is the fasterest color available, so plan accordingly.
Click to expand...
The price difference is now +$850 for the 5.0 ($4,350 vs $3,500). When I bought a 4.0 it was on sale for ~$2,500 and at that time the 5.0 was $5,150, more than 2x the price of the 4.0. We then also got a 5.0 step thru for my wife when the price dropped to $4,350. Owning both, I can definitely say I would spend an extra $850 to get the better spec’d 5.0. My wife is lighter but gets about 30% more range out of the 604w battery on the 5.0 than the 500w battery on my 4.0. This has caused me to consider buying a 604w battery for my 4.0. The 604w battery, if you can find one, used to cost about $1,000 and now shows $1,300 on specialized website. That alone justifies paying an extra $850 for the 5.0.
 
Art Deco said:
Somewhat off topic... even for this thread...but an article from Bicycling Magazine.... it's just a puff article for boomers wondering about ebikes ...But it's in Bicycling Magazine.
www.bicycling.com

An E-Bike Helps This Cyclist Stay Active and Sane During Coronavirus

“I’m really sold on biking, and I want others to get inspired to ride, too.”
www.bicycling.com www.bicycling.com
Click to expand...
Fun article, but where are the hills in Florida? The bridges to Key West were the closest thing to hills I've ridden in the Sunshine State...🤣
 
Sierratim said:
Fun article, but where are the hills in Florida? The bridges to Key West were the closest thing to hills I've ridden in the Sunshine State...🤣
Click to expand...
Yep. When I think of Florida I think everglades flat , horse country flat, etc. I guess the coastal hills would count as rolling hills, but I doubt you would notice them @Sierratim .. none over a half mile high.
 
Friends,

Turbo Vado As A Climber

It seems a lot of posts missed me here. I need to tell you several observations I made on our 85 km / 1500 m elevation gain (53 mi / 4900 ft) ride on last Saturday.

I rode the 2017 Vado 5.0 (a 2020 Vado 6.0 equivalent). The gearing ratio there is 46/48 = 0.958. The 1.2s motor has 90 Nm @ 520 W. Therefore, the torque at wheel is 90 * 0.958 = 86 Nm.

Now, I have measured the grade at the worst uphill ride segment: It was 12% sharp. The Vado, ridden at the granny gear and under full Turbo (and my weak legs) hardly overcame that incline but it did. While a traditional roadie almost fell with his bike, and needed to walk the bike up there! (The guy told us later he had inadequate gearing and I believed him).

At the same time, my Giant Trance E+2 Pro delivers as much as 120 Nm at the rear wheel in POWER mode in granny gear! My strong brother just switched the assistance to weakened PAS 2 "BASIC" there... (That tuned mode was just 1.25x leg torque amplification that translates to 35% Assist in 2020 Vado 5.0). That's how strong my brother was and how the Trance gearing (1.42x in granny gear) helped, too.

The choice between Vado 4 and 5 is how Sierratim said: Both are equal climbers. Expect 12% grade incline to be maximum achievable on Vado unless you are a strong person.

Another observation: On fast uphill ride in Turbo mode with average grade of 6%, I was easily overtaking a young competing roadie with my Vado :D He was just faster downhill.

The High Speed Riding on Vado

We are talking U.S. Class 3 or Euro L1e-B Vado. I and brother were riding our e-bikes on a slight downhill slope (almost flat) trying to get max from the bikes. I confirm the Vado 5.0 motor cuts off precisely at 45 km/h (28 mph), and taking into account the subtle descent, I could pedal at 46-47 km/h with slight "wall effect" when the motor stops assisting you. Unlike Bosch high-speed motors that cut off much earlier (see a separate thread in the Bosch forum).

The Vado Brakes

I'm lucky to own the Vado with 180/180 mm TRP Zurich hydraulic brakes. We were riding through very steep and very long descent over hairpin bends. I didn't want to ride faster than 45 km/h there and had to reduce speed at turns. The brakes were performing fantastically. Quiet, effective, capable to be modulated. I hope the 4-piston 180/160 Shimano brakes on the current Vados are equally good.

We also descended on a very steep but almost straight long road. There, I allowed the speed to be well over 50 km/h (30 mph) and noticed slight instability issues, probably related to the fact my Vado is equipped with a rigid fork. Or, it were the 2" Electrak slick tyres. Not sure.

General Impressions

My Vado 5.0 proved to be a very capable mountain road e-bike, only next to a FS e-MTB.

Vado and Como on gravel roads

That subject was discussed in another thread but I will add my 2 Grosze here :) The major issue when riding gravel roads is the "washboard". That can only be controlled by pretty fat, low-pressure tyres. The type of the fork is irrelevant as even a FS e-MTB makes you suffer on "washboard" if the tyres are inflated too much. Como has 2.3" tyres and that's a lot. Riding it close to the minimum allowed inflation pressure will dampen the rapid vibration. I can only tell you the Vado is capable of using 2" slick tyres (knobby tyres wouldn't fit the DryTech fenders), and these tyres inflated to 3.9 bar (57 psi) dampen the vibrations perfectly. With 2.3" tyres, Como will be even better on gravel roads. Period.

The Color

I will differ from Sierratim. The fasterestest Vado color is Satin Gray, and the climberestest color is Blue-Magenta Cameleon !
:)

1597222965244.png

Our proven mountain road bikes :) Vado & Trance E+
 
Last edited:
45srbest said:
I did realize that the Rocket Red would be faster. I was going to take my new Vado and have it painted Mopar “Plum Crazy”. But then thought about all the weight the paint would add!😊
Click to expand...
My wife's Como is listed as lilac, but she refers to it as plum. But not crazy ...
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Friends,

Turbo Vado As A Climber

It seems a lot of posts missed me here. I need to tell you several observations I made on our 85 km / 1500 m elevation gain (53 mi / 4900 ft) ride on last Saturday.

I rode the 2017 Vado 5.0 (a 2020 Vado 6.0 equivalent). The gearing ratio there is 46/48 = 0.958. The 1.2s motor has 90 Nm @ 520 W. Therefore, the torque at wheel is 90 * 0.958 = 86 Nm.

Now, I have measured the grade at the worst uphill ride segment: It was 12% sharp. The Vado, ridden at the granny gear and under full Turbo (and my weak legs) hardly overcame that incline but it did. While a traditional roadie almost fell with his bike, and needed to walk the bike up there! (The guy told us later he had inadequate gearing and I believed him).

At the same time, my Giant Trance E+2 Pro delivers as much as 120 Nm at the rear wheel in POWER mode in granny gear! My strong brother just switched the assistance to weakened PAS 2 "BASIC" there... (That tuned mode was just 1.25x leg torque amplification that translates to 35% Assist in 2020 Vado 5.0). That's how strong my brother was and how the Trance gearing (1.42x in granny gear) helped, too.

The choice between Vado 4 and 5 is how Sierratim said: Both are equal climbers. Expect 12% grade incline to be maximum achievable on Vado unless you are a strong person.

Another observation: On fast uphill ride in Turbo mode with average grade of 6%, I was easily overtaking a young competing roadie with my Vado :D He was just faster downhill.

The High Speed Riding on Vado

We are talking U.S. Class 3 or Euro L1e-B Vado. I and brother were riding our e-bikes on a slight downhill slope (almost flat) trying to get max from the bikes. I confirm the Vado 5.0 motor cuts off precisely at 45 km/h (28 mph), and taking into account the subtle descent, I could pedal at 46-47 km/h with slight "wall effect" when the motor stops assisting you. Unlike Bosch high-speed motors that cut off much earlier (see a separate thread in the Bosch forum).

The Vado Brakes

I'm lucky to own the Vado with 180/180 mm TRP Zurich hydraulic brakes. We were riding through very steep and very long descent over hairpin bends. I didn't want to ride faster than 45 km/h there and had to reduce speed at turns. The brakes were performing fantastically. Quiet, effective, capable to be modulated. I hope the 4-piston 180/160 Shimano brakes on the current Vados are equally good.

We also descended on a very steep but almost straight long road. There, I allowed the speed to be well over 50 km/h (30 mph) and noticed slight instability issues, probably related to the fact my Vado is equipped with a rigid fork. Or, it were the 2" Electrak slick tyres. Not sure.

General Impressions

My Vado 5.0 proved to be a very capable mountain road e-bike, only next to a FS e-MTB.

Vado and Como on gravel roads

That subject was discussed in another thread but I will add my 2 Grosze here :) The major issue when riding gravel roads is the "washboard". That can only be controlled by pretty fat, low-pressure tyres. The type of the fork is irrelevant as even a FS e-MTB makes you suffer on "washboard" if the tyres are inflated too much. Como has 2.3" tyres and that's a lot. Riding it close to the minimum allowed inflation pressure will dampen the rapid vibration. I can only tell you the Vado is capable of using 2" slick tyres (knobby tyres wouldn't fit the DryTech fenders), and these tyres inflated to 3.9 bar (57 psi) dampen the vibrations perfectly. With 2.3" tyres, Como will be even better on gravel roads. Period.

The Color

I will differ from Sierratim. The fasterestest Vado color is Satin Gray, and the climberestest color is Blue-Magenta Cameleon !
:)

View attachment 62073
Our proven mountain road bikes :) Vado & Trance E+
Click to expand...
I love reading about your adventures ... much easier than riding with you and your brother, I'm sure. As you once commented on the versatility of the Como and Vado lines, these bikes can fill a lot of roles, and fill them as well as anything short of a custom build.
 
There is a 22% street in Stockholm. It’s cobble stone so maybe a bit challenging trying to go up and loosing grip all the time. Suppose it’s a one way for a reason. My Vado 5 has a 40 tooth crank wheel so maybe...
1597240201397.jpeg


Speaking of cobbles stones - I finally tried the suspension seatpost I bought in June. My brain has been busy ranting about the latest firmware so I haven’t found energy to install the new seatpost.
It’s a Redshift Shockstop. Don’t ask me why I (2 months ago) choose it among all alternatives. Memorizing is not my best discipline any more.
It could be that I liked that it as standard was suitable for a someone my weight. About 61kg or 134lb. It has an adjustment screw in bottom of tube and can be set for riders 50 - 80kg ( 110-175lb) and up to 110kg (242lb) if you add another spring.
I set mine to 65kg because I was worried it should be too mushy or something.

I really liked it! Smoothed out both small and large bumps well and not much backward movement.
1597241801285.jpeg

What I didn’t like was the position of the screws for fastening and positioning the saddle. I found it tricky to reach the 4mm hex/allen bolts. Very good for developing my patience :)
The saddle in the picture may be replaced with the standard Vado seat. The Brooks has a good seating position and allows free movement of leg but is a bit hard. We’ll see.
 
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