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

[TS25]

I was confused also.

As @Sierratim mentioned in #355:
You are now officially a certified bike home mechanic!

Want it changed on your Vado?

 

[Nxkharra]

As @Sierratim mentioned in #355:
You are now officially a certified bike home mechanic!

Want it changed on your Vado?

I am used to it now. Thanks.

 

[Sierratim]

I was confused also. As @Sierratim mentioned: In the U.S., the law requires that all bikes are sold with the left hand controlling the front brake, and the right hand the rear brake. It's the same in France. In Italy and Great Britain, it's the other way around.

So, confusion reins!!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I kept getting mixed up with which brake lever is for front/back because with all my motorbikes including the actual one it has always been the right lever for the front brake and the Vado (like other bikes) has it to the opposite.

As this could lead to a/my wrong reaction in an emergency situation I have switched the brake sides on my Vado today.
Doing it carefully as you are opening the brake system it has worked well, and I survived my 15km test ride afterwards.
I'm happy now, right side is for the front brake as I am used to.

Has any other motorcyclist had that mind problem or is it just mine which isn't able to switch?

I don't know about Italy but indeed the bikes in the UK have the left lever controlling the rear brake. The rest of Europe -- to my knowledge -- uses the same convention as the U.S. Right lever for the rear brake.

Now @TS25, an interesting story (pay attention). My brother is a motorist. Cars, motorbikes, whatnot. One day -- precisely because motorbikes have the right lever for the front brake -- he -- just like you did -- replaced the levers. The next day, one of his sons came for a visit. He borrowed the bike from his dad. A block farther, the son was met with Over The Bars. A broken shoulder.

Thoughts?

 

[TS25]

I don't know about Italy but indeed the bikes in the UK have the left lever controlling the rear brake. The rest of Europe -- to my knowledge -- uses the same convention as the U.S. Right lever for the rear brake.

Now @TS25, an interesting story (pay attention). My brother is a motorist. Cars, motorbikes, whatnot. One day -- precisely because motorbikes have the right lever for the front brake -- he -- just like you did -- replaced the levers. The next day, one of his sons came for a visit. He borrowed the bike from his dad. A block farther, the son was met with Over The Bars. A broken shoulder.

Thoughts?

Sure. Sad story.

1. My Vado has XL diamond frame and the saddle is not in low position. So bring your folding ladder and your jockstrap if you'd like to try it. There aren't many people who could fit on it. My wife only asked once if she could try it, and my answer was sure, if you can get on it. So the chance breaking a shoulder by going over the bar was on my side only if I hadn't swapped the brake sides.

2. If I'd lend it to anyone else, I'd deem a hint as obligatory.

I'm into beach sailing too, and they can get really fast. Sometimes we swap them among ourselves, and although we are experienced sailors we always exchange hints before taking off. Great fun BTW. And no brake confusion problem: they don't have any.

3. If I borrow something I always ask for specialities to be observed.

But your story could make me place a hint on the Vado bar. Wait: I'd have to scratch it off lending it to a Brit.

 

[sigsegv]

So, confusion reins!!

The confusion is between motorcycles and bicycles.

On a motorcycle: Right side of the bike is stop/go, left side is shifting.

Right lever: front brake. Right grip: throttle. Right foot: rear brake
Left lever: clutch. Left foot: gearshift

On a bicycle it's left front (front brake and front derailleur), right rear (brake and derailleur).

I also swapped brake levers when I was riding a motorcycle.

 

[Sierratim]

The confusion is between motorcycles and bicycles.

On a motorcycle: Right side of the bike is stop/go, left side is shifting.

Right lever: front brake. Right grip: throttle. Right foot: rear brake
Left lever: clutch. Left foot: gearshift

On a bicycle it's left front (front brake and front derailleur), right rear (brake and derailleur).

I also swapped brake levers when I was riding a motorcycle.

And there you have it, sanity is restored!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

There has been a short period of time during which I rode a moped (50 cc engine). That moped was a crap so after it had seriously broken, I returned it on the warranty and collected the money back. (It was when I was 18-19). I have never been interested with motorcycles since. Because I was riding bikes for so many years, the brake lever convention is natural for me.

Now, my brother tells me the French motorcycles have it different from the rest...

 

[Terry317]

Not for sure what would happen during a panic stop, but from years on my motorcycle I start with the right, then start squeezing the left. So far it works on my bicycle.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Meanwhile my Vado is at the Warsaw Specialized LBS for the display upgrade I'm only worried they will replace my current 600 lumen headlight with the 200 lm one.

 

[TS25]

Not for sure what would happen during a panic stop, but from years on my motorcycle I start with the right, then start squeezing the left. So far it works on my bicycle.

It happened to me twice at halfway-emergency-breaking on the bike that I started with the right (= rear) brake and the rear wheel started skidding and moving to the side. Do not need this in a full panic stop and that's why I swapped brake sides.

 

[Kam1936]

A little help. So, I left my bike with my lbs for 4 days. I picked it up today, supposedly the derailleur cable had to be replaced. I'm looking at my derailleur but it looks different. I remember the screw that holds the cable down was black. It looks like more than the cable was replaced. Can someone with the 2020 Turbo Vado 5.0 send me a pick of their derailleur that hasn't been modified.

 

[Nxkharra]

My 2020 Vado 5 derailleur pics. Tried to do the same angle.

 

[Kam1936]

My 2020 Vado 5 derailleur pics. Tried to do the same angle.

Thank you. After I had my bike serviced I had the same loud shrieking sound when I applied the front brake. Sounded like the front brake got contaminated again. Mechanic I never seen before sprayed something on my rotor and sanded down my brakes. Thing is I just brought new brake pads and rotor for the same wheel. First time it was my fault so I replaced and payed for the labor. I'm going to make some noise And make them replace again at their cost. Their screw up not mine. The guy apologized but aren't they supposed to know how to clean a bike without contaminating the brakes and rotor?

 

[Nxkharra]

I just changed my break pads myself. Was apprehensive but few people on this forum encouraged me to do so. Happy I did it so no issues like this.
Agree that they should replace tour breaks. They should know better.
And thank them for apology but insist on resolution.

 

[Kam1936]

I just changed my break pads myself. Was apprehensive but few people on this forum encouraged me to do so. Happy I did it so no issues like this.
Agree that they should replace tour breaks. They should know better.
And thank them for apology but insist on resolution.

Yes. I spend a lot of money with them to support my lbs but unfortunately things keep happening.

 

[steve mercier]

Yes. I spend a lot of money with them to support my lbs but unfortunately things keep happening.

If it happens again then check to see if the brake fluid is leaking. I have a friend with a Vado that had fluid leaking and it was getting on the pads. It took several trips to the service department(s) to discover the source of the problem.

 

[Sierratim]

Thank you. After I had my bike serviced I had the same loud shrieking sound when I applied the front brake. Sounded like the front brake got contaminated again. Mechanic I never seen before sprayed something on my rotor and sanded down my brakes. Thing is I just brought new brake pads and rotor for the same wheel. First time it was my fault so I replaced and payed for the labor. I'm going to make some noise And make them replace again at their cost. Their screw up not mine. The guy apologized but aren't they supposed to know how to clean a bike without contaminating the brakes and rotor?

What did he spray on the rotor? I keep alcohol is a spray bottle for this. It'll clean organics off the rotor without harming the pads. Just about anything else, not so much.

I agree with Steve that you should carefully inspect for a brake fluid leak. Shimano tints their fluid red so it's fairly easy to spot on a white paper towel. Just dab the towel all around the brake caliper, hoses and levers. The mineral oil based brake fluid can cleaned off the rotor. @Stefan Mikes recommends a solvent like Xylene for this. Any of this on the pads is bad news. They'd need to be replaced.

 

[Kam1936]

If it happens again then check to see if the brake fluid is leaking. I have a friend with a Vado that had fluid leaking and it was getting on the pads. It took several trips to the service department(s) to discover the source of the problem.

Thanks for the advice. No everything was fine after my initial blunder. Cost me $72 to fix. After that I didn't have any issues until I got my bike serviced Silver Tune. The mechanic apologized and said if I was not satisfied to bring it back tomorrow. I just had rotor, brake pads replaced 3/18.

 

[Kam1936]

What did he spray on the rotor? I keep alcohol is a spray bottle for this. It'll clean organics off the rotor without harming the pads. Just about anything else, not so much.

I agree with Steve that you should carefully inspect for a brake fluid leak. Shimano tints their fluid red so it's fairly easy to spot on a white paper towel. Just dab the towel all around the brake caliper, hoses and levers. The mineral oil based brake fluid can cleaned off the rotor. @Stefan Mikes recommends a solvent like Xylene for this. Any of this on the pads is bad news. They'd need to be replaced.

I didn't have any issue with brakes making noise until I was riding away from the lbs and heard the loud shrieking. They had my bike 4 days only to create another problem for me. No shrieking or noise when I brought it to them.