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

When I got that pump and looked at the mount I thought there was something familiar about the spacing and size of the mounting holes.
My experienced riding buddy says the small pump is the only item fitting that place as the frame bag located there would chafe the rider's thighs.
 
Well? (The current model).

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Per Specialized Support site (a place worth exploring):

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Hello fellow Vado afficianados. First post on the forum. I was curious to know if anyone here has added a dropper post to their Vado. I am 99.99 % (actually, I am more certain than that) certain that the Vado and Tero share the same frame and some of the Tero models come with an internally routed dropper post, so it seems like it is possible to route a cable that way, but I just don't know how hard it will be to fish the housing through the frame as I have not had the displeasure of removing the crankarm and motor yet on this one.

I owned a 2018 Vado for four years and have had it apart (I also worked in a Specialized shop for five years as a mechanic, Shimano certified technician, etc.) and I'm not scared to get into this one, but if anyone has some prior experience with this task, I'm all ears. The housing on an internally routed dropper needs to be able to move back and forth to replace the cable too, so if it's a teardown every time I want to do something like that, maybe I could live with the external cable afterall. I really would prefer to use an internally routed dropper, but have access to both styles and could go externally routed if I have to.
On my Tero there is just enough slack in the system that by turning the bars to the right I can remove the dropper and access/remove the cable end. So no internal work necessary. Easy! I also like the wireless dropper idea but the cost seems disproportionate to the value. I guess if there was no other way?
 
I came across an interesting discussion on motorcycle drive chain and gearing that could relate to the ebike world.

The idea is that the number of gear teeth and chain link matches per revolution should be kept to a minimum to reduce chain wear. This wouldn't work with the cassette as the number of gear teeth is not constant, but the front chain ring and chain link matchup could be manipulated. I put a 48 tooth chain ring and 120 link chain in the equation and every 2 chain revolutions there is a matchup, about the worst relationship available.

The idea is that the lower number of match ups moves the chain and gearing around to even wear amongst all the participants.

Here is the link to play with the calculator. Wether it effects chain and gear wear will go down the rabbit hole with chain lube, suspension seats, and wearing helmets.

 
Watch those thru-axles…

Spotted this before a ride. Spun it back in and retorqued - I could swear I torqued it properly when I last had the wheel off, but maybe I f’d up and forgot.

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Entering The Wheel Building World

The rear wheel of my Vado has had enough. Being trued several weeks ago, it went out of alignment again, and the spokes feel loose. I had a long talk with the experienced (and Cannondale & DT Swiss certified) mechanic at the nearest LBS. He said the spokes got worn out, and he thought the rim got enough of beating, too. Well, the bike, I and cargo together can weigh 130 kg sometimes. I ride off-road a lot, and carry a heavy pannier. It is only a 28-spoke wheel. The Vado 6.0 wheels belong to MTB class: 35 mm outer width, 27 mm inner width, MTB Boost hub.

We discussed building a new, strong wheel to match my demands and fit my Vado:

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DT Swiss H 552 29×30 DB P SE 32 BL 01P STD VI, RDH055CDPS32SA5221 rim. It is good for the system weight up to 150 kg, has 32 spoke holes, is of Enduro ASTM rating, and the rim ends are joined with a sleeve insert. Width 35x30 mm.

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DT Swiss 350 148/12 IS ASL R32 BM ASM W, H350TDDBR32SA0482S hub. It is 12x148 mm (Boost standard), is equipped with Star Ratchet 32t, has 32 spoke holes, and is good for Shimano 9/10/11-speed cassettes.


There will be DT spokes and nipples, too. The thing won't be cheap for sure! Still, I need to be secure on my long demanding rides in pretty rough terrain!
I shall get the wheel built in a few weeks.
 
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While I am totally good with my Vado SL (Redshift ShockStop front/rear, the stock Specialized saddle), there was something wrong with my Vado 6.0 after the e-bike rebuild & upgrade. I had sore butt after long rides, something what was not happening before the turning my Vado 5.0 into 6.0! First of all, my brother (who was together with me on one of my recent rides) noticed the Kinekt 2.1 springs must have been not properly preloaded, so the saddle was always in the "compressed" position because of my weight, and it did not work as a suspension. As my Vado is kept in the storage and I only use it on some weekend rides, I did not spot it immediately.

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This is the perfect setup for me. Regarding the saddle angle, I feel no stress either in the perineal area or on the buttocks. The preload position "3" on the Kinekt 2.1 with the gray spring is enough to avoid pedal-bob but the suspension works properly on road bumps. It is noteworthy I tested that setup in winter trousers with no chamois! (The saddle is Specialized Phenom Expert).

I need to mention the new 420 mm Kinekt 2.1 suspension was provided by Specialized free as a part of the warranty service because they could only find the replacement frame with S, the size M being the original. The Spec guys looked carefully into the e-bike geometry, and found out the only significant change was the seat-tube shorter by 80 mm, and the reach was shortened by just -8 mm (the saddle setback compensates for that).

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Regarding the preload on the Suntour Mobie suspension fork, I was trying the soft and firm preload position to find out the firmer preload was appropriate in my case (I am a pretty heavy person, and I ride my Vados in forward position, which balances my weight between my butt and arms). I was riding bumpy segments of a local gravel road for several times to make sure.

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This part of the gravel road was mild compared to what I experienced before! :)

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Riding this cracked and potty asphalt segment was an instant reward for me for the adjustments done! I was zooming it at 36 km/h (22.4 mph) and enjoyed the smoothness and silence of the ride!

Now, I'm waiting for a new, strong rear wheel made with DT Swiss components (I should receive it this week). The next upgrade will be replacing the derailleur and cassette with the Shimano M5100 components, 11-speed. The derailleur there has a very long cage, and the cassette is 11-51T (!!!) While it is of no meaning here in the plains, it will be important for my future holiday mountain road rides. Replacing the chainring with the 38T steel one I own will put me on par with my brother riding an e-MTB with the same gearing, only 12-speed!
 
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I’m trying to gauge the health of my battery on my 2.5 year old Vado SL 4.0 nonEQ. This morning I rode on Turbo mode(and have used Turbo mode for the past 2 years)and I had 4% battery left after 20 miles. Always on paved flat roads. What has been your experience. Thanks.
 
The best range I ever had on a new main Vado SL battery in Turbo was 36 km (22.3 mi). I recommend you buy an inexpensive smartphone app BLEvo. It will tell you everything about your Vado SL. To the smallest detail ("Battery Monitor").
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My lbs did a battery check about 6 months ago and it came back as 92% efficient, whatever that means. I was looking more for real world experience from other riders. Your best ever range of 22.3 miles on turbo tells me that my 20 miles today is not to far off track. Thanks.
 
Yes but it also matters how many recharge cycles you have had on your battery, and that's related to how many miles you have already ridden on your Vado SL 😊
 
Since 2019 when the Vado SL came out how many have had to replace a dead battery? What were the symptoms. Was it a gradual decline in distance traveled? Or maybe this rarely happens.
 
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