Specialized Turbo Vado SL: An Incredible E-Bike (User Club)

[Stefan Mikes]

Vado SL Brake Pads and Rotors

I'm writing this for the future reference, so anybody who wants to replace their brake pads on a Vado SL can use the Search function.

Brake pads for Tektro HD-R510 or HD-R290 Hydraulic Disk Brakes

I chose the SwissStop brake pads. Note: I copied the Shimano compatibility from SwissStop website; please verify visually before you buy!

Brake Rotors

Any 160 mm diameter, Centerlock mounted rotor would do. (There will be a word of warning, though).

The Centerlock rotor on Vado SL is removed by inserting a standard cassette wrench and simply unscrewing the lock-ring. Please do not damage or lose the lockring!

When you are buying the new Centerlock rotor, pay attention to buy the one with the "lock-ring with internal serrations" (I bought one with external serrations). The externally grooved lock-ring requires a wrench you probably do not own, and that setup is used for 15 mm thru-axles. The internally grooved lock-ring is for 12 mm axles.
Nothing went wrong in my case as I simply re-used the old lock-ring and easily tightened it with the cassette wrench.

Note: The only reason to replace the rotor in my case was the fact the rotor had got bent (I can bet it happened on a crash ) then it was straightened by a mechanic and then I think it became somewhat warped

 

[jason.flood]

Vado SL Brake Pads and Rotors

I'm writing this for the future reference, so anybody who wants to replace their brake pads on a Vado SL can use the Search function.

Brake pads for Tektro HD-R510 or HD-R290 Hydraulic Disk Brakes

View attachment 176675
I chose the SwissStop brake pads.

Nice Table Stefan!

My LBS did not have F10BS when I had to replace mine. But they did have F10RS. After some initial scepticism I checked the Tektro website and found that F10RS are the "TRP" versions of the pads that go with some of their higher end calipers. They have exactly the same form factor and the descriptions of F10RS & F10BS on the TRP & Tektro sites, respectively, are virtually identical from what I could see.

The F10RS must be "better" though because the backing plate is painted "red"

 

[mfgrep]

Vado SL Brake Pads and Rotors

I'm writing this for the future reference, so anybody who wants to replace their brake pads on a Vado SL can use the Search function.

Brake pads for Tektro HD-R510 or HD-R290 Hydraulic Disk Brakes


I chose the SwissStop brake pads.

Brake Rotors

Any 160 mm diameter, Centerlock mounted rotor would do. (There will be a word of warning, though).

The Centerlock rotor on Vado SL is removed by inserting a standard cassette wrench and simply unscrewing the lock-ring. Please do not damage or lose the lockring!


When you are buying the new Centerlock rotor, pay attention to buy the one with the "lock-ring with internal serrations" (I bought one with external serrations). The externally grooved lock-ring requires a wrench you probably do not own, and that setup is used for 15 mm thru-axles. The internally grooved lock-ring is for 12 mm axles.
Nothing went wrong in my case as I simply re-used the old lock-ring and easily tightened it with the cassette wrench.

Note: The only reason to replace the rotor in my case was the fact the rotor had got bent (I can bet it happened on a crash ) then it was straightened by a mechanic and then I think it became somewhat warped

Stefan your SL came with Shimano brakes right? Or just Shimano drivetrain and Tektro brakes?
My 2022 has SRAM NX drivetrain w/ Tektro brakes. My pads have lasted me for a long while though I have backup pads and rotors standing by at the ready.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Or just Shimano drivetrain and Tektro brakes?

This

My 2022 has SRAM NX drivetrain w/ Tektro brakes. My pads have lasted me for a long while

I only ride my Vado SL on the flats. The stats read the front brake pads lasted for over 5,000 km (3,000 mi) or 14 months. There's still life in the rear brake pads. Interestingly, the front brake pads got worn unevenly, one of them getting worn out while the other still had a little of life left. As I center the brake calipers post the brake maintenance, it might either indicate the brake pistons worked unevenly or the rotor was indeed bent (I will never understand hydraulic disk brakes in full!)

I have backup pads and rotors standing by at the ready

Normally, rotors are long living creatures! What pads do you have for the replacement?

It was a pleasant surprise for me to be served by my gravel cycling buddy at CentrumRowerowe.pl, the biggest bicycle store in Warsaw. Michał has been in the trade for several years now, and he is an experienced salesman. As I was not sure what pads I really needed, he went through the Specialized and Tektro websites, identified the brake pads by their looks, and verified the info. Then he offered either Jagwire or SwissStop products. He said Disc 34 E were made from an advanced organic composite, and I was not expected to do MTB, the SwissStop was a safe choice for me.

What makes me very surprised is despite an enormous number of brake calliper models out in the market, all brake pads are only represented by a relatively small number of shapes and sizes! Except for some exotic brakes such as SRAM or Magura, many brake pads just follow the Flat Mount (Vado SL) or Post Mount (Vado) standards, making many brake pads from different brands compatible.

SwissStop and Jagwire brake pads for Vado SL brakes.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Or just Shimano drivetrain and Tektro brakes?

This

My 2022 has SRAM NX drivetrain w/ Tektro brakes. My pads have lasted me for a long while

I only ride my Vado SL on the flats. The stats read the front brake pads lasted for over 5,000 km (3,000 mi) or 14 months. There's still life in the rear brake pads. Interestingly, the front brake pads got worn unevenly, one of them getting worn out while the other still having a little of life left. As I center the brake calipers post the brake maintenance, it might either indicate the brake pistons worked unevenly or the rotor was indeed bent (I will never understand hydraulic disk brakes in full!)

I have backup pads and rotors standing by at the ready

Normally, rotors are long living creatures! What pads do you have for the replacement?

It was a pleasant surprise for me to be served by my gravel cycling buddy at CentrumRowerowe.pl, the biggest bicycle store in Warsaw. Michał has been in the trade for several years now, and he is an experienced salesman. As I was not sure what pads I really needed, he went through the Specialized and Tektro websites, identified the brake pads by their looks, and verified the info. Then he offered either Jagwire or SwissStop products. He said Disc 34 E were made from an advanced organic composite, and as I was not expected to do MTB, the SwissStop was a safe choice for me.

What makes me very surprised is despite an enormous number of brake calliper models out in the market, all brake pads are only represented by a relatively small number of shapes and sizes! Except for some exotic brakes such as SRAM or Magura, many brake pads just follow the Flat Mount (Vado SL) or Post Mount (Vado) standards, making many brake pads from different brands compatible.

View attachment 176699View attachment 176700
SwissStop and Jagwire brake pads for Vado SL brakes.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Nice Table Stefan!

I am not 100% sure about the Shimano brake pads compatibility there. I would have a visual check on a selected model before buying!

My LBS did not have F10BS when I had to replace mine.

It actually was my headache, and that's why I went in a big bicycle store for an advice!

But they did have F10RS. After some initial scepticism I checked the Tektro website and found that F10RS are the "TRP" versions of the pads that go with some of their higher end calipers. They have exactly the same form factor and the descriptions of F10RS & F10BS on the TRP & Tektro sites, respectively, are virtually identical from what I could see.

The F10RS must be "better" though because the backing plate is painted "red"

Which reminds me the long story of my "big" Vado brakes. My model had TRP Zurich e-bike brakes (not made anymore). I was following blindly the prescribed brake pad type (TRP Q20.11) for years, often importing a bigger number of them from Germany (these pads are very expensive!) Once, the rear brake assembly completely broke. I have found TRP Slate brakes would be compatible for the replacement (TRP makes excellent brakes, it is Tektro Racing Products). By chance, I could buy a complete TRP Slate rear brake assembly for dimes! As my brother was installing the brake, he reached to one of his drawers and produced a set of Shimano brake pads he used on his e-MTB. Those had exactly the same format as the TRP brake pads!

Of course the expensive TRP brake pads were painted red, and less expensive ones were blue

 

[mschwett]

rotor and pad life is really dependent on how much you descend, and how fast, more than anything. when I was doing 1500 meters of elevation on every other ride, with 40mph descents almost every day, my rotors reached the minimum thickness in perhaps 6 months and 3,000 miles.

i bought my own digital micrometer caliper because i was incredulous that they really needed replacing.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I wonder how people could ride rim-brake bikes for such descents. If a steel rotor wears so quickly, what about aluminium rims?

 

[BioWheel]

Tektro These pads work for SL

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Tektro These pads work for SL

The issue with Tektro F10BS is these are hardly available.

SwissStop Disc 34 E are an excellent replacement.

Also, see post #2,226

 

[Rás Cnoic]

The issue with Tektro F10BS is these are hardly available.

SwissStop Disc 34 E are an excellent replacement.

Also, see post #2,226

They seem readily available on Amazon. £15 for 2 sets. Bought my last couple of sets there - used a number of other brands in the past but these seem to have great stopping power and last longer plus price is good.

https://tinyurl.com/3s7w6hdu

 

[jason.flood]

They seem readily available on Amazon. £15 for 2 sets. Bought my last couple of sets there - used a number of other brands in the past but these seem to have great stopping power and last longer plus price is good.

https://tinyurl.com/3s7w6hdu

I also just recently bought a spare two sets off Amazon uk. I am interested in trying out the SwissStops too tho.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

This specific model of SwissStops is made of special organic compound. The pads are not that aggressive on the rotors, and these are very quiet.

SwissStops require a couple of short rides to properly bed in (as described in the leaflet). When I first installed the Disc 34 E, I thought I made a bad choice, as the brand new pads were not that aggressive as F10BS! However, I forgot about it soon. On last Saturday, I was riding in a gravel race. Then I realised how perfect the bedded-in SwissStops have become! I was riding singletracks and even did not need to think about the brakes, as they were stopping my Vado SL perfectly!

 

[mschwett]

I wonder how people could ride rim-brake bikes for such descents. If a steel rotor wears so quickly, what about aluminium rims?

i’m no fan of rim brakes (horrible if it’s wet!!) but the braking area is distributed over a much much larger surface (nearly the entire circumference x 1cm) compared to a rotor, so it doesn’t see the same stresses at all.

 

[VadoSL]

Anyone have rusty rotors ? Bit surprised after only 7 months use whereas my Scott rotors are still good after 4 years and similar use ??

 

[mfgrep]

Anyone have rusty rotors ? Bit surprised after only 7 months use whereas my Scott rotors are still good after 4 years and similar use ??

No

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Anyone have rusty rotors ?

No... and I'm riding in any conditions!

 

[mschwett]

Anyone have rusty rotors ? Bit surprised after only 7 months use whereas my Scott rotors are still good after 4 years and similar use ??

coastal environment? salty air?

 

[Cary W]

My decision to go tubeless came after I punctured the same tyre three times in a row (I decided something must have been wrong, so I poured a good dose of sealant into the tube, which temporarily helped). Another factor is that tubeless allows me to ride at a lower pressure, which is a good thing in gravel cycling. Last but not least: having both tubeless tyres and rims, I wouldn't hesitate to use them!

P.S. Gravel cyclists who converted to tubeless make funny faces when the group is waiting for the wretches repairing punctured tubed wheels

After a rash of flats I decided to give these (maybe not the exact same brand) a try and I've had good luck with them; knock on wood.

Amazon.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Amazon.com

These should not be used as the principal inner tubes. They are meant as a quick replacement tubes in case of puncturing your proper inner tube on a ride. Such lightweight tubes are to be carried "just in case" as they do not make your tool bag heavy.