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

[2wheelsgood]

Check the price of a new XX1 cassette. One day you will need to replace it, and these cassettes are not serviceable

The upgrade kits only comprise of the derailleur, the controller and a battery charger.

I didn't think there was any special requirement for a XX1 cassette?

 

[Allan47.7339]

The GX level upgrade is a couple levels below XX1. I use the XG-1275 Eagle cassette but Specialize specs the much cheaper/heavier PG1210, 12-Speed, 11-50t on the Creo 2 E5. You can find different OEM upgrade kits for good value. There are some brake mount fastener differences that are not included in the kits if you are converting from dI2 to SRAM.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I didn't think there was any special requirement for a XX1 cassette?

I thought you wanted some very high quality and now want to save on the cassette?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Replacing worn sprockets on my CS-M5100 (11s, 11-51T) cassette

This year, I equipped my Vado SL with a new Shimano M5100 drivetrain. However, I thought I needed a 32T chainring for steep climbs, too! As the chain mostly works on small cassette sprockets during normal rides, some small sprockets wore out, notably the 15T.

Fortunately, many Shimano MTB 1x cassettes are serviceable. As I own both the cassette wrench as well as the cassette whip, I just bought 15T and 17T sprockets. Fancy that: Some time in 2020 or 2021, an EBR Forum user @TS25 was as kind as to send me an envelope with several spare small 11s sprockets from Germany! It was a very kind gesture from him! (I miss Ralf a lot!) Now, I took the last 11 and 13T sprockets from his envelope and was good to go!

I had to think a little how to reuse the spacers on the cassette

This drawing from Shimano has certainly helped!

Now, only think SRAM cassettes (AFAIK) are not serviceable. What a waste of good steel!

Currently, I use a 42T chairing so the cassette should work more in the middle gears.

 

[2wheelsgood]

Has anybody cut down the handle bar length?

Cannot help feeling approximately half inch off each side would be perfect.

 

[e-levity]

Has anybody cut down the handle bar length?

Cannot help feeling approximately half inch off each side would be perfect.

How can some else decide for you?
Slide your grips and controls inward and give it a test before getting out the saw.
“Test twice, cut once”

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Has anybody cut down the handle bar length?

Invest in SQL Innerbarends instead

 

[PennyFarthing]

Has anybody cut down the handle bar length?

Cannot help feeling approximately half inch off each side would be perfect.

Yes, IMHO the bars are just a tad too long for comfortable tarmac riding. From memory I took nearer an inch off each side:
https://forums.electricbikereview.com/threads/vado-sl-grips-for-max-hand-positions.44059/post-445410

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Trimming the bars will take out a lot of precious real estate, which many need to install accessories on.

Installing SQlab Innerbarends puts your arms 44 cm apart, which is the same as on the hoods of a drop-bar road bike.

Now, the full handlebars length might seem too wide for many riders but get into a mild off-road once and you'll notice how the wide bars help controlling the bike!

 

[Steve Brown]

Trimming the bars will take out a lot of precious real estate, which many need to install accessories on.

View attachment 184840
Installing SQlab Innerbarends puts your arms 44 cm apart, which is the same as on the hoods of a drop-bar road bike.

Now, the full handlebars length might seem too wide for many riders but get into a mild off-road once and you'll notice how the wide bars help controlling the bike!I

 

[Steve Brown]

Those SQL handles look really good - also useful for protecting the other handlebar accessories when you turn the bike over for repair/cleaning!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

when you turn the bike over for repair/cleaning!

Ouch.

 

[Steve Brown]

when you turn the bike over for repair/cleaning!

Ouch.

They get over it Rás!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Those SQL handles look really good - also useful for protecting the other handlebar accessories when you turn the bike over for repair/cleaning!

Approved! Want a photo how it works?

 

[Steve Brown]

Approved! Want a photo how it works?

Please - even if it’s just to make Ras squirm!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Please - even if it’s just to make Ras squirm!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Heads-up on the oft-recommended Pathfinder Pro tubelss tire: Emergency stops on smooth pavement are not its forte.

Love everything else about these tires, on road and off. But 2 recent emergency stops on clean smooth pavement ended in short skids — both tires. And brake levers weren't even fully engaged.

So far, these small skids have been controllable, but certainly not a reassuring sign.

Never had this happen with any other tire — including the smooth-centered hybrids on my hub-drive. Thinking that the Pathfinder's narrow raised center slick should be lower, wider, or both to put more rubber on the road when not leaned over.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Jeremy, I cannot fully agree with you. Bike tyres are allowed to skid on emergency braking; the whole point is you retain the control, so neither tyre skids sidewise. The tyre skid is the indication how powerful the Vado SL brakes are. You have probably never experienced this on another bike or tyres as I think the braking distance on another bike/tyres was a way longer than you experienced on your Vado SL Pathfinders.

Had you an e-MTB with the active front suspension fork and 203 mm brake rotors, your emergency stop would have probably ended with the Over-The-Bars. (I and other wretches happened to experience such a "pleasure"). Nobody has ABS on their e-bike, so the skid is to be expected with fully blocked wheels.

An interesting fact about an MTB is violent braking also results in an extremely short braking distance. If that happens, you are guaranteed to fall on the side at zero speed, and that is very dangerous (ask me how I know...)

I had many different tyres on my both e-bikes, and had to do emergency stops often. It has always ended with a short controllable skid but the braking distance was as short as I once managed to save a kid's life when the boy ran straight into the front of my e-bike on a bike path.

This was not an emergency braking but just wrong tyres for the terrain ridden. As I was riding over the little puddle on a fire road (high speed), the rear wheel skidded sideways. A longitudinal skid is allowed and expected. The lateral skid is the indication of wrong tyres used.

Moreover, the tyre design is focused on maintaining the lateral traction (cornering).

 

[Davestic]

Hello all - Just a heads up in case any of you have experienced same? My TVSL5 with about 600 miles on it developed a high-pitched whine with the MOTOR OFF when pedaling. Specialized warranty is great and a new motor is being sent to dealer to replace the existing one.

 

[2wheelsgood]

GX Eagle AXS upgrade day!

maybe a waste of 400 english pounds as it does not feel like an upgrade at all so far.

Quieter? definitely not, in fact dropping the rear wheel from stationary from about 4 inches off the ground produces alarming drivetrain rattles when previously all I heard was tire bounce.

Smoother cog transitions? nope, not at the moment, I will check it over tomorrow and spend some more time with adjustments but as it stands it seems a bit clunkier than the original cabled setup.

More positive controls? again no, I am not convinced by the pod controller, this feels quite foreign, the controller itself feels a bit cheap as well and the action does not give the impression of quality at all.