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

[Rás Cnoic]

For me, there is nothing better than SKS Speedrockers but there are two important points:

• The rear mudguard will only fit the 38 mm tyre on Vado SL. With a 42 mm tyre there is no clearance to install the mudguard! (The front fits OK).

er... cough, cough ....

or...

 

[MartsEbike]

For me, there is nothing better than SKS Speedrockers but there are two important points:

• The rear mudguard will only fit the 38 mm tyre on Vado SL. With a 42 mm tyre there is no clearance to install the mudguard! (The front fits OK).

er... cough, cough ....



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or...

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Glad to hear this Rás, I've just ordered the Speedrockers yesterday!... and a few days ago I ordered some Continental Terra Speed (40C) gravel tyres for extra grip on the muddy/gravel paths... Gives me some confidence that they might fit!

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[Stefan Mikes]

er... cough, cough ....

Ras, as my brother explained to me, the tyre profile can be very different depending on the exact tyre model, inflation pressure (and the rim inner width, irrelevant here). He installed a 45 mm Schwalbe G-One 365 on his gravel bike, measured the width, and it was 42 mm.

The only thing I can confirm is: A Specialized Tracer Pro 42-622 tyre under 2.6 - 3.0 bar is too big to accommodate the rear Speedrocker. The tyre just rubs the mudguard. (The Tracer profile is high).

Glad to hear this Rás, I've just ordered the Speedrockers yesterday!... and a few days ago I ordered some Continental Terra Speed (40C) gravel tyres for extra grip on the muddy/gravel paths... Gives me some confidence that they might fit!

You might be lucky

 

[Stefan Mikes]

WTBs... as Jeremy can certainly remember well, there was a user who got WTBs as the stock tyres on his boutique e-bike and immediately started thinking of replacing those tyres with Schwalbe Johnny Watts The reason was the man had never heard of Wild Trail Bicycles I tried to save the guy effort and money, and also save excellent rubber but in turn I "crossed the line" and was "a bully"

(sigh)

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Ras, as my brother explained to me, the tyre profile can be very different depending on the exact tyre model, inflation pressure

Exactly - I've had the Speed Rockers about 7 years and for the last 4 they've been on the Vado SL & I've had a number of different tyres. On paper the Byways are the widest at 44 and fit no problem (at any pressure) and the Gravel King SKs although 43 are actually wider because of the knobs. No problem with those either, though up at the seat stays its pretty close, but in use seemed fine. To say anything over 38 just won't fit is incorrect. Most up to 42 seem to fit fine. Perhaps it's just the Tracer Pros - Did you ever have a pair of 42s Pathfinder Pros? Curious if they fit.

Marts you should be ok with 40s, though I've not tried the Terra Speeds, they look good!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Did you ever have a pair of 42s Pathfinder Pros? Curious if they fit.

The issue here is my wheels are now set up tubeless so no change until the rubber gets worn!

 

[MartsEbike]

Marts you should be ok with 40s, though I've not tried the Terra Speeds, they look good!

The reviews speak highly of them! Road.cc rated a 9 out of 10, so I have high hopes. Plus I purchased them during the Black Friday sales so they were 40% off!

My only issue was not considering this when I purchased the Speedrockers. I had a wet backside after last night's ride so the Speedrockers were a bit of an impulse buy!

I might be lucky though... But they do have nobbles. Hopefully, they'll still fit.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

The reviews speak highly of them! Road.cc rated a 9 out of 10, so I have high hopes. Plus I purchased them during the Black Friday sales so they were 40% off!

My only issue was not considering this when I purchased the Speedrockers. I had a wet backside after last night's ride so the Speedrockers were a bit of an impulse buy!

I might be lucky though... But they do have nobbles. Hopefully, they'll still fit.

Wet arse in cold weather not fun!! Fingers crossed they will fit.

 

[e-levity]

That would be my preferred colour but I have never had a chance to be offered that specific 2020 variant!

Here ya go Stefan, my 2020 in 2020 in EQ mode

and in 2024 in Southern California mode (no mudguards needed!)

It's for sale if you're interested

 

[Stefan Mikes]

and in 2024 in Southern California mode (no mudguards needed!)

A real beauty! How did you solve the tail light dilemma?

It's for sale if you're interested

If only it was that simple!

2021 Vado SL 4.0 EQ, 2024 gravel racing edition

Another impression from the Sunday gravel ride in cold, mud, puddles and deep potholes: The Redshift ShockStop suspension seat-post turned out to be invaluable! Because of my heavy body weight, the stiffness of the seat-post has been enhanced by a helper spring (everything 'by the book'). On my usual rides, I hardly think of the rear body contact point. However, the potholes (I would call the road profile 'wavy') on the last ride were as deep as I felt the seat-post working hard under me to the point of maxing out! I even do not want to think how I'd feel had I no rear suspension on that e-bike!

 

[MartsEbike]

Thought I'd just update this thread to say my Vado SL is going back to the bike shop... The issue I had with it not turning on has happened again, in fact this is the third time, so I'm going to let the Dealer/Specialized sort it out. Obviously something is amiss and I can't have this kind of unreliability. I've only had it 5 weeks. Doesn't bode well, but the dealer is going to check it. Depending on the issue they might fix or replace it.

So for the meantime I'll be back riding my Frey EX.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Thought I'd just update this thread to say my Vado SL is going back to the bike shop... The issue I had with it not turning on has happened again, in fact this is the third time, so I'm going to let the Dealer/Specialized sort it out. Obviously something is amiss and I can't have this kind of unreliability. I've only had it 5 weeks. Doesn't bode well, but the dealer is going to check it. Depending on the issue they might fix or replace it.

So for the meantime I'll be back riding my Frey EX.

It could be a faulty TCU, this happened to me. They'll run diagnostics nd report to Specialized and if it's the TCU, the wiring or the battery, then Spesh (in my experience) will just replace the faulty part straight away. If your bike shop has a lot of Spesh bikes especially EMTBs they'll be well used to this and have a good (and quick) relationship with Specialized. I have had 2 TCUs replaced- though I suspect the second time it was the fault of the bike mechanic who installed the replacement TCU, I reckon he left some wiring loose as the second failure happened quickly after the first time. In short, motor/Battery/TCU faults are not rare and hopefully will be dealt with efficiently.

 

[MartsEbike]

It could be a faulty TCU, this happened to me. They'll run diagnostics nd report to Specialized and if it's the TCU, the wiring or the battery, then Spesh (in my experience) will just replace the faulty part straight away. If your bike shop has a lot of Spesh bikes especially EMTBs they'll be well used to this and have a good (and quick) relationship with Specialized. I have had 2 TCUs replaced- though I suspect the second time it was the fault of the bike mechanic who installed the replacement TCU, I reckon he left some wiring loose as the second failure happened quickly after the first time. In short, motor/Battery/TCU faults are not rare and hopefully will be dealt with efficiently.

Thanks Rás! I think its the internal battery that's the fault - or perhaps wiring between it and the controller.

When I plug in my Range Extender the bike works as you'd expect. But disconnect the RE and nothing happens. This is an intermittent fault too. It started last week, but has now happened twice in past 5 days. This morning it was fine, but by this afternoon it wouldn't work again.... I have rode the bike in the rain/wet conditions so perhaps water/moisture has got somewhere it shouldn't! Very annoying though.

Hopefully they'll get it sorted out quickly.

 

[GAJ]

Hopefully some members in the US took advantage of the rock bottom pricing for the SL1 5.0 and 4.0 non EQ at $2249/$1749 for that 2 day period which just past.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Thanks Rás! I think its the internal battery that's the fault - or perhaps wiring between it and the controller.

When I plug in my Range Extender the bike works as you'd expect. But disconnect the RE and nothing happens. This is an intermittent fault too. It started last week, but has now happened twice in past 5 days. This morning it was fine, but by this afternoon it wouldn't work again.... I have rode the bike in the rain/wet conditions so perhaps water/moisture has got somewhere it shouldn't! Vey annoying though.

Hopefully they'll get it sorted out quickly.

It could well be water ingress at the motor area given all the flooding & rain. I got a warning about that when my TCU failed. And my bike shop (Bicycle Chain Taunton) said thats common in our climate and especially with EMTBs obviously due to all the mud and floods. Ive been cycling through loads of floods since the snow and each time I almost cross my fingers that nothing dies on me! Let us know what the bike shop tell you. The e bike repair (in UK) shop said most motors have inadequate weather seals!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I had no single electrical failure over 3 ½ years and I ride my Vado SL all year long and in any weather. It happened to me to ride through a creek with the motor fully immersed in water. No issues.

I hope no one will be as brave as to claim the Polish weather is more lenient than the one in Britain, innit

 

[MartsEbike]

I had no single electrical failure over 3 ½ years and I ride my Vado SL all year long and in any weather. It happened to me to ride through a creek with the motor fully immersed in water. No issues.

I hope no one will be as brave as to claim the Polish weather is more lenient than the one in Britain, innit

Haha well I don't know the exact cause of the fault yet, but I would say the UK is generally a wetter country than Poland. You certainly experience more extremes in weather but overall the UK has more rainfall. The past year has been particularly good - and not really representative of the average year. Drizzle, light rain and misty conditions are not uncommon in the UK, even throughout a typical summer. Certainly in the last month or so we've experienced quite a bit of rainfall.

Crowded House - Four seasons in one day... "smiling as the s*it comes down".

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I had no single electrical failure over 3 ½ years and I ride my Vado SL all year long and in any weather. It happened to me to ride through a creek with the motor fully immersed in water. No issues.

I hope no one will be as brave as to claim the Polish weather is more lenient than the one in Britain, innit

It's not about that. We just get a LOT more feckin'rain! Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn... about 1,220mm average per year. Poland only around 600mm (thanks wiki). Not cold, currently it's around 5c and dry-ish, Last weekend it was 15c and wet, on the bike I had far too many clothes on. Ireland and UK get so much rain from Atlantic storms with the prevailing wind coming across from the Gulf of Mexico gathering water as they come. Eastern parts from say Kent to Norfolk and on up the East coast get more continental, dry and much colder (in winter) weather. Kent is like France I always tell my sister who lives there! In the summer they could be at 28 to 34c in sunshine and we'll only be around 17-20c and probably raining again.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

‘The big problem is water’: UK ebike owners plagued by failing motors

Repair business is booming as owners complain of their units needing to be replaced up to five times

www.theguardian.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It doesn't change the fact my Vado SL has never electrically broken despite being ridden in any weather including frosty winter, torrential rains, creeks crossed on several gravel races, deep puddles etc.

The SL system is water resistant. The trouble Marts is experiencing could result from many reason, the weather being last. It is a Specialized, not (cough, cough...) a Giant