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

[Stefan Mikes]

You're not getting the ST (Step Thru) version?

I'm planning on a SL 5.0 ST when I can get one locally, which may be a while. Just for fun I entered my specs on the Specialized web site and asked it to find one in stock at a dealer based on my location (Detroit). The only ones it came up with were 450 miles away in Tennessee and 500+ miles away in Minnesota. What I'm not clear on is if Specialized dealers order bikes by specific model/color/size etc. or if they just get what Specialized sends them. I'm hoping that if I order the bike from my LBS that they will put in an order with Specialized so that they will get one of the next matching bikes that arrives. This is the way it has worked for cars that I've purchased, but bikes may be a whole different thing.

Getting a White Sage ST would require me to wait until December, Doug. Life's too short...

P.S. If you order very specific model and colour, the Spesh dealer would eventually get it. In my case, I might get an SL ST of wrong colour in August. Still too late.

 

[rochrunner]

Getting a White Sage ST would require me to wait until December, Doug. Life's too short...

P.S. If you order very specific model and colour, the Spesh dealer would eventually get it. In my case, I might get an SL ST of wrong colour in August. Still too late.

The 5.0 ST is only available in one color and as an EQ, so that makes my decision a little easier...

 

[74ranch]

This is my first post to the forum, my first E-bike . I'm 67 and this bike was my choice after studying long & hard on this forum. I wanted to get back to exercising after having CoVid and I wanted assistance so that I could ride further. I put a Kinect seat post, changed the seat out, now that my butt is comfortable, i need to work on my hands. they are starting to get numb. I have read up on risers and also about the custom cables being tight without room for much adjustment. I'm hoping to see want others have done. I'm thinking I might pay for a fitting to see if the LBS i bought it from can help. i wasn't impressed after I paid the price for the bike and all they did was help me load it in SUV, still don't understand that one. maybe I need to go to another shop.

 

[kahn]

This is my first post to the forum, my first E-bike . I'm 67 and this bike was my choice after studying long & hard on this forum. I wanted to get back to exercising after having CoVid and I wanted assistance so that I could ride further. I put a Kinect seat post, changed the seat out, now that my butt is comfortable, i need to work on my hands. they are starting to get numb. I have read up on risers and also about the custom cables being tight without room for much adjustment. I'm hoping to see want others have done. I'm thinking I might pay for a fitting to see if the LBS i bought it from can help. i wasn't impressed after I paid the price for the bike and all they did was help me load it in SUV, still don't understand that one. maybe I need to go to another shop.

Congratulations and here's to a full recovery and more.

I've got the Creo with Future Shock. I used the three spacers that came with the bike (I upgraded to machined aluminum spacers) to raise the handlebars - there was no issue with cable length/slack. Does the Vado have a similar adjustment? There were a number of Youtube videos that showed how to do it. I actually, did it, undid it and did it again - trying out things. On the Creo, the cap at the top of the stem/tube UNSCREWS. (it is not friction fit). You just need to grab its thin edges and turn it. Then it "catches" as it hits the rubber gasket and then can be pulled.

 

[YYZblues]

The known fact is the internal transmission of Brose/Specialized 1.2 series motors is done by a carbon-fibre belt Someone owning a current Vado/Como 5.0 could tell me whether the 1.3 motor is equally silent (I don't know).

Hello Stefan, I just came across this thread and your post and thought I would reply since I just got
'21 Como 5. I also have a Vado SL and can tell you the 1.3 motor of the Como 5 is whisper quiet. Quieter than the Vado SL. As matter of fact I can't even hear the motor even in turbo mode.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hello Stefan, I just came across this thread and your post and thought I would reply since I just got
'21 Como 5. I also have a Vado SL and can tell you the 1.3 motor of the Como 5 is whisper quiet. Quieter than the Vado SL. As matter of fact I can't even hear the motor even in turbo mode.

It's completely true, Blues! I was simply afraid Vado SL motor would be excessively noisy but it isn't. Just audible

 

[74ranch]

Congratulations and here's to a full recovery and more.

I've got the Creo with Future Shock. I used the three spacers that came with the bike (I upgraded to machined aluminum spacers) to raise the handlebars - there was no issue with cable length/slack. Does the Vado have a similar adjustment? There were a number of Youtube videos that showed how to do it. I actually, did it, undid it and did it again - trying out things. On the Creo, the cap at the top of the stem/tube UNSCREWS. (it is not friction fit). You just need to grab its thin edges and turn it. That it "catches" as it hits the rubber gasket and then can be pulled.

Kahn, thanks for the reply the spec on the Vado 4 sl said it had a 15mm rise. i 'll look up some YouTube and check with the LBs to see if they have risers in stock and maybe see if they raised any SL's for other customers.

 

[kahn]

Kahn, thanks for the reply the spec on the Vado 4 sl said it had a 15mm rise. i 'll look up some YouTube and check with the LBs to see if they have risers in stock and maybe see if they raised any SL's for other customers.

This guy sells the spacers and has a terrific video on how to raise the handlebars

The Bike Sauce // Gravel | MTB | Science

The Bike Sauce features engineering-forward cycling reviews and how-tos, and curates select products for gravel, MTB, and adventure cycling

www.thebikesauce.com

 

[ChezCheese:)]

But what are the torque numbers? Last I checked, the regular Brose motors on the Vado 4.0 puts out 90Nm, while the SL puts out 35Nm. That's a deal breaker in the Pacific NW with our hills.

A major bike shop teenage (he sounded) clerk here said, oh yes, we have Turbo Vado 4.0 SLs available. I said, but that's the one with only 35Nm of torque, isn't it? "I'll check with my manager." He comes back on the line and says, "It's the same as the regular, same, like, everything, dude." I thought, have another toke, dude, and learn your merchandise first before they let you answer questions....

 

[kahn]

But what are the torque numbers? Last I checked, the regular Brose motors on the Vado 4.0 puts out 90Nm, while the SL puts out 35Nm. That's a deal breaker in the Pacific NW with our hills.

A major bike shop teenage (he sounded) clerk here said, oh yes, we have Turbo Vado 4.0 SLs available. I said, but that's the one with only 35Nm of torque, isn't it? "I'll check with my manager." He comes back on the line and says, "It's the same as the regular, same, like, everything, dude." I thought, have another toke, dude, and learn your merchandise first before they let you answer questions....

I did some of YOUR hills about two weeks ago on my Aluminum Creo. I would have really liked a kick-ash button - give me another spurt of power in a few places. Almost 53 miles and 2800 feet of gain. Gunderson was no fun as a long uphill trafficky grade. Then the shoulder ends before the top. The "bumps" on Bainbridge Island nearing the end were tiresome.

I used the Range Extender battery and had about 6% or so left on each. I turned the power to Zero where I knew if was flat or downhill. I'm old and overweight.

We pedaled to downtown Seattle, took the Kingston passenger ferry, Indianola, Poulsbo for lunch, Agate Pass Bridge (always, ahem, fun) and Winslow ferry back to downtown and then pedaled home near Greenlake. More power would have been really nice. But then the bike gets much heavier. That was my tradeoff.

 

[Allan47.7339]

But what are the torque numbers? Last I checked, the regular Brose motors on the Vado 4.0 puts out 90Nm, while the SL puts out 35Nm. That's a deal breaker in the Pacific NW with our hills.

A major bike shop teenage (he sounded) clerk here said, oh yes, we have Turbo Vado 4.0 SLs available. I said, but that's the one with only 35Nm of torque, isn't it? "I'll check with my manager." He comes back on the line and says, "It's the same as the regular, same, like, everything, dude." I thought, have another toke, dude, and learn your merchandise first before they let you answer questions....

I'm not sure why we worry about the torque values instead of how does it ride? Specialized lists the Vado 4.0 as 400% "you" and the Vado 4.0 SL as 180% "you". The Vado SL and Creo variants are for someone who wants a bicycle with a little help rather than an e-bike with more help. I think the obsession with power and speed by some of the early adopters led to some unfortunate restrictions we have today. (Like the Moona youtube video of testing an ebike at 45mph on a MUP past people walking.) The Vado SL with a 28mph limit and very modest power makes a fun bicycle and still takes quite an effort to reach the higher speeds on the flats. Normal riding would not see anything close to the limiter.

I think having the bike in stock or available is only worth about 19% of the selection process. 30% is selecting the brand, model and price point. The other 51% is the quality of the shop that will be your support.

 

[kahn]

I'm not sure why we worry about the torque values instead of how does it ride? Specialized lists the Vado 4.0 as 400% "you" and the Vado 4.0 SL as 180% "you". The Vado SL and Creo variants are for someone who wants a bicycle with a little help rather than an e-bike with more help. I think the obsession with power and speed by some of the early adopters led to some unfortunate restrictions we have today. (Like the Moona youtube video of testing an ebike at 45mph on a MUP past people walking.) The Vado SL with a 28mph limit and very modest power makes a fun bicycle and still takes quite an effort to reach the higher speeds on the flats. Normal riding would not see anything close to the limiter.

I think having the bike in stock or available is only worth about 19% of the selection process. 30% is selecting the brand, model and price point. The other 51% is the quality of the shop that will be your support.

Those numbers are not that helpful to me and leave me as informed as the Mission Control options. I don't know what 180% of ME is. The second sentence, I guess, is more meaningful.

But torque and volts or watts or whatever are also not really meaningful either. I guess one needs to ride and hill climb to get an idea. Although, now that I know the Creo and those various stats, I guess I could imagine the power of another e-bike by comparison. By riding, I could tell the Creo was not as "powerful" as my other e-bike, a conversion with front motor hub. But I liked the handling and the weight and hoped it would be powerful or strong enough. I am working more but maybe that is good for me. But my semi-other half has given me permission to upgrade again if something comes along as long as I sell a bike or two!

 

[ChezCheese:)]

I bought my ebike well before lockdown and was able to test ride maybe 10 different makes and models. The most important thing to me is the torque for hills. Much more important than speed. I live on a hill which discouraged me from riding any bike for years and years. I selected my bike based on how it felt to ride and how much power it gave me going up hills. It is rated at 90Nm, so I know what that means - - it is not abstract to me. So my husband wants an upgraded ebike and wants at least as much torque for hills as the Vado 2.0 he has right now. And as we all know, it is best not to go backwards on an ebike...

 

[ChezCheese:)]

I did some of YOUR hills about two weeks ago on my Aluminum Creo. I would have really liked a kick-ash button - give me another spurt of power in a few places. Almost 53 miles and 2800 feet of gain. Gunderson was no fun as a long uphill trafficky grade. Then the shoulder ends before the top. The "bumps" on Bainbridge Island nearing the end were tiresome.

I used the Range Extender battery and had about 6% or so left on each. I turned the power to Zero where I knew if was flat or downhill. I'm old and overweight.

We pedaled to downtown Seattle, took the Kingston passenger ferry, Indianola, Poulsbo for lunch, Agate Pass Bridge (always, ahem, fun) and Winslow ferry back to downtown and then pedaled home near Greenlake. More power would have been really nice. But then the bike gets much heavier. That was my tradeoff.

View attachment 91129

You were VERY close to my house. Yeah, Gunderson is ridiculous - - no shoulder and cars whizzing by at 50mph. That bit of the Port Gamble Rd is scary, too, since it has no shoulder and no sight distance because of hilly curves.

 

[kahn]

You were VERY close to my house. Yeah, Gunderson is ridiculous - - no shoulder and cars whizzing by at 50mph. That bit of the Port Gamble Rd is scary, too, since it has no shoulder and no sight distance because of hilly curves.

We thought that the next time, we'd do Port Gamble and Big Valley. The last time I did the loop above, it was on a regular, non-ebike but I'm older and one hip has been replaced twice. But I really did not want a very heavy e-bike. So the tradeoff is I have to PUSH those pedals more on some of the hills. This past weekend, went over to Eastern Washington. My friend dropped me at Washington Pass and I pretty much coasted the first 15 miles losing 3,500 feet. Then it got hot and flat to modest uphills into Winthrop and I used power.

 

[Oberst]

I bought my ebike well before lockdown and was able to test ride maybe 10 different makes and models. The most important thing to me is the torque for hills. Much more important than speed. I live on a hill which discouraged me from riding any bike for years and years. I selected my bike based on how it felt to ride and how much power it gave me going up hills. It is rated at 90Nm, so I know what that means - - it is not abstract to me. So my husband wants an upgraded ebike and wants at least as much torque for hills as the Vado 2.0 he has right now. And as we all know, it is best not to go backwards on an ebike...

My wife and I have our quick ride loop from the house that starts with a short, steepish downhill on a dirt/mulch path and then all bike path downtown, short city street ride to a loop of bike paths along the river and a canal. We can also add a steep climb or some real MTB trails. The end of the ride, of course is a steep, short climb UP the dirt path. I have done the ride on a Vado, a Levo, a Creo (evo) and Como.

The climb is at the end so most tired and feels like this:

Levo: a lifted Jeep with a high horsepower V8. Effortless climb.
Vado/ Como: a factory Jeep with a V6. Goes up pretty easy but needs some higher revs.
Creo: like driving a sports car up the hill. It will do it but you need to be in the right gear and get your revs up before the climb and don’t let off till the top.

Those are the motors. The engine (me) is a ‘70’s era Chevette with an old Iron Duke 4 cylinder that badly needs a tune up. Have always made it up the hill.

 

[ActionJackson]

This is my first post to the forum, my first E-bike . I'm 67 and this bike was my choice after studying long & hard on this forum. I wanted to get back to exercising after having CoVid and I wanted assistance so that I could ride further. I put a Kinect seat post, changed the seat out, now that my butt is comfortable, i need to work on my hands. they are starting to get numb. I have read up on risers and also about the custom cables being tight without room for much adjustment. I'm hoping to see want others have done. I'm thinking I might pay for a fitting to see if the LBS i bought it from can help. i wasn't impressed after I paid the price for the bike and all they did was help me load it in SUV, still don't understand that one. maybe I need to go to another shop.

Hope your recovery is going well. Congratulations on getting the bike! At least your dealer has delivered. Mine is still awaiting its build. I don’t blame the dealer that much because they told me to expect it upfront. I think you can change dealers for service and support though, at least in Japan you can. Hopefully you haven’t had issues with the bike technically.

I suffered from a bad back injury and had a herniated disc fixed, so I’m adding high-rise handlebars (150mm - about 6”). The mechanic didn’t think the brake or shifter cables would be an issue , but perhaps the bar mounted remote switch cable would be. In any case they are going to make it work. Probably will put a hole in my pocket too.

 

[kahn]

My wife and I have our quick ride loop from the house that starts with a short, steepish downhill on a dirt/mulch path and then all bike path downtown, short city street ride to a loop of bike paths along the river and a canal. We can also add a steep climb or some real MTB trails. The end of the ride, of course is a steep, short climb UP the dirt path. I have done the ride on a Vado, a Levo, a Creo (evo) and Como.

The climb is at the end so most tired and feels like this:

Levo: a lifted Jeep with a high horsepower V8. Effortless climb.
Vado/ Como: a factory Jeep with a V6. Goes up pretty easy but needs some higher revs.
Creo: like driving a sports car up the hill. It will do it but you need to be in the right gear and get your revs up before the climb and don’t let off till the top.

Those are the motors. The engine (me) is a ‘70’s era Chevette with an old Iron Duke 4 cylinder that badly needs a tune up. Have always made it up the hill.

THANKS for the comparative survey of the various models. I went for an Aluminum Creo since I wanted a relatively light bike to carry up/down some stairs at my house and to manhandle onto a rack on my car. Maybe I should have compared the Creo with one of those non-SL models but than again, maybe that would have shifted my thinking and I did not want to be swayed to a heavier bike. I am also a 70's era but probably an OLDsmobile! I've made it up the hills but I definitely have to REV (vroom, vroom). There is one hill that I've avoided - I had done it about three or four times (front hub caused lots of swerving) but the last time it caused a shut off in my front hub motor and that bike has a bit more (not a lot) power than the Creo. Fortunately, after I pushed it the last block or so, it came back on when I press the power button.

Actually, that raises a question - are there thermal or other shut offs like circuit breakers and protect the motors from full burnout?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

"No Vado SL For Ailing People" (Extended Vado SL Ride Report)

Abstract
Although I'm referring to the movie by title "No Country For Old People", it is a jest. Yes, you better be a person of healthy legs to ride Vado SL. Yet, I'm an ailing person with bad legs, and I still enjoy riding my new TurboSnaiL The 4th e-bike in my stable is the first vehicle that deserves naming it bike because it is a bike. (All other are e-bikes to me).

I have been spoilt by my full power, Euro-style (250 W nominal, far more of peak power) e-bikes. Yes, these allow me travelling long distances fast, and spend a long time in the saddle (5 h 50 minutes net ride time not being unusual). Yet, they give me too little of workout so I have to spend many hours on a single ride to get fit. Suffice to say, my average contribution to a full-power Vado ride is around 27%: The rest is done by the motor. Vado SL instantly forced me to work out more in shorter time.

Now, fancy how much of workout a North American riding a 750 W (or more) Chinese e-bike gets: None or very little (unless they throttle the motor down almost completely).

Purpose
Vado SL seems to scream: "I'm a fitness e-bike!" Indeed. Especially the non-EQ version (no mudguards, no rack) is a pure fitness/recreation e-bike; the EQ version makes the bike better suited for more rainy climate and allows carrying some stuff on the ride. Still, Vado SL is a fitness/recreation e-bike that can also be used for general purposes, as any typical traditional bike. The light weight makes Vado SL priceless in urban environment, especially if you live in a block of flats. For me, my TurboSnail is going to become my everyday e-bike, especially as I live in a block of flats now.

Design & Engineering
Specialized engineers seem to have done everything to shave the weight off the aluminium bike. Vado SL appears a small bike, so small that straddling the top tube of the diamond frame in size M poses no issues for my bad legs; nor, dismounting the bike. Small frame means less weight, of course. A light weight internal battery and small motor reduce the weight further, and again, less frame material is required for structural strength. Rigid fork and relatively narrow tyres (38-622) are next factors in the bike weight equation ("and we can remove fenders and the rack in the non-EQ", Specialized says). Why should you need bigger brake rotors than 160 mm in a lightweight bike? Is the heavy drivetrain really necessary? (heavier drivetrain is used in the SL 5.0 but again carbon fibre fork has been provided to compensate).

Bike Handling
It is delightful when you walk or carry a Vado SL. All other e-bikes of mine are so heavy by comparison they feel like an airliner standing on the ground. Once a Dreamliner or an Airbus get airborne, they become fast and manoeuvrable. Same with full power e-bikes: these are disgrace when stationary. Stopping a heavy e-bike at a junction and restarting the ride is painful: an aware cyclist would have actively used the derailleur, yet the cold start of any heavy e-bike hurts. Same with walking a heavy e-bike, not saying anything of lifting or carrying it. Vado SL feels nimble even if walked; and ride start is so natural and easy, even with no gear shifting; lifting or carrying the SL goes without saying.

Vado SL makes U-turns far easier than any heavy e-bike (an e-MTB might be an exception). Braking Vado SL is easier and very predictable.

Motor Assistance
To keep the matters simple: Vado SL provides exactly 56% of assistance and 46% of peak motor power compared to my Vado 5.0 equipped with Specialized 1.2s motor. In practical terms:

As an ailing person, I am dependent on solid motor assistance, thus:

• I need 45% of Eco assistance with Vado SL, making it equivalent to 25% assistance with Vado 5.0. That's the minimum support for me, making me ride at speeds expected from an elderly but healthy traditional cyclist
• I require 70% of Sport mode to get what I'm getting at 40% of full power e-bike. That's what I call "proper moderate assistance e-bike feeling". It allows me breaking the 25 km/h speed limit (needs a derestrictor to ride any faster).
• The 100% Turbo mode is 56% of maximum "full" Vado assistance. Climbing an overpass is no sweat but I don't feel I'm "lifted" onto the flyover. Otherwise, 100% of SL assistance feels too much, and it is artificial.

Let me reiterate: I use the derailleur far less on the Vado SL. It is like riding a traditional bike, where use of the derailleur is mostly limited to changes in road inclination.

Batteries, Range Considerations

Bear in mind the internal Vado SL battery has 53% of the capacity of the one found on Vado 5.0 but Vado SL assistance is just 56% of the full power sibling. The battery range of SL is great, which might be attributed to lower cruising and average speed I'm getting. The greater range of SL can also be attributed to its light weight (less power is needed to gain potential and kinetic energy for the SL, and the biker's contribution is far higher for the SL).

Add the Range Extender, and you can enjoy incredible battery range on the Vado SL. If you are a fit rider, expect minimal battery consumption for the SL while it is never low for the full power e-bike.

You need to charge the battery on the bike for SL (it is a drawback; on the other hand, you never need to worry of the battery lock key, as there is none in the SL). The Range Extender is extremely well thought. It stays in the water-bottle cage at the seat-tube tightly, and the RE Cable plug is secured with an elastic band. The other plug fits the socket in the frame snugly, and is secured with a rotating latch. Charging of both batteries can be done separately, or in parallel, using the RE Y Cable. It works very well.

If Range Extender is used, the preferred discharging scheme is to discharge the main battery and RE at the same percentage together. (The option to discharge the RE first requires disconnecting the RE when it is almost empty).

Note: SL bikes are the 48 V system. Meaning, less Ah is needed to reach the same 320Wh capacity, and the current during the bike use means less amperes than it is with 36 V systems. (Specialized has used more cells in series but less in parallel, making a long but narrow battery).

The Effect of Vado SL on the Rider's Fitness

As Vado SL provides so little of assistance, the rider tends to work out more to maintain decent cruising speed. Therefore, the rider's leg power increases, and calories are burnt far better than with a full power e-bike:

Vado SL is the first e-bike I own that made me input more leg power than the motor assistance (1.23x). The 24 km ride was done at 45% of SL assistance. My usual leg contribution rose from 26 to 54%. My leg power increased from 70-80 to 101.7 W (BLEvo tells me it was 109 W but my analysis in Excel gave a lower figure). The meters in SL and BLEvo tell me I burnt 450 kcal on that short ride, while only 78 kcal were drawn from the bike battery! (Think of different efficiencies of the human body and of the electric motor).

A fitness e-bike, eh?

Vado SL Is Very Different To The Full Power Vado
Full power Vado is display-centric (with the TCD-w, or wired display), while the TCD display in SL e-bikes is optional, not required at all. Moreover, an SL e-bike may have no handlebar remote at all (think of road Creo SL). SL e-bikes are TCU-centric: Turbo Control Unit is a panel mounted in the top tube of SL e-bikes by which you can control an SL, and use its connectivity capabilities.

Regarding the connectivity: It is Specialized with (in my opinion) the best e-bike connectivity in the market. Full power Vado, or any SL e-bike share the same connectivity concept:

• TCD or TCD-w display, or
• A Garmin, or
• A smartphone with Mission Control or BLEvo, and
• Heart Rate Monitor (chest-strap or wrist-band).

In full power Vado/Como, the wired display pages can be flipped with a handlebar remote button. As Vado/Como SL are so different, two distinctive buttons exist in the handlebar remote: Walk Mode (very effective) and Specialized Lightning: You get into Turbo mode instantly.

The S-button.

The status of the SL bike is reported on the TCU. The 10-bar battery indicator is impressive. If you connect a Range Extender, you can see two sets of flashy indicators! And you can see the current Assist Mode there (and even set it). When the optional TCD display is connected, the TCU display becomes redundant. The Stealth Mode can be turned on; the mode hides the TCU diodes that only re-appear when really necessary.

The wireless TCD display can be removed from the bike at any time. It is operated by own buttons and is totally independent of the SL bike.

Would I Derestrict My Vado SL?
With my bad legs, riding past 25 km/h requires 60-70% of assistance. Yes, I would derestrict the bike for my own safety: Sometimes you need to escape from the jam.

What Would I Replace?
Contact points:

• Handlebar grips: to Ergon GP2
• Pedals: to Race Face Chester
• Saddle: To Ergon ST Core Prime Men

And I'm adding a Mirrycle.

My Own Impression
I need to work harder. I need to re-learn what the notion of "bike" really means I like the bike a lot and intend to use it on daily basis.

Impression of People Around
People around don't realize they see an e-bike. Instead, they see a posh traditional bike.

The other 51% is the quality of the shop that will be your support.

Cannot agree more.

Saddle and pedals already replaced. Waiting for grips and the rear-view mirror.

Those numbers are not that helpful to me and leave me as informed as the Mission Control options. I don't know what 180% of ME is.

180% of You is that SL e-bike motor revenges rewards you with up to 180 W of power for every 100 W you can produce with your own legs. The figure is for 100% Turbo mode. (The assistance limit is 240 W).

Vado/ Como: a factory Jeep with a V6. Goes up pretty easy but needs some higher revs.
Creo: like driving a sports car up the hill. It will do it but you need to be in the right gear and get your revs up before the climb and don’t let off till the top.

I like the comparison!

 

[kahn]

@Stefan Mikes

What an excellent write-up. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.