"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:
View attachment 91224
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.
View attachment 91232
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.
View attachment 91229
Cannot agree more.
View attachment 91227
View attachment 91228
Saddle and pedals already replaced. Waiting for grips and the rear-view mirror.
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).
I like the comparison!
