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

[mjh5]

"But because at least 60% of rides is on tarmac I don't want or need suspension"
A few weeks ago I got the Vado Sl 4.0 step-through. I ride 100% on tarmac and was wondering if a suspension seat post would do anything. Perhaps if it were set very soft? The country roads around me are generally in good shape but some, although consistent, are not as smooth. I have a bit of discomfort while riding but it is fine once I am off the bike. I'm using a Terry saddle with a wide slot which has worked well for me.

 

[kahn]

"But because at least 60% of rides is on tarmac I don't want or need suspension"
A few weeks ago I got the Vado Sl 4.0 step-through. I ride 100% on tarmac and was wondering if a suspension seat post would do anything. Perhaps if it were set very soft? The country roads around me are generally in good shape but some, although consistent, are not as smooth. I have a bit of discomfort while riding but it is fine once I am off the bike. I'm using a Terry saddle with a wide slot which has worked well for me.

I've got the Kinnect seat post. It takes the edge off pavement that is not absolutely silky smooth. I had moved that seat post from my non-electric Madone. I put the old post back on the Madone and went for a ride. After the ride I was back at the bike shop buying another Kinnect. Yes, just riding on normal pavement, even the subtle irregularities were now too much for my very sensitive butt! Maybe old age or just being spoiled but the suspension was too much to give up.

 

[rochrunner]

"But because at least 60% of rides is on tarmac I don't want or need suspension"
A few weeks ago I got the Vado Sl 4.0 step-through. I ride 100% on tarmac and was wondering if a suspension seat post would do anything. Perhaps if it were set very soft? The country roads around me are generally in good shape but some, although consistent, are not as smooth. I have a bit of discomfort while riding but it is fine once I am off the bike. I'm using a Terry saddle with a wide slot which has worked well for me.

For riding on paved roads, the Redshift is the answer. It is much more "floaty" than the other popular posts. Mine smooths out pavement cracks, tar strips, and other roughness very well. They even market it as being more for road riding.

 

[mjh5]

For riding on paved roads, the Redshift is the answer. It is much more "floaty" than the other popular posts. Mine smooths out pavement cracks, tar strips, and other roughness very well. They even market it as being more for road riding.

I have a simple spring "Post Moderne" on a 20 year old Cannondale hybrid. I can switch that post with the Vado and see if it makes a difference. Can I ask what springs you use for the Redshift and what you weigh? ( Sorry to get so personal). I weigh 160 with hopes of getting down to 155!

 

[Atlgaga]

For riding on paved roads, the Redshift is the answer. It is much more "floaty" than the other popular posts. Mine smooths out pavement cracks, tar strips, and other roughness very well. They even market it as being more for road riding.

The sidewall on the tire of my Vado SL 5.0 suggests 50 to 80#s. Coming from a road bike I kept at 105#, I opted for 70. Not a terrible ride. But recently dropped it to 50 - incredible difference. Much nicer ride on rough (not cobblestone) roads. Even on smooth roads, seems better. Choice was based on referral to https://www.renehersecycles.com/tire-pressure-calculator/ by a friend. Not looking for a suspension seat post. : )

 

[mjh5]

My LBS suggested 70psi for my Vado Sl 4.0 EQ. I've lowered it to 60 front 65 rear. But I'd like to try lower pressure just worried about a flat if I hit a pothole. Here's a link to a Specialized website for pressure by weight for Turbo Como which is a lot heavier than the Vado Sl:https://support.specialized.com/tcd/how-to-set-up-your-como/set-tire-pressure

 

[rochrunner]

I have a simple spring "Post Moderne" on a 20 year old Cannondale hybrid. I can switch that post with the Vado and see if it makes a difference. Can I ask what springs you use for the Redshift and what you weigh? ( Sorry to get so personal). I weigh 160 with hopes of getting down to 155!

We're the same weight. I can't recall which spring I'm using but will check when I get back from the trip I'm on at this time.

 

[mjh5]

We're the same weight. I can't recall which spring I'm using but will check when I get back from the trip I'm on at this time.

Thanks, that would be useful information for me. Enjoy your trip.

 

[mjh5]

The sidewall on the tire of my Vado SL 5.0 suggests 50 to 80#s. Coming from a road bike I kept at 105#, I opted for 70. Not a terrible ride. But recently dropped it to 50 - incredible difference. Much nicer ride on rough (not cobblestone) roads. Even on smooth roads, seems better. Choice was based on referral to https://www.renehersecycles.com/tire-pressure-calculator/ by a friend. Not looking for a suspension seat post. : )

The Rene Here article with their tests is very interesting. It's counter to current wisdom on tire pressure. Have you hit any potholes at 50 psi?

 

[Atlgaga]

The Rene Here article with their tests is very interesting. It's counter to current wisdom on tire pressure. Have you hit any potholes at 50 psi?

Yes. So far, so good. I am told by a friend who rides mountain bikes at much lower pressure, that the pinch flat fear with low pressures is overrated as the tire width increases. And the risk of puncture increases with higher pressure. Dramatically different ride.

 

[Jeff Ferber]

Hi guys. Jeff F. here. I am new to EBF. I am pretty sure I will ordering a Turbo Vado SL 5.0 from Specialized.com and having it shipped and built at a local shop. I am almost 69 years old but suffering from advancing COPD. I have two very nice Trek analog bikes (road and hybrid) but I can no longer make it up steep hills without gasping for air. I live at the top of a long steep hill and I have taken to loading my bike onto the car rack to avoid returning up that hill. My lbs has an turbo creo comp 5 in stock and I will test ride it tomorrow. I would probably buy it but I have been suffering from intermittent neck pain and I think the turbo vado sl 5.0 would be the better bike for me. I really like the 50t cog on the back and I will probably opt for a 40t chain ring in the front. Stephen has written about using a 38t on his. I wrote to specialized and their tech guy said a 40t would work. I am a little afraid of going lower than a 40t. What do you guys think? I really hope this electric bike works out for me as I love riding but my capacity to go up hills and over 15-20 mile rides has really diminished. I have really enjoyed reading every ones comments and ideas.

 

[fatshark]

How steep and long is your hill? I've gone for 38T and like it. With the 50 at the rear I can climb anything. That's not why I changed, but it's a consequence. It's worth noting that the assistance the Turbo Vado SL provides is 'only' 1.8 times ... I'm still gasping a bit at the top of the hills around me, but I tend to be miserly with the assistance to encourage me to keep a bit fitter. I routinely ride 15-30 miles. I'm a decade younger but have been a cyclist most of my life (club racer, touring etc.) and the Turbo Vado SL 5.0 has meant I can continue to enjoy my cycling.

PS. Welcome!

 

[Jeff Ferber]

I don't know the gradient or the length. It is the second steepest hill in Omaha, Nebraska. I ride in my lowest gear on my road bike. I struggle to keep the speed above 5 miles an hour but usually drop below that. I am hoping the vado turbo sl 5.0 gets me up it with about 20% less effort. That would make it worth while. I also hope I can even do some touring some day with 30-40 flat miles a day. Riding my bike is so important for my health and capacity for joy. I think the hill is about 2 miles or less and I would guess the gradient is 10-12%.

 

[fatshark]

The hills around me aren't that long and steep. However, I do know that the 4-5 km hills with 180 m of climbing are at least 20% easier to climb on my Vado (and I barely ever use the Turbo setting) than on my analog carbon Cannondale. In addition, the short steep (300 metres and 20%) track is rideable on the Vado but only walkable on the Cannondale (at least with my legs). I hope the bike is a success and you enjoy your riding again.

 

[Jeff Ferber]

Thanks, that is encouraging to hear. Jeff

 

[rochrunner]

I don't know the gradient or the length. It is the second steepest hill in Omaha, Nebraska. I ride in my lowest gear on my road bike. I struggle to keep the speed above 5 miles an hour but usually drop below that. I am hoping the vado turbo sl 5.0 gets me up it with about 20% less effort. That would make it worth while. I also hope I can even do some touring some day with 30-40 flat miles a day. Riding my bike is so important for my health and capacity for joy. I think the hill is about 2 miles or less and I would guess the gradient is 10-12%.

I've been to Omaha a number of times and know what you mean about hills. In fact, we just returned a few hours ago from our weekend in Omaha attending the Berkshire meeting! And my late sister-in-law lived there for many years in the 90th & Blondo area. We were staying at a hotel around 120th & Blondo, and every time I drive along Blondo and similar roads I try to imagine what it would be like to be a cyclist (or runner) in that area: nothing but very steep ups and downs! Not bicycle-friendly in a number of ways. If I lived there now I'd have held onto my Vado 4.0, but the SL might still do the job.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I don't know the gradient or the length. It is the second steepest hill in Omaha, Nebraska. I ride in my lowest gear on my road bike. I struggle to keep the speed above 5 miles an hour but usually drop below that. I am hoping the vado turbo sl 5.0 gets me up it with about 20% less effort. That would make it worth while. I also hope I can even do some touring some day with 30-40 flat miles a day. Riding my bike is so important for my health and capacity for joy. I think the hill is about 2 miles or less and I would guess the gradient is 10-12%.

If it helps you Jeff, I suffer from arteriosclerosis and can hardly walk but am setting off for a 100 km SL 4.0 ride today.

 

[mschwett]

I don't know the gradient or the length. It is the second steepest hill in Omaha, Nebraska. I ride in my lowest gear on my road bike. I struggle to keep the speed above 5 miles an hour but usually drop below that. I am hoping the vado turbo sl 5.0 gets me up it with about 20% less effort. That would make it worth while. I also hope I can even do some touring some day with 30-40 flat miles a day. Riding my bike is so important for my health and capacity for joy. I think the hill is about 2 miles or less and I would guess the gradient is 10-12%.

if you can ride up said hill yourself at say 4mph, you'll be able to ride up it two to three times as fast on a vado SL or creo SL. your power + 1.8 * your power = 2.8x your power.

looking around omaha and reading some online references to the hills, i don't see anything insanely steep (then again i live in san francisco so we may have a different frame of reference!). if you're going up at 4-5mph i'll hazard a guess that we're talking about a 6-8% slope max unless you're a very strong rider. go over to bike calculator http://bikecalculator.com/ and enter what you think the stats are, and switch between say 150w, which gets you up a 7% slope at 4.5mph, and 330w, which is what your effort plus a creo/vado would equal if you were contributing 120 watts (20% less than 150)... you'll be going 9.5mph. if your power drops to 100w, the motor power would drop to 180w, but you're still at 280w.... going over 8mph and doing a lot less work.

the SL bikes start to get iffy with grades in the 15-20% range, where the motor output is maxed out, and the total power of rider+motor is only enough to go 5mph or less. there are often unpaved roads this steep, but paved roads in the united states are really, really rarely that steep. the SL bikes sound like a great choice for you, and the beauty of them is that they're light enough to not make your own contribution less significant, and still a ton of fun to ride.

if you decide you want drop bars, the new versions of the EVO creos (expert and above) have 11-50 rear cassettes, stock 44t chainring but you can go a bit smaller. with that kind of gearing on a vado or creo plus the motor... i bet you can ride up anything paved in omaha.

 

[TYJ]

I have a simple spring "Post Moderne" on a 20 year old Cannondale hybrid. I can switch that post with the Vado and see if it makes a difference. Can I ask what springs you use for the Redshift and what you weigh? ( Sorry to get so personal). I weigh 160 with hopes of getting down to 155!

One thing to note about the step-through Vado 4.0 SL is that even with the shorter 280mm Redshift seatpost the post cannot be cut down. My wife is 5’5” and the Redshift 280mm seatpost is still too high for her in it’s lowest position on a M frame.

 

[mjh5]

One thing to note about the step-through Vado 4.0 SL is that even with the shorter 280mm Redshift seatpost the post cannot be cut down. My wife is 5’5” and the Redshift 280mm seatpost is still too high for her in it’s lowest position on a M frame.

That's a good point. According to Redshift the maximum insertion to the clamp is 90mm ( 3.54"). I'm 5'7 1/2 so I think I would be ok. My seat top is 26" from the center of the crank, I believe, (I'm not at home to measure). Here's a photo. Can anyone infer if I would be ok?