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

[Stefan Mikes]

Any recommendations on tires for this bike? I just ride on paved roads that are in pretty good condition.

In my experience, nothing can beat the Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss for this e-bike. 3553 km and no sign of wear, no puncture, very fast rolling and supple. Will install them again in the warm season.

Also, is there a way to upgrade the firmware without going to the Specialized bike store?

In case you do not have the Mastermind, you need to see the LBS. I do not do any updates and am happy

A ride of today. I use Schwalbe Winter Plus tyres right now.

 

[Te. S]

I checked my Mission Control app. I don’t normally check it.

2200 miles on my bike. As mentioned, two chain replacements and one set of brakes replaced. I haven’t changed the tires but they seem ok? Any recommendations on tires for this bike? I just ride on paved roads that are in pretty good condition.

Also, is there a way to upgrade the firmware without going to the Specialized bike store? I don’t want to shell out cash for a firmware update for the bike when everything seems to be OK.

your LBS or Specialized dealer should not charge you to update your firmware on your bike good luck

 

[aj1]

Got a quote from LBS and Specialized dealer for $50. No thanks… anyone in Seattle know of a place?

 

[Te. S]

Got a quote from LBS and Specialized dealer for $50. No thanks… anyone in Seattle know of a place?

did you buy the bike from them reach out to specialized on line may be they will set you up with a Bike shop that can do it for free.

 

[Howie7]

I checked my Mission Control app. I don’t normally check it.

2200 miles on my bike. As mentioned, two chain replacements and one set of brakes replaced. I haven’t changed the tires but they seem ok? Any recommendations on tires for this bike? I just ride on paved roads that are in pretty good condition.

Also, is there a way to upgrade the firmware without going to the Specialized bike store? I don’t want to shell out cash for a firmware update for the bike when everything seems to be OK.

Interesting, I have done the same mileage as you, replaced chain once, at 1700 miles, still with original brakes, and I haven’t installed the latest software upgrade either ( too awkward to get to LBS).

 

[BEC111]

Interesting, I have done the same mileage as you, replaced chain once, at 1700 miles, still with original brakes, and I haven’t installed the latest software upgrade either ( too awkward to get to LBS).

Very interesting. I’m at just under 4000 miles on my SL4. Replaced the chain at about 2800 and one set of brake pads do to dam by pesky autumn leaves last year.

I’ll get the update eventually. Probably when I get my annual service visit. According to the docs the update may address some wonky behavior - the assist kicks in inconsistently when I’m in turbo mode.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Very interesting. I’m at just under 4000 miles on my SL4. Replaced the chain at about 2800 and one set of brake pads do to dam by pesky autumn leaves last year.

I’ll get the update eventually. Probably when I get my annual service visit. According to the docs the update may address some wonky behavior - the assist kicks in inconsistently when I’m in turbo mode.

About 2,200 here as well. Replaced the chain when I changed out cassette for an 11-46 last summer. Chain was usable but getting worn so replaced to match new cassette. The 11-42 is still in good nick, but especially over winter I try and clean the drive train every two weeks to take care of it. Many changes of brake pads over last 2 years as it's all 20% up or down here and I seem to get through the brake pads a lot!

 

[Rich W.]

Certainly. I was lucky to get a new GX AXS kit for $389 delivered so I jumped on it.

From what source ? that’s almost 50% off.

 

[Cary W]

Very interesting. I’m at just under 4000 miles on my SL4. Replaced the chain at about 2800 and one set of brake pads do to dam by pesky autumn leaves last year.

I’ll get the update eventually. Probably when I get my annual service visit. According to the docs the update may address some wonky behavior - the assist kicks in inconsistently when I’m in turbo mode.

I think the update will indeed help your wonky turbo. I had the same issue and that's what seems to have fixed it.

 

[BEC111]

I think the update will indeed help your wonky turbo. I had the same issue and that's what seems to have fixed it.

Thanks for the confirmation. Now I just have to get it together to ride to the LBS for the update. (I had to change dealers when Trek bought my original, more accessible by bicycle, one.)

My new choice is more than double the cycling distance and that’s a long way this time of year. My riding is winter restricted and the distance is at the limits on my current conditioning.

 

[mjh5]

Experiences Riding Vado SL on Gravel Group Rides

Here's a bunch...

Forgetting to go from "Discharge The Range Extender First"...
I ride using only Range Extender during the weekdays. Since I own as many as three Range Extenders, I rotate them with the objective to equalize the Number of Recharge Cycles with the main battery one day. When setting off for a gravel group ride, I need to make a commute to the starting line (the total commute distance might be half of the main ride); therefore I use one of the Range Extenders solely for the commute. Before the start of the main group ride, I fetch a fresh RE and instruct my Vado SL to discharge both the main battery and the RE equally. Fine. What if I have forgotten to restart the e-bike to make the option work? Around 20 km into the ride I need to stop and replace the RE again as the main battery was not used at all!

A stop during a group ride typically means I have lost the group!

Forgetting to derestrict the e-bike...
My Vado SL is restricted to 25 km/h. My mates typically ride faster than that. Fancy the feeling when the group slowly disappears at a distance and you have no idea why just to realize you have forgotten to push the derestriction button! Or, fancy a sprint in Turbo mode but the e-bike will not ride faster than 27 km/h and you realize you have ridden on the leg power only!

The chain dropped inside...
That should have never happened on a modern, well adjusted e-bike. I was negotiating a difficult cross-country forest segment and was doing everything to maintain the momentum. I was dowshifting dramatically towards the lowest gear (still pedalling) to hear a rattle. My ride finished. The chain dropped between the cassette and the rear wheel and between the chainring and the frame. While it was fairly easy for my mates to remove the chain from the rear wheel, the chain got badly stuck at the bottom bracket (destroying some paintwork, too). I produced my tools...

"Stefan, remove the crank! It looks like a self-extracting one!" -- I almost did it to realize the crank was not connected to the chainring on the mid-drive motor!
"Make the chainring loose but don't remove it" -- and I made the chainring loose not to avail much...
Eventually, an experienced mate pulled the chain out from the slit the proper way, and I could continue the ride.

It has turned out my derailleur got totally out of indexing! If it is not a bent derailleur hanger, I will need to work with the H and L limit screws properly.

View attachment 143800
Repairing my Vado SL off-road, one hour to the sunset, 22 km to go.

General
Vado SL is an excellent e-bike for gravel rides because of its low weight and maneuverability. However, its low motor power forces me to ride in the "slow group" even if I use multiple Range Extenders!

"Eventually, an experienced mate pulled the chain out from the slit the proper way, and I could continue the ride."

So, what is the "proper"way? And did you figure out why the chain dropped? This happened to me twice last summer on my TV 4.0EQ SRAM 11 speed. Each time it took about 20 minutes to get it out and I'm not really sure how I did it. And some paint got scraped in the process. I posted about this during the summer when you replied it had never happened to you! In my case it happened when I was shifting into the lowest gear and the second time shifting from the lowest gear into the second lowest gear. The bike was only a few months old and I didn't realize I was supposed to bring it in to the dealer for a 60 day tuneup. When I brought it in they were very busy so took a quick look and didn't see anything. In the end they adjusted the derailleur and replaced the chain at no charge to me. It hasn't happened since but I. have to admit I am cautious about going into the lowest gear and only do so when I am within a couple of miles of my home. Hate the idea of getting stuck 10 miles from home.
I was in touch with Specialized about this and found out that Creos had this problem so much so that Specialized made a chain guard for the Creo. I asked if this would work on the Vado Sl and was told that the bolt hole on the Vado Sl was too deep. Seems like it would be easy enough for them to supply the correct length bolt so it would work with the Vado Sl. That way a chain drop, if it happened, would at least keep the chain from getting stuck between the chainring and the frame.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

So, what is the "proper"way?

He found an angle at which it was possible to remove the chain without further damage to the frame.

And did you figure out why the chain dropped?

Absolutely. It turned out my derailleur was totally out of adjustment (fortunately, the derailleur hanger was straight; as a bent hanger could be a reason, too). The limit screws were set incorrectly: the screw at the big cog side allowed the chain move past the cog (towards spokes); the limit screw at the small cog did not allow the chain engage the top gear. Additionally, the barrel adjuster at the shifter was off the alignment too. I spent quite a while to fix the issue and now the chain shall not drop again.

 

[DanInStPete]

From what source ? that’s almost 50% off.

Thinking back, I think I bought the first one for my Orbea Rise, from bike closet for $389 around Black Friday. I then bought another for the Vado SL for $430-ish from planet cyclery. Both great prices but that $389 was a steal.

 

[Rich W.]

Thinking back, I think I bought the first one for my Orbea Rise, from bike closet for $389 around Black Friday. I then bought another for the Vado SL for $430-ish from planet cyclery. Both great prices but that $389 was a steal.

Thanks - it’s also nice to have another proven source for bike parts.

 

[fatshark]

I'm a bit late to the conversation here I'm afraid ... I've just got the bag shown in the photo from Amazon (UK) where it sells for about £20. There are broadly similar bags for about £14 if you look around; although the size is the same (2.4 litres - enough for a phone and lightweight jacket and a chocolate bar or two) they don't appear to be quite as well finished. The bag straps onto the handlebars (velcro and pretty secure) with an additional strap around the light bracket and cabling. The latter strap isn't tight and carries no weight. The zip claims to be waterproof but I have yet to test it.

View attachment 132225
As you can see, the light is clear of the bag and not obscured.

Hope this might be of some help

And now back to your normal service ...

A quick follow up on this bag which I remain pleased with. I've started carrying a small pair of binoculars for birdwatching or a little Sony camera, both of which make the bag sag down a bit and obscure the light, so contradicting my statement above. A bit of searching and boosting of Amazon's profits and I sourced some GoPro extension brackets in 6, 8 and 10 cm lengths. These allow the light to be dropped out of the way of the bag and hold the light securely enough. It's worth putting some threadlocker onto the screws/bolts to hold everything tight.

Cheers
David

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A quick follow up on this bag which I remain pleased with. I've started carrying a small pair of binoculars for birdwatching or a little Sony camera, both of which make the bag sag down a bit and obscure the light, so contradicting my statement above. A bit of searching and boosting of Amazon's profits and I sourced some GoPro extension brackets in 6, 8 and 10 cm lengths. These allow the light to be dropped out of the way of the bag and hold the light securely enough. It's worth putting some threadlocker onto the screws/bolts to hold everything tight.

Cheers
David

View attachment 146887

What a brilliant idea!

 

[Cary W]

"Eventually, an experienced mate pulled the chain out from the slit the proper way, and I could continue the ride."

So, what is the "proper"way? And did you figure out why the chain dropped? This happened to me twice last summer on my TV 4.0EQ SRAM 11 speed. Each time it took about 20 minutes to get it out and I'm not really sure how I did it. And some paint got scraped in the process. I posted about this during the summer when you replied it had never happened to you! In my case it happened when I was shifting into the lowest gear and the second time shifting from the lowest gear into the second lowest gear. The bike was only a few months old and I didn't realize I was supposed to bring it in to the dealer for a 60 day tuneup. When I brought it in they were very busy so took a quick look and didn't see anything. In the end they adjusted the derailleur and replaced the chain at no charge to me. It hasn't happened since but I. have to admit I am cautious about going into the lowest gear and only do so when I am within a couple of miles of my home. Hate the idea of getting stuck 10 miles from home.
I was in touch with Specialized about this and found out that Creos had this problem so much so that Specialized made a chain guard for the Creo. I asked if this would work on the Vado Sl and was told that the bolt hole on the Vado Sl was too deep. Seems like it would be easy enough for them to supply the correct length bolt so it would work with the Vado Sl. That way a chain drop, if it happened, would at least keep the chain from getting stuck between the chainring and the frame.

I had the same issue and my LBS had a Specialized chain guard that works on my TVSL. Check around.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Now, that's incredible!

A guy on the Polish version of Craiglist is selling a 2021 Vado SL 5.0 in mint condition for less than US$2,500. He provides the charger in the original box, all paper documentation. The mileage is just 800 km (500 mi). Do e-bikes drop in value so much and so quickly?

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Now, that's incredible!

View attachment 147366

A guy on the Polish version of Craiglist is selling a 2021 Vado SL 5.0 in mint condition for less than US$2,500. He provides the charger in the original box, all paper documentation. The mileage is just 800 km (500 mi). Do e-bikes drop in value so much and so quickly?

Afraid so. Prices are plummeting at the moment. Both new and second hand. Specialized UK has the Vado SL 4 at £2,500 plus 10% off. A month ago it was £3200. Even bigger drops on Creos. I've seen Vado Sl's go on ebay for £1500.Though most still go for over £2000. Over stock and low sales post the pandemic I guess. A number of shops and small bike brands have been closing down too. In the bigger picture I wonder if this a temporary fire sale or a readjustment back to pre Pandemic prices? I got my SL 4 for £2500 in October 20 and it jumped to £2800 then over £3000 in the next 6 months.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Afraid so. Prices are plummeting at the moment. Both new and second hand. Specialized UK has the Vado SL 4 at £2,500 plus 10% off. A month ago it was £3200. Even bigger drops on Creos. I've seen Vado Sl's go on ebay for £1500.Though most still go for over £2000. Over stock and low sales post the pandemic I guess. A number of shops and small bike brands have been closing down too. In the bigger picture I wonder if this a temporary fire sale or a readjustment back to pre Pandemic prices? I got my SL 4 for £2500 in October 20 and it jumped to £2800 then over £3000 in the next 6 months.
View attachment 147372

Just realised that price is for an EQ Vado SL 4 - mine was that price for the non EQ version! so an even bigger drop.