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

[mfgrep]

Thank you! So far. I'm happily riding with a backpack. However, I might go your way for long summer rides when I would need food, drinks, Range Extenders, tools, etc. The metal strip trick is very smart indeed, and I am sure my brother could "cook" something like that for me. Or, I could consider a saddle bag as many gravel cyclist do (the benefit is a properly loaded saddle bag is not as shaky as a pannier is).

@mfgrep: I know you love good things Jason but before you go and spend $$$ on the wheels, please listen to this:
Specialized SL wheels are of a very high quality. These are tubeless ready! You would be well off if you just converted the stock wheels to tubeless as I did myself. Yes, it is nice to see "DT Swiss" on the rims but would you like to spend a lot of money just for that? The wheels of my Vado SL have rolled for 14,275 km (8,871 mi) and show no signs of tear or wear. And now they are tubeless.

Another matter is the rear hub, which is indeed noisy when you are coasting. @rochrunner (Doug) hated the ratchet noise as much as he must have spent a good money for the Onyx hubs. Me and brother have inspected the stock rear hub of the Vado SL to find it of a high quality. The cheapest way to silence the hub is to pack the freehub body tightly with grease... Possibly not as good as Onyx but let me just tell you the legendary DT Swiss 350 rear hub is silent as it is new just because its freehub body comes packed with grease...

Just saying.

I have no intentions of purchasing a custom wheelset for my Vado SL. I am, however, still very interested to hear about @rochrunner's experiences with his new wheelset on his bike. I am FAR too cheap to invest that kind of money in my Vado SL. I do occasionally browse the used wheelset offerings in hopes of finding the odd-duck partial boost spacing required but the chances of finding such a thing are close to 0% around here. I choose to be satisfied with the OEM wheelset.

I gave some consideration to going tubeless when I switched to the Gravel King slicks but I decided against it. (knocking on wood) I have had ZERO flat tires and ZERO punctures during the recent 12 month period. I am riding 99.9% of my time on paved surfaces. I do not wish to deal with the tubeless ecosystem or its messes. Tubes have been extremely reliable and easy for me to deal with so I am sticking with it.

 

[mfgrep]

Thank you! So far. I'm happily riding with a backpack. However, I might go your way for long summer rides when I would need food, drinks, Range Extenders, tools, etc. The metal strip trick is very smart indeed, and I am sure my brother could "cook" something like that for me. Or, I could consider a saddle bag as many gravel cyclist do (the benefit is a properly loaded saddle bag is not as shaky as a pannier is).

@mfgrep: I know you love good things Jason but before you go and spend $$$ on the wheels, please listen to this:
Specialized SL wheels are of a very high quality. These are tubeless ready! You would be well off if you just converted the stock wheels to tubeless as I did myself. Yes, it is nice to see "DT Swiss" on the rims but would you like to spend a lot of money just for that? The wheels of my Vado SL have rolled for 14,275 km (8,871 mi) and show no signs of tear or wear. And now they are tubeless.

Another matter is the rear hub, which is indeed noisy when you are coasting. @rochrunner (Doug) hated the ratchet noise as much as he must have spent a good money for the Onyx hubs. Me and brother have inspected the stock rear hub of the Vado SL to find it of a high quality. The cheapest way to silence the hub is to pack the freehub body tightly with grease... Possibly not as good as Onyx but let me just tell you the legendary DT Swiss 350 rear hub is silent as it is new just because its freehub body comes packed with grease...

Just saying.

I have been giving some mild consideration to adding a rear rack to my Vado SL. Admittedly I have not been able to pull the trigger on doing so thus far and now I have the big Vado with its excellent rack for panniers, lock, cargo etc. I really have enjoyed my Vado SL in a naked format (no racks, fenders or other add-ons). It would be nice to have the option to strap a lock onto a rear rack.....or to carry a small/lightweight pannier to the Vado SL. If I make any 'upgrades' this season it would likely be limited to a rear rack on my Vado SL....and even this upgrade is doubtful. We shall see.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My decision to go tubeless came after I punctured the same tyre three times in a row (I decided something must have been wrong, so I poured a good dose of sealant into the tube, which temporarily helped). Another factor is that tubeless allows me to ride at a lower pressure, which is a good thing in gravel cycling. Last but not least: having both tubeless tyres and rims, I wouldn't hesitate to use them!

P.S. Gravel cyclists who converted to tubeless make funny faces when the group is waiting for the wretches repairing punctured tubed wheels

 

[mfgrep]

My decision to go tubeless came after I punctured the same tyre three times in a row (I decided something must have been wrong, so I poured a good dose of sealant into the tube, which temporarily helped). Another factor is that tubeless allows me to ride at a lower pressure, which is a good thing in gravel cycling. Last but not least: having both tubeless tyres and rims, I wouldn't hesitate to use them!

P.S. Gravel cyclists who converted to tubeless make funny faces when the group is waiting for the wretches repairing punctured tubed wheels

Oh I understand the desire to go tubeless and its costs/benefits. I have weighted those costs/benefits and decided to remain fully tubular. Bro! lol

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I had a chance to try my new Specialized Tracer Pro 2Bliss 42-622 tyres (tubeless setup at 2.8 bar/40 psi) in a sandy terrain! These tyres are excellent! It was the first time I could ride my Fearless through the sand with no fear!

Dusty a litte bit

 

[rochrunner]

As a follow-up to my post about my changes for 2024, the bike -- good enough last year -- now rides like a (silent) dream! It's even smoother than before with the wider tires at a lower pressure, and between the FutureShock and the Redshift only the worst of bumps come through at all. I've not ridden as many gravel roads as I had originally thought I would but I'm planning on trying it out sometime soon to see how it does. There's a local "gravel grinders" group that rides them regularly but they're also a bit more "hardcore" than I feel comfortable with -- I'd need a eMTB to keep up!

 

[e-levity]

I had a chance to try my new Specialized Tracer Pro 2Bliss 42-622 tyres (tubeless setup at 2.8 bar/40 psi) in a sandy terrain! These tyres are excellent! It was the first time I could ride my Fearless through the sand with no fear!

View attachment 175145
Dusty a litte bit

While you have the fenders off you might try the Tracer Pro in 47mm width. You'll be even more "fearless" off tarmac!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

While you have the fenders off you might try the Tracer Pro in 47mm width. You'll be even more "fearless" off tarmac!

View attachment 175151

I'm afraid such a wide tyre would not fit? Whatever, I'm glad with the performance of the 42 mm tyre off-road indeed.

Thank you for the suggestion though!

P.S. I use SKS temporary fenders so no way!

 

[ReedM]

While you have the fenders off you might try the Tracer Pro in 47mm width. You'll be even more "fearless" off tarmac!

View attachment 175151

 

[ReedM]

@e-levity The original tires on my Tero 5 are getting a bit bedragled. What are your thoughts on The Specialized Path Finder Pro in 700cx47 or the Pathfinder Sport Reflect700x42 or 29x2.1

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@e-levity The original tires on my Tero 5 are getting a bit bedragled. What are your thoughts on The Specialized Path Finder Pro in 700cx47 or the Pathfinder Sport Reflect700x42 or 29x2.1

Reed, I am not Mr @e-levity but let me answer your question.

Any bicycle wheel rim is optimized for a very specific tyre width. In the case of Tero 5.0, you are fortunate to own the wheels of the 25 mm inner rim width. Such a rim is optimized for 47 mm tyres. Specialized has exaggerated by pushing a 2.35"/60 mm tyre onto the rim (too wide!)

Now, these tyres would be optimal for your Tero 5.0:

• Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 700x47 (ETRTO: 47-622) for riding the paved surfaces and gravel (including loose gravel). Wet pavement would be OK. Mud is a big no-no here. A silent tire.
• Tracer Pro 2Bliss 700x47 (ETRTO: 47-622) for riding pavement, gravel, and loose surfaces. Not particularly good for the mud. A little noisy tyre.
• Rhombus Pro 2Bliss (same size as above) for riding muddy, aggressive trails. Very noisy tire.

In no case go below 47 mm: that would make the tyre assume a totally wrong profile on the rim. A 29x2.1" (ETRTO: 54-622) tyre would be OK for your purposes.

Now, if you want a purely pavement e-bike tyre then please take a look at Specialized Electrak 2.0 Armadillo with Gripton Compound. The size is 29x2.0" (51-622). It is the fastest tire for Class 3 e-bikes I have ever ridden. It is durable, puncture resistant, extremely fast rolling, and grippy even on wet pavement! A totally silent tire it is.

A Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss tyre (700x47c) on my Vado. The central strip makes the tyre silent on the pavement, and it is a fast rolling, supple rubber. My Vado has 27 mm (front) and 25 mm (rear) wheel rims.

 

[e-levity]

@e-levity The original tires on my Tero 5 are getting a bit bedragled. What are your thoughts on The Specialized Path Finder Pro in 700cx47 or the Pathfinder Sport Reflect700x42 or 29x2.1

Hi Reed,

I'm not familiar with the Tero 5, but since is comes with 29x2.35 Ground Controls I probably wouldn't use tires less than 2" wide. That would lower the bottom bracket which is good for tarmac riding but risky off-road. Narrower tires will also quicken the steering which may be good or bad. Narrower tires will also provide less cushioning which may be felt in the back.

What type of riding do you do? That will determine the tire type (width, tread, casing).

 

[mfgrep]

I am trying VERY hard to resist the temptation to fit some rear rack to my non-EQ Vado SL.
I can't seem to shake this temptation despite the fact that I rarely require the functionality of a rear rack.
The ability to strap a heavy U-lock to the rack....or to attach some lightweight cloth pannier to the bike....it is such a temptation.
It makes no sense given that 99.9% of the time I ride the Vado SL for fitness and I also now have the full power Vado for errands equipped with rack and panniers.
But I just can't shake the temptation. I think I need a therapist

 

[Twowheelxtc]

I am trying VERY hard to resist the temptation to fit some rear rack to my non-EQ Vado SL.
I can't seem to shake this temptation despite the fact that I rarely require the functionality of a rear rack.
The ability to strap a heavy U-lock to the rack....or to attach some lightweight cloth pannier to the bike....it is such a temptation.
It makes no sense given that 99.9% of the time I ride the Vado SL for fitness and I also now have the full power Vado for errands equipped with rack and panniers.
But I just can't shake the temptation. I think I need a therapist

Give in…..and go for the Ortlieb Quick Rack. Clips on in 15 seconds off in 5! Then you can use it when you need it. I have one on my Creo and it fits perfectly. Done a couple of short tours with it too. Get home, rack off and a light bike again .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I am trying VERY hard to resist the temptation to fit some rear rack to my non-EQ Vado SL.
I can't seem to shake this temptation despite the fact that I rarely require the functionality of a rear rack.
The ability to strap a heavy U-lock to the rack....or to attach some lightweight cloth pannier to the bike....it is such a temptation.
It makes no sense given that 99.9% of the time I ride the Vado SL for fitness and I also now have the full power Vado for errands equipped with rack and panniers.
But I just can't shake the temptation. I think I need a therapist

My experience is a pannier does not work very well in rough terrain, that is, where I often ride on my gravel cycling escapades. No matter how well the pannier is attached to the rack, the vibrations make the pannier shake violently, making riding a torture. Once, an Ortlieb pannier detached from the rear rack I fit to a Giant Trance E+ e-MTB. It happened on a rapid descent on a rocky mountain road. The vertical acceleration was as high as the pannier "thought" it was being manually detached by the rider, so it detached itself. An expensive camera inside the pannier got severely damaged.

Non-Ortlieb panniers (such as Specialized Tailwind) might be not as fancy or as well designed, but they do lock to the pannier with no chance to detach themselves from the rack.

A good solution has been found by Tailfin with its Alloy Rack. Tailfin even makes a compatible Top Bag, which I perceive as a proper thing for riding in a rough terrain. Tailfin is deadly expensive and of limited availability though.

My plan for the two gravel races I'm taking part in is:

• Sudovia Gravel: Premium gravel roads, many steep inclines. That would be a Vado 6.0 with its sturdy rack and an Ortlieb E-Mate pannier for the spare battery, tools, extra water and snacks.
• Mazovian Gravel: Many nasty singletracks. That would by my Vado SL, and probably only a backpack. I would need to think twice or thrice to risk taking a pannier on that ride. The race will require carrying the bike in several places, so I need to keep the Vado SL really lightweight!

Still, the Ortlieb rack is tempting, also because of the price!

 

[mfgrep]

My experience is a pannier does not work very well in rough terrain, that is, where I often ride on my gravel cycling escapades. No matter how well the pannier is attached to the rack, the vibrations make the pannier shake violently, making riding a torture. Once, an Ortlieb pannier detached from the rear rack I fit to a Giant Trance E+ e-MTB. It happened on a rapid descent on a rocky mountain road. The vertical acceleration was as high the pannier "thought" it was being manually detached by the rider, so it detached itself. An expensive camera inside the pannier got severely damaged.

Non-Ortlieb panniers (such as Specialized Tailwind) might be not as fancy or as well designed, but they do lock to the pannier with no chance to detach themselves from the rack.

A good solution has been found by Tailfin with its Alloy Rack. Tailfin even makes a compatible Top Bag, which I perceive as a proper thing for riding in a rough terrain. Tailfin is deadly expensive and of limited availability though.

My plan for the two gravel races I'm taking part in is:

• Sudovia Gravel: Premium gravel roads, many steep inclines. That would be a Vado 6.0 with its sturdy rack and an Ortlieb E-Mate pannier for the spare battery, tools, extra water and snacks.
• Mazovian Gravel: Many nasty singletracks. That would by my Vado SL, and probably only a backpack. I would need to think twice or thrice to risk taking a pannier on that ride. The race will require carrying the bike in several places, so I need to keep the Vado SL really lightweight!

Still, the Ortlieb rack is tempting, also because of the price!

I'm not on rough terrain on my Vado SL. Ever if at all.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'm not on rough terrain on my Vado SL. Ever if at all.

Do you happen to jump off the kerb? A heavily loaded Ortlieb pannier can even detach itself there
Not that I have anything against Ortlieb panniers, on the contrary, I love them!

 

[AvalancheRun]

-Pathfinder Pro 42 tubeless in clay. The bike seized up completely once enough got jammed in there, but the tires didn't slip much before that.
-Ortlieb quick rack with mud scraping stick

Might switch to Rene Herse Oracle 48, but then again the Pathfinders are a great all-rounder.
They've even got a little wear marker which is the Specialized S in the middle of the tire.
I liked the Tracers too.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

They've even got a little wear marker which is the Specialized S in the middle of the tire.

I have ridden 9000 km on Pathfinder Pro 38-622 without any sign of wear. However, I started getting punctures on the front wheel (for unknown reasons). Eventually, I swapped Pathfinders for Tracers 42-622 (tubeless) as my grand plan to make my Vado SL a "racing gravel e-bike" Still, I chose Pathfinder Pro 47-622 as the Vado 6.0 tyres (tubed) as I love the speed and silence I'm getting on the pavement with a good grip whenever I'm riding gravel and mild off-road.

I liked the Tracers too.

I feel totally confidently on the Tracers on bad surfaces. Sand is the curse of Mazovia in the warm season; it is like many usually rideable forest or dirt roads turned into sandy ones! The only e-bike I could safely ride on the sand in the past was a Giant Trance E+ on 2.6" aggressive tyres! Now, I feel no fear riding my Vado SL on the Tracers in the sand (even if I hate riding the sand!) The only downside of Tracers is these tyres are a bit noisy on the pavement but the noise is not terrible (it is a low frequency hum), and it is even masking the SL 1.1 motor noise!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Claiming 75 miles but in his paniers are extra batteries.

129 miles on a single day or 163 miles spread over 2 days. With extra batteries of course. Your butt would not stand such long rides, and you would need to go to the hospital with your legs. I am also afraid you could not afford extra batteries

Stefan cheats on his rides.

Who am I cheating, actually?

At the start of the 163 mi gravel race.

Halfway on the 129 mile ride.