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

[mogulman]

My new SL is coming this week, but I get passed by roadies on my 500W, 65 Nm hub-drive all the time on flats and descents. So no expectation that the SL with half the power and torque will be any different.

Understand your situation and goals are very different from mine. I've made my peace with it at 76:
1. Usually ride alone and am seldom in a hurry.
2. Prefer to ride at lowest assist whenever possible, and my level 1 of 9 is pretty low.
3. Keep repeating to myself that my Tour de France days are over, and that there will always be those lesser and greater than myself.

Also keep getting passed by school kids idly ghost-pedaling RadRovers. That's the part that kinda hurts.

One thing I discovered recently that could have been contributing, is that my rear brake seemed to be slightly rubbing my rotor. I was riding on a longer ride a few weeks ago, and it got worse. So much so that I actually removed my rear brake pads to continue my ride.

When I got home, I discovered that one of my pistons on my rear brake was out really far and the other was pushed in all the way. I could push the one that was out, back in using a tire tool, but it would keep popping out. The "pushed in" piston was stuck, causing the other piston to extend too far. I pushed in the extended piston and held it while pump the brakes a bit. This caused the stuck piston to push out. Pushed them both back in, inserted pads and seems to be working fine now.

Anyway... Moral of the story.. Could also be some equipment failure mixed with being old
Check your brakes!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

One thing I discovered recently that could have been contributing, is that my rear brake seemed to be slightly rubbing my rotor. I was riding on a longer ride a few weeks ago, and it got worse. So much so that I actually removed my rear brake pads to continue my ride.

When I got home, I discovered that one of my pistons on my rear brake was out really far and the other was pushed in all the way. I could push the one that was out, back in using a tire tool, but it would keep popping out. The "pushed in" piston was stuck, causing the other piston to extend too far. I pushed in the extended piston and held it while pump the brakes a bit. This caused the stuck piston to push out. Pushed them both back in, inserted pads and seems to be working fine now.

Anyway... Moral of the story.. Could also be some equipment failure mixed with being old
Check your brakes!

What a drag! [groan emoji]

Hope you find a way to keep up with your son on the SL. Have you considered paying him not to leave the old man behind?

Maybe $20 a ride with another $20 to make it look like he's struggling to keep up with you.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It looks Specialized has invented a new Vado SL

A typing mistake, at least at the Specialized Poland website It is just a Vado SL 5.0 non-EQ

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My Vado SL has over 10,000 miles on the odometer

Congratulations to @BioWheel, who reached the same distance several days ago!

Regarding the reliability, the only serious issue that needed to be fixed was the drive-side crank-arm that had to be replaced this Spring.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

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

Well done! Seriously considering this mod and a similar handlebar+saddle bag combo for my own yellow SL 5.0 EQ, as we discussed elsewhere. The yellow accents on your handlebar bag work well.

Three questions, please:

Q1. Looks like the Go Pro extension arm just bolts in between the headlight and its original mount on the underside of the stem. Correct, or is there more involved?

Q2. How long is the extension shown?

Q3. Any cable routing issues with the bag shown?

Thanks!

 

[Mulezen]

It looks Specialized has invented a new Vado SL

View attachment 182499
A typing mistake, at least at the Specialized Poland website It is just a Vado SL 5.0 non-EQ

Last week an old friend from New England visited me in Central VA. Though he hadn’t been riding he brought his venerable steel road bike. The rain changed our plans as did our other friend’s hangover so I persuaded Bill to ride my extra Trek Allant. He noted the wide tires versus his 26c. So we rode on the wet roads into the mist for a 16miles loop. Despite the hilly terrain he mode halfway w/o assist. Anyway he liked the comfort (75yo) and is asking for advice. I linked to the forum, and suggested that the Vado SL would better suit him…And I don’t see it on the Specialized website

 

[BEC111]

Last week an old friend from New England visited me in Central VA. Though he hadn’t been riding he brought his venerable steel road bike. The rain changed our plans as did our other friend’s hangover so I persuaded Bill to ride my extra Trek Allant. He noted the wide tires versus his 26c. So we rode on the wet roads into the mist for a 16miles loop. Despite the hilly terrain he mode halfway w/o assist. Anyway he liked the comfort (75yo) and is asking for advice. I linked to the forum, and suggested that the Vado SL would better suit him…And I don’t see it on the Specialized website

They’re there but hiding. Search in a different way and you’ll find them

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I linked to the forum, and suggested that the Vado SL would better suit him…And I don’t see it on the Specialized website

Yes they are there. For instance...

Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ

Meet the Vado SL. This super-light e-bike was designed to take on anything from daily commutes through urban landscapes to clocking even faster workouts...

www.specialized.com

Just enter Vado SL into the website Search box.

However, I suggest waiting a little as the 2025 models should be announced this month (hopefully).
------------------
Guys. As I love Specialized as much I hate their proprietary parts!

Active Bikes Seat Post Wedge

Internal seat post wedge that secures a 27.2mm round seat post inside the frame on Vado SL and various carbon frame Sirrus, Crosstrail, and Ariel model ...

www.specialized.com

This wedge, which secures the seat-post in the frame, consists of two parts. Whenever you remove the seat-post, the wedge is guaranteed to fall into the frame, possibly into the motor chamber. Whenever you need to remove the seat-post, have the Vado SL inverted, so the parts would fall onto the floor! Instantly afterwards, push a big piece of sponge into the seat-tube, so the wedge could be removed safely the next time...

 

[Twowheelxtc]

Yes they are there. For instance...

Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ

Meet the Vado SL. This super-light e-bike was designed to take on anything from daily commutes through urban landscapes to clocking even faster workouts...

www.specialized.com

Just enter Vado SL into the website Search box.

However, I suggest waiting a little as the 2025 models should be announced this month (hopefully).
------------------
Guys. As I love Specialized as much I hate their proprietary parts!

Active Bikes Seat Post Wedge

Internal seat post wedge that secures a 27.2mm round seat post inside the frame on Vado SL and various carbon frame Sirrus, Crosstrail, and Ariel model ...

www.specialized.com

This wedge, which secures the seat-post in the frame, consists of two parts. Whenever you remove the seat-post, the wedge is guaranteed to fall into the frame, possibly into the motor chamber. Whenever you need to remove the seat-post, have the Vado SL inverted, so the parts would fall onto the floor! Instantly afterwards, push a big piece of sponge into the seat-tube, so the wedge could be removed safely the next time...

Thanks for the sponge idea…..great advice

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thanks for the sponge idea…..great advice

I'm experimenting with the stiffness of my Redshift ShockStop stem and seat-post. As a heavy person (and leaning forward on Innerbarends) I had made both parts really firm. Upon the realisation both items could actually be too firm (based on my washboard gravel and cobblestone experience during a race) I decided to make the suspension a little bit more flexible. With the seat-post, you have to remove it every time you need to rotate the adjustment barrel (or add the helper spring). It was my brother who recommended using the sponge, as I had to drop the motor for the first time the wedge fell into the motor chamber! Now, one or two parts of the wedge assembly cannot disappear inside the frame but removing them from the seat-tube is still tricky...

Anyway, I've left only a single blue elastomer in the suspension stem, making the front suspension pretty active. Regarding the rear, I used the helper spring to support my body weight (102 kg net) and found the setting of 4 adequate (setting 3 made the saddle dramatically sag under me while the maximum setting of 5 was too firm).

It is worth mentioning the Redshift ShockStop suspension seat-post has not been designed for heavy people!

 

[Allan47.7339]

The Cirrus Kinect has a broader weight range up to 145Kg depending on model. Redshift ShockStop weight limit per their FAQ is 110 Kg. Cirrus is very upfront on weight limits but Redshift puts it in the FAQ and foot notes.

On a side note I am curious to see if the Vado SL seat clamp makes it to the 2025 models. It's an unnecessary manufacturing expense that may have made marketing sense when the model was new. I dropped it down the seat tube the first time I took the post out too.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The Cirrus Kinect has a broader weight range up to 145Kg depending on model. Redshift ShockStop weight limit per their FAQ is 110 Kg. Cirrus is very upfront on weight limits but Redshift puts it in the FAQ and foot notes.

Thank you for this information! I used Kinekt 2.1 for several years now. It was replaced (and first bought) by Specialized as a part of the lifetime frame warranty for my Vado (as the LBS had to replace a Medium frame with a Small one, which brought several consequences). Then the seat-post broke; it turned out the design of the seat-post had been modified, and the replacement parts didn't match... This made me lose heart for Cirrus Cycles, so I replaced the Kinekt with Redshift on this e-bike as well. (Performance-wise, both seat-posts were equal).

On a side note I am curious to see if the Vado SL seat clamp makes it to the 2025 models. It's an unnecessary manufacturing expense that may have made marketing sense when the model was new. I dropped it down the seat tube the first time I took the post out too.

Ya but then the brand would have to redesign the seat-tube, too. Maybe?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Still loving my new SL 5.0 EQ at 21 rides and 200 mi. (Wedging short rides into a busy time where I can.) Perfectly suited to my usual riding style and hilly terrain with only minor complaints — mostly around the EQ package.

Another is the motor noise. By no means intrusive, even in TURBO, but the contrast between even ECO and OFF is quite clear.

On the bright side, the whine provides an audible cadence cue that helps me stay in the motor's sweet spot without taking my eyes off the road.

And when I accelerate through the gears, it kinda sounds like a distant F1 car accelerating down a long straight. Wheeeee doggies! Great alternative to clipping playing cards to the seat stays.
;^}
 

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Still loving my new SL 5.0 EQ at 21 rides and 200 mi. (Wedging short rides into a busy time where I can.) Perfectly suited to my usual riding style and hilly terrain with only minor complaints — mostly around the EQ package.

Another is the motor noise. By no means intrusive, even in TURBO, but the contrast between even ECO and OFF is quite clear.

On the bright side, the whine provides an audible cadence cue that helps me stay in the motor's sweet spot without taking my eyes off the road.

And when I accelerate through the gears, it kinda sounds like a distant F1 car accelerating down a long straight. Wheeeee doggies! Great alternative to clipping playing cards to the seat stays.
;^}
 

Running through the gears very good analogy! And wait for the high pitched squealing if you hit gradients above 15%. Which with me are also the much quieter roads so you get the full complaining whine with no cars to mask it! I’d love to test ride an SL 1.2 motor to check the quieter noise plus the added grunt.

 

[2wheelsgood]

Still loving my new SL 5.0 EQ at 21 rides and 200 mi. (Wedging short rides into a busy time where I can.) Perfectly suited to my usual riding style and hilly terrain with only minor complaints — mostly around the EQ package.

Another is the motor noise. By no means intrusive, even in TURBO, but the contrast between even ECO and OFF is quite clear.

On the bright side, the whine provides an audible cadence cue that helps me stay in the motor's sweet spot without taking my eyes off the road.

And when I accelerate through the gears, it kinda sounds like a distant F1 car accelerating down a long straight. Wheeeee doggies! Great alternative to clipping playing cards to the seat stays.
;^}
 

The motor noise is the only thing that annoys me now as well.

It is only since I have started doing fast fitness rides and switch off the motor that I realise what a lovely smooth and quiet bike it is. If the SL 1.2 really is much quieter whilst also being more powerful then I suspect it would be quite a worthy upgrade.

Me? I will probably wait for the SL 1.4 in about 8 years time before I upgrade. I will be expecting a virtually silent 80 Nm motor and a solid state battery by then

 

[Twowheelxtc]

My wife has a Vado SL and I have a Creo 2 with the 1.2 motor. Maybe just me but I can’t tell much difference in the whining noises on the bikes. In my view definitely not a game changer. The extra power when pushing up really steep hills with panniers is most welcome though……but of course if you use the extra power the battery will take a hit!

 

[Allan47.7339]

I have a Creo SL Expert V1 with 14000 miles and an Creo SL E5 V2 with 400 miles. I noticed riding the other day that the V2 in Turbo is quieter than the V1 in Eco. I don't think I notice the power so much. I have the E5 set up with SRAM eTap 10-52 so I have lower gears available on the hills vs the SL Expert V1 with dI2 Shimano 10-46. I would not upgrade just for the motor.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If anyone said Vado SL 4.0 headlight was weak

The photo taken on a wide gravel road in a forest on a sunny day.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

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

Following your lead, lowered my headlight with a 4-inch GoPro extension arm. Still sourcing a cable-friendly handlebar bag. Two concerns:

1. Are you still comfortable with letting your bag rest — and potentially bounce — on the cables?

Photo above shows cable routing around the headlight in stock location. The cables are neither long enough, nor flexible enough, to go around the front or ends of a handlebar bag as long as yours (10.5" per Amazon). Ditto for the 9.1" Topeak bag I've been eyeing.

Now leaning toward a narrower but taller bag in the 2.0-2.4 liter range with external bungees for a thin wind/rain shell.

2. Wish I didn't have to lose use of the stock front reflector. The extension's dissimilar ends leave just 2 reflector options: (1) Keep it in its original location, as you did, effectively hiding it behind the bag, or (2) just remove it as shown above.

Guess the bag will need either reflective stripes or a place to clip a reflector that won't get covered by the shell.

 

[RRCV]

View attachment 183624
Following your lead, lowered my headlight with a 4-inch GoPro extension arm. Still sourcing a cable-friendly handlebar bag. Two concerns:

View attachment 183628
1. Are you still comfortable with letting your bag rest — and potentially bounce — on the cables?

Photo above shows cable routing around the headlight in stock location. The cables are neither long enough, nor flexible enough, to go around the front or ends of a handlebar bag as long as yours (10.5" per Amazon). Ditto for the 9.1" Topeak bag I've been eyeing.

Now leaning toward a narrower but taller bag in the 2.0-2.4 liter range with external bungees for a thin wind/rain shell.

View attachment 183625
View attachment 183629
2. Wish I didn't have to lose use of the stock front reflector. The extension's dissimilar ends leave just 2 reflector options: (1) Keep it in its original location, as you did, effectively hiding it behind the bag, or (2) just remove it as shown above.

Guess the bag will need either reflective stripes or a place to clip a reflector that won't get covered by the shell.

Why not remove the centre lug from the 3 lug end?