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

I remember when i first got the Vado SL and I mentioned on here that I could not help turning off the motor and going hell for leather over a short stretch near my house. I had forgotten that my Apple Watch recorded those attempts and when I switched Strava back on it reloaded all the data.

I did it today on the Roubaix, helmet, aero position, clipless pedals etc.

July 2024 - Vado SL (16kg) flat pedals, motor off - 1:15s
Oct 2025 - Roubaix (8kg) clipless pedals aero position - 1:22s

I guess a road bike and clipless pedals take some getting used to.
Or (more worrying) when you hit 60 years of age performance really does fall off a cliff :(
 
I remember when i first got the Vado SL and I mentioned on here that I could not help turning off the motor and going hell for leather over a short stretch near my house. I had forgotten that my Apple Watch recorded those attempts and when I switched Strava back on it reloaded all the data.

I did it today on the Roubaix, helmet, aero position, clipless pedals etc.

July 2024 - Vado SL (16kg) flat pedals, motor off - 1:15s
Oct 2025 - Roubaix (8kg) clipless pedals aero position - 1:22s

I guess a road bike and clipless pedals take some getting used to.
Or (more worrying) when you hit 60 years of age performance really does fall off a cliff :(
Very interesting result! Looking forward to seeing how the Roubaix time evolves over coming months.
 
As I am over 60 and riding on some pretty rough roads it seems to be perfect for the kind of speed workouts I want to do. It has been upgraded with Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels, S-Works Aero bars and a more aggressive Zipp Sprint SL stem. I put some SPD-SL pedals on it now but haven't ridden it for days now as the weather has been atrocious. I put the old Bridge Sport Saddle on the Roubaix as it was sitting around in a box. With all the other weight saving components this does feel a little incongruous so I might have to change that in the spring when it gets some serious use - I never got on with the Bridge Sport anyway.

Off to the gym this morning and will be taking my trusty Vado SL as usual. As part of thanking the bike shop for giving the Roubaix a once over I thought I would buy a quad lock bike mount and phone cover (I felt I had to buy something as they would not take any money for the check over)

Never used one of these before but I am quite impressed how sturdy and vibration free it initially seems - it will come in handy as I often have to stop, get my phone out and recheck my location when getting out and about in new areas.
Ive used quadlock for many years over long European tours and they have been bombproof! As mentioned they can be a little fiddly to engage at times for no apparent reason but once in place totally secure.
 
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I remember when i first got the Vado SL and I mentioned on here that I could not help turning off the motor and going hell for leather over a short stretch near my house. I had forgotten that my Apple Watch recorded those attempts and when I switched Strava back on it reloaded all the data.

I did it today on the Roubaix, helmet, aero position, clipless pedals etc.

July 2024 - Vado SL (16kg) flat pedals, motor off - 1:15s
Oct 2025 - Roubaix (8kg) clipless pedals aero position - 1:22s

I guess a road bike and clipless pedals take some getting used to.
Or (more worrying) when you hit 60 years of age performance really does fall off a cliff :(
I’ve been using Strava for several year, mostly to track cardio related data. I’ve used t(e Apple Watch and a HRM when watch battery life is an issue. One thing I’ve noticed is that my performance plateaued when I reached 75. I’d started tracking at 71. Now I’m riding at the same pace and effort or slightly less as two years ago. It does decline quickly.
 
It is designed to race on cobbles.
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Or (more worrying) when you hit 60 years of age performance really does fall off a cliff :(
Now I’m riding at the same pace and effort or slightly less as two years ago. It does decline quickly.
My performance has declined over last year. I'm 64 but my ailments have started taking a toll. Three years ago I could ride forest paths on my big Vado at 40/100 assistance. Now, I'm really happy at 60/100.
 
This one has a 'bathtub' that clicks in front that holds four kids with seats and seatbelts. I had to limit top speed to 20 km and give it 1,200 watts on the top end with some other things to make it right. This euro-cargo-trike weighs 52 kg before the mom and kids adding another 126 kg. I am so glad that motors are fully user programable and can fit any starter bike universally. Now I am onto a Specialized commuter, comfort, gravel bike. It will require very different programming characteristics. It has a beautiful frame design and the display wire is through frame. And I am free of proprietary servitude. There are about 150 user programable factors to dial in each bike for each user application.
This testing email came in yesterday:

From: patrice mcdonald
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 12:10 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: training update



Hi Rick,

I wanted to give you an update from my training weekend. I rode 115 miles over 3 days in what I consider to be the closest I can simulate around here to the climbing challenges I will face crossing the Western mountains. While I hope to routinely ride 50 mile days along most other portions of the GAWR, I would be thrilled with 30 mile days in those toughest mountain sections. The bike performed exceptionally. The rider did not die. In fact, I had NO neck, hand/wrist, back, seat, leg or shoulder pain. The 90 degree heat didn't bother me either. It was better in all respects than I would have predicted when I set out. Of course, I carried nothing except your Coolflask, a second water bottle, and a fanny pack. Nevertheless, I was super happy. Until, I get my final kit dialed in after the first of the year, I will do my regular riding on my Surly so I don't get spoiled. I had a friend once that had two vintage James Bond Goldeneye Ashton Martins. He was afraid to drive them for fear something would happen to them. I kinda feel the same way about Prospero. ~patrice

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The only thing for an advanced rider, any season, any terrain, any ride length. (Here: Wahoo ELEMNT Ace).

The drawbacks of the smartphone on the bars:
  • Ridiculously short battery life
  • Vulnerable to the precipitation
  • Hard to operate in full gloves (how do you unlock the phone with a fingerprint?)
  • Vulnerable to terrain vibration and crashes
  • Google Maps are not for cycling at all (RideWithGPS or Komoot are)
On last Tuesday, my brother rode his Trance E+ very fast on the Warsaw Grot Bridge at night. Suddenly, a rider of a "Chinese scrap metal" appeared on the collision course (the man even revved up with the throttle). Jacek braked very hard to avoid the impact. He made a full Over-The-Bars! His helmet broke but my brother's skull was saved. After Jacek got up on his feet, he noticed his Garmin dangling on a tether. The out-front mount broke but the GPS computer was intact.

What would have happened to a smartphone?
 
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This one has a 'bathtub' that clicks in front that holds four kids with seats and seatbelts. I had to limit top speed to 20 km and give it 1,200 watts on the top end with some other things to make it right. This euro-cargo-trike weighs 52 kg before the mom and kids adding another 126 kg. I am so glad that motors are fully user programable and can fit any starter bike universally. Now I am onto a Specialized commuter, comfort, gravel bike. It will require very different programming characteristics. It has a beautiful frame design and the display wire is through frame. And I am free of proprietary servitude. There are about 150 user programable factors to dial in each bike for each user application.
This testing email came in yesterday:

From: patrice mcdonald
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 12:10 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: training update



Hi Rick,

I wanted to give you an update from my training weekend. I rode 115 miles over 3 days in what I consider to be the closest I can simulate around here to the climbing challenges I will face crossing the Western mountains. While I hope to routinely ride 50 mile days along most other portions of the GAWR, I would be thrilled with 30 mile days in those toughest mountain sections. The bike performed exceptionally. The rider did not die. In fact, I had NO neck, hand/wrist, back, seat, leg or shoulder pain. The 90 degree heat didn't bother me either. It was better in all respects than I would have predicted when I set out. Of course, I carried nothing except your Coolflask, a second water bottle, and a fanny pack. Nevertheless, I was super happy. Until, I get my final kit dialed in after the first of the year, I will do my regular riding on my Surly so I don't get spoiled. I had a friend once that had two vintage James Bond Goldeneye Ashton Martins. He was afraid to drive them for fear something would happen to them. I kinda feel the same way about Prospero. ~patrice

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Does this have even the slightest connection to a Vado SL, or to any preceeding post?
 
One thing I’ve noticed is that my performance plateaued when I reached 75. I’d started tracking at 71. Now I’m riding at the same pace and effort or slightly less as two years ago. It does decline quickly.

Three years later, I'm still climbing out of the fitness hole left by 20+ years of very little riding. So may not mean much that my performance is still going up slowly at 77.

Both of my ebikes deserve credit for that — especially the SL and its very strong carrot effect.

Guess I'll peak at some point, then start going the other way. But this is a good location to age in place cycling-wise. Great bike infrastructure, and I can just shift the mix of hill and coast riding accordingly.

And of course, I'll have all that assist headroom provided by my still largely unused TURBO mode.
 
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