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

[Stefan Mikes]

The Specialized app running in dark mode is very easy on my phone battery. No problem on a 40+ mi ride with stops. And I often have Google Maps or even RideWithGPS running simultaneously.

How many hours in total for the day? More than five and a half?

I also need to mention it never rains in Southern California

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

How many hours in total for the day? More than five and a half?

I also need to mention it never rains in Southern California

Certainly more than 5, which would probably cover most rider's needs if not yours.

When will you realize that not everyone rides like you do?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

When will you realize that not everyone rides like you do?

When will you do realise I was riding with a smartphone on my bars for three years, was using a powerbank and crashed several phones in the process?

Once, a torrential rain made my phone as useless as I almost drowned in the bog and then could not navigate back to my car!

My facial expression said it all!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I also need to mention it never rains in Southern California

Another incorrect generalization.

Most of our rain comes in the winter in several big Pacific storms with lesser rains in between. Rainfall rates can get quite high, especially in the mountains, and flash floods aren't uncommon. The many mountains above 5,000 ft often get snow.

But the pattern's far from fixed. We've already had 2 lighter rains this fall.

Annual rainfall's surely far lower here than in Poland, but it's silly to say that it never rains in SoCal.

Lots of places in the world where rain is an infrequent problem for riders. You just put your phone in a bag or pocket for the duration. Small price to pay for the convenience of having it on your bar the rest of the time.

Everything's a trade-off.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Small price to pay for the convenience of having it on your bar the rest of the time.

Not when you need the GPS navigation at all times. Which generally means any larger group ride or riding off-road. Or, whenever you ride far from home and it started raining.

I would risk saying you belong to a group of riders who can do with a smartphone on the bars. If it were a majority of riders, nobody would buy GPS bike computers.

 

[PedalUma]

I would never ride with a phone and I have an innate sense of direction. The Polynesians sailed to Rapanui, 4,600 miles of open ocean from Hawaii. It is the most remote island in the world. And did it multiple times over a 1.000 year period.
Furthering the metaphor, I did get to eat a pizza today at an authentic place, not corporate. My way. It was NY style thin crust, the kind you fold, hand thrown sourdough crust with anchovies and fresh basil.
The Specialised I am finishing now has a 500 watt nominal motor with an 864 watt peak with the right to repair. Stick it to the man. Freedom.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Not when you need the GPS navigation at all times. Which generally means any larger group ride or riding off-road. Or, whenever you ride far from home and it started raining.

Of course. Everybody faces different trade-offs with different solutions. There's no 'one size fits all' in cycling or anywhere else.

I don't need full-time nav for off-road riding, but I don't do the big gravel rides you do.

I would risk saying you belong to a group of riders who can do with a smartphone on the bars. If it were a majority of riders, nobody would buy GPS bike computers.

I definitely belong to that group. But the 2nd sentence doesn't follow. There will always be a market for pricey gizmos in cycling. That doesn't mean that most cyclists want or need them.

 

[BioWheel]

May I assume Karl you do not do as advanced rides as I do? Does Google Maps lead you through a big forest?

How do you unlock your phone?

My face unlocks my phone — let the jokes begin .

Google Maps is awesome for biking — it’ll route me through forests and multi-use trails like it knows what I’m thinking. And Stefan, when I use Maps, the screen stays on so I don’t have to keep logging in. The only catch is that after a long ride (when I'm not using an app that prevents standby), my face sometimes looks so rough that Face ID gives up and I have to use my fingerprint… which isn’t fun on a bumpy road. That's a disadvantage.

Now, to bring this back to the actual bike topic (as requested ): when I’ve got Google Maps running constantly, the Specy app doesn’t update my battery status unless I switch from the map screen back to the main screen and then back to maps. If I’m not running another app and my phone locks, once I unlock it again the Specy app defaults back to the home screen — and then when I tap the map screen, the battery updates.

Hard to explain, but that’s the fact, Jack.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My face unlocks my phone — let the jokes begin .

Nice it unlocks the phone - especially in the helmet and sunglasses - have you tried a balaclava, too?

Google Maps is awesome for biking — it’ll route me through forests and multi-use trails like it knows what I’m thinking.

Indeed, it does.

Not really good

So how many waypoints a Google Maps route can have?

RideWithGPS is almost as good as Komoot. But Google Maps?

 

[BioWheel]

Nice it unlocks the phone - especially in the helmet and sunglasses - have you tried a balaclava, too?


Indeed, it does.

View attachment 201367
Not really good

View attachment 201368
So how many waypoints a Google Maps route can have?

RideWithGPS is almost as good as Komoot. But Google Maps?

And - Google maps shows all paved and unpaved trails. Additionally - it gives you alternate routes with mileage and time approximations. And - shows you elevation data to your destination. All on my phone.

But none of this works unless you're riding the best bike in the world - my VadoSL.

 

[mogulman]

When will you do realise I was riding with a smartphone on my bars for three years, was using a powerbank and crashed several phones in the process?

Once, a torrential rain made my phone as useless as I almost drowned in the bog and then could not navigate back to my car!

View attachment 201352
My facial expression said it all!

It looks like you need to run to the bathroom?

Contributing more useless information to this topic. I rode for like 15 years with a phone on my handlebars. Dating back to using Endomondo on a Palm, Blackberry and Pebble Watch. Worked well. Not so great on my MTB. Had to rig up different devices to keep the phone from falling off the bike. It's pretty easy to find a waterproof phone these days too.

I have a Garmin right now, which is the best GPS bike computer out there. I know Stefan loves Wahoo

I think if my current Garmin Edge 840 dies, I'll probably go back to using my phone and GPS watch instead. No reason to have so many devices and screens.