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

[mschwett]

…

I can see that next winter's project might be a drivetrain upgrade. Going with the higher-level components of the 5.0 would probably be the easiest, as I'm not looking for any changes regarding gear ratios. …

those sunrace cassettes are not great. very heavy and lacking the sophisticated ramping of the sram or shimano stuff.

personally i’d go with one of the AXS upgrade kits, reasonably priced and no more futzing with the cable, the cable getting stretched or worn or frayed. game changer for me. not sure if they have one with a cassette that matches the gearing you’ve got or if you’ll have to mix and match.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Rode up to the Calavera volcano overlook again with friend DW. He was on a Trek Verve+, not sure which one.

Beautiful day, great scenery intensely green from recent rain, good company, good workout, and best of all, an SL 1 to enjoy it all on.

Became aware of my motor noise on a steep climb in ECO. Came right alongside DW and couldn't hear his Bosch motor at all.

But here's the thing: After 17 months and 3200 mi, that motor noise is absolutely the ONLY thing I'd change about this bike. And most of the time, I don't even notice.

Otherwise, the SL 1's the perfect bike for me and my terrain. Very grateful to the many EBR members who encouraged me to take the lightweight, low-power, low-torque plunge.

 

[rochrunner]

those sunrace cassettes are not great. very heavy and lacking the sophisticated ramping of the sram or shimano stuff.

personally i’d go with one of the AXS upgrade kits, reasonably priced and no more futzing with the cable, the cable getting stretched or worn or frayed. game changer for me. not sure if they have one with a cassette that matches the gearing you’ve got or if you’ll have to mix and match.

What's your definition of "reasonably priced"? I think I'll have some other compatibility issues that I'd have to think through no matter what I do. The 4.0 is an 11-speed and, just as an example, I'm not sure about the availability of a compatible chainring that fits the OEM crankset with its 104mm BCD.

In any case, I think I need to get out there and ride what I've got for a while before overthinking everything.

 

[mschwett]

What's your definition of "reasonably priced"? I think I'll have some other compatibility issues that I'd have to think through no matter what I do. The 4.0 is an 11-speed and, just as an example, I'm not sure about the availability of a compatible chainring that fits the OEM crankset with its 104mm BCD.

In any case, I think I need to get out there and ride what I've got for a while before overthinking everything.

definitely get some miles on it before thinking too much about upgrades!

the 12 speed nx cassette (11-50) fits a standard shimano freehub, ought to be plug and play. heavy piece but solid and a great range. its around $90. chainrings are the same between 11 and 12 in this case, lots to choose from.

the shifter and rd kit are more than I remembered though - around $550 - so you may be right about “reasonably priced”

personally the difference between 11 and 12 speed never meant that much to me, but I do really like electronic shifting.