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

[2wheelsgood]

As the 4.0 and the 5.0 have different forks I wonder if there is a difference in what tire size they can comfortably accommodate?

 

[Cycologist]

On my 4.0, there is a lot of clearance on the front. It's the rear that's narrower.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

On my 4.0, there is a lot of clearance on the front. It's the rear that's narrower.

With or without fenders?

 

[Cycologist]

With or without fenders?

Without fenders.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

With or without fenders?

Yeah it's the seat stays are the issue. Was a bit shortsighted of spesh, I haven't checked tyre clearance on the Vado SL2 I assume it's wider?

 

[2wheelsgood]

On my 4.0, there is a lot of clearance on the front. It's the rear that's narrower.

Entirely the other way round on the 5.0

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Good mechanical dropper for the SL 1 5.0 EQ?
Rode a bike with a dropper for the first time yesterday. Revolutionary!! Only questions now are (a) which one, and (b) any special considerations on the SL 1 5.0 EQ?

Would appreciate any help in finding a middle-tier mechanical solution with decent quality. Sorry if this has been discussed. Forum search turned up nothing useful on this specific topic.

Money
I can afford a mechanical dropper and will probably be quite happy with it if the cable routing works. Would spend more on an electronic dropper ONLY if there were no other good way on this bike.

Use case might make a difference
My creaky old knees demand a high seat for proper extension, but that leaves me on my left toes at stops. Also find myself having to get off for simple maneuvers like getting to the crosswalk button to trigger a light. Uneven surfaces and my bilateral peripheral neuropathy (old surgical complication) only make all that worse.

At 77, these feel like the riskiest things I do on my SL. But now I see that all that fall risk would go away with a much lower seat on demand.

I ride the SL on gravel a lot, but no serious MTB terrain. Lots of steep descents in this very hilly topography, but the SL's comfortable enough on those without a dropper.

Thanks!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Good mechanical dropper for the SL 1 5.0 EQ?
Rode a bike with a dropper for the first time yesterday. Revolutionary!! Only questions now are (a) which one, and (b) any special considerations on the SL 1 5.0 EQ?

Would appreciate any help in finding a middle-tier mechanical solution with decent quality. Sorry if this has been discussed. Forum search turned up nothing useful on this specific topic.

The issue here is the cable port on the frame is too small to fit yet another internally routed cable. If you tried a dropper with the externally routed cable, know that the sophisticated shape of the top tube, the Mastermind (as well as any bags you might want to carry there) would make installing the cable difficult and extremely ugly.

The only mechanical solution that remains is a hand actuated dropper post such as the XLC SP-T09. You would hate it. To drop, you need to slide your hand between your legs and pull a handle. I own it and stopped using it almost immediately due to the lack of practicality.

If I wanted to use a dropper, I would eventually invest in the electronic one. (I need a dropper on steep descends in rough terrain as well as for riding in mud or sand).

However... Are you ready to resign from the comfort the suspension dropper post gives you? When I replaced my Redshift with the XLC, I instantly discovered my mistake: the rides became the pain because of the vibration! (Please do not believe the only known suspension dropper post, the PWN Coast is any good; it simply does not work as @RandallS can confirm).

Dropper posts are practical for full-suspension MTBs and for MTB hardtails for technical riding, a way less for the comfort. (MTBers rarely even sit on the saddle on descents but have the dropper all way down!)

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The only mechanical solution that remains is a hand actuated dropper post such as the XLC SP-T09. You would hate it. To drop, you need to slide your hand between your legs and pull a handle.

Gee, kinda reluctant to do that in public.
;^}

I own it and stopped using it almost immediately due to the lack of practicality.

If I wanted to use a dropper, I would eventually invest in the electronic one. (I need a dropper on steep descends in rough terrain as well as for riding in mud or sand).

Thanks! Will work out a plan of attack with my LBS tomorrow with that cable routing issue in mind. One way or another, I'm putting a dropper on this bike.

Anyone know of a good value in electronic droppers?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

One way or another, I'm putting a dropper on this bike.

You might want to temporarily replace your Redshift with the original seat-post and give it a ride If you find your ride jarred then buying a dropper would be of a little sense to you

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

You might want to temporarily replace your Redshift with the original seat-post and give it a ride If you find your ride jarred then buying a dropper would be of a little sense to you

Still on the original seatpost, and the ride with tubeless tires at 40 psi is just fine.

As I said in the OP, this is all about more stable bike handling in certain frequently encountered situations. And I already know from my dropper test that a dropper will make a lot of sense for me in those cases.

The only question here is how to make it happen — hopefully without spending $800.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Still on the original seatpost

Oh? Then my remark is irrelevant

Good luck, Jeremy!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Still on the original seatpost, and the ride with tubeless tires at 40 psi is just fine.

As I said in the OP, this is all about more stable bike handling in certain frequently encountered situations. And I already know from my dropper test that a dropper will make a lot of sense for me in those cases.

The only question here is how to make it happen — hopefully without spending $800.

When you discuss droppers at your LBS look at the depth of the frame seat tube to see how far down the dropper can go, each bike is different. I think you have the mudguard/fender version so at least you don't have rear light cables coming up the seat tube/seat post. The calculation you need to work out to find the right size dropper post is how much drop you want, and can your frame accommodate the length of post inside the seat tube. Given the amount of motor cables already internally, external cable or wireless sounds the best bet. I would say look at eBay or other second hand droppers, except as it's mostly used by MTBers, I found used ones show great wear and tear, they do tend to get abused. I had an under seat paddle one on another bike for simplicity and cost and it was OK. But I wasn't using it like a full sus mountain biker racing downhill where I needed to drop and raise it frequently, On my rides I had the luxury off stopping to lower it, only to use for big descents and after a while found I could often just flick the paddle while still riding to drop it. To get it back to the tall position I did need to stop, partly the sluggish mechanism. But the paddle felt familiar to me I guess because I spent years in the 80s and 90s tearing over mountains on many rigid MTBs all with quick release seat posts, where without getting off the bike I got into the habit of flicking open the little leaver and using my weight to slam down the saddle. Often with a devil of a job to prise it up again, bottom of the descent!

If you want to use it for traffic, for stopping at red lights for instance, the paddle is not suitable, it will get boring pretty quickly. I'm seeing more and more bikes sold with droppers for this very use, not just mtbs.

Finally consider the extra weight, my paddle one was quite heavy, but on the full powered bike it wasn't a concern. Like everything else the more you pay the lighter the options, but when I went hunting I was surprised at how pricey they generally are!

But definitely get your measurements correct as I found all that a bit of a head scratcher.

 

[stompandgo]

Droppers also need maintenance, and add weight.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

If you want to use it for traffic, for stopping at red lights for instance, the paddle is not suitable, it will get boring pretty quickly. I'm seeing more and more bikes sold with droppers for this very use, not just mtbs.

Many thanks! Exactly my use case.

The mechanical Fox Transfer dropper below was the one I tested on my friend's Amflow eMTB. Would LOVE to make it work on my SL.

Acceptable total cost. Comes in 3 diameters and many lengths. Guessing 150 mm of drop would be plenty for me.

Acceptable net weight gain of 475 g + remote + cable - stock seat tube. Heck, I gained way more than that over the holidays and can't say I notice it on the bike. The mirror's a different story.

Naturally, Park Tool has an excellent how-to on getting the right one, but my LBS will help me sort all that. We'll see what they say about routing later today.

The Fox Transfer I tested (exact model?) wasn't all-or-nothing like some droppers I see online. If you want a height short of full extension after dropping the seat — say, at a stop — you put your butt where you want it, and the rising seat locks there instead. Perfect for my use.

As a bonus, hoping a dropper will allow me to give my bum knees a little more pedaling extension and still stop safely. That might even let me climb at slightly lower cadences than the knees currently tolerate (~70 rpm minimum).

As always, thanks for all the help guys. EBR is the best!

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Droppers also need maintenance, and add weight.

Good points. How do you know when your dropper needs (a) more air, and (b) a full maintenance?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

An FS e-MTB is not a Vado SL, Jeremy Just saying.