Specialized turbo vado sl upgrade bike .

[Mchatti]

browsing the forum, I noticed that there are several proposals for upgrading our bikes, left for eternal memory by the authors, where there are no details of implementation, where questions remain unanswered, and maybe more people, the more new buyers would also like to do something like this, so in in this post, put your upgrade, what tools you used or are necessary to make, what part you used, photos after work, what benefits you achieved, what cost. is it worth it, thoughts about use after the upgrade. thank you all for cooperation.

 

[TYJ]

My 2021 Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ mods:
SQ Lab 710 Grips
SQ Lab 410/402 Innerbarends
SQ Lab 610 Ergolux 2.0 Active Saddle
Redshift Shockstop Suspension Seatpost
Garmin Varia RVR 315 Rearview Radar
Quad Lock mount and phone case
Specialized Tailwind Panniers
Cliq Light taillight
Sena R1 Evo Helmet
Spurcycle Original Bell

I could not be happier with all of the above except the Sena helmet speakers could use more bass… lol. But it does allow me to hear all the surrounding noise which is kinda the point.

The Garmin Varia is absolutely amazing and gives me great peace of mind.

All of the SQ Labs and Redshift products were total game changers in comfort!

I’ll try to remember to add photos later.

 

[Mchatti]

great, I see that you invested in comfort and here you are right because the sl is as stiff as a board carrying all unevenness of the road, especially when the tire pressure is too high, and safety, flashing lights do a great job on the road, the radar also helps, especially outside urban areas when our the sensations focus on driving pleasure))) and everyone should have the right helmet. and bicycle jewelry))) loud bell. thoughtful compilation of changes for convenience and security.

 

[Mchatti]

We carry out modifications to increase the pleasure of using the bicycle and to the extent of our financial possibilities.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My modifications:

• Three Range Extenders
• Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 38-622 tyres (warm season), Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus 35-622 (winter)
• CrankBrothers Stamp 1 pedals
• Redshift ShockStop suspension stem, 100 mm, -6 degrees
• Redshift ShockStop suspension seat-post, 27.2 x 350 mm
• Redshift Computer Mount (Wahoo)
• Selle Royal Respiro Moderate Men saddle
• Mirrycle, rear-view mirror
• Ergon GP2 handlebar grips
• Innerbarends 411 "hoods"
• GoPro Mount to relocate the headlight
• Wahoo ELEMNT Roam bike GPS computer
• Front mudguard removed for the warm season, Ass Saver front fender (for gravel bikes) instead.

 

[Mchatti]

weekend so there is a moment to write something about my vado sl and my upgrade, used in the city, mainly commuting and short 30 to 50 miles weekend trips with my wife what I want to achieve with the upgrade is uncompromising in use, although rationally thought out and on the depth of my pocket, most of us already have some cycling experience and poles with spare parts, so it's time to use them. the project is constantly developed every weekend, when I have time, I change and test new changes.

 

[Mchatti]

Stefan I see that you too focused on comfort in the first place, like everyone who likes long rides))). and safety. I also know that you have modernized it mechanically))) adapting it to your needs exactly the same I do, thank you for many valuable tips contained on this forum))) your knowledge and experience is invaluable to us))) greetings

 

[Mchatti]

the first change is the tires from factory pathfinder to panaracer gravelking, 38/700 fast, great on wet (uk) light gravel, dirty and typically urban asphalt, at a pressure of 2.5 bar, they provide relative comfort even on pavements where you often travel ( traffic).

 

[Mchatti]

Next one , levociraptor, quick and trouble-free assembly, feels free, now I can fly))) speeds up quickly, maintains speed easily, in sport mode 35 - 40 km / h effortlessly, of course, on flat terrain. Do I recommend it, definitely yes, even if you do not want to drive faster than 25kmh, you know that you can always do it without unnecessary effort, the reward is a smile and the joy of driving.

 

[Mchatti]

ok, we have freedom, now it's time to stop, sometimes suddenly (brakes), as long as the factory ones up to 25kmh give advice properly serviced (clean degreased), however, replacing only the levers themselves with one-finger shimano with servowave makes a very big difference in feeling and possibilities of strength and full braking control, caliper replacement does not make such a drastic difference in power so you can save here, although it looks nicer))).

 

[Mchatti]

The lever replacement process is not too complicated for people who already have some experience with hydraulic brakes, especially that we can use original hoses, we only need a shimano lever, it can already be shimano deore and shimano olive and insert bh59, due to the larger diameter of tektro hoses.

 

[Mchatti]

we are already driving fast and dynamically, we can also stop quickly, but then suddenly the jumps in the cadence and the work culture of the drive set , start to bother, here I direct my suggestions to people who are aware of their needs and preferences, because the factory drive works ok because it was designed this way and if you do not have need not change.

 

[Mchatti]

 

[Mchatti]

all the parts used in my modifications come from old stocks that collected dust on the shelves and now they have a second life))) having a month of experience driving vado sl, I quickly understood where, how, and what is expected of him, so the original cassette, which not I am able to use it in flat terrain, I changed this heavy cassette (uf) to a light Xtr 11/34 which helped me to step up the gears that I use, significantly improving the comfort of driving. One note, to unscrew the original cassette you need solid long arm tools, xtr derailleur wiped from the dust over-serviced, changed the deore, it is not a significant change for the work culture but it looks better and it is alive again))), now the most important change of the shifter, I recommend xt or xtr, I have already explained why, thanks to the quick release function, we get an immediate and fully controlled gear change, it works 0 1. you press and there is a change, you do not wait for a change until you release the shifter. Regards, the next ones will be disc brakes, the original ones are 2mm thick and heavy, I will change it to describe whether it makes sense, regarding the wheel, the wheels are very good and light enough compared to my dt swiss. while replacing them with new DT Swiss wheels would be very expensive and I do not know if it would have contributed so much to the improvement in relation to the cost.

 

[Mchatti]

Uf , finally I'm finished. Well, that's it, time to use the nice weather, enjoy reading, I'm waiting for your upgrade, questions and opinions. I greet everyone.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My upgraded Fearless in practice. Now.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Lookin’ good, Stefan! And that bike in white is gorgeous, Mchatti. Nice writeup on all the changes.

 

[Mchatti]

to improve safety, in accordance with the principle and visible to the factory lighting, I added a very strong))) bontrager lights, controler lights bt make them easy to use. Plus a helmet and you can race to adventure. Wahoo roam

 

[Mchatti]

important attention for all people upgrades, front chainring is in the system, narrow wide and special attention must be paid when reloading the chain.

 

[fatshark]

I'm interested in the SQlab 710 and innerbarend 402/410 combination as my initial upgrade.

I've had mixed experience with these type of shaped grips. The ones that came with my last Cannondale were terrible and I replaced them with standard round grips. The stock grips on my Vado SL5.0 EQ are reasonable, but I suspect could be better.

The SQlab combination get mixed reviews and several - including @Stefan Mikes - have ended up with Ergon's in the end (or perhaps never tried the 710's?).

Any comments? The combination is appealing as the 402/410's can be used in place of the inner lock ring, so saving a bit of handlebar 'real estate' and providing a more seamless transition between the grips.