Specialized’s ultra-light 120-mile range e-bike - Turbo Vado SL

[Nubnub]

What have you heard about the range extender? It gives less than 50% more range? It's 50% of the size of the main battery isn't it?

I suppose that could be the case if riding in Turbo mode AND you have Mission Control set to discharge the Range Extender battery first. When the battery discharges (below 20%) it starts to cut back on assist and eventually limits to Eco levels of assist. Using just the internal battery, should be able to go Turbo for the first 50% discharge with no noticeable loss in assist.

I have a range extender and ride mostly in 30/100 eco like assist levels with the Range Extender set to discharge first. I can really feel the drop in assist levels when the Range Extender is at the lower charge levels if it happens and I happen to be climbing. For sure when in Turbo mode at low voltage levels the reduced assist is very noticeable.

 

[darlingbastard]

My only wish for the Vado SL--a step-through frame. That way, my wife would have one too.

Same situation here. This bike would be perfect for my wife if it was a bit more feminine. I’d buy this tomorrow in a low step. Would be amazing to ride together for a change.

 

[Copyrider]

I've had my Vado SL 4.0 EQ for about a week now. I'm really having fun with it. I can do my 18 mile lake trail loop in 55 minutes, get home and take a shower, and be ready for work at 8:30. It's a good workout. I'm 50 and in decent analog biking shape. But with this bike, I can go 5-6 mph faster and blast down Chicago's busy roads to get to the trail. On the trail, I don't have to worry anymore about the speed demons coming up behind me. I can also load up my bike with tools and accessories and not feel like it's slowing me down. I like Tour mode the best and sustaining 20 mph. It does run through the battery though (around 40% in an hour). I did a 40 mile trip last weekend and ran out of juice in the last few miles. I might need to play with the settings or go into Eco mode to get more range. $500 for a range extender which I've heard doesn't give you 50% more range is a hard pill to swallow. I ordered a $350 Redshift suspension system (stem and seat post) ... I'll update with my thoughts on that later.


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Really good looking bike !

Definitely play with the settings on Mission Control. I'm your same age and probably a bit less in analog-bike shape (long hiatus for me riding analog) and I have found that I ride quite a bit with 0% assist on the SL and the bulk in ECO, which I have dialed down to 25-40% in Mission Control. Of course, I dial up to 100% assist quite regularly with San Francisco hills in every direction.

In Chicago flatlands, I'd bet you can increase your battery efficiency 20-30% with a little tweaking of Mission Control and experimentation in dialing in the amount of assist that works best for you. Plus, it's fun to try that, before springing for the extender.

For reference, my last 18-mile ride, where I used Turbo extensively (in 1300' of climbing) only clocked in at about 38% battery usage over 1.5 hours and an average of 66% assist.

 

[Copyrider]

I ordered a $350 Redshift suspension system (stem and seat post) ... I'll update with my thoughts on that later.


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[/QUOTE]
Sounds like a good setup. Looking forward to hearing how it works out. Cheers!

 

[David C]

Has anyone in their late 60’s thought the Vado SL needed to be just a little more upright and added a 3” stem extender? Did adding an extender help? I’m a long term Sirrus Sport rider and short term(1,300 miles) Como 4.0 rider.

 

[BEC111]

Has anyone in their late 60’s thought the Vado SL needed to be just a little more upright and added a 3” stem extender? Did adding an extender help? I’m a long term Sirrus Sport rider and short term(1,300 miles) Como 4.0 rider.

I’m over 70 and I am considering an extender if other simpler changes don’t further help with the effects of pressure on my wrists and hands from leaning over. In other words, I’m mostly comfortable with the position but am dealing with hand position and grip that are causing discomfort. I m looking at Ergo grips to see if they’ll help.

not a direct answer, but you are not alone in your concern.

 

[David C]

Will check those out thanks. Hoping the extender will put me half way between my Sirrus and Como in position.

 

[BEC111]

Out of curiosity, did you have a professional fitting or just the ”adjust the seat” typical of an LBS. I’m thinking that a fitting might be worth the cost rather than doing a bunch of trial and error testing of products that usually can’t be returned. It might ultimately be less expensive and time consuming.

Of course, spending time testing can be lots of fun.

 

[David C]

My LBS fitted me for my current Sirrus and Como. They have a medium Vado SL 4.0 coming in soon for a test ride. He has mentioned using a stem extender. Was wondering if anyone has tried that.

 

[BikeOn]

Copyrider - thanks for your informative posts on riding and equip strategies for the Vado SL. I got a 2021 5.0 EQ SL Vado yesterday and am truly looking forward to mastering the ride. Lived in SF in grad school and can visualize your rides I have a small size and we ordered a redshift shockstop seat post but after reading post here don't think it will work in my small. I emailed redshift for clarification. But I'll take a look at your kinekt as an alternative. Am also waiting on a Jones 2.5 high rise bar, and will get cables re-run. And the Shimano PD-EH500 SPD pedals. Are you still using the stock tires? I was planning to have them changed to 38 tubeless. Wondering if you have used tubeless and what your thoughts are. Please keep adding your posts they are very helpful.

 

[Billperry]

The motor would regularly pause and cut out on me while climbing, then kick in again. It didn't cause the bike to be jerky, but it was very disconcerting. I checked with the bike shop and they thought that I wasn't pedaling fast enough or hard enough and when that happens the motor will slow down or pause. Assuming this is true, I think this is a downside of the bike. None of the other levels did this (Eco and Sport were fine), just the Turbo mode. This aspect was very disappointing. I also have a Levo emtb and the motor does not do that. Has anyone else had that experience on the Vado SL?

Have you tried downshifting? My Como 5.0 seems to cycle in and out
when my cadence gets below 50 while going uphill. Problem disappears when I shift to lower gears.

 

[David C]

Had a Sunlite multi-fit threadless adjustable stem 1 1/8” put on my Sirrus today for a small upright adjustment which seemed to help and will do the same for Vado SL 4.0 when it gets in. LBS says the TCD wireless are sold out, maybe for the year and they are not even taking back orders for them(really liked knowing % of battery life left on the Como 4.0). Are the 10 bars of battery life fairly accurate?

 

[FlatSix911]

Looks like a great bike for fit riders looking for a low power/high range option.

Specialized's ultra-light, 120-mile range e-bike mixes fitness and transport

Specialized has just released the latest edition to its Turbo e-bike lineup, the Specialized Turbo Vado SL. With “SL” standing...

electrek.co

Specialized has just released the latest edition to its Turbo e-bike lineup, the Specialized Turbo Vado SL. With “SL” standing for Super Light, this is also one of the lightest e-bikes in Specialized’s lineup, weighing in at as little as 33 lb (14.9 kg).
The motor is designed to provide up to 200% of the rider’s pedaling output, and specific emphasis was placed on programming the motor and controller to feel as natural as possible when it rolls on the power.

The idea is to maintain the rider as the central unit of the bike and to keep the assist as just that — an assist system that doesn’t detract from the ride experience that cycling enthusiasts find so critical.

View attachment 52246

An internal 320Wh battery is designed to provide up to 80 miles (128 km) of range, at least when used in Eco Mode.

Higher-power modes will reduce that range a bit, though Specialized also offers a range extender battery that fits in one of two water bottle holders and can add another 40 miles (64 km) of range, bringing the total max range up to 120 miles (193 km). The Specialized Turbo Vado SL is available starting today from as low as $3,350.

Just posted on Electrek... another competitor to Specialized in the ultra-light eBike category at 11 kg (24.2 lb).

Superstrata releases world's first customized 3D-printed unibody carbon e-bike

We’ve seen carbon fiber e-bikes before, as well as custom bikes. And even 3D-printed bikes. But Silicon Valley startup Superstrata...

electrek.co

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Just posted on Electrek... another competitor to Specialized in the ultra-light eBike category at 11 kg (24.2 lb).

No motor brand specified?

 

[Copyrider]

Just posted on Electrek... another competitor to Specialized in the ultra-light eBike category at 11 kg (24.2 lb).

Superstrata releases world's first customized 3D-printed unibody carbon e-bike

We’ve seen carbon fiber e-bikes before, as well as custom bikes. And even 3D-printed bikes. But Silicon Valley startup Superstrata...

electrek.co

View attachment 58821

That looks awesome. Seems like they erred on the side of being lightweight as an analog bike, though:

The bike is pedal assist-only, and thus the base model comes with a 36V battery rated for 125Wh of capacity, though the company has confirmed that a larger 250Wh battery is coming soon. Superstrata claims a maximum range of up to 35 miles (56 km) in the lowest pedal assist mode on the entry-level battery; however, e-bike ranges are notoriously wide and affected by many variables.

From my own experience, on one of my best rides I was able to go around 25 miles on 90Wh of battery with my 250W pedal assist bike, though that was with a good amount of huffing and puffing on my side. So suffice to say that this range is possible, as long as you’re prepared to put in the work.

There's just not much range here, so the bike isn't as usable as an Ebike as the Vado SL.

 

[Copyrider]

Copyrider - thanks for your informative posts on riding and equip strategies for the Vado SL. I got a 2021 5.0 EQ SL Vado yesterday and am truly looking forward to mastering the ride. Lived in SF in grad school and can visualize your rides I have a small size and we ordered a redshift shockstop seat post but after reading post here don't think it will work in my small. I emailed redshift for clarification. But I'll take a look at your kinekt as an alternative. Am also waiting on a Jones 2.5 high rise bar, and will get cables re-run. And the Shimano PD-EH500 SPD pedals. Are you still using the stock tires? I was planning to have them changed to 38 tubeless. Wondering if you have used tubeless and what your thoughts are. Please keep adding your posts they are very helpful.

Why wouldn't your seat post work? If it's 27.2" it should fit just fine, unless you're concerned about the proper length. The Kinekt does offer some varying length options, if that's your issue. Of course, it's best to go with the shortest seat post that will work for you, for minor weight considerations.

And yes, I am still using the stock tires. I like them okay, except that I have to be extra careful around streetcar tracks now. I might be interested in a wider, more suited to on/off-road tire. These also seem to occasionally grab pebbles and send them rattling up through my front fender. No harm done or anything, but the noise is a little jarring when it happens.

 

[Deacon Blues]

The bike does look really cool, though.

 

[Copyrider]

The bike does look really cool, though.

It's also limited to 15.5 mph.

 

[FlatSix911]

That looks awesome. Seems like they erred on the side of being lightweight as an analog bike, though:

The bike is pedal assist-only, and thus the base model comes with a 36V battery rated for 125Wh of capacity, though the company has confirmed that a larger 250Wh battery is coming soon. Superstrata claims a maximum range of up to 35 miles (56 km) in the lowest pedal assist mode on the entry-level battery; however, e-bike ranges are notoriously wide and affected by many variables.

From my own experience, on one of my best rides I was able to go around 25 miles on 90Wh of battery with my 250W pedal assist bike, though that was with a good amount of huffing and puffing on my side. So suffice to say that this range is possible, as long as you’re prepared to put in the work.

There's just not much range here, so the bike isn't as usable as an Ebike as the Vado SL.

The new battery will have double the range as the base model... sounds like 70 miles/112 km in the lowest mode.

The bike is pedal assist-only, and thus the base model comes with a 36V battery rated for 125Wh of capacity, though the company has confirmed that a larger 250Wh battery is coming soon. Superstrata claims a maximum range of up to 35 miles (56 km) in the lowest pedal assist mode on the entry-level battery; however, e-bike ranges are notoriously wide and affected by many variables.

 

[FlatSix911]

It's also limited to 15.5 mph.

I think that is the maximum speed for the EU model... the US model should be rated to 20 mph.