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

[Rás Cnoic]

1st Ride Vado Sl 4 unequipped
Hi all. Took the plunge and bought a vado sl. Did my first ever e bike ride on it yesterday. Forgot about turning on Mission Control, good start. Did the short loop me and my boy did all summer in lockdown. Haven’t been cycling for about a month so could feel I wasn’t in any shape, plus weather in mid Oct, colder and wetter then summer. Felt a bit unsettled by both of these & nervous about the e bike. Anyway - that loop has a huge hill. It’s long and unforgiving, very steep in parts. We live in a very hilly part of England on Dartmoor. Normally, in granny gear, we’d both need to stop 4 times over the hill’s rolling length. These stopping places became set targets to get to, before a literal collapse in my case, panting and occasionally seeing stars! Further on there is another steep but shorter hill, at this one we’d stop 2 times depending on how pissed off we were! All this in about 4 or 5 miles of cycling. This is the main reason I got an e bike - beyond this circle of hills there are several fairly flatter routes, including 20 mile long cycle paths and old bridleways across the moor. But towards August (and during a few weeks of rain) I began to find it daunting facing the hills and the pain and began to make excuses not to ride, or would take bike in car to flatter regions, which takes more planning & time so ended up not riding much at all.

Anyway today on the Vado SL I didn’t stop once on either hill. That is amazing, but actually at the time, I was a bit confused, having read all the glowing reviews of e bikes and the magical ease of climbing, I found myself playing around with both gears and assist levels trying to find the right combo and feeling out of breath and in the wrong rhythm. It wasn’t easy. Early on, in sport mode - middle setting -and in a high gear I was spinning too fast, or it was too hard on lower gears but then hitting the steep slopes I finally settled on my 42 at back and gave in, hitting turbo mode- I was a little disappointed I had to use turbo and the granny gear equiv, and it’s clear it’s going to take some getting use to the combinations of gears and assist levels and also speed of pedalling to feel comfortable.

I know I can adjust assist levels in MC and no doubt I will, but think I need to get a real feel for what each combo does first otherwise unlimited MC options will just confuse further.

Anyway I did the short hilly loop without stopping once. That is remarkable. And being out of breath is good, I’m working and pushing but am amazed I didn’t have to stop. Will try even steeper hills next to see if they are doable. Used 2 bars over the 8 miles with 700 feet of climbing - turbo on hills, sport on lower slopes, eco or nothing on the rest but all very random and confused for now. I expected the battery to take a wallop on these hills. I should be able to get over the hills and do 20 to 30 miles or more on the flat leaving enough battery for the last few miles and reverse side of hills to get home. Lets see.

Other thoughts; I’m 5’9”, 50 and overweight. Been cycling all my life, bmx and mountain bikes early 80s onwards, couple of years as a roadie then back to mtb and commuting and very little last ten years as life took front of stage. The kids got me back into it, helping them learn and in process rediscovering my joy. At 5’9” turns out I’m in between M and L sizes. Went for M - and the shop was sold out of Ls anyway so after test ride it didn’t feel cramped so went for it. If I’d had waited for L, I’ll be waiting until I get old I think with such a rush on bikes of all kinds.

On my ordinary bike, my much loved steel, Genesis Croix De Fer I swapped out the drops for high rise stem (nice Ritchey 31 degree) and a pair of swept back bars. These give me 3 or 4 different hand positions with the (non indexed) gear shifters at bar ends cyclocross style and claris flat bar brake levers. I have a bad back or rather I could have, from old racing injury if I’m not sensible and found I was never down on the drops. With the sweeps I can climb with hands either side of stem or on the curves, equating to riding on the hoods and on fast potholed or gravel descents the wide grip part is kind to my wrists as my hands & joints are more vertical if that makes sense. For gearing comparison, Vado SL; 44 front ring & 42 rear versus 34 front and 40 rear on the Genesis and yet I’m stopping on the steep slopes on the Genesis. As I get used to the SL I might consider a smaller chainring, if I feel I need it.

With the SL, as expected I do feel too hunched over the lower positioned bars and the bars are a bit one note/one position, I’m missing all the hand positions but especially the upright Dutch style when hands are on the grips and back straight. Often on flats, I sit well back watching the countryside, fingers just hooked around the bar end shifters, often whistling, like an elegant Dutch lady heading to market. It’s a really comfortable cockpit and as I’m only racing against myself, I’m happy to be upright and comfortable. So I think I’m going to have to see how I can replicate this set up. It’s tricky with hydro cables not cheap to lengthen them & the front light fitting connected to existing stem is a pain and I have severe reluctance to spend any more of my kids dinner money on toys for this bike. Which has cost me about 4 times more then any bike I’ve ever owned.

It does feel sluggish and heavy both on corners and generally with assist off will need a few more rides to see how I feel about this. It is only about four or five pounds heavier then my steel Croix de fer but definitely isn’t as responsive - that bike seems to leap forward at every command and is a joy to ride. I’m going to do longer rides over the coming days. The aim is to keep cycling through the winter. Biggest winter problem here is the short days and unremitting rain. We get so much rain here oh my god, but can still get out all winter unlike more frozen places. As the legendary Irish cyclist Sean Kelly said “To know if the weather’s too bad for training, put on your gear, go training, then you’ll know when you get back” : )

 

[BikeOn]

found out how to turn the lights off and yes I did read the part about turning off the bike before charging. Looks like the lights turn on and stay on whenever you plug in the bike even when the bike is turned off, what I had to do to turn the lights off was to push the power button after plugging in.

Thank you so much for sharing this! Even my specialized shop did not know how to do it. I was on a recent camping trip, and the tenters next to me did not deserve to have a light blasting them, and I like to charge will driving with it mounted on my rack. The best I could do was make covers out of cut up soda cans. Knowing how to turn it off is a huge help! Thanks again.

 

[Copyrider]

1st Ride Vado Sl 4 unequipped
Hi all. Took the plunge and bought a vado sl. Did my first ever e bike ride on it yesterday. Forgot about turning on Mission Control, good start. Did the short loop me and my boy did all summer in lockdown. Haven’t been cycling for about a month so could feel I wasn’t in any shape, plus weather in mid Oct, colder and wetter then summer. Felt a bit unsettled by both of these & nervous about the e bike. Anyway - that loop has a huge hill. It’s long and unforgiving, very steep in parts. We live in a very hilly part of England on Dartmoor. Normally, in granny gear, we’d both need to stop 4 times over the hill’s rolling length. These stopping places became set targets to get to, before a literal collapse in my case, panting and occasionally seeing stars! Further on there is another steep but shorter hill, at this one we’d stop 2 times depending on how pissed off we were! All this in about 4 or 5 miles of cycling. This is the main reason I got an e bike - beyond this circle of hills there are several fairly flatter routes, including 20 mile long cycle paths and old bridleways across the moor. But towards August (and during a few weeks of rain) I began to find it daunting facing the hills and the pain and began to make excuses not to ride, or would take bike in car to flatter regions, which takes more planning & time so ended up not riding much at all.

Anyway today on the Vado SL I didn’t stop once on either hill. That is amazing, but actually at the time, I was a bit confused, having read all the glowing reviews of e bikes and the magical ease of climbing, I found myself playing around with both gears and assist levels trying to find the right combo and feeling out of breath and in the wrong rhythm. It wasn’t easy. Early on, in sport mode - middle setting -and in a high gear I was spinning too fast, or it was too hard on lower gears but then hitting the steep slopes I finally settled on my 42 at back and gave in, hitting turbo mode- I was a little disappointed I had to use turbo and the granny gear equiv, and it’s clear it’s going to take some getting use to the combinations of gears and assist levels and also speed of pedalling to feel comfortable.

I know I can adjust assist levels in MC and no doubt I will, but think I need to get a real feel for what each combo does first otherwise unlimited MC options will just confuse further.

Anyway I did the short hilly loop without stopping once. That is remarkable. And being out of breath is good, I’m working and pushing but am amazed I didn’t have to stop. Will try even steeper hills next to see if they are doable. Used 2 bars over the 8 miles with 700 feet of climbing - turbo on hills, sport on lower slopes, eco or nothing on the rest but all very random and confused for now. I expected the battery to take a wallop on these hills. I should be able to get over the hills and do 20 to 30 miles or more on the flat leaving enough battery for the last few miles and reverse side of hills to get home. Lets see.

Other thoughts; I’m 5’9”, 50 and overweight. Been cycling all my life, bmx and mountain bikes early 80s onwards, couple of years as a roadie then back to mtb and commuting and very little last ten years as life took front of stage. The kids got me back into it, helping them learn and in process rediscovering my joy. At 5’9” turns out I’m in between M and L sizes. Went for M - and the shop was sold out of Ls anyway so after test ride it didn’t feel cramped so went for it. If I’d had waited for L, I’ll be waiting until I get old I think with such a rush on bikes of all kinds.

On my ordinary bike, my much loved steel, Genesis Croix De Fer I swapped out the drops for high rise stem (nice Ritchey 31 degree) and a pair of swept back bars. These give me 3 or 4 different hand positions with the (non indexed) gear shifters at bar ends cyclocross style and claris flat bar brake levers. I have a bad back or rather I could have, from old racing injury if I’m not sensible and found I was never down on the drops. With the sweeps I can climb with hands either side of stem or on the curves, equating to riding on the hoods and on fast potholed or gravel descents the wide grip part is kind to my wrists as my hands & joints are more vertical if that makes sense. For gearing comparison, Vado SL; 44 front ring & 42 rear versus 34 front and 40 rear on the Genesis and yet I’m stopping on the steep slopes on the Genesis. As I get used to the SL I might consider a smaller chainring, if I feel I need it.

With the SL, as expected I do feel too hunched over the lower positioned bars and the bars are a bit one note/one position, I’m missing all the hand positions but especially the upright Dutch style when hands are on the grips and back straight. Often on flats, I sit well back watching the countryside, fingers just hooked around the bar end shifters, often whistling, like an elegant Dutch lady heading to market. It’s a really comfortable cockpit and as I’m only racing against myself, I’m happy to be upright and comfortable. So I think I’m going to have to see how I can replicate this set up. It’s tricky with hydro cables not cheap to lengthen them & the front light fitting connected to existing stem is a pain and I have severe reluctance to spend any more of my kids dinner money on toys for this bike. Which has cost me about 4 times more then any bike I’ve ever owned.

It does feel sluggish and heavy both on corners and generally with assist off will need a few more rides to see how I feel about this. It is only about four or five pounds heavier then my steel Croix de fer but definitely isn’t as responsive - that bike seems to leap forward at every command and is a joy to ride. I’m going to do longer rides over the coming days. The aim is to keep cycling through the winter. Biggest winter problem here is the short days and unremitting rain. We get so much rain here oh my god, but can still get out all winter unlike more frozen places. As the legendary Irish cyclist Sean Kelly said “To know if the weather’s too bad for training, put on your gear, go training, then you’ll know when you get back” : )

There's definitely a learning curve involved in climbing hills with these "properly assisted" bikes. Anyone who's ridden an unassisted bike will likely have the inclination to muscle over the hill by torque. Conversely, an ebike like a regular Vado (with gobs of assist) begs you to crank it to the highest mid-level gear you can muster and let the bike do most of the work.

The Vado SL is in-between. As you note, you still have to work on the steepest hills. But there's a bit more cycling technique involved in the SL. You'll get a feel for your climbing configuration in pretty short order, and be able to find your gear in advance of the hill and pedal more effectively. In (admittedly overly) simple terms, as I've stated before, cadence seems to be the dominant force in an SL's climbing performance, rather than torque.

So, resist the urge to push harder on the pedals and instead, gear to a comfortable setting where you can keep a steady, even cadence and keep your butt in the saddle. That will yield the most efficient assist response in climbing... at least that has been my finding in hilly San Francisco.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

There's definitely a learning curve involved in climbing hills with these "properly assisted" bikes. Anyone who's ridden an unassisted bike will likely have the inclination to muscle over the hill by torque. Conversely, an ebike like a regular Vado (with gobs of assist) begs you to crank it to the highest mid-level gear you can muster and let the bike do most of the work.

The Vado SL is in-between. As you note, you still have to work on the steepest hills. But there's a bit more cycling technique involved in the SL. You'll get a feel for your climbing configuration in pretty short order, and be able to find your gear in advance of the hill and pedal more effectively. In (admittedly overly) simple terms, as I've stated before, cadence seems to be the dominant force in an SL's climbing performance, rather than torque.

So, resist the urge to push harder on the pedals and instead, gear to a comfortable setting where you can keep a steady, even cadence and keep your butt in the saddle. That will yield the most efficient assist response in climbing... at least that has been my finding in hilly San Francisco.

Thanks for that Copyrider. I'd read with interest your San Francisco hills account & the SL, very very helpful. So that was in my head when I started riding. But it's one thing knowing the theory, another when I turn a corner and see the potholed wall ahead... I've now done a few more (hilly) rides and am getting the hang. I had to stop on one where I misjudged the steepness and length on a very twisty climb. But it's a road I've never ridden up (never dared attempt it) on my ordinary bike and tried it on a whim and ran out of gears, assist and breathing(!) so had to stop. But other then that one I've been able to get up the rest of the hills I attempt. And that is a real victory. Makes me feel lightheaded. As you say it's keeping a comfortable cadence. On the really steep parts where I'm already in granny gear and with only turbo left as an option I occasionally misjudge it and am totally out of breath by the top. But climbs I did on my first ride in turbo I now do on the middle setting, so with time, and increased aerobic fitness I should be able to judge assist and speed better & keep it comfortable.

The bike still feels stiff and a bit clunky but I'm getting used to it and pushing it more. It's great. The one aspect I haven't got to try is straight, level road speed in turbo, because I haven't gone on any straight level roads yet. As there aren't any within my local 6 -8 mile loops! The only flat ground in my town is the cricket pitch which, I guess was bulldozed flat when built long ago! Next weekend I have time to do a longer spin and will hit the cycle trails beyond my local hills. One thought on that- I never considered speed when I got interested in e bikes. Mostly because of the hills. Even downhill you have to guard the brakes as they are so technical, narrow and blind, cars or worse, amazon delivery vans with the drivers on bare minimum wage and paid per delivery can suddenly appear on bends and the lanes are only car width, often with granite walls or sunken lanes and nowhere to escape. I didn't know about the 15mph limitations versus 28mph? in US until I saw the Court video of him trying out a yellow vado on a Specialised Demo day in California, and the speeds he was getting on the main roads. Wow. That looks a lot of fun. I'd never felt in my lifetime on ordinary bikes that I needed to go faster, or rather, needed an assist but that e bike speed looks interesting and it was a lightbulb moment as to why for commuting, powerful e bikes make a lot of sense.

It also shows that arguments about e bike or natural bike, or between which types of e bikes is just pointless. It's completely horses for courses, with terrain, age, fitness, weight and type of riding all factors. Ride what you like. Personally I'd now love to try the powerful Vado's or Treks or those cool looking Moustache bikes, but will also still ride on my steel framed Croix De Fer some days too. It's all fun.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is doable for you to ride a 45 km/h (28 mph) e-bike in England but after a lot formalities to be fulfilled, and there are not too many e-bikes in this class in Europe @Rás Cnoic. Ask me if you need.

 

[kmccune]

Interesting,I just found this thread,I consider a 55# EBike lightweight( my "cruiser" is an 82# monster even though it is fairly comfortable its beginning to dawn on me , maybe this bike isn't the best for these steep hills and rough as cob roads( full of "anklebreakers") one thing about these really light EBikes there are friction drive strap on units one could add if greater "Hillability" is desired,I consider a gearset too low if a Chap pushing a standard bike passes you whilst you are pedaling( it amazes me the balance some of these riders have).

 

[kmccune]

In complete agreement with Dunbar. Suspension seat post is the way to go.
When I first got my 2018 Vado 6.0 I thought the ride was going to shake me apart.
Got the Cirrus Kinect and it made a HUGE difference. No bumps now!
Other members have Thudbusters and Suntours.

Ah, ha! Going to check into that , my sore neck thanks you!

 

[Rás Cnoic]

It is doable for you to ride a 45 km/h (28 mph) e-bike in England but after a lot formalities to be fulfilled, and there are not too many e-bikes in this class in Europe @Rás Cnoic. Ask me if you need.

Thanks Stefan - I still feel immense guilt over buying the SL. It has opened my eyes to the e bike world, so in the futures who knows? Maybe I'll buy the right lottery ticket...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thanks Stefan - I still feel immense guilt over buying the SL. It has opened my eyes to the e bike world, so in the futures who knows? Maybe I'll buy the right lottery ticket...

The SL wouldn't be good for me (my health requires a lot of assistance). Still, the SL is a great e-bike. Ride it a lot. Your shape might improve over the time and then it would be me who is jealous about your SL Honestly, I'd like to own such a lightweight e-bike...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Rás Cnoic: One story might cheer you up. I was cycling in Jizera Mts on the Polish-Czech frontier together with my strong brother last Summer. I was riding the "heavy" Vado 5.0 because I had two batteries for it (for the range), and he rode my Giant Trance E+, an e-MTB because of the single and smaller battery. My brother was so strong he had to use a little bit more of assistance at a very steep climb. Besides, the e-MTB has had proper gearing for mountain rides. He climbed the hill easily. I had to downshift to the granny gear, apply the 320% Turbo with 520 Wh max power and made the hill with a big difficulty. A roadie who cycled with us had to walk his bike...

The roadie after having had his bike walked up for a while. Can you see the effort on his face? Mind you, my brother and me completed the climb before him!

 

[Copyrider]

Thanks for that Copyrider. I'd read with interest your San Francisco hills account & the SL, very very helpful. So that was in my head when I started riding. But it's one thing knowing the theory, another when I turn a corner and see the potholed wall ahead... I've now done a few more (hilly) rides and am getting the hang. I had to stop on one where I misjudged the steepness and length on a very twisty climb. But it's a road I've never ridden up (never dared attempt it) on my ordinary bike and tried it on a whim and ran out of gears, assist and breathing(!) so had to stop. But other then that one I've been able to get up the rest of the hills I attempt. And that is a real victory. Makes me feel lightheaded. As you say it's keeping a comfortable cadence. On the really steep parts where I'm already in granny gear and with only turbo left as an option I occasionally misjudge it and am totally out of breath by the top. But climbs I did on my first ride in turbo I now do on the middle setting, so with time, and increased aerobic fitness I should be able to judge assist and speed better & keep it comfortable.

The bike still feels stiff and a bit clunky but I'm getting used to it and pushing it more. It's great. The one aspect I haven't got to try is straight, level road speed in turbo, because I haven't gone on any straight level roads yet. As there aren't any within my local 6 -8 mile loops! The only flat ground in my town is the cricket pitch which, I guess was bulldozed flat when built long ago! Next weekend I have time to do a longer spin and will hit the cycle trails beyond my local hills. One thought on that- I never considered speed when I got interested in e bikes. Mostly because of the hills. Even downhill you have to guard the brakes as they are so technical, narrow and blind, cars or worse, amazon delivery vans with the drivers on bare minimum wage and paid per delivery can suddenly appear on bends and the lanes are only car width, often with granite walls or sunken lanes and nowhere to escape. I didn't know about the 15mph limitations versus 28mph? in US until I saw the Court video of him trying out a yellow vado on a Specialised Demo day in California, and the speeds he was getting on the main roads. Wow. That looks a lot of fun. I'd never felt in my lifetime on ordinary bikes that I needed to go faster, or rather, needed an assist but that e bike speed looks interesting and it was a lightbulb moment as to why for commuting, powerful e bikes make a lot of sense.

It also shows that arguments about e bike or natural bike, or between which types of e bikes is just pointless. It's completely horses for courses, with terrain, age, fitness, weight and type of riding all factors. Ride what you like. Personally I'd now love to try the powerful Vado's or Treks or those cool looking Moustache bikes, but will also still ride on my steel framed Croix De Fer some days too. It's all fun.

Sounds like you have it well figured out. Nice SL, by the way. Very sleek in matte black!

My entire city is 7 miles x 7 miles, so as you might imagine, plenty of hills within my 6-8 mile loops as well... Funny, I've been climbing a couple of SF's 20%+ grades (very hard work) and with most of the weight on the back wheel, it's so steep the front comes up a little and there's a surge of power that *almost* induces a wheelie (if not for the cadence/torque sensors cutting power when they notice it happening). Now that's a steep climb! LOL.

As to the speed on flats, a regular Vado goes like a racehorse. It's actually quite easy to maintain 28mph on the flats, and a few mph more if you're really working.

I don't have a speedo on my SL, but have checked my speed a couple of times for reference. I'm working a a bit harder to maintain 28mph, and am pretty much capped there. Sweet spot for the SL on the flats for me seems more in the 25-26 mph range.

I should note that I had a nice, 3-point firmware update on my old Vado right before it was stolen. That made the bike noticeably faster (and much more power-hungry). I loved the performance, but it seemed a little over-boosted at the time.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It's actually quite easy to maintain 28mph on the flats

Perhaps for you! I can maintain 23-24 mph on my Vado S-Pedelec.
P.S. @Rás Cnoic is from England. Don't talk 28 mph because it can upset him... (The only Specialized e-bike available in Europe that is 28 mph capable is the Vado 6.0).

 

[Copyrider]

Perhaps for you!

Fair--I should have probably said, "28mph indicated" on the TCD and with my firmware updates.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I edited my post.
The rider has to be really strong to keep at 28 mph even if the bike allows it. My brother can, provided it is a downwind ride.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

@Rás Cnoic: One story might cheer you up. I was cycling in Jizera Mts on the Polish-Czech frontier together with my strong brother last Summer. I was riding the "heavy" Vado 5.0 because I had two batteries for it (for the range), and he rode my Giant Trance E+, an e-MTB because of the single and smaller battery. My brother was so strong he had to use a little bit more of assistance at a very steep climb. Besides, the e-MTB has had proper gearing for mountain rides. He climbed the hill easily. I had to downshift to the granny gear, apply the 320% Turbo with 520 Wh max power and made the hill with a big difficulty. A roadie who cycled with us had to walk his bike...

View attachment 69127
The roadie after having had his bike walked up for a while. Can you see the effort on his face? Mind you, my brother and me completed the climb before him!

Well I guess I was like that roadie a couple of months back - was climbing the hill into town, a brutal one cut out from cliffs of granite. Anyway I was on my normal bike with my 12yo son on his, both in granny gear and both really suffering. we'd stopped once already and I was now determined to get to the top even if it killed me. On my last legs I heard this growing whirr-whirr, whirr-whirr, coming from behind me- and this little old lady zoomed past me on her e bike! Effortlessly, so I reckon she was well used to the hill and plus was keeping her cadence high. I didn't resent her passing me, I was more marvelling at her ease. I moved here about 16 years ago and back then I rarely saw anyone cycling, because of the hills I guess, just the odd touring bike or roadies on long weekend spins. Now there are several e bike owners locally, plus loads more tourists passing through, and locally it seems mostly older folk who e bike all over doing the shopping in town, living in small hamlets a few miles out from town on the moor or heading to their allotments (gardens). It's lovely to see. A real revolution.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

On my last legs I heard this growing whirr-whirr, whirr-whirr, coming from behind me- and this little old lady zoomed past me on her e bike!

Just fancy the shock of the locals at the bottom of extremely steep road near to Kraków who could see me riding up the hill like a rocket on my Trance E+

-- Hey, this guy is crazy! He wants to make that hill!
-- Look! He's making it!
-- A real Cossack of him!


Nobody even tries to cycle up there. I admit I fell on the grass at the hill-top and was breathing heavily but the SyncDrive Pro and the 36-51 gearing made that possible for me, an elderly, ill person...

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Fair--I should have probably said, "28mph indicated" on the TCD and with my firmware updates.

I think I'll only resent the lower 15.5mile limit if I find on flats or straight downhills that I'm hitting the limit and it is spoiling my fun! I won't be using the SL for commuting so it's for exercise and fun really. But I am hoping over winter to go on some big adventures - have invested in plenty of wet weather gear so I have zero excuses not to ride. I picked the matt black as I liked how mean it looked(!) plus the Specialized logo is discreet, that appealed to me. I like Specialised, my boy is riding my Ritchey steel 1997 rockhopper, but the bike cost so much I didn't want it to scream 'expensive'.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Have you tried riding past the speed restrictor, Rás?

 

[kmccune]

ahem, sometimes its best to reconsider whom is the stronger sex,I have been around some absolutely amazing woman and some disappointing Guys( come on, you had to let me beat you at that) I guess its good to keep people guessing, the one thing I have realized if you are uncoordinated everything is harder- when you train its also your nervous system as well,I was thirteen years old before I could ride a bike,I could balance , my legs wouldn't go, don't ask me why, still cannot swim properly( don't float worth a darn- can go a little farther then my first breath will take me, after that I cannot breath till I get out of the water) So I stay out of the drink, and get on my Bike and put out my few watts worth.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Have you tried riding past the speed restrictor, Rás?

No, not yet. I have been turning it off on top of hills and they are steep and twisty going down so I'm not pedalling much at all. Next weekend there is a long 20k bike trail - a rail trail as I've heard them called on these forums, in Uk they are generally just cycle paths. Anyway same idea, it's an old railway bed and is very straight. Has a slight drop heading one way and so I'll bomb along it and see what it's like past 15.5miles, if I hit that speed. I don't have a display and usually keep phone in pocket but I do have an all weather phone mount for the bars so i might attach that and have Mission Control on.