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

[Stefan Mikes]

quick initially review of my new bike the Vado SL 4.0. I’m 38, 200 pounds, out of shape, haven’t been on a bike for about 5 years but used to ride a lot of XC style biking and this is my first electric bike. Did a round trip to work which was about a 40 min journey each way and my legs were wishing I had chosen the regular Vado as they felt like jello from being so out of shape but I’m sure within a week I’ll be ok. On flats With full turbo the bike rode with ease and I was getting up to 32km without much effort but once I got past that I had to put in a lot more effect to pass 32km due to the motor cutting off here in Canada. Going uphill I felt I was getting just enough assists to make it up long hill climbs without killing my out of shape self if I slow it down and got on the easier gears. I think with the regular Vado i would have been able to make it up the same hill At about the same time but with much less effort as I was definitely getting a work out. Also as a experiment I turned off power during my climb only to find myself almost coming to a dead stop as I was just too out of shape, I would have been able to do that same climb 5 years ago with a full suspension XC bike. I’ll have to do another review when I get into better shape in order to take full advantage of this bike as I think this bike is definitely more suited to someone who is already in decent shape.

As for the bike itself, i didn’t like the brakes as I was more used to Xtr or XT one finger braking, ride was harsh on bumpy roads and it did t help that was ass was hurting from not riding for so long, head Light is only there so that people can see you but too weak to light up the road enough at night, back light only Stays solid and doesn’t blink which means I’ll have to install one that does, everything else seems good So far.

Do you think installing the optional wireless TCD display is doable with the SL?

 

[Scott Adams]

As for the bike itself, i didn’t like the brakes as I was more used to Xtr or XT one finger braking, ride was harsh on bumpy roads and it did t help that was ass was hurting from not riding for so long, head Light is only there so that people can see you but too weak to light up the road enough at night, back light only Stays solid and doesn’t blink which means I’ll have to install one that does, everything else seems good So far.

thanks for sharing your experiences!

IIRC, the 5.0 version has a brighter light (though it might still not be up to our standards) as well as a "suspension" / flexi handlebar

in my opinion either model should be upgraded with a cirrus suspension seatpost to smooth the ride

the 5.0 also has dual piston brake calipers

hard to wrap your head around speccing a non-blinking taillight on any bike

 

[Jay12345]

Do you think installing the optional wireless TCD display is doable with the SL?

yep I’m sure it’s possible as there are models with that come with it in the US. I’ll most likely pick it up soon myself and will update you how it goes

 

[BEC111]

quick initially review of my new bike the Vado SL 4.0. I’m 38, 200 pounds, out of shape, haven’t been on a bike for about 5 years but used to ride a lot of XC style biking and this is my first electric bike. Did a round trip to work which was about a 40 min journey each way and my legs were wishing I had chosen the regular Vado as they felt like jello from being so out of shape but I’m sure within a week I’ll be ok. On flats With full turbo the bike rode with ease and I was getting up to 32km without much effort but once I got past that I had to put in a lot more effect to pass 32km due to the motor cutting off here in Canada. Going uphill I felt I was getting just enough assists to make it up long hill climbs without killing my out of shape self if I slow it down and got on the easier gears. I think with the regular Vado i would have been able to make it up the same hill At about the same time but with much less effort as I was definitely getting a work out. Also as a experiment I turned off power during my climb only to find myself almost coming to a dead stop as I was just too out of shape, I would have been able to do that same climb 5 years ago with a full suspension XC bike. I’ll have to do another review when I get into better shape in order to take full advantage of this bike as I think this bike is definitely more suited to someone who is already in decent shape.

As for the bike itself, i didn’t like the brakes as I was more used to Xtr or XT one finger braking, ride was harsh on bumpy roads and it didn’t help that my ass was hurting from not riding for so long, head Light is only there so that people can see you but too weak to light up the road enough at night, back light only Stays solid and doesn’t blink which means I’ll have to install one that does, everything else seems good So far.

Thanks for the review. I just ordered one today, it will be ready Wednesday, and you hit upon my main concerns.

My friend and I road our analog bikes about 8 miles to the dealer. I was therefore really warmed up and a bit tired so my legs were about right for evaluating an ebike on a long ride which is a main driver for going electric. On my test ride I liked the smooth assistance, but was concerned it might not fully do the job, but the Vado 4 was just too heavy for me to handle. The extra oomph would be nice, but the penalty doesn’t work for me.

 

[Jay12345]

is anyone familiar with the BLevo app, I was wondering if I could use that app to increase the top speed on my Canadian version Vado SL (20mph) to 28mph before the motor cuts off?

 

[Sierratim]

is anyone familiar with the BLevo app, I was wondering if I could use that app to increase the top speed on my Canadian version Vado SL (20mph) to 28mph before the motor cuts off?

The Blevo app is discussed in a couple of threads. Search for 'Blevo' and you'll find them.

Since top speed is a regulatory compliance issue I don't believe there's anyway for an app to access that.

 

[Deacon Blues]

The Planet3 looks very interesting!
Here's a video of the install:

Some of his side comments are quite humorous.

 

[FlatSix911]

Jay if you want to go faster than 32 km/hr. this will likely work. They don't list Vado SL for compatibility, but I'm guessing they will add it to the list soon. If you get this, would love to hear your experience with it.

E-Bike Derestriction Kits - PLANET3.Bike

planet3.bike

The Planet3 looks very interesting!
Here's a video of the install:

Some of his side comments are quite humorous.

Very interesting design to fool the speed sensor with a mechanical planetary gear set mounted on the rear hub.

It appears that the design works best for Ebikes with a hub/rotor mounted speed sensor... not a spoke/frame mount.

PS - love the comments in the video for us Yanks!

 

[Ebiker01]

Are you sure? Court's review indicates 240W nominal and peak and I thought that might be a typo but I've seen it indicated elsewhere that peak is 240W.

You'r right. I made wrong assumption thinking that is the Levo motor which has 240w nom. and 600w peak.
So, the Vado Sl unfortunetly only puts out 240w peak which is too low for my fast speeds passions. That's like riding in PAS 1 on my current ebike . Indeed the Sl is 2x lighter but someone may be very heavy or very light. The power should be there regardless if the ebike is much lighter.

I think only the Trek Domane +Hp is the true fast road/commuter ebike as of right now.
It takes rear rack, fenders, xtra battery. Still Vado SL has a good price and nice technology/warranty.

 

[FlatSix911]

As discussed in many other forums... you are better off comparing torque (Nm) than Watts (W) when comparing EBikes.

 

[Oberst]

I would say the Vado SL, like my Creo, is not a lesser e bike but a different e bike. I also have Vado and a Levo and they are all different tools for different jobs. The Creo is definitely fast but you ride it more like a regular bike and need to spin but in Turbo, I can climb up hills I struggled with on my non e bikes. The other key difference is torque. To get from my neighborhood to the bike paths in my town, you have to go down a short dirt trail that has a steep section. Coming home and going up it (on 28’s for tires) it is a challenge because my cadence gets slower picking my way up a dirt path than it would on pavement. My Vado and Levo go up it like Bigfoot doing some car crushing.

 

[opimax]

This bike may not be an “all arounder” . Test ride is the best answer IMHO..I live near a fairly and extremely smooth path. I am doing over 100 mile rides, if i can do qpsimilar witH this bike then it works for me for the trail but maybe not elsewhere.

also some younger legs and a lighter body may appreciate this more than mine...test ride s required

 

[Mulezen]

This seems similar...Belt rather than chain

Gogoro’s Eeyo 1 is the ‘sports car’ of e-bikes

Coming this summer from the company known for its slick e-scooters

www.theverge.com

 

[BEC111]

Thanks for the review. I just ordered one today, it will be ready Wednesday, and you hit upon my main concerns.

My friend and I road our analog bikes about 8 miles to the dealer. I was therefore really warmed up and a bit tired so my legs were about right for evaluating an ebike on a long ride which is a main driver for going electric. On my test ride I liked the smooth assistance, but was concerned it might not fully do the job, but the Vado 4 was just too heavy for me to handle. The extra oomph would be nice, but the penalty doesn’t work for me.

I picked up my new Vado 4 SL yesterday. The dealer had assembled it and fully charged the battery. They made a couple of adjustments to the seat height, tweaked the handlebars and most importantly, slid it into the back of my CRV. Got it home And out of the car very easily, demonstrating the advantage of the bike’s low weight.

I couldn’t wait or course and did a quick round-the-block lap to make sure everything was working. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Then things got a bit complicated. In order to setup Mission Control, I needed the PIN number which is found on the TCU which required use of a T10 Torx wrench, which I didn’t have. Fortunately, my cycling buddy did have one and we were able to remove the TCU, take a snapshot of the PIN and restore the TCU. And Mission Control synced and worked!

Then I let my friend go for a test ride. He’s somewhat younger and is a more experienced rider than me. He keeps me riding for longer distances, and he’s also much faster than me on our analog bikes, so he kindly goes more slowly for my benefit. He was overjoyed by the performance and had a lot of fun. Even with the bike seat being set much too low for him. He realized that he is going to have to up his game to keep up with me now.

He went home and I couldn’t resist going out for a short ride on the W&OD trail to which we’re adjacent. I have a 2 1/2 mile ride between my entry location and the next road crossing. I’ve been using this route for training, getting into shape for longer rides, and to keep moving when all I can spare is an hour (counting setup, safety check, ride and putting the bike and accessories away.

On my analog bike I average about 10 1/2 MPH, though there are a couple of stretches where I’ve been able to get up to 18 1/2 MPH for a short distance. (Slightly downhill, tree sheltered from the wind.) There are benches and picnic tables at the turn around location. I’ve been stopping there for about five minutes for water and a breather before heading back.

With the Vado SL, I averaged almost 14 MPH while expending comparatively little effort, and for the section where I can get the speed up, was going 24 MPH. I hit that speed with little more effort than I was expending while intentionally going slowly.

(The trail has been pretty busy, so we have to deal with lots of pedestrians, skaters and skate boarders. This appropriately limits speed.)

I did all of this using only abut 5% of the battery.

Of interest to me and perhaps you older men, the saddle was surprisingly comfortable. By looks, the saddle looked narrow and hard. In reality, it fit my butt great, was adequately cushioned and my crotch was happy too.

Now I have to wait for better weather to prove that my new quick ride will be much longer. Probably about 15 miles using the same self-imposed rule of needing a spot to sit, drink and stretch at the turn around.

More rides to come. Unlike last year, I intend to keep the pace up until it gets too cold in the fall.

 

[Chancelucky2]

This seems similar...Belt rather than chain

Gogoro’s Eeyo 1 is the ‘sports car’ of e-bikes

Coming this summer from the company known for its slick e-scooters

www.theverge.com

hub drive with 123 wh battery built into the hub. They're claiming a range of 55 miles in Eco. It'll be interesting to see how they got that much range out of a battery that small in a hub motor. There's no mention of gearing. It seems to be more or less the Copenhagen Wheel on a carbon fiber frame.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Congratulations, @BEC111! Many happy and safe miles!

In order to setup Mission Control, I needed the PIN number which is found on the TCU which required use of a T10 Torx wrench, which I didn’t have.

Strange but possible. My TCD-W display has just displayed the PIN during the pairing.

 

[BEC111]

Congratulations, @BEC111! Many happy and safe miles!



Strange but possible. My TCD-W display has just displayed the PIN during the pairing.

Interesting. Unfortunately, the Vado 4 SL doesn’t cone with the TCD. It even requires a mounting device. After reading all the comments on how hard it was to use, reset and so forth and then checking out the instruction sheet, I realized that even though I’m supposed to be a master of technology, I’d hate trying to figure it out. Also the LBS folks told me that most people use Mission Control on their phones. (I suspect part of the negative advice is because they didn’t have the TCD in stock.)

Mission Control will have to do for now.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Where is the TCU in your SL, exactly? The "heavy" Vados come with the wired TCD-W display. Now I can understand all SL e-bikes come without the wireless TCD display.

 

[FlatSix911]

This seems similar...Belt rather than chain

Gogoro’s Eeyo 1 is the ‘sports car’ of e-bikes

Coming this summer from the company known for its slick e-scooters

www.theverge.com

Here is another review of the same bike... a very cool design with a lightweight 26 lb frame, gates belt drive, and integrated battery in the rear hub. No seat tube!

Gogoro unveils 26 lb Eeyo 1 electric bike, shows off innovative new Smartwheel

If you’re already familiar with Gogoro, it’s probably from their hugely popular electric scooters and novel battery-swapping program. In their...

electrek.co

The new Eeyo line of electric bikes from Gogoro focuses on high tech and ultra-lightweight design, to the tune of just 26 lb (11.9 kg) per bike.

In a call with Electrek, Gogoro’s founder and CEO Horace Luke explained that the Eeyo e-bike is intended for e-bike commuters who want a quick, lightweight e-bike that offers a premium experience over other brands. There are many cargo, utility, and mountain e-bikes out there, and Gogoro decided to take their e-bike in a different direction, aiming for a premium ride experience with an ultralight design.This isn’t an e-bike that you wait for the elevator with at the train station. It’s 10 steps, you can just toss the Eeyo over your shoulder and jog up the stairs with it.

The word premium might be an understatement here. The Eeyo 1 features a carbon fiber frame and fork, while the Eeyo 1s also includes carbon fiber rims, seat post, and handlebar. Pretty much anything that can be made out of carbon fiber is made out of carbon fiber. The frame also uses a novel design that removes the typical seat tube. Other than the extra carbon and the paint color options, the two models are otherwise nearly identical.

Both feature a Gates carbon belt drive transmission with a torque sensor for ultra-smooth pedal assist as well as front disc brakes and rear V brakes. The inclusion of V-brakes on the rear struck me as a bit odd at first, but they make room for the biggest innovation of all: the Gogoro Eeyo Smartwheel. The Smartwheel hides the motor, battery, and controller in the hub of the rear wheel, giving the Gogoro Eeyo 1 its clean look. It offers Sport Mode and Eco Mode, and uses the bike’s torque sensor to provide more accurate power application based on the rider’s own power output. The motor propels the bike up to 19 mph in the US, or a slightly slower 25 km/h in the EU.

The battery is rather small compared to other e-bikes, at just 123Wh. But Gogoro claims that by designing the entire powertrain in-house, their system has been made efficient enough to reach as far as 40 miles (64 km) in Sport Mode or 55 miles (88 km) in Eco Mode. That range equates to an efficiency of around 3 Wh/mi — an efficiency that I have hit before on other e-bikes, and so this range is entirely possible with enough rider input — despite sounding fairly extreme.

 

[Sierratim]

Congratulations, @BEC111! Many happy and safe miles!



Strange but possible. My TCD-W display has just displayed the PIN during the pairing.

Ours displayed the PIN, briefly. Had to get a pad to write it down and start over. Can't remember harldy anything anymore...