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

[Captain Slow]

Is it because there's drag or just that in comparison to the motor on the other settings that less motor power feels like drag?

It's the same motor as my Creo and a few times I've been in a hurry and forgotten to turn on the motor and the other day I was something like 5+ km's in before I noticed that the motor wasn't even on.

 

[Over50]

been riding my Vado SL 4 for about a week now and i am having a lot of trouble riding it on level 1 assist or no power as i am feeling a lot of drag on the drivetrain. Since this is my first ebike so i was wondering if this was normal? It got so bad at times that i hopped off my bike a few times just to check if my brakes were catching but my freespin seems to be fine.

The early release videos claim no drag.

@Jay12345 and @BEC111 : Can you tell us what frame size you purchased and your height? I ordered a medium but started having second thoughts that perhaps I should be on a large. I just noticed the size guide that Specialized has on their website is not updated for the Vado SL and it is for the Vado. And I based my decision on that errant size guide plus a comparison to my Allant. I'm 5'9". The Vado SL in medium is a bit taller (standover) than the Allant in medium but shorter is most other aspects: wheelbase, reach, chainstay ...

 

[Captain Slow]

I'm also 5' 9" and ordered a medium because that's the size I normally fit and there was nothing in the showroom at the time. It came and I just bought it.

Later I wondered if they gave me a small as it felt too small, but it is a medium. I also thought that maybe I should have gotten a large. I definitely feel like I'm more upright even compared to my Cervelo RS which is already an endurance geometry bike. I think I'm going to flip the stem upside down so I'm stretched a bit more. After that I'll decide if I want to get a slightly longer stem to get even more stretch.

 

[Deacon Blues]

been riding my Vado SL 4 for about a week now and i am having a lot of trouble riding it on level 1 assist or no power as i am feeling a lot of drag on the drivetrain. Since this is my first ebike so i was wondering if this was normal? It got so bad at times that i hopped off my bike a few times just to check if my brakes were catching but my freespin seems to be fine.

One way to find out for sure is to test ride another SL 4.0 or 5.0, to see if you notice the same amount of drag.

 

[jwehman]

I have been test riding the SL 5.0 non-EQ for the past couple of days. I borrowed/tested it out from the Specialized Experience Store in Boulder, CO. They are a top-notch, first-rate outfit, that's for sure.

Anyway - I've been impressed. I haven't owned an ebike before, but I will soon be changing my commute to something reasonable wrt bike commuting so I have been researching and now testing.

I tested the XL 5.0 SL. I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam and it fits me great. I have the seat post pretty high also.

Being *somewhat* active still, I appreciate the power-add of the SL motor. On the Vado (non SL), I felt like it provided too much "oomph". The SL feels just right for me. For example, I took it out on a gravel trail around here with good hills and was able to still get my heart rate up to near maximum, even on "turbo" mode. Though tbh, I did get some pretty high Strava segment leads...which I need to make sure I don't track the ebike rides on Strava.

I tested out the commute (~ 4 miles with a good mix of gravel, hills and bike path/pavement) and when I don't push it but simply ride the bike with assist, I can do that commute without getting tired or sweaty...which is my goal.

Overall, I really liked the mix of electric assist, good looks (not TOO ostentatious or ebike-y), and light(ish) weight.

I did notice on a couple of occasions this morning where the assist felt like it "cut out" 2x in a row back to back while riding. I was pedaling the whole time and could feel the power just disappear and come back. Weird. Hadn't experienced that the other couple of days I had ridden it. After that, it didn't happen again. So - I'll keep watching. I have to return it tomorrow after one more commute and then probably I'll end up getting it (have to decide between the non-EQ and EQ...I like the color of the non-EQ but would appreciate the extras of the EQ already on the bike...). It's a big investment for me so I want to make sure I do the research and choice properly.

 

[Jay12345]

The early release videos claim no drag.

@Jay12345 and @BEC111 : Can you tell us what frame size you purchased and your height? I ordered a medium but started having second thoughts that perhaps I should be on a large. I just noticed the size guide that Specialized has on their website is not updated for the Vado SL and it is for the Vado. And I based my decision on that errant size guide plus a comparison to my Allant. I'm 5'9". The Vado SL in medium is a bit taller (standover) than the Allant in medium but shorter is most other aspects: wheelbase, reach, chainstay ...

i'm 5'11 and ride a medium i have shorter legs i think so i went with that instead of the large just so i have enough clearance on the top tune when standing. i'll give it another shot tomorrow and try riding around without any power.

 

[BEC111]

The early release videos claim no drag.

@Jay12345 and @BEC111 : Can you tell us what frame size you purchased and your height? I ordered a medium but started having second thoughts that perhaps I should be on a large. I just noticed the size guide that Specialized has on their website is not updated for the Vado SL and it is for the Vado. And I based my decision on that errant size guide plus a comparison to my Allant. I'm 5'9". The Vado SL in medium is a bit taller (standover) than the Allant in medium but shorter is most other aspects: wheelbase, reach, chainstay ...

Mine’s a medium. Stand over height is close for me. My pants inseam is 29 or so. That should help you visualize.

 

[Mentat]

been riding my Vado SL 4 for about a week now and i am having a lot of trouble riding it on level 1 assist or no power as i am feeling a lot of drag on the drivetrain. Since this is my first ebike so i was wondering if this was normal? It got so bad at times that i hopped off my bike a few times just to check if my brakes were catching but my freespin seems to be fine.

I've been similar issues with mine. Noticed quite a drag when off-power. Let me know if find anything out.

 

[Over50]

I've been similar issues with mine. Noticed quite a drag when off-power. Let me know if find anything out.

If it is motor drag, then that will make for some blatant false advertising on the part of Specialized. Unless you interpret the snippet below to mean it is only drag-free at speed. And in @Court review at about 26:20 he rides w no power and on the lowest assist level and doesn't notice or at least doesn't mention any drag.

From @Court review:

 

[Mentat]

If it is motor drag, then that will make for some blatant false advertising on the part of Specialized. Unless you interpret the snippet below to mean it is only drag-free at speed. And in @Court review at about 26:20 he rides w no power and on the lowest assist level and doesn't notice or at least doesn't mention any drag.

Not an engineer by any stretch but, tbh -- could a mid-drive system even produce any type of drag? Unless I'm mistaken I would think that the motor is only there to assist the crank. A wonky hub-drive I could see slowing down the bike so... eh, perhaps my brakes were setup incorrectly -- will need to put some more miles on it -- only have 30 or so atm...

 

[Captain Slow]

Not an engineer by any stretch but, tbh -- could a mid-drive system even produce any type of drag? Unless I'm mistaken I would think that the motor is only there to assist the crank. A wonky hub-drive I could see slowing down the bike so... eh, perhaps my brakes were setup incorrectly -- will need to put some more miles on it -- only have 30 or so atm...

Not an engineer either, but I think it could. I can see that since the motor is connected to the cranks that if off it's possible for it to have some "resistance" to overcome when you're pedaling and it's off.

But having said that, I still don't think there is drag. A friend of mine has two electric bikes and when he has it on the lowest setting he's wondered if the system is on because the assist is much less than the next level. He turned it off and found out indeed it was on at the lower level it was just so much less than he was used to that he thought it wasn't on or a drag on the system.

As I said, I have the same motor on my Creo. I haven't noticed any drag and at times I've even forgotten to turn the motor on and it's taken several kilometres for me to even notice. I do normally ride at a fairly minimal assistance though, which is probably why sometimes I can't tell that I've forgotten to turn on the motor.

 

[Mentat]

Not an engineer either, but I think it could. I can see that since the motor is connected to the cranks that if off it's possible for it to have some "resistance" to overcome when you're pedaling and it's off.

But having said that, I still don't think there is drag. A friend of mine has two electric bikes and when he has it on the lowest setting he's wondered if the system is on because the assist is much less than the next level. He turned it off and found out indeed it was on at the lower level it was just so much less than he was used to that he thought it wasn't on or a drag on the system.

As I said, I have the same motor on my Creo. I haven't noticed any drag and at times I've even forgotten to turn the motor on and it's taken several kilometres for me to even notice. I do normally ride at a fairly minimal assistance though, which is probably why sometimes I can't tell that I've forgotten to turn on the motor.

Thanks for the reply. Interesting. For me, it does occur when I'm rolling and I halt cadence -- the power cuts out followed by a discernible drag-like sensation. @Jay12345 is that what you're getting?

 

[Captain Slow]

I'm not sure I understand. You're saying when you halt cadence there is drag? But it is a mid-drive, so the only want there can be drag is if you're pedaling. There's no way for a mid-drive motor to have drag if you're just coasting.

But maybe I'm misunderstanding what you wrote. Are you saying you pedal, halt cadence and start pedaling again and feel drag?

 

[Mentat]

I'm not sure I understand. You're saying when you halt cadence there is drag? But it is a mid-drive, so the only want there can be drag is if you're pedaling. There's no way for a mid-drive motor to have drag if you're just coasting.

But maybe I'm misunderstanding what you wrote. Are you saying you pedal, halt cadence and start pedaling again and feel drag?

Correct. Immediately after halting cadence when power shuts off(coasting) I feel a slight drag on the bike. It's odd. Will hopefully get a chance to ride tonight depending on city curfew. Any ideas to troubleshoot it?

Thanks much @Captain Slow

 

[Scott Adams]

Rob at emtb posted a video today showing how to remove the battery from a Levo SL. Most likely the same or similar process would apply to the Vado SL and perhaps even the Creo SL.

Many on this forum don't do their own wrenching and others wouldn't want to void the warranty, but it might interest some people who think they will be flying with their SL bike.

 

[Captain Slow]

Well for a mid-drive if you stop pedaling, it can't be drag. The wheels are not going to be affected by the motor when you're coasting. I'm curious did you check your brakes to see if they're rubbing at all? I'm wondering if there's something else that could be impeding the wheels in any way.

fwiw - it sounds just like a loss of power so it feels like drag.

 

[FlatSix911]

Rob at emtb posted a video today showing how to remove the battery from a Levo SL. Most likely the same or similar process would apply to the Vado SL and perhaps even the Creo SL.

Many on this forum don't do their own wrenching and others wouldn't want to void the warranty, but it might interest some people who think they will be flying with their SL bike.

Based on the video... I would hope to never have to remove the battery for service!

 

[Captain Slow]

Agreed, I'm never removing the battery on my own after watching that! Would be better off just renting a bike wherever you're going.

 

[Mentat]

fwiw - it sounds just like a loss of power so it feels like drag.

Certainly possible that it's just my perception. Does not appear that the brake rotors are rubbing but I'll get that confirmed at some point. Thanks much for your thoughts -- appreciate it.

 

[Deacon Blues]

To find out if the brakes are dragging put the bike upside down on the ground and spin the wheels. Do they seem to turn freely? Apply the brakes a few times and see if they'll still spin freely. If they do, it's not the brakes.