Swapped out my 38T RaceFace chainring for a cheap 36T Amazon special (Snail?) giving me a low gear of 36T x 46T on my Vado SL 4.0. No need to shorten the chain so I can easily change back if required. The result is I can get up 18-25% hills easier and I've noticed the motor is both quieter and I'm getting more assistance then before due to my increased & easier cadence. As the original motor got replaced under warranty after 2 years use because my bike shop recognised it was worn inside, I think this should help the replacement motor last longer. Puts it under less strain. Especially important as I'm now a year out of warranty and do not fancy paying $$$$ for another motor. The arrival of third party companies who recondition motors is a great development, so that will be my first port of call if/when I next have any motor issues.
As I'd hoped I haven't noticed any problems in spinning out on the top gear 36T x 11T, because I mostly ride the hilly twisty backroads around me here on Dartmoor and I could count on one hand any long straight roads. I worked out that of the 6 or so roads that lead out of town, on 5 of them you hit hills of 15 to 20% almost immediately. If I can be disciplined enough to increase my fitness by riding regularly as we (thankfully) come out of Winter and head into Spring & Summer and then I find I am spinning out too much or don't need the extra low gear on hills, its an easy swap back to the 38T chainring. The original bike had 44T x 42T lowest gear so it's taken me a while to get the gearing low enough to where I think it's really good for the landscape here.
So an easy job with immediate benefits. Plus I realise I can accelerate out of stops quicker on the 36T which is handy. Definitely makes the Vado SL feel more lively, more MTB-like. The back roads and byways around here although mostly tarmac by this stage of the winter are covered in mud & gravel with massive potholes and the remains of floods from all the rain so I think I're really 'Dartmoorized' my bike to be the perfect tough and capable steed to cope here. And after 3 years it remains a joy to ride as I continue to explore all the beautiful, if challenging, lanes of Dartmoor.
As I'd hoped I haven't noticed any problems in spinning out on the top gear 36T x 11T, because I mostly ride the hilly twisty backroads around me here on Dartmoor and I could count on one hand any long straight roads. I worked out that of the 6 or so roads that lead out of town, on 5 of them you hit hills of 15 to 20% almost immediately. If I can be disciplined enough to increase my fitness by riding regularly as we (thankfully) come out of Winter and head into Spring & Summer and then I find I am spinning out too much or don't need the extra low gear on hills, its an easy swap back to the 38T chainring. The original bike had 44T x 42T lowest gear so it's taken me a while to get the gearing low enough to where I think it's really good for the landscape here.
So an easy job with immediate benefits. Plus I realise I can accelerate out of stops quicker on the 36T which is handy. Definitely makes the Vado SL feel more lively, more MTB-like. The back roads and byways around here although mostly tarmac by this stage of the winter are covered in mud & gravel with massive potholes and the remains of floods from all the rain so I think I're really 'Dartmoorized' my bike to be the perfect tough and capable steed to cope here. And after 3 years it remains a joy to ride as I continue to explore all the beautiful, if challenging, lanes of Dartmoor.
