Swapping 22T cog for 24T cog on Turbo Vado 5.0 IGH

[Nonlinear]

Hey all, so I finally placed on order for a 22T cog to replace the 24T cog on my 2022 Turbo Vado 5.0 IGH. In case it every helps anyone, I ordered part number CT1122VMN, and it was $95.95 USD shipped within the United States. I actually live in Canada, but couldn't easily locate one within Canada, so am having it delivered to the US where I'll be travelling soon.

I had a quick question about replacing the cog - when that is done, are there any settings in the TCU that need to be changed? Or can I simply install the cog, re-calibrate the Enviolo, and I'm good to go? It's my understanding that I can use the same belt as for the 24T cog, since there are dropouts to accommodate this.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Seventysomething]

I no longer have the bike, I changed to the 22t in 2023, I personally don’t know if I really liked the change, it did stop the ghost pedaling and yes lowers you cadence at the top end, which I seldom ever did. The flip side it also lowered my cadence at all speeds, putting more stress on the motor, and to me harder to cruise at a lower speeds and uphill. I didn’t update the bike, the guy that bought it did but haven’t heard anything. I think I would have gone back to the 24t if I still owned it, but it’s easy enough to change back, there was a lot more adjustment to the belt adjustment than I would have thought, if I remember correctly 8-10 turns…

 

[Nonlinear]

Thanks for your comments! It's interesting to hear you didn't like the change. These bikes initially shipped with 24T cogs, but sometime during 2022 they changed to 22T cogs, and have been shipping that way from Specialized ever since. I wonder if many others would prefer the 24T instead?

For me, I use the bike for commuting to work, so top speed is a concern for me. I frequently find myself at speeds where I can't pedal fast enough to keep up with the speed, so I'm hoping this will help in my case. I guess if I don't like the lowered cadence at all speeds, I can try adjusting it through the TCU.

Thanks!

 

[Chazmo]

These bikes initially shipped with 24T cogs, but sometime during 2022 they changed to 22T cogs, and have been shipping that way from Specialized ever since.

Just curious, but did they also always ship with 50T front chainrings (if that’s the right term for belt-driven)? I’m assuming yes...

What I really don’t understand here (forgive my ignorance) is why can’t the existing setup adjust the IGH to increase/decrease your cadence as you want it. I think it’s just because I don’t know much about the enviolo hub. In any case, it sounds interesting.

 

[Seventysomething]

You can adjust your cadence, but it’s not like a manual shift, it’s auto shift, changing the cadence in the TCU is not something you can do quickly , I did like the auto shift, for me it was for casual use, everyone has different needs

 

[Nonlinear]

Just curious, but did they also always ship with 50T front chainrings (if that’s the right term for belt-driven)? I’m assuming yes...

What I really don’t understand here (forgive my ignorance) is why can’t the existing setup adjust the IGH to increase/decrease your cadence as you want it. I think it’s just because I don’t know much about the enviolo hub. In any case, it sounds interesting.

That's a great question! When the bike was first released in 2022, it had a 24T sprocket and a 50T chainring (https://www.specialized.com/ca/en/turbo-vado-50-igh/p/199872?color=320715-199872). Currently, the bike has a 22T sprocket and a 50T chainring (https://www.specialized.com/ca/en/turbo-vado-50-igh/p/206155?color=348379-206155).

So Specialized apparently changed just the rear cog, leaving the chainring unchanged. In speaking with Specialized RiderCare in the US, they told me the switch from 24T to 22T was made sometime in 2022, but they didn't have good records of when the switch was made.

I wonder if the bike way always intended to have a 22T cog, but due to supply chain issues during the initial period of production, they had to use a 24T cog instead. This isn't based on any information from Specialized, but it would make sense given the timing...

 

[Chazmo]

You can adjust your cadence, but it’s not like a manual shift, it’s auto shift, changing the cadence in the TCU is not something you can do quickly , I did like the auto shift, for me it was for casual use, everyone has different needs

Yeah, I can see I’m an overt neophyte in this, 70something. I understand it’s auto-shifting, but shouldn’t the shift points be tuned to rider-specific cadence? I mean, isn’t that what a rider would want? If it can be done — but it’s difficult to do — well, shouldn’t a Specialized shop be able to do accommodate this? My read on this is that changing the gear ring would be an incomplete solution, but of course I have not experienced the ride... Again, sorry, and pardon my vast ignorance in auto-shifting IGH transmissions.

That's a great question! When the bike was first released in 2022, it had a 24T sprocket and a 50T chainring (https://www.specialized.com/ca/en/turbo-vado-50-igh/p/199872?color=320715-199872). Currently, the bike has a 22T sprocket and a 50T chainring (https://www.specialized.com/ca/en/turbo-vado-50-igh/p/206155?color=348379-206155).

So Specialized apparently changed just the rear cog, leaving the chainring unchanged. In speaking with Specialized RiderCare in the US, they told me the switch from 24T to 22T was made sometime in 2022, but they didn't have good records of when the switch was made.

I wonder if the bike way always intended to have a 22T cog, but due to supply chain issues during the initial period of production, they had to use a 24T cog instead. This isn't based on any information from Specialized, but it would make sense given the timing...

Sounds reasonable, Nonlinear, given the timeframe, but I would expect it’s also possible that they did something to/with the transmission too. I don’t know, I’m talking out my patootie. Thanks for bearing with me.