Tuning Vado SL with Mission Control app

[richiebike]

Ok, here's my experience. I have a Turbo Vado 4.0 Step Through. Not an SL, but the principles will be the same. My first ride the settings were, ECO Support 35, Peak Power 100; SPORT Support 35, Peak Power 100; TURBO Support 35, Peak Power 100. I have a 15 mile route with about 50% flat and 50% hills. I managed ok but ECO was definitely sluggish and I used mostly Sport and some Turbo and ended up with about 60% battery left. The next day I tried the same route, ECO at 65, Peak Power 100. What a difference....I never had to use Sport or Turbo, I did the whole thing on ECO, but with only 50% battery left. What's going on here? How does this work? I want to try some bigger hills which I think will involve Sport and Turbo. I think I know what to do, but I just don't know how it works or why I'm doing it. Thanks

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'm not sure if I read you correctly @richiebike.
It looks you had exactly the same settings (35/100) for all Travel Modes on the first ride; those should be different for Eco, Sport, and Turbo to make a difference. Try these settings:

• ECO: 40/40
• SPORT: 60/60 (for example)
• TURBO: 100/100.

Use ECO for workout, SPORT for faster ride with less sweating, and TURBO for dramatic uphill rides or emergency situations.

How it works:

1. The Support parameter tells the motor how much it should amplify your legs, 0-100% of the motor amplification capability. 100% means "It's 3.2 x you!" for Vado 4.0;
2. The Peak Power means "How much of maximum power you can get if you push on the pedals very hard", 0-100% or 0-520 W of power for Vado 4.0.

Now, if you use a high Support figure, your Vado will become nimble and with effortless pedalling at the cost of battery charge. If you use high Peak Power figure, your Vado will "fly", or accelerate very fast when you press on the pedals hard: again, at the cost of the battery.

The good idea is to set the Travel Modes or assist levels as I have shown and give it a try. Specifically, using 100% of Peak Power in all cases is giving the battery hard time.

 

[richiebike]

Thanks for the insight Stefan...As soon as the weather clears I'll give those settngs a try. I'm 70 and still fairly fit, but hill climbing is becoming an increasing issue.

 

[Qamera]

I tuned to the settings in the video above. But honestly, I prefer using 0 on the flats then 1 or 2 on mild hills just to allow me to keep the same speed. I tend to average about 10mph on a ride which includes pausing along the way.

Note: As a runner without previous knee issues, the first thing I noticed was a twinge on my knee after just two rides. Friends said I should adjust my seat but I suspect another culprit: torque. By decreasing torque and increasing the revolutions (or whatever they are called), the issue seems to have gone away.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

By decreasing torque and increasing the revolutions (or whatever they are called), the issue seems to have gone away.

It's cadence, and fast cadence riding is called "spinning" as opposed to "mashing".
Relevant thread

 

[richiebike]

Ok, the weather broke and I got a chance to try some new settings. I left ECO at 65/100, but changed SPORT to 85/100 and TURBO to 100/100. ECO is very "peppy", I don't know how else to describe it. It really takes off and likes high cadence for the hills and will climb any hill on my normal route. I thought I was really going to get a boost when I switched to SPORT, but to my surprise it was indistinguishable from ECO. The same for TURBO, hardly any difference from ECO. What am I doing wrong, as I want to see a significant boost if I go on really big hills where ECO won't cut it. Thanks (Note: I'm riding a 2021 Turbo Vado 4.0 Step Through)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Your legs are strong, aren't they?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@richiebike: let me explain it to you:

The Support parameter means how much your own input is amplified by the bike. The Peak Power means the maximum motor power you can get. If your legs are strong, you always push the motor to the limit, regardless is it Eco, Sport or Turbo.
Try this:

• ECO 35/35
• SPORT 60/60
• TURBO 100/100.

You should feel a big difference between the Travel Modes. If still not, change to 20/20, 50/50, 100/100.

 

[richiebike]

When I had a normal bike, the Cannondale Quick 2 I dreaded the last hill to my house, though I could make it. Then heart issues emerged and hence the Electric Bike. I wouldn't say I have strong legs, but sufficient. That's why I can make this hill in ECO 65/100. The limiting factor is my heart rate. For bigger hills I'm going to need more support, but from what you're saying as I understand it there will be no more assist, just dividing it up so you feel a difference between ECO/SPORT/TURBO. Maybe that's the route to go, I'll experiment with your suggestions. Thanks

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Now I can understand. Just clear the last hill in full Turbo mode. I also encourage you to do the climbing in the lowest gears however slow that might feel. I guess there are not only ascents on your route so you could ride some segments with some less assistance (that will make the ride economical on the battery).

There is an interesting feature in Mission Control -> Let's Ride -> Smart Control. In case you can wear a heart-rate chest-strap or one of the latest HR armbands (Polar or Wahoo), Smart Control will be automatically adjusting the assistance to keep your heart rate at a constant defined value. This, combined with proper shifting, would relieve you from guessing how much assistance you really need.

 

[richiebike]

@richiebike: let me explain it to you:

The Support parameter means how much your own input is amplified by the bike. The Peak Power means the maximum motor power you can get. If your legs are strong, you always push the motor to the limit, regardless is it Eco, Sport or Turbo.
Try this:

• ECO 35/35
• SPORT 60/60
• TURBO 100/100.

You should feel a big difference between the Travel Modes. If still not, change to 20/20, 50/50, 100/100.

I tried your suggested settings ECO 35/35 SPORT 60/60 Turbo 100/100. I took the same route and it was significantly better in two ways. It made me feel the difference in the modes and and made for more practical peddling. And it cut down battery consumption by about 15%. So thanks for getting me started in the right direction in understanding this bike.