Turbo Vado 3

[rochrunner]

I sometimes make jokes with my gf @Brix: 'What if I bought an e-bike for you?' I showed a Vado 3 photo to her. 'A brutal design, isn't it' she said. She didn't like the Vado SL 2 design, either, while she loved the looks of Vado SL 1!

That happens when a company is run by accountants.

You have a girlfriend??

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You have a girlfriend??

Is it illegal?

 

[Rás Cnoic]

This is the kind of ebike Spesh must be worried about. If you haven't heard of X Lab (or parent bike co. XDS) they are a huge high end Chinese bike brand having over 300 concept stores throughout China and Asia. They provide road bikes for the Astana team, currently riding high in the UCI World Tour and I only just came across this ebike, as I know of them mostly through their analogue high end carbon road bikes. But it looks impressive:

X-Lab SP5+
Alloy frame/Carbon forks, Shimano Cues drivetrain, Hydo brakes (Branta brand?) And their own XDS motors with 85nm 250w continuous, and a 339Wh slim battery with a weight of 16.79kg/37lbs and all for a very reasonable $1,899 - Assuming that is US dollars! though no idea where it's selling yet or if tariffs/duties get added to that figure. They also have a more Vado like chunkier one called the ST5+ with 95nm and a 618w battery, plus rack and mudguards for $1999. Only 2 ebikes they currently do it seems, the rest are carbon road bikes.

SP5+

Fitness-focused electric bike that amplifies your every move.

xds.co

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Here's a US review of the SP5+ apparently launched a few days ago so my timing is spot on! And it confirms the $1,899 price.

X-Lab SP5+ eBike Review: A Mid-Drive, Light-Weight eBike Under $2k?

We've never seen a mid-drive motor ebike that's under 40lbs with this spec, for under $2k before. That makes the X-Lab SP5+ pretty interesting

bikerumor.com

 

[stompandgo]

Their rep is after us.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Their rep is after us.

Big US push for sure.

 

[PedalUma]

It is planned obsolescence styling that doesn't do anything.

@kevinmccune,
I saw one of these 1959 El Caminos last week and it looked like it just came off the showroom floor. Because cars do not rot here, no road salt, and because American Graffiti was filmed here, there is a vintage car culture. 600 classic cars are registered to show in May when four blocks downtown with be shut from traffic.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Their rep is after us.

Sea Otter - Dave Arthur, long term bike reviewer, focuses on road and gravel, not ebikes much. Here he walks around the huge X Lab booth checking them out. The alloy 105 all road one caught my (skinflint) eye at $1400. I mean if you twisted my arm the 5kg Aethos looking one would also do the trick! These bikes look damn good to me. Well thought out. The rep mentions "2 ebikes... soon to be 3" We've seen the 2 ebikes above, wonder what number 3 will be.

 

[PedalUma]

Price point under the magic $2000 and dealer support. It handed Specialized its own ass. Here have this.

SP5+

Fitness-focused electric bike that amplifies your every move.

xds.co

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Interesting interview by Ben Delaney with the XDS/X Lab project's manager Patrick Pan at their booth at Sea Otter for this US launch.

Along with the 2 ebikes (Vado equiv & SL equiv) they have a whole range of bikes. He wouldn't say which WT team bikes (Spesh, Trek, Colnago Cervelo Canyon etc) are built by XDS in China but said as an indicator, 8 stages in last years TdF were won by XDS bikes. That's crazy. XDS under the hood obviously.

XDS by volume is now the world's largest bike company. It reminds me of back when Giant went public having built a high percentage of Western brand bikes for years and decided it was time to let everyone know, hence the name "Giant". (King Liu founder of Giant passed away in February. at the Taipei bike show last month they displayed his own personal bike, still with spare tubes under saddle etc. Very poignant. )

Fascinating interview. Not least that this range of X Lab bikes; Gravel, Road and E Bike are approx half the price of rivals and they discuss why this is/how they can do this.

Calm confident fella. Be good to see some in-depth reviews of the e bikes as they start selling.

 

[PedalUma]

View attachment 208974

Less than one bike length in a race looks fairly comparable.