Turbo Vado 5.0 IGH XL for 6'6" Male

[BigJ]

Hello EBR, I pulled the trigger on my first ebike on 19Aug2022. 2023 Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 IGH High Step. I am new to ebike, but a veteran of cycling. I purchased this bike specifically for commuting in my home town of Bend Oregon. At 6'6"(38.5" inseam) tall I was hesitant to purchase an XL size bicycle. However, with the addition of a 420mm Kinetic seatpost and the Surly Sunrise handlebar ( not pictured) the Vado fits great!! I have 100 miles on the bike now, and I'm stoked!!

All of that being said, on my way home from work, Wednesday, I miscalculated my departure from grass to a sidewalk and clipped a 8" concrete barrier with my Gates belt and front ring.....I damaged both the belt and ring. An expensive learning experience. I've blasted many an analog chain and chain ring on rocks, downed trees, etc, and have never damaged a drivetrain so easily. I'm a bit disappointed in the build quality of the Gates front ring, but I guess I just can't ride it like I stole it! Giddy up!
Image is from the first hour of ownership. I will get more photos up once it s back from the shop.

 

[BigJ]

Winter mode.

 

[ganther5000]

Nice bike

Tutuapp 9Apps Showbox​

 

[BigJ]

Nice bike

Thank you! I’m really digging it, and have almost 500 miles on the bike now.

 

[BigJ]

 

[BigJ]

Well, I am now 1200 miles into this ebike experience. I appreciate the ability to travel in my community by bike. Having an electric bike has extended my range and willingness to ride day after day. I've deemed this bike the #bluecollarhauler! As you can see by the photos above, I am able to haul a fair bit with my set up.

Things I have experienced along the way: multiple visits to my LBS in order to dial in the IGH Enviolo system. As much as I like the automatic drivetrain, belt tension can be fussy. With all of the weight I carry o with this bike. I have run through a set of SRAM G2 brake pads. The acorn nut on the non drive side of the rear hub have come loose twice in the past few months. Over this past weekend I have the brakes bleed and also had my mechanic check the rear hub. What he noticed is that the jam nuts on the hub axle were loose. So, everything was retensioned, and grease was added to the axle thread and nut interface. He also found a broken spoke whiel the rear wheel was off. The spoke was replaced, and wheel true checked.

It has taken many miles to intimately understand this bike. Granted, it has an automatic transmission and I could just get on and pedal. However I have been riding analog bikes for greater than 30 years and I love the mechanis/workings of bicycles. I have learned how to use the "cadence" feature to dial in pedal feel and cyclist (me)/motor (bike) efficiency. It has been fun, and I look forward to many more smiles per mile going forward.

Please let me know if there are any questions. Thank you!

 

[AvalancheRun]

Has the issue been mostly with the Automatiq or the Enviolo hub?

My only complaint with the normal version is it can't shift under load. Loved riding the 5.0 with automatic shifting. Smooth as anything.

 

[BigJ]

Has the issue been mostly with the Automatiq or the Enviolo hub?

My only complaint with the normal version is it can't shift under load. Loved riding the 5.0 with automatic shifting. Smooth as anything.

I wouldn't go so far as to place blame on a specific part or system. The CVT Automatiq drivetrain is complicated. Add an ECU which monitors speed, cadence, and torque in order to regulate motor power.....do you see where I am going here? There is a lot going on with this amazing bit of bicycle engineering. Even though Specialized has deep pockets and invests a lot into research and development. They can't problem solve for everyone's riding style, care, and use of the bike. I'm a tall dude who falls outside of the normal range of stress and mechanical demand. I think the Vado Turbo 5.0 IGH is a great eBike, AND the platform will continue to need maintenance in order to perform without failure.

 

[Volvos60s60]

Glad you are liking your bike. I also wanted a Gates belt/Enviolo IGH CVT set up & was torn between the Specialized & the Canyon Precede ON:7 AL. I went for the Canyon in the end because the IGH is manual rather than automatic - the rationale being that if you run out of battery you can still change gear on the manual version to get you home. Although the bike is heavy, I have been very pleased with it. I'm also an experienced manual cyclist & the Ebike did take some getting used to as you need to focus more on cadence & less on mashing the pedals in a high gear