Vado 3.0 2022

[Roadking1]

Anybody own vado 3.0? 2022 Would you recommend these for wife and I. We ride flat trails in Indiana & sw Michigan

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I do not own that exactly model but here is what I can tell you:

• As good e-bike as other Specialized Turbo e-bikes
• Entry level components for a better price
• The less powerful motor is not wrong for riding the flats. Even the 2.0E motor has tons of power!
• Think of the limiting factor of the smaller 530 Wh battery (it is making the price of the 3.0 so attractive, as batteries are the most expensive e-bike component). I would say the practical battery range would be around 30 miles here. Is it enough for you? Because a bigger battery could be fitted in the future but a bigger battery is insanely expensive, and we are talking of two batteries here.
• Don't try with the IGH version unless you must. Yes, a carbon belt but the Internally Geared Hub here is manually operated and you might not like it.

Any chance you could buy a pair of 4.0? The 710 Wh battery means a lot.

 

[Roadking1]

That's really to much buying 2 plus taxes. 3000.00 each is pretty much max, also considering Gazelle model t10, and cannondale neo rear drive but lighter, and trek verve +3, which I did test. But seems overpriced for older technology, and here the chain falls off alot.
Is 30 miles the average mileage from battery? Would the Specialized computer be trouble free? Seems it could be to technical.

I do not own that exactly model but here is what I can tell you:

• As good e-bike as other Specialized Turbo e-bikes
• Entry level components for a better price
• The less powerful motor is not wrong for riding the flats. Even the 2.0E motor has tons of power!
• Think of the limiting factor of the smaller 530 Wh battery (it is making the price of the 3.0 so attractive, as batteries are the most expensive e-bike component). I would say the practical battery range would be around 30 miles here. Is it enough for you? Because a bigger battery could be fitted in the future but a bigger battery is insanely expensive, and we are talking of two batteries here.
• Don't try with the IGH version unless you must. Yes, a carbon belt but the Internally Geared Hub here is manually operated and you might not like it.

Any chance you could buy a pair of 4.0? The 710 Wh battery means a lot.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Would the Specialized computer be trouble free?

The best e-bike electronics in the market.

Is 30 miles the average mileage from battery?

No, it is what I estimate for the 530 Wh battery. The 710 Wh battery offers 34% longer range than the 510 one. It matters for some people and does not matter for other.
If you think of e-bikes of different brands, always look at the battery capacity for given model and price.

 

[eRivetGun]

I just bought a 3.0 IGH for myself as a belt drive hardtail mtb commuter, and 1 week later I bought a 4.0 for my wife so that she can have more battery and torque to keep up with me on long rides. If you like to ride for exercise with the motor assist set very low (I use the micro adjust mode for this), then you can get a very long range from the 500Wh battery, like 70 miles and still have it help you up the steepest parts of hills.

 

[Avg_Joe]

Think of the limiting factor of the smaller 530 Wh battery (it is making the price of the 3.0 so attractive, as batteries are the most expensive e-bike component). I would say the practical battery range would be around 30 miles here. Is it enough for you? Because a bigger battery could be fitted in the future but a bigger battery is insanely expensive, and we are talking of two batteries here.

While I agree with all of your points, this one about the battery is not correct. As we all know, range is a factor of weight, assist level, pedal effort, terrain, heck even tire pressure.

I am far from a fit rider and clock in at 200lbs, but I'm getting 60 miles and still have 20-30% battery remaining.

The broader point is that yes, you have less runtime per charge with this battery. If you're not doing +50 mi rides every day or you have a means of recharging, this is not a concern however.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

While I agree with all of your points, this one about the battery is not correct. As we all know, range is a factor of weight, assist level, pedal effort, terrain, heck even tire pressure.

I am far from a fit rider and clock in at 200lbs, but I'm getting 60 miles and still have 20-30% battery remaining.

The broader point is that yes, you have less runtime per charge with this battery. If you're not doing +50 mi rides every day or you have a means of recharging, this is not a concern however.

Well, my brother did 100 miles upwind with a Giant 500 Wh battery. However, his own input was very high and it is not what I would recommend to an average Joe My own Imperial Century requires at least two 600 Wh batteries.

 

[eRivetGun]

Well, my brother did 100 miles upwind with a Giant 500 Wh battery. However, his own input was very high and it is not what I would recommend to an average Joe My own Imperial Century requires at least two 600 Wh batteries.

That's great to hear. At a 15mph pace, I was able to ride 24 miles with some climbing on only 10% of the total battery by doing most of it myself, and I was wondering if people out there were doing centuries on 500Wh of assist. But as we all know, it's all about the assist level, and how often you use it. My 2022 Vado allows me to micro adjust the assist 10% at a time. I'm looking forward to seeing how far I can stretch 500Wh out, but still use it. The good news in that my wife's 2022 Vado 4.0 has a 730Wh batt that I can steal and do a century with quite a bit MORE assistance if I want. I knew I got her the 4.0 for a reason!

 

[Comotose 3.0]

I just bought a 3.0 IGH for myself as a belt drive hardtail mtb commuter, and 1 week later I bought a 4.0 for my wife so that she can have more battery and torque to keep up with me on long rides. If you like to ride for exercise with the motor assist set very low (I use the micro adjust mode for this), then you can get a very long range from the 500Wh battery, like 70 miles and still have it help you up the steepest parts of hills.

That is my experience with the COMO 3.0 and its range, the battery issue is real once you get up to 40-50 miles of riding.