Vado 4.0 SL range

[elb2000]

Bought a new Vado SL 4.0. Took a 1st ride and have a concern about range/battery capacity.
I rode 6.6 mi (11 Km) and used 22% of the battery which would only give a 30 mi (50km) range. Used a combination of power modes based on terrain.
I’m almost 70 years old and the terrain was moderate with a few rolling hills. Does this seem reasonable?
What do folks expect to get with a 320Wh internal battery for distance?

 

[Ben J]

The bike has to learn the battery before you get accurate results. I suspected that from comments in reviews but I also found it to be true with my Tero X.

I don't even know the true range of my Tero X because I haven't run the battery much below 50%, even on 30 mile rides.

 

[ckendall]

My wife gets about 60 miles on three 20 mile rides before we get to about 20% left on her Turbo Vado SL 4.0. Some hills, some steep and headwinds and she is using all modes. More and more sport mode and some turbo as she has gotten more confident. She weighs 125. I ordered a range extender but not sure we need it at this point…

 

[Ben J]

60 miles on three 20 mile rides before we get to about 20% left

Maybe with the right kind of therapy I could overcome my compulsion to keep things fully charged.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My stats clearly read that (conservatively speaking) the Vado SL range is 50 miles when ridden at 55/55% assistance in a slightly undulating terrain, moderate wind (a loop ride cancels the wind effect), ideal Summer conditions. The battery discharged to 5%.

There is nothing like "battery range" if the assistance % and the max motor power % are not taken into the equation.

 

[mfgrep]

First: Given the bike some miles and see how the range is for your use(s). Everyone has differing terrain and each uses a different level of support. Rider weights vary. Pavement....tire pressure....etc.etc.etc.

I use the bike for fun and for exercise. Most rides of 15+ miles I may click to varying assist levels 50-70+ times......from off to ECO....from ECO to Sport.....Sport to Turbo etc. Typically I might spend 50%+ of my rides without assistance. I try not to use Sport or Turbo for long periods of time unless necessary. A typical 100 mile week requires 1 charge cycle for me.

If I had a heavy mileage week but still wish to ride more the next days....I might use more assist than typical to avoid muscle burnout.....keeping on ECO for 50%+ of the ride....with occasional bumps to Sport or Turbo. Even with days like this....I expect that I will get 70+ miles on a charge.

If you are using the E-assist level(s) MOST of your ride time you should expect to drain the battery much more quickly. Eco (30%) and Sport (60%) by default will drain your battery FAR less than 100% Turbo mode. I ONLY use Turbo mode for steep steep hills.....typically near the tippy tops.....just to get me through. If you, for example, are in Turbo for 50% of your ride you should not expect to get much more than (I am guessing here) 30+/- miles?

The SL is made to be a lightweight nimble bike and as such has a smaller battery and motor. Perhaps your rides are not meeting the best 'use case' for the Vado SL? Either way...give it some time and a couple of charge cycles. Unless you are running Turbo mode most of the time....I doubt your battery anxieties will continue.

You can download the "BLevo" phone application...it costs $10 and is worth FAR more imo.....and after your rides it will show you your battery usage broken down by assist modes.....and it will show you how many Watt Hours you the rider pushed the bike. This will give you some idea of where your watt hours are being spent.

For my relatively light assist uses.....I rarely find myself using more than 15%+/- of my battery per ride.....and though I don't have Stefan's length of experience(s) on the Vado SL.....it seems that I charge roughly once per week.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You can download the "BLevo" phone application...it costs $10 and is worth FAR more imo.....and after your rides it will show you your battery usage broken down by assist modes.....and it will show you how many Watt Hours you the rider pushed the bike. This will give you some idea of where your watt hours are being spent.

Unless it is a Mastermind Vado SL

 

[elb2000]

Took the Vado SL out for a more aggressive ride. Based on the app usage I would only estimate a 20 mile range.
I understand range will be dependent on the rider and percent of assist.
It does not appear that the Vado SL is a good bike for my needs so I will return the bike to the store.
Thanks for the comments. I’ll look for a moderate weight hybrid with a higher capacity battery.

 

[mfgrep]

Took the Vado SL out for a more aggressive ride. Based on the app usage I would only estimate a 20 mile range.
I understand range will be dependent on the rider and percent of assist.
It does not appear that the Vado SL is a good bike for my needs so I will return the bike to the store.
Thanks for the comments. I’ll look for a moderate weight hybrid with a higher capacity battery.

You should be able to ride in turbo entirely for 20 miles i'd think.... At great cost to battery longevity. It seems that that is your intended use case. If so, the SL is likely not the best option for you. Good luck and hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Based on the app usage I would only estimate a 20 mile range.

My experience tells me it's 22 miles on the flat in Turbo mode. As @mfgrep said the Vado SL is not the e-bike good for you. It is a fitness, not a commuter e-bike.
(My longest Vado SL ride was 117.5 miles but that required multiple Range Extenders and recharging them overnight, a two-day gravel ultramarathon; the assistance was 80%).

The official photo from the finish line (courtesy: Mazowiecki Gravel).

 

[David C]

I had my Vado SL 4.0 for 32 months, with close to 13,500 miles and almost all on turbo mode. At the end I was getting around 21 miles on a full charge with about 5% battery left. My average speed on turbo was only 4mph faster than my current Sirrus X 5.0.

 

[mfgrep]

I had my Vado SL 4.0 for 32 months, with close to 13,500 miles and almost all on turbo mode. At the end I was getting around 21 miles on a full charge with about 5% battery left. My average speed on turbo was only 4mph faster than my current Sirrus X 5.0.

Just curious. Why did you ride the bike in turbo mode nearly constantly?

 

[David C]

I liked going the fastest I could. My senior legs only allowed an average of 18mph over the 13,500 miles. After 1,200 miles on the Sirrus X5.0 I’m averaging 14mph. Slow but steady.

 

[mfgrep]

I liked going the fastest I could. My senior legs only allowed an average of 18mph over the 13,500 miles. After 1,200 miles on the Sirrus X5.0 I’m averaging 14mph. Slow but steady.

Sound like a fine pace. Enjoy your rides however they may be.

 

[Douglas Ruby]

I have a 2022 Vado SL 5.0 EQ that weighs in at just under 52 lbs fully loaded with fenders and rack, rack bag with assorted contents, 2 full water bottles, 2 range extenders, Garmin Edge Explore 2, and aux blinking headlight and tailight. Plus a 220 lb rider on top. I set my assist ranges to ECO (35-60%), SPORT (55-80%) and TURBO (75-100%). I usually ride at a 14-16 mph pace on long rides using SPORT on level ground and slight uphill, TURBO on significant climbs, and ECO or NO assist on descents or level with tail winds. I have also regeared my bike with a 10-52t Eagle GX1275 cassette using an XD drive freehub and a 46t Wolftooth front ring. This optimizes the assist up to 28 mph in 11th gear, saving 12th gear for descents and the ultra low 52 tooth 1st gear for grinding out climbs.

I recently finished a 171 mile (total of 7,022 ft of elevation), 3 day ride with the ALA "Trek Across Maine". Day 1 was 62 miles (2766 ft elev), Day 2 was 52.3 miles (1421 ft elev), and Day 3 at 56.8 miles (2,835 ft elev). On my ride I ended up using both range extenders each of the three days and ended each day with the bike dipping into its "reduced output" mode when capacity dips below 20%. This equates to a total of around 200% of built-in battery capacity/day with my available battery in the 12-18% at the end of the ride. I had no range anxiety as I knew, based on prior 50 mile+ rides, that I could probably eke out 70 miles by exerting a little more self control and a slower pace.

Generally, I expect that I can get 30 miles at a decent pace with 100% battery capacity, but usually use at least one range extender (total 150%) so that I can make profligate use of TURBO mode on shorter rides.