Copyrider
Active Member
I live in San Francisco and commute to Oakland via the ferry. It's not a long commute, but I it has big hills and lots of city traffic, making an E-bike the best option I've found for reliably hitting the ferry schedule in a timely manner.
I recently had my 2019 Vado 4.0 stolen and vowed to replace it, as I loved the big bike for all its commuting and hill-crushing prowess. I also loved local short-medium rides, such as up to Sausalito, or along the many trails in the area. Weekends in Golden Gate Park, all along Crissy Field trails, etc. This bike literally changed my life.
I'm active, but not necessarily super fitness oriented. I'm in decent (but not great) shape, 6'2" 205 lbs. and a young-minded 51 years old. I purchased the Vado 4.0 hoping for a reliable commute solution for SF hills and to combat its crazy driving/parking issues, while offering some fitness and recreation as a bonus. The Vado delivered on all counts. I was a huge fan.
Nothing's perfect, though. Some caveats about that bike are obvious and some I had to figure out. First, the regular Vados are BIG and heavy. That's obvious. Once you're used to it though, it's a very maneuverable setup. I did have an issue or two early on, with my motor surging a bit whenI'd stop pedaling. This also caused some gear slipping and exacerbated a loose rear axle that my bike shop missed in my build. All of this was quickly fixed with a firmware update, and once they had straightened everything out and tightened it all up, the motor performed flawlessly and all issues of handling and shifting were resolved.
Hard to pin that all on the manufacturer.
With Mission Control, I had attempted to set ECO Mode to closely simulate an analogue bike in pedal effort, speed, etc. That was a fruitless pursuit. There's simply no way that big bike can feel like a regular bike. It's smooth and rideable, but it's in another category to me--in both good ways and bad. Most noticeable was that, because I always used assist and frequently used Sport or Turbo for city traffic/hills, my range seemed quite limited. That, and the boost the Vado gives, while smooth and linear and a lot of fun, is really more than I needed or actually wanted.
I did love the speed off the line, while mixing in City traffic. I loved the aggressive tire/wheel setup and the fluid, stable ride, even on broken pavement, downhill, at speed. That's a lot of SF.
I wish it had been more usable without assist, though. It honestly seemed to me that, on the few times I tried to ride it without assist, it still drained the battery as if I were using the motor. Also, the resistance through the motor without assist was as heavy as the bike itself. It also has a rather long wheelbase, which makes it smooth and stable, but difficult to manage in train station elevators (and of course, it's not really a good candidate for carrying up the escalator/stairs, either).
The 4.0 SL EQ solves nearly every small issue I had above. The lower boost is perfect for a closer "regular bike" experience, even on small inclines, where a little boost is nice. The SL power is subtle and smooth. There's still enough there for big, 28% hills though--in Granny Gear for me--but still, I have those kinds of hills and appreciate the power.
The real difference is "off" mode. This bike performs like a regular bike. Period. I can't tell you how much I love feeling like I'm riding a non ebike, whenever I want to. It looks great, too. Way more sporty/stylish than the regular Vado, in my opinion.
I love the maneuverability, riding position, control and ride of the SL a lot. It isn't as stable and smooth at speed on broken pavement as the Vado, but it's much more responsive and agile. The brakes are also much better. I will say I miss the wider tire set-up of the previous bike. The SL's look destined to be wedged in streetcar tracks. I also might regret not getting the 5.0, with the Future Shock, as the rigid forks are a little tough to get used to. I wonder if there will be an option to add this?
The range is going to be much better on the SL from my admittedly small sample size, as I will ride this much more often without assist or in lower modes. It doesn't quite bolt off the line, the way the Vado did, but it's quick to speed and just as easy to ride fast when it needs to be. The motor is slightly louder, but not a big deal. The weight is still biased to the front of the bike, but is a bit lower, making carrying the bike easy.
Overall, the SL is the perfect commuter, I think! Couldn't be happier in this price range.
I recently had my 2019 Vado 4.0 stolen and vowed to replace it, as I loved the big bike for all its commuting and hill-crushing prowess. I also loved local short-medium rides, such as up to Sausalito, or along the many trails in the area. Weekends in Golden Gate Park, all along Crissy Field trails, etc. This bike literally changed my life.
I'm active, but not necessarily super fitness oriented. I'm in decent (but not great) shape, 6'2" 205 lbs. and a young-minded 51 years old. I purchased the Vado 4.0 hoping for a reliable commute solution for SF hills and to combat its crazy driving/parking issues, while offering some fitness and recreation as a bonus. The Vado delivered on all counts. I was a huge fan.
Nothing's perfect, though. Some caveats about that bike are obvious and some I had to figure out. First, the regular Vados are BIG and heavy. That's obvious. Once you're used to it though, it's a very maneuverable setup. I did have an issue or two early on, with my motor surging a bit whenI'd stop pedaling. This also caused some gear slipping and exacerbated a loose rear axle that my bike shop missed in my build. All of this was quickly fixed with a firmware update, and once they had straightened everything out and tightened it all up, the motor performed flawlessly and all issues of handling and shifting were resolved.
Hard to pin that all on the manufacturer.
With Mission Control, I had attempted to set ECO Mode to closely simulate an analogue bike in pedal effort, speed, etc. That was a fruitless pursuit. There's simply no way that big bike can feel like a regular bike. It's smooth and rideable, but it's in another category to me--in both good ways and bad. Most noticeable was that, because I always used assist and frequently used Sport or Turbo for city traffic/hills, my range seemed quite limited. That, and the boost the Vado gives, while smooth and linear and a lot of fun, is really more than I needed or actually wanted.
I did love the speed off the line, while mixing in City traffic. I loved the aggressive tire/wheel setup and the fluid, stable ride, even on broken pavement, downhill, at speed. That's a lot of SF.
I wish it had been more usable without assist, though. It honestly seemed to me that, on the few times I tried to ride it without assist, it still drained the battery as if I were using the motor. Also, the resistance through the motor without assist was as heavy as the bike itself. It also has a rather long wheelbase, which makes it smooth and stable, but difficult to manage in train station elevators (and of course, it's not really a good candidate for carrying up the escalator/stairs, either).
The 4.0 SL EQ solves nearly every small issue I had above. The lower boost is perfect for a closer "regular bike" experience, even on small inclines, where a little boost is nice. The SL power is subtle and smooth. There's still enough there for big, 28% hills though--in Granny Gear for me--but still, I have those kinds of hills and appreciate the power.
The real difference is "off" mode. This bike performs like a regular bike. Period. I can't tell you how much I love feeling like I'm riding a non ebike, whenever I want to. It looks great, too. Way more sporty/stylish than the regular Vado, in my opinion.
I love the maneuverability, riding position, control and ride of the SL a lot. It isn't as stable and smooth at speed on broken pavement as the Vado, but it's much more responsive and agile. The brakes are also much better. I will say I miss the wider tire set-up of the previous bike. The SL's look destined to be wedged in streetcar tracks. I also might regret not getting the 5.0, with the Future Shock, as the rigid forks are a little tough to get used to. I wonder if there will be an option to add this?
The range is going to be much better on the SL from my admittedly small sample size, as I will ride this much more often without assist or in lower modes. It doesn't quite bolt off the line, the way the Vado did, but it's quick to speed and just as easy to ride fast when it needs to be. The motor is slightly louder, but not a big deal. The weight is still biased to the front of the bike, but is a bit lower, making carrying the bike easy.
Overall, the SL is the perfect commuter, I think! Couldn't be happier in this price range.
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