Vado 5.0 - 45 months ownership - approximately 23,000+ miles

I have not visited this thread in about 2 years. Was it life with 2 young kids, covid, buying our first house, or all three?

I've updated the title of the thread and miles on the bike. Since receiving the replacement 2020 Vado, I've replaced the motor twice, both under warranty and with Specialized in Santa Monica, fka Cynergy. I've grown accustomed to expecting the motor to fail every 2000 miles or so.

My commute to work is now only about a mile, so I am not putting on nearly as much mileage as I was before. Instead of riding along the Pacific Ocean to work on a dedicated bike path, I bike past a petrochemical plant everyday on a 7-lane road where the speed limit is 45 mph, and though the signs say 'bike route', there is no bike lane. I bought this reflective jacket which I think is helping create some space on the road for me.

We also bought a Benno Boost cargo bike for our family which I now use to take my kids around. We have about 1700 miles on that bike and I have tried to reserve judgment on this bike until we reached 2000 miles. That being said, the chain and cassette have not required to be replaced yet in contrast to the Brose Specialized motor which required replacing the chain and cassette every 700 miles. I plan to write more about the Benno Boost in the Benno thread. We bought this bike from Propel in Long Beach. They did this video of me taking our kids to school.

I came pretty close to purchase an old man mountain rack for the front of my Vado 5.0. Has anyone done this install on their Vado or thought about it? The install was going to be a skewer clamped within the thru bolt of the Vado. I love our mid tail Cargo Bike. I think I've been trying to change my Vado 5.0 into a Mid Tail Cargo bike for sometime.
 
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I love riding with my kids and wanted to respond to this thread to let you know the I have used the Thule Ride Along for years on my Vado 5.0 with out any significant problems. Though the metal rods have shown some corrosion over time it has not shown to effect the child seat performance. My thought on these racks and weight in general is to keep it as close to the bottom bracket as possible which this child seat does. I like this particular child rack in that I could remove it and install it quickly.
Thank you so much for your reply. Just ordered one :)
 
I have not visited this thread in about 2 years. Was it life with 2 young kids, covid, buying our first house, or all three?

I've updated the title of the thread and miles on the bike. Since receiving the replacement 2020 Vado, I've replaced the motor twice, both under warranty and with Specialized in Santa Monica, fka Cynergy. I've grown accustomed to expecting the motor to fail every 2000 miles or so.

My commute to work is now only about a mile, so I am not putting on nearly as much mileage as I was before. Instead of riding along the Pacific Ocean to work on a dedicated bike path, I bike past a petrochemical plant everyday on a 7-lane road where the speed limit is 45 mph, and though the signs say 'bike route', there is no bike lane. I bought this reflective jacket which I think is helping create some space on the road for me.

We also bought a Benno Boost cargo bike for our family which I now use to take my kids around. We have about 1700 miles on that bike and I have tried to reserve judgment on this bike until we reached 2000 miles. That being said, the chain and cassette have not required to be replaced yet in contrast to the Brose Specialized motor which required replacing the chain and cassette every 700 miles. I plan to write more about the Benno Boost in the Benno thread. We bought this bike from Propel in Long Beach. They did this video of me taking our kids to school.

I came pretty close to purchase an old man mountain rack for the front of my Vado 5.0. Has anyone done this install on their Vado or thought about it? The install was going to be a skewer clamped within the thru bolt of the Vado. I love our mid tail Cargo Bike. I think I've been trying to change my Vado 5.0 into a Mid Tail Cargo bike for sometime.
Hi I watched your video, thanks for making it, it was really great to see ebikes as a legit form of transportation in a car obsessed city like LA! I'm considering buying a Benno and wanted to ask a few questions.

Like you, I have two kids, while mine are younger than yours I noticed that the kids were a bit scrunched up behind you, do they complain about that at all or are they fine sharing the space with each other (and you). Do you find the bike relatively reliable? Have you changed your brake pads yet and do you find the Shimano brakes give you adequate stopping power? What's your real world range for this bike assuming you are hauling your kids half the time or more? Any gripes about the bike? I bought an electra for my wife years ago and had some issues with it as I felt they prioritized style over function, but that being said, they are targeting a certain segment of the population, I wonder with the Boost if you feel like they've made any sacrifices over functionality? Thanks so much for giving us a peak into your life with the bike!
 
Hi I watched your video, thanks for making it, it was really great to see ebikes as a legit form of transportation in a car obsessed city like LA! I'm considering buying a Benno and wanted to ask a few questions.

Like you, I have two kids, while mine are younger than yours I noticed that the kids were a bit scrunched up behind you, do they complain about that at all or are they fine sharing the space with each other (and you). Do you find the bike relatively reliable? Have you changed your brake pads yet and do you find the Shimano brakes give you adequate stopping power? What's your real world range for this bike assuming you are hauling your kids half the time or more? Any gripes about the bike? I bought an electra for my wife years ago and had some issues with it as I felt they prioritized style over function, but that being said, they are targeting a certain segment of the population, I wonder with the Boost if you feel like they've made any sacrifices over functionality? Thanks so much for giving us a peak into your life with the bike!
Hey Pakfiller,

RE: Scrunched kids at Benno Utility Rear Rack #3 and Thule Yepp Nexxt Maxi Rack
I'm 6'-4", my wife is 6'-1". Though this type of bike is designed to size most everyone (pg 23), at the tall side, I think it might trail off around 6'-1" or 6'-2". I have a 36" inseam and my wife has a taller inseam. This is a long way of saying that we had to switch out the stem and seat post. I was concerned about this switch in geometry but it has made a big improvement for my comfort with no downsides. Should anyone find themselves in this situation, I recommend the Ganopper 31.8 Stem 60 mm 30 degree Riser Short handlebar Stem for 31.8 Bike. It's a nice design and does not distract at all from the design of the bike. I did research about seat posts, but I don't think those matter too much. We got one 450 mm (17.7" long.) This is 100 mm (approx. 4") longer than the post that comes with the bike.

The design of the bike pushes the rider further back the longer the seat post. I have not measured it, but I bet I'm 3.5" taller and 2" further back than what the tallest setting would offer on the standard seat post. My kids do not notice and do not care. They are now 5 and 3 and just talk to each other and people we pass the whole way. A greater challenge for my wife and I was when my 5 year old was 3 and his feet did not reach the platforms of the Benno Utility Rack; he sat in the front on the Rack Pad with the Yepp seat in back. His feet would dangle and hit our feet during a pedal stroke. I researched how to address this and got help from a shop in Australia named CargoCycles who recommended foot pegs. I bought these pegs and attached them to the Utility rack and then trained my 3 year old to keep his toes on the pedals. That fixed that challenge. This occurred during deep dark covid times in the fall of 2020 when people were afraid to unpack their groceries. I messaged Benno Bikes on Instagram about this challenge and none other than Benno Baenziger wrote back and stated he would create an accessory to address this, stay tuned.

I've been taking my 3 year old on the mac ride on my Vado and he now only wants to ride that bike 'in front'. He's likely only got a few more days in the Yepp seat before I transfer him to the Rack Pad and more pegs.

RE: Durability
As stated above, I hesitate to give full throttle reviews until the bike mileage reaches 2000 miles. That being said, we are now at 1940 miles or so and it is near time to offer my review. This is my second electric bike after 20,000+ miles on the Vado so I will compare the two. The Boost has a Bosch Speed Motor, while the Vado has a Brose motor tuned by Specialized. I loved the Brose motor in 2018 for how quiet it was. I wanted an electric bike that did not look like or sound like an electric bike. The Brose motor has failed me about every 2000 miles while requiring changes in the chain every 700 miles, and cassettes every 700 to 1400 miles. The Bosch motor makes more noise than the Brose but has been much less maintenance. I'm still using the original chain and cassette on the bike with minimized wear on the drivetrain, that is amazing to me considering the loads I carry; and though I hear the motor on the Boost, it does not bother me. Electric bikes are more common now and I don't have the same concern for stealthiness. If anyone gets this bike I recommend getting the motor that assists you to 28 mph. Once you get used to the high speed motors, you don't want anything else. And especially with a heavy load on the cargo bikes.

The frame is strong. I recommend the front Utility Front Tray as a required accessory, it is amazing. I common load for me on the weekend is two kids (70#), a zoom 3 bike supported by the front rack with ratchet straps over our Basil basket, our lunch in the front bucket and two scooters attached to the back to the rear rack. I only ride on city streets, but the bike is durable enough to go off curbs, through potholes, and 'off roading' at the local park, with no concern that the bike is being challenged.

I recommend this bike for motor, bike accessory and frame durability.

RE: Braking system
The braking system is definitely strong enough for a controlled stop under load (270#) down a steep hill. I changed the brake pads around 1000 miles. I think the bike came with resin pads, I switched to shimano G04S metal pads for more power.

RE: Range
Range is affected by load, wind, hills, and assist power. That being said, I've biked 30-35 miles with 270# on the bike for 30-35 miles with mid to high assist on flat ground and minimal wind. The bosch battery is great. I recommend to anyone buying an electric bike they buy from a brand that has some history in the bike world and from a local shop. I bought my cargo bike from Propel in Long Beach. They are great for lots of reasons, including service.

RE: Gripes
It is likely just life with a cargo bike but the following are items I would advise people to look out for
1. Get the most expensive kickstand you can find. When these bikes are loaded and not on level ground, they will tip. Expensive kickstands help. I have the Benno Dual Kickstand which works great, but I've been tempted to get the Rolling Jack Ass. My kids have tipped twice. It's dramatic and people / kids will freak out, but it will be fine - see messages below, I no longer think the Rolling Jack Ass will work with the Benno Boost which has a battery on the down tube.
2. With the rear rack and wheel guards it can be kind of tricky to service the rear brake. It just takes more time.
3. The mods I made for taller riders and dangling legs were kind of annoying but ultimately fun to figure out.
4. For the type of riding I do (suburban and urban LA), I need a horn. An integrated, volume adjusting, horn would be nice. I currently use this Toptrek horn on my Vado and Boost.
5. More integration with the Bosch motor control display would be nice, but the Purion display does not bother me.
6. In my imagination, I think thru axles should be required for any bike with disk brakes but especially ones with heavy loads. I've not experienced any problems with the axles that came with the bike.
7. An integrated café lock would be nice. We use an abus folding lock which I am able to carry with the bike attached to the frame. Buy the longest folding lock. Cargo bikes need longer locks.
8. These bikes are heavy. With the battery and accessories, our bike weighs about 79#. I can carry them and load them on bike racks and maintenance stands but it is a challenge that requires some advanced planning. I do not notice the weight while riding.

The above items are more of a wish list. They do not distract me from enjoying the bike. It is an amazing bike.

RE: Style
I am an architect and get paid to tell people what is beautiful / sexy. I also have to worry about the water intrusion into buildings we design for 10 years. I am comfortable talking about well designed objects. We bought this bike for my wife, we live in a beach community. Styling of the bike was important to us. I love that the bike and its accessories have clean lines and not a lot of branding. I think the bike looks great even with the rear and front rack all loaded up. This is a well designed bike that did not sacrifice function to achieve beauty.

I hope this helps. I'll copy this over the Benno Channel on EBR Forum. Let me know if you have any other questions.







 
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Thank you so much for the detailed response and especially including the links! This is probably the best answer I've ever got to an internet question. I also think this is one of the few times that I'm glad I'm not your height as I'm 5'8 (the other being in economy seating in an airplane). A few follow up questions:

1. As far as your kid's feet dangling, despite having the wheel guards and the pegs and the foot rest with the rack pads, has there ever been any close calls with them accidentally flailing their feet into the spokes or is it sufficiently covered?

2. Do you ever use panniers on your bike? There's certainly a markup for Benno branded stuff, at least here is where we can have a bit of flexibility.

3. When your bike tipped over, was it because you kids were squirming around or because you were on uneven ground? I'm assuming the high rail took the brunt of the collision? Did it dislodge the rail system? Did you have the pool noodles on the sidebars?

4. Do you think the Benno Dual kickstand is a bit too narrow? Have you seen any other alternatives besides the rolling jack ass? I talked with the distributor for the Urus kickstands that I saw on a Riese and Mueller that I was really impressed by. They aren't sure if theirs will fit on the Benno, they are going to check to see if this fits. Theirs are all single bolt attachment to the frame while the Benno has this interesting two bolt system.

5. I also saw on another thread you trying to put your bike on your rack for your accord, I also have a Thule T2 pro with a. 2" hitch. Do you think if you took off the front rack you could put the arm over the fender and pushing against the frame to keep it stabilized? I'm also curious as to why Thule says there's a 60lb limit on the carrier/bike. To me, total weight would be more important rather than individual. Any ideas why this is?

6. Do you use inserts in your tires? They seem to make quite a bit of sense however, it seems crazy how much they are charging for what is essentially a pool noodle, but that's capitalism I suppose.

Anyway, I absolutely agree with you that the 28 mph motor is the way to go. I have a van moof eBike that was given to me by my work and it maxes out at 20 and it just seems too tame which is why I'm looking at the Benno. The only other long tail cargo I could find that goes up to 28 was a Riese and Mueller but those things are not cheap. There's definitely a tangible difference in ride quality and experience but for the price of a small car, I don't think I could justify spending that much on a bike, not to mention you are looking at late summer for delivery of a bike from R+M.
 
Hey Pakfiller,

RE: Scrunched kids at Benno Utility Rear Rack #3 and Thule Yepp Nexxt Maxi Rack
I'm 6'-4", my wife is 6'-1". Though this type of bike is designed to size most everyone (pg 23), at the tall side, I think it might trail off around 6'-1" or 6'-2". I have a 36" inseam and my wife has a taller inseam. This is a long of saying that we had to switch out the stem and seat post. I was concerned about this switch in geometry but, it has made a big improvement for my comfort with no downsides. Should anyone find them selves in this situation, I recommend the Ganopper 31.8 Stem 60 mm 30 degree Riser Short handlebar Stem for 31.8 Bike. Its a nice design and does not distract at all from the design of the bike. I did research seat posts, but I don't think those matter too much, we got one 450 mm (17.7" long.) This is 100 mm (approx. 4") longer than the post that comes with the bike.

The design of the bike pushes the rider further back the longer the seat post. I have not measured it, but I bet I'm 3.5" taller and 2" further back than what the tallest setting would offer on the standard seat post. My kids do not notice and do not care. They are now 5 and 3 and just talk to each other and people we pass the whole way. A greater challenge for my wife and I was when my 5 year old was 3 and his feet did not reach the platforms of of the Benno Utility Rack; he sat in the front on the Rack Pad with the Yepp seat in back. His feet would dangle and hit our feet during a peddle stroke. I researched how to address this and got help from a shop in Australia named CargoCycles who recommended foot pegs. I bought these pegs and attached them to the Utility rack and then trained my 3 year old to keep his toes on the pedals. That fixed that challenge. This occurred during deep dark covid times in the fall of 2020 when people were afraid to unpack their groceries. I messaged Benno Bikes on Instagram about this challenge and none other than Benno Baenziger wrote back and stated he would create an accessory to address this, stay tuned.

I've been taking my 3 year old on the mac ride on my Vado and he now only wants to ride that bike 'in front'. He's likely only got a few more days in the Yepp seat before I transfer him to the Rack Pad and more pegs.

RE: Durability
As stated above, I hesitate to give full throttle reviews until the bike mileage reaches 2000 miles. That being said, we are now at 1940 miles or so and it is near time to offer my review. This is my second electric bike after 20,000+ miles on the Vado so I will compare the two. The Boost has a Bosch Speed Motor, while the Vado has a Brose motor tuned by Specialized. I loved the Brose motor in 2018 for how quiet it was. I wanted an electric bike that did not look like or sound like an electric bike. The Brose motor has failed me about every 2000 miles while requiring changes in the chain every 700 miles, and cassettes every 700 to 1400 miles. The Bosch motor makes more noise than the Brose but has been much less maintenance. I'm still using original chain and cassette on the bike with minimized wear on the drivetrain, that is amazing to me considering the loads I carry; and though I hear the motor on the Boost, it does not bother me. Electric bikes are more common now and I don't have the same concern for stealthiness. If anyone gets this bike I recommend getting the motor that assists you to 28 mph. Once you get used to the high speed motors, you don't want anything else. And especially with a heavy load on the cargo bikes.

The frame is strong. I recommend the front Utility Front Tray as a required accessory, it is amazing. I common load for me on the weekend is two kids (70#), a zoom 3 bike supported by the front rack with ratchet straps over our Basil basket, our lunch in the front bucket and two scooters attached to the back to the rear rack. I only ride on city streets, but the bike is durable enough to go off curbs, through pot holes, and 'off roading' at the local park, with no concern that the bike is being challenged.

I recommend this bike for motor, bike accessory and frame durability.

RE: Braking system
The braking system is definitely strong enough for a controlled stop under load (270#) down a steep hill. I changed the brake pads around 1000 miles. I think the bike came with resin pads, I switched to metal pads for more power.

RE: Range
Range is effected by load, wind, hills, assist power. That being said, I've biked 30-35 miles with 270# on the bike for 30-35 miles with mid to high assist on flat ground and minimal wind. The bosch battery is great. I recommend to anyone buying an electric bike they buy and from a brand that has some history in the bike world and from a local shop. I bought my cargo bike from Propel in Long Beach. They are great for lots reasons, including service.

RE: Gripes
It is likely just life with a cargo bike but the following are items I would advise people to look out for
1. Get the most expensive kick stand you can find. When these bikes are loaded and not on level ground, they will tip. Expensive kick stands help. I have the Benno Dual Kickstand which works great, but but I've been tempted to get the Rolling Jack Ass. My kids have tipped twice. Its dramatic and people / kids will freak out, but it will be fine.
2. With the rear rack and wheel guards it can be kind of tricky to service the rear brake. It just takes more time.
3. The mods I made to for taller riders and dangling legs were kind of annoying but ultimately fun to figure out.
4. For the type of riding I do (suburban and urban LA), I need a horn. An integrated, volume adjusting, horn would be nice. I currently use this Toptrek horn on my Vado and Boost.
5. More integration with the Bosch motor control display would be nice, but the Purion display does not bother me.
6. In my imagination, I think thru axles should be required for any bike with disk brakes but especially ones with heavy loads. I've not experienced any problems with the axles that came with the bike.
7. A integrated café lock would be nice. We use an abus folding lock which I am able to carry with the bike attached to the frame. Buy the longest folding lock. Cargo bikes need longer locks.
8. These bikes are heavy. With the battery and accessories, our bike weighs about 79#. I can carry them and load them on bike racks and maintenance stands but it is a challenge that requires some advanced planning. I do not notice the weight while riding.

The above items are more of a wish list. They do not distract me from enjoying the bike. It is an amazing bike.

RE: Style
I am an architect and get paid to tell people what is beautiful / sexy. I also have to worry about the water intrusion into buildings we design for 10 years. I am comfortable talking about well design objects. We bought this bike for my wife, we live in beach community. Styling of the bike was important to us. I love that the bike and its accessories have clean lines and not a lot of branding. I think the bike looks great even with the rear and front rack all loaded up. This is well designed bike that did not sacrifice function to achieve beauty.

I hope this helps. I'll copy this over the Benno Channel on EBR Forum. Let me know if you have any other question.







I also rewatched the video again and now I realize how tall you are. I also noticed you got a step through, for two tall people, what was the thinking behind this?
 
I also rewatched the video again and now I realize how tall you are. I also noticed you got a step through, for two tall people, what was the thinking behind this?
Packfiller, to allow others to find Boost info more easily, I will transfer your questions and my answers to that channel
 
I was posting recently on reddit about my life with ebikes, specifically the Vado brose motor. Someone responded with this video:
I had contacted performance line bearing years ago, there response at the time was they were looking for USA partners. Fast forward to last year and they now have partners in the USA and elsewhere.
The cost of the upgrade appears to be $260.
Has anyone done this upgrade?
I have another 15 months warranty on my current motor turbo 1.3 - brose S motor.
 
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