Vado SL 2 Carbon LTD premiered today!
- Thread starter Stefan Mikes
- Start date
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
I deleted that figureMax 73.3 km/h
Assisted uphill?
Let me explain! In my early naivety, I installed a speed derestrictor on my Vado SL. At that time, I needed it to be able to ride with fast traditional gravel groups. Turned out the e-bike required 80-100% assistance to keep up with the group, which was battery intensive. Later, I "grew up". Decided slower rides were everything I needed, and didn't need the derestrictor very much (actually, many of my rides nowadays are within the legal 25 km/h and the restrictor on). The side effect of the derestrictor is it produces Motor Errors at times. Even if my Wahoo reports true ride data, Strava detects the Motor Error peaks and interprets them as Max Speed, which is always crazily wrong
Do I still use the derestrictor? Yes, often. It is however not to exceed 25 km/h but because the derestrictor gives the motor more boost when I pedal harder, which is important on the hills. (It is because the SL system thinks I'm riding very slowly, and there is a lot of boost in that speed region).
P.S. In the 25 km/h bike, the assistance drops to zero as the 25 km/h limit is approached. The derestrictor keeps the power high in that region.
Last edited:
Twowheelxtc
Member
Strefan I see you were faster on the full power Vado. No doubt that was the lure of the cherryGuys, you should be aware the power and energy you input into your crankset is the same regardless you are assisted or not (of course if you are really pedalling as much as you can!) Just check your Specialized power-meter readouts, and the leg power and energy expenditure on Strava (as long as these data come from your e-bike).
The whole point with being electrically assisted is you can ride farther with the same body energy input.
See a comparison of rides on almost the same route:
View attachment 183911
A powerful Vado 6.0, see the average speed and calories.
View attachment 183913
A Vado SL.
You might say: 'Stefan, you burned 400 kcal less when riding your big Vado?' Yes. It is just because my Vado SL ride was 40 minutes longer to complete the same route! Could I ride for 120 km on a traditional pedal bike? Not.
Do you know when I pedal the hardest? Yes, in Turbo mode because I want to ride even faster (refers to my 45 km/h Vado 6.0).
You are a very special case, Chris
ice cream……I’d have been fast too 
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Especially if you could see the fresh fruit they bought to make the next ice-cream batch (on your previous visit!)Strefan I see you were faster on the full power Vado. No doubt that was the lure of the cherry
True fact!
Now, when I think more on Vado SL 2... Were I totally e-bikeless now, I might consider that new e-bike. Only what makes me shudder is the thought of the CF components. Once, I rode at night and took a curb for the entry point onto a bike path. The crash was terrible! However, the crankarm/pedal took almost the whole impact! Actually, the crankarm got bent and had to be hammered back to the shape by my brother (eventually, that very crankarm had to be replaced). Now, fancy I crashed a SRAM carbon crankarm in the same situation... Arrgh!
mschwett
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
that’s not stupid, it’s the best way to ride for fun! it’s not like you’re racing for money. use your body as much as possible and the motor as littleI too ride my Creo with no assist 90% of the time just saving power for steep hills. Completely stupid I know and I can offer no defence as I know I’m just being ridiculous!. When I ride my 9yr old Rubaix that weighs 8.5k it’s so much easier and faster!! The road bike snobs that claim we ebikers don’t get any exercise and are lazy talk rubbish in an attempt to make themselves feel superior!
GAJ
Active Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Santa Rosa, CA
They also relaxed the steering of the SL 6.0 with a pushed out fork and longer wheelbaseI prefer the agile feel of the SL
mschwett
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
the squared off fatter down tube, eh. not a good look. obviously it would be even bigger visually if rounder. it’s an odd bike, huge battery for long commutes or something, but carbon to save a few pounds?
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Pfffft, that's nothing. How about Mach 12 on a beach ride on a 500W hub-drive:Max 73.3 km/h
Assisted uphill?
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Jeremy, I could not fail noticing (on RWGPS) that you have just added three new pieces of equipment to your Vado SL (The details are hidden behind the wall of your privacy!) Should I tell your wife?
(The details are hidden behind the wall of your privacy!) Should I tell your wife?
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Jeremy, I could not fail noticing (on RWGPS) that you have just added three new pieces of equipment to your Vado SL
Ha, nice extortion attempt, my friend, but she's the one who orders most of the bike stuff on her Amazon Prime account for free delivery. So she knows full well what a money pit the SL's become.
Besides, she sees it everyday and is no doubt keeping an eye out for additions I've ordered myself. The good news: She's been a pretty good sport about it so far.
The bad news: It'll be her turn one day, and it will probably make the SL outlays look like pocket change.
Guessing you saw the SL photo given when I added the bike to RideWithGPS? Can you see the hub-drive, too?
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
I can only see the notifications from your profile, nothing else!
BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
It kind of looks like 2020-2021 design. (And I say this as someone who just got a 2021 full power bike that weighs the same as the 6.0 EQ despite having an aluminum frame and a motor that is a full kg heavier than the SL).
You can kind of see how they ended up with this bike: last in line for an update and going from basically no competition to being squeezed on both the power and weight fronts. Marketing decides to go with battery capacity as the standout feature. Engineering can't use 21700 cells even if they have it ready, because you know that will debut on the emtbs before anything else. So they mitigate the weight with a carbon frame. Marketing complains that it's too heavy, so they slap $1750 wheels onto the 6.0 so they can advertise 'as low as' 33 lbs. And you end up with a $8k fitness commuter bike.
They should have just leaned into the low weight+ great integration/connectivity for this update. Maybe build the RE cost into the price of the bike so they can advertise 480wh. Along that vein if it's urban exploration that is the goal, they should have included the integrated radar at least on the EQ.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Impressive, unassisted downhill? Accidental uncontrolled decent? That hill looks fairly steep.
I thought similar, looks bulky/heavy/long, maybe better in the flesh?
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Heck no, that was me pedaling away at 31,000 rpm. I've been working on cadence.
;^}
Last edited:
GAJ
Active Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Santa Rosa, CA
Good points but what has marketing ended up with?
Their lightest and nimblest E'bikes in the SL line are the cheapest and have great range with no attached anxiety as they so light they are as easy to pedal as analog bikes.
They turned the world of marketing on its head.
In the US perhaps they should advertise (unless it's not true) that these 6.0 bikes can go a legit 28 mph and easily so with the new added power.
The EBR review stated that and said it was good for 35 mile range at max speed so make that a positive, as on some commutes that could be a real safety feature.
My 5.0 naked SL won't even go 28 down a hill.
On flat land I can get up to about 23 mph max as I'm old and weak apparently, (68, 195lbs).
Last edited:
My neighbor just got a Canyon Grizl:ON CF 9. If only I could use a drop bar bike. I wish the SL2 was like this Canyon but flatbar. Also same price range. I really like that the Canyon has seat suspension and a real suspension in the fork. Also still only weighs 35 lbs. And AXS that doesn't cost $8000.
Similar threads
