Vado SL 2 Carbon LTD premiered today!

[2wheelsgood]

I purchased a Specialized CG-R FACT carbon seatpost. It helps take up just a bit of the road vibration.. I had various "sprung" seatposts on my prior e-bike, but found them too "bouncy" at higher cadence rates. When combined with my Selle Anatomica leather seat, I find the CG-R to be more comfortable than the elastic or sprung seatposts I had used prior.

It is on the Specialized web site here: https://www.specialized.com/cy/en/cg-r-carbon-seatpost/p/156334?color=229919-156334 but can be had for less from eBay, which is where I got mine

I just realised that the seat post needs to be able to route the rear light cable on the SL 5.0.

If that is not possible then it is a no go.

 

[Douglas Ruby]

I just realised that the seat post needs to be able to route the rear light cable on the SL 5.0.

If that is not possible then it is a no go.

My old 1st gen 2015 Specialized Turbo had the same issue. I ended up drilling a hole in the Aluminum tube of the suspended seatposts I used on that bike. O routed the seat based tail light wire through the hole. Dont think this would work for a carbon post.

 

[Allan47.7339]

The Specialized support site has added a section on the Turbo Vado SL 2 (2025 - ). They've have a lot of detail about the new bike and it's systems. It's got some changes to systems from it's predecessors. Some of the documentation is only available to the retailer and will require the mechanics to follow one of the standards, RT-FM-F1 (read the effing manual for once).

https://support.specialized.com/kb/sp_en-us/browse/202300000002723/Turbo-Vado-SL-2-2025

 

[JoeDirt]

Well I am a new ebike Roadie and this SL2 EQ is for sure tempting me.
But not knowing about the Brose motor and it's Power Band leaves me on the fence.

Being all the high quality drive train parts and newly designed photo stimulates my wallet to excrete money! But until I can ride one to 28 mph then I will make my decision.

I have seen a few reviews and read various articles some are very excited and show videos that seem very impressive then you turn around and read another person's review that says it's lackluster in the higher mph range meaning it's hard to get it to 28 mph but at 23 you're fine all day long.

I'm buying an E bike for the sheer fun of the torque, acceleration and commuting power to be able to cruise around and do my errands in place of a car, I don't want to push an Iron Maiden with limited Power Band that's just my two cents living in a car Centric area.

But once I get my arse on one of these and if it will get me to 25 or 26 mph easily my wallet will be emptied probably pretty quickly.

I am just waiting to find a bike that meets my frame geometry style and Power Band needs. My local shop is ordering one so I can take a test ride with no commitments. I will know more next week.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have seen a few reviews and read various articles some are very excited and show videos that seem very impressive then you turn around and read another person's review that says it's lackluster in the higher mph range meaning it's hard to get it to 28 mph but at 23 you're fine all day long.

22 mph is the practical speed limit for flat handlebar bikes because of air-drag. If you want to ride fast, you need a "full power" e-bike (like, a Vado 5.0 [no SL in the name]), or a drop handlebar road e-bike (for reduced air drag). Bear in mind that riding any e-bike at a high speed means high battery consumption. That, as a consequence will result in pretty fast battery degradation and short range.

But not knowing about the Brose motor and it's Power Band leaves me on the fence.

It is a Specialized motor manufactured by Mahle (not Brose; Brose motors are used in the 'full power' Specialized e-bikes) with peak power of 320 W. To compare, a Vado 5.0 (non SL) can produce up to 565 W of mechanical peak power.

 

[mogulman]

22 mph is the practical speed limit for flat handlebar bikes because of air-drag. If you want to ride fast, you need a "full power" e-bike (like, a Vado 5.0 [no SL in the name]), or a drop handlebar road e-bike (for reduced air drag). Bear in mind that riding any e-bike at a high speed means high battery consumption. That, as a consequence will result in pretty fast battery degradation and short range.


It is a Specialized motor manufactured by Mahle (not Brose; Brose motors are used in the 'full power' Specialized e-bikes) with peak power of 320 W. To compare, a Vado 5.0 (non SL) can produce up to 565 W of mechanical peak power.

Stefan,

Have you ever thought of working for a Specialized dealer? I bet you could sell a lot of Turbos!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Stefan,

Have you ever thought of working for a Specialized dealer? I bet you could sell a lot of Turbos!

I sell and support something way more expensive

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Wonder how many of our Creo 2 riders can hit 28 mph on flat, smooth pavement in still air? Or sustain it for, say, 5 minutes? Maybe @mschwett or @Saratoga Dave or @Watana Bob or @Allan47.7339 or others will chime in.

Granted, tire choice and the leg power the rider can produce will figure in. But if they can't do it with the 1.2 motor, drop bars, and lower weight of the Creo 2, the odds of @JoeDirt doing it on the flat-bar SL 2 aren't promising.

 

[GAJ]

Wonder how many of our Creo 2 riders can hit 28 mph on the flat in still air? Or sustain it for, say, 5 minutes? Maybe @mschwett or @Saratoga Dave or @Watana Bob or @Allan47.7339 or others will chime in.

Granted, the leg power the rider can produce figures in. But if they can't do it with the 1.2 motor, drop bars, and lower weight of the Creo 2, the odds of @JoeDirt doing it on the flat-bar SL 2 aren't promising.

If I work quite hard I can get mid 20s on the SL1 so I suspect if you work quite hard you can get to 28 on the SL2.

But if you are commuting then you arrive all sweaty which negates the point.

As Stefan said, need a "too heavy to carry up stairs" full power e'bike.

Personally I'll never have a heavier e'bike than my SL1 5.0.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I suspect if you work quite hard you can get to 28 on the SL2.

Air-drag will make it impossible.

My fastest ride ever. A "full power" Vado (non SL) and a workout with road cyclists. It was a loop so the wind and elevation could be cancelled. Our average speed was 19.3 mph, and the maximum speed of 31.7 mph was only achieved on the descent.

I burned two big batteries for that ride

'Stefan: The only roadie who comes to the workout with a pannier'

 

[BEC111]

Stefan,

Have you ever thought of working for a Specialized dealer? I bet you could sell a lot of Turbos!

Most of my riding is on a rail trail where I have to contend with horses, walkers, runners, other cyclists; some slower some faster. My average speed over thousands of miles and five plus years on an analong as well electric bikes is between 12 (analog) and 15 (E).

I hadn’t thought about wanting to ride at 28 mph for extended periods until recently. This thread has increased my awareness. I chose a class 3 bike so I could go faster when on the roads, but I don’t do that too often. When I do, I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to go 30 miles an hour to feel safe on the roads. Being able to sustain speeds around 18-20 mph on flat or nearly flat roads is fine.

As my awareness of the possibilities offered by more powerful bikes has grown I’ve had fleeting thoughts about getting a more powerful bike. Then my other bike choice criteria take hold. Range - I want at least 60 miles while having the ability to use “Sport” mode for most of the ride. Weight - I store my bike on a Zero Gravity rack (no longer available) that lifts the bike off the floor in my small garag. This requires lifting the bike to eye level which would be impossible for me to do with any the much heavier Vado or almost any other Ebike.

So the great circle route to choosing a Turbo Vado SL.

 

[JoeDirt]

I think that these manufacturers should say that they have a maximum speed of 28 mph but from 25 on you will have to work for it. Perhaps they'll make a class 4 or five that will go to 38 mph and give you 28!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I think that these manufacturers should say that they have a maximum speed of 28 mph but from 25 on you will have to work for it. Perhaps they'll make a class 4 or five that will go to 38 mph and give you 28!

I believe Joe you didn't quite grab the idea what Class 3 means. It means: "The motor will cut off at 28 mph". Nobody has promised you actually would hit 28 mph
For instance: You are riding on a mild descent. Yes, the motor will assist you up to 28 mph but it is the gravity that makes you achieve that speed.

 

[BEC111]

I believe Joe you didn't quite grab the idea what Class 3 means. It means: "The motor will cut off at 28 mph". Nobody has promised you actually would hit 28 mph
For instance: You are riding on a mild descent. Yes, the motor will assist you up to 28 mph but it is the gravity that makes you achieve that speed.

Gravity and a tail wind

 

[JoeDirt]

I believe Joe you didn't quite grab the idea what Class 3 means. It means: "The motor will cut off at 28 mph". Nobody has promised you actually would hit 28 mph
For instance: You are riding on a mild descent. Yes, the motor will assist you up to 28 mph but it is the gravity that makes you achieve that speed.

No I completely understand what they're talking about there is assist but it's very mild when you get close to 28, at least from the Bosch systems that I've ridden. What I have noticed is that the ones like the CX and the performance line speed seem to assist you much better to 25 mph and then taper off with the assist, but it is still there then it completely cuts off at 28. I understand there reasoning to cut off at 28 but why not give us full assist power up to 28 so us lazy folks can get a nice strong ride to 28 then feel the full weight of the bike when it cuts off. That's my point I feel like I'm getting jipped. I'm new to the e-bikes and that's the first thing that was very obvious to me right in my face is that these bikes will cut off at a given speed but they don't really give you a lot of assist in those last couple of miles per hour

 

[Stefan Mikes]

but why not give us full assist power up to 28 so us lazy folks can get a nice strong ride to 28 then feel the full weight of the bike when it cuts off.

Because the law reads: "...the assistance has to gradually decrease and become zero when the cut-off speed has been achieved".

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Checked my cycling power loss spreadsheet based on data and well-known formulas from Wilson & Schmidt, 2020, Bicycling Science, 4th ed.

By itself, aerodynamic power loss is proportional to drag area (aka CdA) and insensitive to weight and road surface properties. The book's Table 5.2 leads to representative CdA estimates of 0.64, 0.44, and 0.32 m² for upright commuting, touring, and fully tucked racing cases, resp. These figures take typical rider postures and bike aerodynamics into account. The touring and racing cases assume drop bars.

At 28 mph in still air, the corresponding aerodynamic power losses alone come to 777W, 534W, and 388W, resp. Big differences.

Now let's look at the SL 2 with a not-quite-upright posture. If we estimate CdA at 0.54 m² (average of the commuter and touring cases), then the aerodynamic loss at 28 mph is 656W.

A full 320W contribution from the SL 2's motor leaves the rider to put in 336W just to overcome air resistance at 28 mph in still air. At my weight (87 kg) on my SL 5.0 on smooth flat pavement, there'd be another 60W or so of rolling loss to overcome — for a total of 396W just from the rider. That's pro-level riding.

Roughly speaking, max total (rider+motor) torque limits acceleration and climbing rates, while max total mechanical power limits steady top speed. So increasing torque alone won't get you a high cruising speed. To cruise at 28 mph on smooth flat pavement in still air, a mere mortal would need an ebike motor with a lot more mechanical power than the SL 2's.

These estimates back up Stefan's point about realistic top speeds.

 

[mschwett]

...

At 28 mph in still air, the corresponding aerodynamic power losses alone come to 777W, 534W, and 388W, resp. Big differences.

yes, you hit the nail on the head. people grossly underestimate the increased power needed at speeds over 20mph from the bad aerodynamics (and to a lesser degree, tire rolling resistance) of upright bicycles.

it's almost impossible to find "flat" land here without wind (since the flat land is adjacent to the water, from which comes wind!) and i almost never rode on flat ground with the bike in turbo, but looking back through some testing in the early creo days, it took 220w sustained human output plus full power on the bike (240w) to get to the assist cut-off. that's a bit more than your 388w estimate, but you could take 5% drivetrain loss out, bringing the 460 down to 435 or so, and i typically would do the "arms flat on the hoods" rather than the drops, i don't wear lycra kits, and am not the smallest most aero person in the world. so it seems about right.

and yes, before recent health issues i could definitely sustain that speed for a few hours - but the bike's battery would be dead in an hour, yielding a very impressive range of... 27.5 miles.

we OFTEN have big tailwinds though, and i like riding fast, so this is why i went to a 10t small sprocket on my creo. 42x10 at 27mph is 80rpm.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

i don't wear lycra kits

Wait, is that even legal on an Aethos??

 

[JoeDirt]

Thanks Jeremy well I finally fully understand what is happening.. my first thought was yes there is a aerodynamic issue going on with wind drag, but putting it into perspective on these electric motors and how they're designed to assist from the Cadence output of the rider, you would have to be very strong to maintain that cut off speed and whatever class. Thanks for explaining this technically. I will probably start going on a diet and look for a very good Lycra aerodynamic time trial suit!