Vado SL 2 Carbon LTD premiered today!

[MartsEbike]

A CatEye Volt 1700? Expensive but it is a true MTB light. Once, I rode on a pitch black road in the woods with the full power on. Once I got back to the civilisation, I forgot reducing the output. An approaching car had to stop as the driver could see nothing! (Shame on me!) Note: This lamp is heavy. You could consider Volt 800, AMPP 1100, etc.

Nowadays, my Volt serves only as a torch

Sounds good I will check that out! You have to be careful not to blind anyone though! haha I have an Exposure Toro Mk15 on my Frey and it's extremely bright, I think over 3000 lumens! But it's heavy and expensive. Luckily I purchased it using a Cycle2Work voucher so I saved some money but otherwise, I'd have never purchased it. I still can't believe I paid that much for a light even today! Mind you it's been a godsend riding off-road.

It is more like 2-3% an hour. You can absolutely make an Imperial Century on the main battery + range extender if the assistance is low. Have you tried the Smart Control in the Specialized App? It really works! I also guess your Mastermind TCU can give you Range and Range Trend, and you could control the Range manually by Micro Tune mode.

That sounds better! A lot of my assumptions are airing on the safe side. I've only done a couple of reasonably long rides, one about 40-odd miles and the other 50 miles so I haven't got to grips with everything yet. I also need to explore the Specialized app further. I haven't messed around with any advanced settings like Micro Tune - all I've done up to now is change the power levels.

I'm going to increase the length of my rides over the next couple of months, so I can test more features of the App, also get a better idea of battery drain and be confident I'll make the century. I have to say though the suspension seatpost is working like a dream when riding the bike to work. It soaked up the bumps well!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I have to say though the suspension seatpost is working like a dream when riding the bike to work. It soaked up the bumps well!

You could describe the procedure of installing the Kinekt (what version?) on your Vado SL 5.0 non-EQ in one of relevant threads!

 

[MartsEbike]

You could describe the procedure of installing the Kinekt (what version?) on your Vado SL 5.0 non-EQ in one of relevant threads!

Yeah, will do... I've been meaning to get around to it! This week I've been tied up at work and the weather has been rubbish, with snow this morning. So it's been locked away in the garage. But tomorrow I'm going to get the bike out for a ride so I'll snap a few photos and get a post done about it.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

It's a nice bike, and I could have held out for the SL2, but it's quite expensive for what it is. At UK prices it's around double what I paid for an SL1. Carbon is expensive and nice to boast about, but you don't gain much else for spending twice as much. Ok, it has slightly more power, but in Euro Spec it'll still cut out at 15.5mph. I'm quite happy with the SL1 and to have the best part of £2k still in my pocket.

My only wish is that my SL1 had a brighter front light, and a handlebar switch to turn the lights on and off.

Quite content with my SL 1 as well. Have you considered putting a third-party headlight with its own battery on your handlebar? Bright as you want. Doesn't have to be heavy.

 

[MartsEbike]

Quite content with my SL 1 as well. Have you considered putting a third-party headlight with its own battery on your handlebar? Bright as you want. Doesn't have to be heavy.

I've added battery-powered lights for other rides but they're better for being seen rather than illuminating the road.

Over the years I've purchased many battery-powered lights, but since I moved house I cannot find them! It's frustrating and has been putting me off buying more as I'm sure I'll eventually find them... as luck would have it that'll be straight after I purchase more lights .

I'm also considering something like the CatEye Volt 1700 Stefan suggested above. Max 1700lm, but on a lower setting it should do 800-1000lm and provide a decent burn time.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Volt 1700 actually gets hot when operated on the full power I used it on my e-MTB in the past.

 

[MartsEbike]

Volt 1700 actually gets hot when operated on the full power I used it on my e-MTB in the past.

Double benefit! On cold days I can use it to keep my hands warm!

 

[Te. S]

It's a nice bike, and I could have held out for the SL2, but it's quite expensive for what it is. At UK prices it's around double what I paid for an SL1. Carbon is expensive and nice to boast about, but you don't gain much else for spending twice as much. Ok, it has slightly more power, but in Euro Spec it'll still cut out at 15.5mph. I'm quite happy with the SL1 and to have the best part of £2k still in my pocket.

My only wish is that my SL1 had a brighter front light, and a handlebar switch to turn the lights on and off.

Invest in a head lamp it will do wonders for your night rides, I have 600 lumens and it's bright , I hardly use it because don't do much night rids but mostly at dusk,

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Guys, I've just looked what the competition can offer for a similar market segment (UK prices). We are talking about lightweight commuter e-bikes.

• Scott Silence: carbon frame, TQ HPR 50 motor (50 Nm, 300 W), 360 Wh battery, no handlebar remote, SRAM electronic 12s drivetrain powered from e-bike battery, mudguards, lights, front rack only, 14.5 kg, price £6,899
• Trek FX+ 7: aluminium frame, TQ HPR 50 motor (50 Nm, 300 W), 360 Wh battery, no handlebar remote, 10 speed Shimano CUES drivetrain, mudguards, lights, rear rack, 19.3 kg, price £4,250
• Orbea Kemen Tour 10: aluminium frame, Shimano EP600 motor (85 Nm, no peak power given), 630 Wh battery, handlebar remote, Shimano CUES drivetrain 11 speed, mudguards, lights, rear rack (front rack optional), 23 kg, price £4,399
  compared to
• Specialized Vado SL 2 Carbon 6.0: carbon frame, SL 1.2 motor (50 Nm, 320 W), 520 Wh battery, handlebar remote, Shimano 12 speed mechanical drivetrain, mudguards, lights, rear rack, 18 kg, £5,500

As we can see, Specialized has followed the market trends, locating its new e-bike between the expensive Scott and the rest of the pack in terms of weight, frame, components, and the price. It cannot be missed Specialized has given up on the "a lightweight fitness e-bike" concept in favour of "possibly lightweight urban e-bike". The battery/motor are the factors adversely affecting the e-bike weight while the carbon frame is to possibly reduce the weight. As it is clearly seen, the battery is a thing that weighs a lot! It is especially noticeable on the Kemen!

(If we look at the Vado SL Carbon LTD, it beats the Scott with the specs but not on the weight at an exorbitant price).

I wonder whether Specialized will ever return to the concept of the SL fitness e-bike we current users are so happy with!