Vado SL 5.0 -- It's Here!

[Stefan Mikes]

Kind of agree with this as well. Already the Vado has a new removable battery design. How long will replacement batteries for the older Vado's be available? I'm not confident that if I keep a bike for a long time that Specialized will continue to provide parts/support once a Model has been upgraded/refreshed/discontinued. They barely able to provide support/parts for the current models .

Guess what. I bought the third Vado battery in November last year. Just to feel more secure for the future.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

maybe battery replacement is a reason to consider Trek? although they have some 2 x's power non-bosch ebikes (similar to Spec.), Trek uses the same RIB batteries on their full power road, urban, and mountain bikes in 500 Wh and 625 Wh. these are interchangeable among all the different frames and motors. it looks like the new 750 Wh RIB might be backward compatible with the 500 and 625's. Trek upgraded the higher cost 2022 Rails with the 750 Wh and it looks to me like they are putting it in the same frame used on the equivalent 2021 Rails. hopefully this means lots of support in the future. it sure would be nice if mfr's made this a practice in today's disposable world. it will allow older chassis to live on.

this is a major reason we picked the Treks. the RIB is big and chunky but so is a full power ebike. tim

Are the RIB batteries non-Bosch?!
How come?!

 

[Camasonian]

Kind of agree with this as well. Already the Vado has a new removable battery design. How long will replacement batteries for the older Vado's be available? I'm not confident that if I keep a bike for a long time that Specialized will continue to provide parts/support once a Model has been upgraded/refreshed/discontinued. They barely able to provide support/parts for the current models .

There is an enormous business in after-market batteries for every conceivable application on amazon and other online sources where you can buy cheaper non-OEM batteries for laptops and other devices.

I would imagine if e-bikes become common enough there will be aftermarket companies jumping into the replacement battery market. I doubt there is anything particularly special about Specialized batteries other than the plastic forms they are contained within and plastic manufacturing is very cheap and easy.

 

[rochrunner]

yes, Holland, Michigan. north side of Lake Macatawa, about 3/4 mile from Lake Michigan. wide paved bike paths everywhere. you can go 20 miles north to Grand Haven the whole way on dedicated bike paths. or south to Saugatuk about 15 miles same thing. Or 25 miles east to Grand Rapids. it is really amazing how great it is for bike friendly riding in this area after a lifetime in Maryland where you take your life in your hands on every ride. tim

And from Grand Rapids the White Pine all the way to Cadillac, or turn right at Reed City and take the Pere Marquette to Midland. I've been jealous of the extensive, connected trail system on the west side of the state, much of which is due to Fred Meijer of course. I'm in the SE quadrant of the state, which is much more urban, and live close to the Clinton River Trail. But that's also getting more connected every year and will soon be part of the Great Lake-to-Lake trail all the way from South Haven on your end to Port Huron east of where I am (Lake Michigan to Lake Huron). That will be a good one for a multi-day trip someday! We're also on the route of the Iron Belle Trail that will go from Belle Isle in Detroit to Ironton on the west end of the U.P. Long way to go on that one though.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I doubt there is anything particularly special about Specialized batteries other than the plastic forms they are contained within and plastic manufacturing is very cheap and easy.

Bulls**t.
The battery BMS and computer in Specialized batteries are unique.

 

[Art Deco]

Well, my local Specialized dealer has both the Vado 5.0 EQ and the Vado 5.0 SL EQ in stock now and I have an appointment for an extended test ride of both bikes before making up my mind. I'm honestly leaning towards the Vado 5.0 rather than the SL because if I am honest with myself what I am actually buying is a car-replacement source of commuter transportation that I intend to use for all purposes (including hauling groceries) and in all weather and it seems like the regular Vado is a more versatile urban commuting platform. But I want to try both of them side by side before coming to a final conclusion. I already own a very nice titanium road/cross bike with Ultegra componentry that I use for longer recreational rides, and I have a decent Cannondale mountain bike for trail riding. So I'm not buying an e-bike for recreational use for the most part, but mostly for commuting and errands.

Are there any particular things I should be looking for when I test drive these two bikes?

You have already read @Stefan Mikes and @rochrunner on the two bikes right?

 

[gpburdell]

this is a major reason we picked the Treks. the RIB is big and chunky but so is a full power ebike. tim

Have you found any way to use your own computer such as Garmin or Wahoo with the Bosch system?

Or with a Nyon or Kiox and Bosch eBike Connect is there a way to easily get ride data over to Garmin Connect, including rider-power vs motor-power stats?

Thats the thing that has me leaning heavily towards Specialized - I would be able to use my existing Garmin and have data directly into Garmin Connect.

 

[Holland-Tim-Allant+8S]

Have you found any way to use your own computer such as Garmin or Wahoo with the Bosch system?

Or with a Nyon or Kiox and Bosch eBike Connect is there a way to easily get ride data over to Garmin Connect, including rider-power vs motor-power stats?

Thats the thing that has me leaning heavily towards Specialized - I would be able to use my existing Garmin and have data directly into Garmin Connect.

no. probably my single biggest dislike on my Treks is the Cobi Smart Phone Hub. just garbage, imho. no way i'm putting my $800 iphone on that cheap cradle to bounce into smithereens.

Cobi is cute but garbage. if you have two bikes, it only recognizes the first one. so i can't connect it on my Powerfly. absolutely zero help from Trek or Bosch who purchased Cobi. don't bother calling technical unless you have days to waste.

at some point i'd like to remove the hub and go to a Nyon or equivalent but i imagine it's a real pain so i'll just continue to squint at the tiny hub screen. it gets the job done, barely.

 

[Holland-Tim-Allant+8S]

And from Grand Rapids the White Pine all the way to Cadillac, or turn right at Reed City and take the Pere Marquette to Midland. I've been jealous of the extensive, connected trail system on the west side of the state, much of which is due to Fred Meijer of course. I'm in the SE quadrant of the state, which is much more urban, and live close to the Clinton River Trail. But that's also getting more connected every year and will soon be part of the Great Lake-to-Lake trail all the way from South Haven on your end to Port Huron east of where I am (Lake Michigan to Lake Huron). That will be a good one for a multi-day trip someday! We're also on the route of the Iron Belle Trail that will go from Belle Isle in Detroit to Ironton on the west end of the U.P. Long way to go on that one though.

dear old Fred!!! what a guy for bikers. local company, local causes supported. if he was still around i'd thank him. i do patronize his stores, though. it's great to hear of the expansion plans you described. we are so glad to live hear not maryland/dc ... tim

 

[Holland-Tim-Allant+8S]

Are the RIB batteries non-Bosch?!
How come?!

RIB = Removable Integrated Battery. fancy term for a ... brace yourself, "removable battery". what is clever though is that the form factor is universal and it fits on many Trek ebikes making it easy to swap.

 

[Holland-Tim-Allant+8S]

Are the RIB batteries non-Bosch?!
How come?!

the RIB's are made by Bosch in Hungary, according to the labels. I think I read somewhere Bosch partners with a battery manufacturer, such as Panasonic or LG, but I can't remember for sure so I could be wrong.

i agree that replacement batteries will be available made by someone. we still have our Luna bikes and they make their own battery packs using Panasonic batteries, so it's the same basic approach. i could see someone like Luna building replacements for RIB's ... but i'm just speculating. tim

 

[Nubnub]

If Trek is using an interchangeable battery assembly across all their e-bikes, should give them a major economic advantage over specialized's approach of different batteries for different lines as well as for newer models. If they achieve critical mass, perhaps 3rd party batteries become available - providing a greater choice of cheaper or different capacities or fire starting capabilities .

 

[gpburdell]

no. probably my single biggest dislike on my Treks is the Cobi Smart Phone Hub. just garbage, imho. no way i'm putting my $800 iphone on that cheap cradle to bounce into smithereens.

Cobi is cute but garbage. if you have two bikes, it only recognizes the first one. so i can't connect it on my Powerfly. absolutely zero help from Trek or Bosch who purchased Cobi. don't bother calling technical unless you have days to waste.

at some point i'd like to remove the hub and go to a Nyon or equivalent but i imagine it's a real pain so i'll just continue to squint at the tiny hub screen. it gets the job done, barely.

Yeah, I've read stories of ejected $1200 phones.

Haven't explored cost/complexity for the upgrade from Purion or cobi setups, looks likely at least $400+... which does weigh in Specialized favor with the TCD2-w being included and the bikes providing ANT+ & BT data to Garmin/wahoo/etc as I understand it.

So much to think about...

 

[mschwett]

Yeah, I've read stories of ejected $1200 phones.

Haven't explored cost/complexity for the upgrade from Purion or cobi setups, looks likely at least $400+... which does weigh in Specialized favor with the TCD2-w being included and the bikes providing ANT+ & BT data to Garmin/wahoo/etc as I understand it.

So much to think about...

one minor point, specialized ebikes transmit via industry standard ANT+, but use proprietary bluetooth profiles, so you can’t immediately use a phone as your computer. not insurmountable, but annoying.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You have already read @Stefan Mikes and @rochrunner on the two bikes right?

Yes, I have. It is the choice of Camasonian (Vado or Vado SL) and he is right to try both of them.

Regarding the "Trek RIB": aren't these just standard Bosch batteries under a fancy name?

 

[Holland-Tim-Allant+8S]

Yes, I have. It is the choice of Camasonian (Vado or Vado SL) and he is right to try both of them.

Regarding the "Trek RIB": aren't these just standard Bosch batteries under a fancy name?

Great question. It would make sense if they were. I don’t know enough about other bike mfrs to answer your excellent question. Trek puts a painted cover on the RIB so that it matches the bike. Tim

 

[minigrrl]

Have you found any way to use your own computer such as Garmin or Wahoo with the Bosch system?

Or with a Nyon or Kiox and Bosch eBike Connect is there a way to easily get ride data over to Garmin Connect, including rider-power vs motor-power stats?

Thats the thing that has me leaning heavily towards Specialized - I would be able to use my existing Garmin and have data directly into Garmin Connect.

I use RunGap to move all my Strava data over to Garmin Connect. So Nyon (bike.connect) (and also Peloton workouts) -> Strava -> RunGap -> Garmin Connect. It's pretty seamless and slightly annoying.

All the data gets moved over, map, hr, power, cadence, etc. It doesn't show rider power vs motor though - it only shows rider power which is all I want anyway...

I've been chasing perfectly connected exercise data since the early 2000s (IR connection from Polar watch to VidaOne on Palm phone right after workout, etc, etc). One day...

 

[gpburdell]

I use RunGap to move all my Strava data over to Garmin Connect. So Nyon (bike.connect) (and also Peloton workouts) -> Strava -> RunGap -> Garmin Connect. It's pretty seamless and slightly annoying.

All the data gets moved over, map, hr, power, cadence, etc. It doesn't show rider power vs motor though - it only shows rider power which is all I want anyway...

I've been chasing perfectly connected exercise data since the early 2000s (IR connection from Polar watch to VidaOne on Palm phone right after workout, etc, etc). One day...

Thanks for confirmation of the final leg of data getting moved over to garmin connect. I'm familiar with RunGap - I use it to push Apple watch workouts (walks/runs) to GC, and also to Strava as a backup/secondary repository. Nyon -> ebike connect -> strava -> rungap -> garmin connect isn't quite as simple as my Edge 830 auto-uploading stuff over wifi when I get home, but it's good to know it's possible even if potentially cumbersome/annoying at times.

As for rider power / bike power - rider power is really the main thing I'd be looking for, so good to know that comes through. Bike assist does appear to come through on non-Bosch platforms such as Specialized, but only in the form of assist-level rather than something like watts.

... and I get it regarding the persuit of data - I originally had a Polar RS200SD which used an audio interface to transfer data to the computer and then Polar's web service. Since that had no apparent export capability I basically hand-entered data into RunningAhead.com

 

[minigrrl]

Thanks for confirmation of the final leg of data getting moved over to garmin connect. I'm familiar with RunGap - I use it to push Apple watch workouts (walks/runs) to GC, and also to Strava as a backup/secondary repository. Nyon -> ebike connect -> strava -> rungap -> garmin connect isn't quite as simple as my Edge 830 auto-uploading stuff over wifi when I get home, but it's good to know it's possible even if potentially cumbersome/annoying at times.

As for rider power / bike power - rider power is really the main thing I'd be looking for, so good to know that comes through. Bike assist does appear to come through on non-Bosch platforms such as Specialized, but only in the form of assist-level rather than something like watts.

... and I get it regarding the persuit of data - I originally had a Polar RS200SD which used an audio interface to transfer data to the computer and then Polar's web service. Since that had no apparent export capability I basically hand-entered data into RunningAhead.com

I was looking at the Specialized bikes for a while for that very reason (I was envious of @Stefan Mikes Strava stats from his bikes) but they didn't have a bike I really wanted, so I'm making do with the extra step...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I was looking at the Specialized bikes for a while for that very reason (I was envious of @Stefan Mikes Strava stats from his bikes) but they didn't have a bike I really wanted, so I'm making do with the extra step...

Besides, your purchase of the Moustache was an excellent decision! Stats or no stats but what a luxury e-bike you have got, Sarah!