Vado SL Average/Median Speed Speed

[TubbyBeast]

Hi Everyone! It's been a month or so since I got my Vado SL. Riding around Santa Monica I've been averaging 13-16 MPH per Strava. I plan to use it to commute 14 mi round-trip.

The bike is super fun, but this isn't that much higher than my average on my road bike - although I'm working less hard. Is this folks' experience? (I'm in an urban area so there is a lot of stopping and starting.)

 

[TubbyBeast]

Here’s a chart for reference:

 

[mschwett]

it’s very hard in an urban environment to get an average speed a lot higher than what you’re seeing unless you’re pushing really hard, have the bike on turbo the whole time, AND are willing to disregard stop signs, red lights, cars, pedestrians, etc.

if you have some long straight stretches without lights, it should be possible to pretty easily average 20mph for those sections with the bike on sport and you pedaling moderately hard. at speeds above 15mph aerodynamics are by far the biggest driver of how much energy it takes. it takes around 275w of effective power to go 20mph sitting up fairly straight on a fitness type bike, but closer to 500w to go 25mph. given the 240w output of the vado SL, that means you have to put out 260w, which is a lot for a typical person to sustain. not practical for a commute or urban ride.

 

[Art Deco]

Hi Everyone! It's been a month or so since I got my Vado SL. Riding around Santa Monica I've been averaging 13-16 MPH per Strava. I plan to use it to commute 14 mi round-trip.

The bike is super fun, but this isn't that much higher than my average on my road bike - although I'm working less hard. Is this folks' experience? (I'm in an urban area so there is a lot of stopping and starting.)

That is a fine speed for urban or gravel use. You will go faster on open road of course if you want.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Vado SL is a fitness e-bike, not a commuter. I'm getting average speed similar to (or slightly better than) what I would be getting on a traditional bike were I younger and healthy. For 14 miles round trip, the OP can burn his battery charge in turbo mode, and realistic cruising speed could be around 20-22 mph with the average of 16 mph (or slightly better).

 

[kahn]

Hi Everyone! It's been a month or so since I got my Vado SL. Riding around Santa Monica I've been averaging 13-16 MPH per Strava. I plan to use it to commute 14 mi round-trip.

The bike is super fun, but this isn't that much higher than my average on my road bike - although I'm working less hard. Is this folks' experience? (I'm in an urban area so there is a lot of stopping and starting.)

Those who don't really need the POWER of an ebike for things like a commute will probably benefit by arriving at work less sweaty.

I use to commute 17 each way about 2 or 3 times a week during fair weather using either my road or mt bike. But I was much younger and stronger. But I would arrive quite damp!

 

[BEC111]

Hi Everyone! It's been a month or so since I got my Vado SL. Riding around Santa Monica I've been averaging 13-16 MPH per Strava. I plan to use it to commute 14 mi round-trip.

The bike is super fun, but this isn't that much higher than my average on my road bike - although I'm working less hard. Is this folks' experience? (I'm in an urban area so there is a lot of stopping and starting.)

That’s been my experience after more than a year with mine. About 2-4 mph faster than on my previous analog Cannondale Adventure 1. As mschwett points out its hard to average faster when you have to slow for walkers, dogs, stop signs traffic lights and on my usual rail trail horses and wildlife.

In fact I’ve been practicing riding slower while keeping up my cadence and heart rate. Slowing down because the trail has been crowded and speeding through traffic is foolish.

 

[Over50]

Hi Everyone! It's been a month or so since I got my Vado SL. Riding around Santa Monica I've been averaging 13-16 MPH per Strava. I plan to use it to commute 14 mi round-trip.

The bike is super fun, but this isn't that much higher than my average on my road bike - although I'm working less hard. Is this folks' experience? (I'm in an urban area so there is a lot of stopping and starting.)

I'm averaging about 14 mph on my Vado SL for a 23 mile urban commute riding about 90% average support. Commute times from a couple of years ago on my non-electric for the same route were about 11.5 mph. Recent times on my Trek Allant riding in equivalent to Eco mode about 15 mph.