What's your farthest ride on a single charge with a Vado?

[Stefan Mikes]

Then we exclude the weight from the equation, NBS

 

[Kam1936]

Went riding today with tires slimed. 30.1 miles. Average speed to and from. 13.9 mph. Let's round it off at 14 mph. Finished ride with 69% battery remaining. Not going to bring all the stats. Just the summary of both rides. Met a couple friends out and about.

 

[rochrunner]

Drag force increases in the square power, Roch, and the power demand in the third power. Trust me.

You're right -- I misunderstood your original statement. From another page on bicycle efficiency:

"A human traveling on a bicycle at 16–24 km/h (10–15 mph), using only the power required to walk, is the most energy-efficient means of human transport generally available. Air drag, which increases with the square of speed, requires increasingly higher power outputs relative to speed, power increasing with the cube of speed as power equals force times velocity. "

I'll have to admit, something doesn't seem quite right here, but it's been over a half century since my engineering degree and I've forgotten most everything else that happened that long ago...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Average speed to and from. 13.9 mph. Let's round it off at 14 mph. Finished ride with 69% battery remaining.

I forgot to say my average speed was 25.2 km/h (15.8 mph). Also, I think your own input Kam is far higher than mine!

I'll have to admit, something doesn't seem quite right here, but it's been over a half century since my engineering degree and I've forgotten most everything else that happened that long ago...

I was always poor on the Mechanics, Roch. That was my Achilles heel during my University times

 

[Kam1936]

I forgot to say my average speed was 25.2 km/h (15.8 mph). Also, I think your own input Kam is far higher than mine!


I was always poor on the Mechanics, Roch. That was my Achilles heel during my University times

I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. I'd have to see the stats. Can hardly wait for you to get the TCD-w upgrade. Yes. I do try to get a workout most of the time. I'm still tweaking the assist levels to compliment my own power. 14 mph average for a 30 mile ride at approximately 1 % per mile is decent. Especially with the wind, 25 pounds in my Ortlieb bag, my weight, 185 pounds and hills. I'd like to get an Average speed of 16 mph at the same distance/ route with the same 1% battery depletion per mile.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I estimate my leg power to be 84 W (yours is 113), I'm heavier and riding probably more upright. So what. The batteries are there to be used

 

[rochrunner]

I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. I'd have to see the stats. Can hardly wait for you to get the TCD-w upgrade. Yes. I do try to get a workout most of the time. I'm still tweaking the assist levels to compliment my own power. 14 mph average for a 30 mile ride at approximately 1 % per mile is decent. Especially with the wind, 25 pounds in my Ortlieb bag, my weight, 185 pounds and hills. I'd like to get an Average speed of 16 mph at the same distance/ route with the same 1% battery depletion per mile.

Your riding parameters are a lot like mine -- similar power, etc. I'm not getting much chance to ride these days (like a second winter out there today!) and am still tweaking my settings. I'll have to especially try your Eco settings (which I saw in the other thread) with low assist and especially low peak power. I'd like to be able to ride in Eco in flatter terrain and get about the same physical benefit as on my standard bike of similar configuration (Specialized Crosstrail), just using higher boost for hills or when I can use the help getting back from a long ride.

 

[Kam1936]

I estimate my leg power to be 84 W (yours is 113), I'm heavier and riding probably more upright. So what. The batteries are there to be used

. I don't know exactly how it determines leg power. I do feel I'm getting a good workout. The ride going to Starbucks I had more energy to push it. Coming back not so much. I think I could maybe shave off 3 % of assist in ECO and 5% in Sport and 5% in Turbo. Setting PP to same as assist. 18/18, 55/55, 65,65. I'm going to try out those in my next profile settings and see how I manage. My RPM was 84 and my input was 118 W. I used up 192 W on the ride there. I was drenched when I arrived. I love the workout. And I love the battery and motor assist when I get tired.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The sensor measures your torque at the cranks and recalculates it to your power It is like having power-meter pedals.

 

[Kam1936]

Your riding parameters are a lot like mine -- similar power, etc. I'm not getting much chance to ride these days (like a second winter out there today!) and am still tweaking my settings. I'll have to especially try your Eco settings (which I saw in the other thread) with low assist and especially low peak power. I'd like to be able to ride in Eco in flatter terrain and get about the same physical benefit as on my standard bike of similar configuration (Specialized Crosstrail), just using higher boost for hills or when I can use the help getting back from a long ride.

I think I'm learning how to shift down before I hit the hills. Going up the hill pedal as much as I can on my own power. Then switch on ECO to help me sustain it at faster rate of speed.. I noticed I can go faster spinning more as opposed to just leaving in same gear on the flats. I read here that it's easier on the drive train if you do this and easier on the chain.

 

[Sierratim]

I think I'm learning how to shift down before I hit the hills. Going up the hill pedal as much as I can on my own power. Then switch on ECO to help me sustain it at faster rate of speed.. I noticed I can go faster spinning more as opposed to just leaving in same gear on the flats. I read here that it's easier on the drive train if you do this and easier on the chain.

The motor torque curve published in another thread shows that peak motor power is attained at cadence levels above 70rpm. Another good reason to spin, esp up hill!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Friends, shifting on the incline is very easy. Just make sure your Vado has enough momentum, pause the pedalling for a short while, hit the lever, pedal again. The bike won't stop it it has enough of momentum. I tried that yesterday.

If the incline becomes gradually steeper, you can downshift many times as I explained. It is more beneficial to downshift before the bike stops: before the signals at the junction, before a planned rest etc.

Cadence between 70 and, say, 85 is the best for the knees and for the motor efficiency. My favourite is 76 rpm although I spin faster uphill or upwind, and I slow down to 70 when am tired.

 

[rochrunner]

Friends, shifting on the incline is very easy. Just make sure your Vado has enough momentum, pause the pedalling for a short while, hit the lever, pedal again. The bike won't stop it it has enough of momentum. I tried that yesterday.

If the incline becomes gradually steeper, you can downshift many times as I explained. It is more beneficial to downshift before the bike stops: before the signals at the junction, before a planned rest etc.

Cadence between 70 and, say, 85 is the best for the knees and for the motor efficiency. My favourite is 76 rpm although I spin faster uphill or upwind, and I slow down to 70 when am tired.

As Stefan says, it is important not to have the drivetrain "under load" when shifting if possible. This is true for any derailleur system, but especially on an e-bike where the added torque from the motor can really "jerk" the drivetrain, which is hard on the chain and on the gear teeth. Some e-bike systems -- Bosch for one I believe -- have a shift detection mechanism that effectively kills the motor for an instant when you move the shift lever, but the Brose system doesn't do this. When upshifting, I also at least ease up on the pedals to allow it to shift smoothly.

By the way, does the shifter on the Vado 4.0 support shifting down more than one cog in a single lever motion? On my Shimano 105 road bike controls, depending on how far you push the downshift lever, you can shift one, two, or three cogs at once, which is handy when you come to an incline and start slowing down quickly. I haven't tried this on my Vado yet.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

By the way, does the shifter on the Vado 4.0 support shifting down more than one cog in a single lever motion?

I think you are allowed to click down thrice and up twice but these are distinct clicks. I might be wrong.

 

[TS25]

As Stefan says, it is important not to have the drivetrain "under load" when shifting if possible. This is true for any derailleur system, but especially on an e-bike where the added torque from the motor can really "jerk" the drivetrain, which is hard on the chain and on the gear teeth. ... When upshifting, I also at least ease up on the pedals to allow it to shift smoothly.

By the way, does the shifter on the Vado 4.0 support shifting down more than one cog in a single lever motion? On my Shimano 105 road bike controls, depending on how far you push the downshift lever, you can shift one, two, or three cogs at once, which is handy when you come to an incline and start slowing down quickly. I haven't tried this on my Vado yet.

I agree that (constantly) shifting under load leads to excessive wear on all elements of the drive train.

With my Vado I can shift two or more gears at a time by pushing the lever further but it could depend on the Vado model.
Did you notice it's a two-way-lever?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Did you notice it's a two-way-lever?

No!?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@TS25, darn, the SLX gear lever works both ways indeed...
What else could you tell me about my Vado I haven't know so far?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

OMG!

 

[Kam1936]

I agree that (constantly) shifting under load leads to excessive wear on all elements of the drive train.

With my Vado I can shift two or more gears at a time by pushing the lever further but it could depend on the Vado model.
Did you notice it's a two-way-lever?

I noticed this too. If you barely push the top lever it shifts up and firmly it shifts down. The bottom lever just shifts up. Maybe it is my imagination.

 

[Sierratim]

OMG!

My sons have the same shifters on their MtBs. I was equally amazed when they demo'ed all the features for me.