Which chain is on the Vado 5.0?

[TS25]

• 126 links appeared to be the proper chain length.

Now, the drivetrain works silently and reliably in any gear.

By the way, it turned out I was able to install the new chainring wrongly last Autumn! The diagram on the ring is on the drive side (and it should face the frame). So what? The chainring has already worn in and I won't replace it, as no ill effects can be observed.

Geschafft
And you're proving real Voortrekker spirit by testing the chainring with the diagram on the outside, just like @GuruUno.
Might rename you "GuruDue" afterwards.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You're sure the chainring is directional?

 

[Igor M]

• 132 links? No way! The bottom part of the chain was loose at the 11th gear. Removed two links, same. Two links more removed...
• 128 links was applied by a local bike mechanic last Autumn. No good. The bottom part of the chain was still loose. Two more links removed...
• 126 links appeared to be the proper chain length. The bottom part of the chain got properly tensioned at the smallest cassette cog, and the derailleur was not overly stretched in the largest cog.

Then... extremely scared I used the chain tool to permanently connect the chain with the provided (and greased) pin. I was doing that extremely carefully and slowly (I can screw up even that!) Success! (And the Shadow clutch on).

Now, the drivetrain works silently and reliably in any gear. The most important: The strange noise I heard with the old chain in the granny gear has been eliminated!

• stretched in the largest cog.

super.
If I grasped well your drive is 46-11, what requires a longer chain? For me 42-11 does that mean I need to shorten the chain to 126 too? Prior to the replacement, it was also on 132 chain links.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

super.
If I grasped well your drive is 46-11, what requires a longer chain? For me 42-11 does that mean I need to shorten the chain to 126 too? Prior to the replacement, it was also on 132 chain links.

Hi Igor,
In case your chainring is 48T and the largest cog 42T, I would even use as little as 124 links. See this calculator:

Chain Length Calculator

This chain length calculator will prevent you from damaging your bike's sprocket by calculating the required chain length for your bicycle!

www.omnicalculator.com

Chainstay length = 485 mm (Specialized claim it is 478 mm but I measured my Vado...)
Chainring = 48 teeth
Largest cog = 42 teeth
Calculated = 122 links.
You add 2 links for Long Cage Derailleur and get 124 links. (I have used 126 links because of the 46T largest cog).

P.S. Igor, could you carefully look at the chainring from the side of the frame? Is a chain diagram printed there?

 

[Igor M]

Hi Igor,
In case your chainring is 48T and the largest cog 42T, I would even use as little as 124 links. See this calculator:

Chain Length Calculator

This chain length calculator will prevent you from damaging your bike's sprocket by calculating the required chain length for your bicycle!

www.omnicalculator.com

Chainstay length = 485 mm (Specialized claim it is 478 mm but I measured my Vado...)
Chainring = 48 teeth
Largest cog = 42 teeth
Calculated = 122 links.
You add 2 links for Long Cage Derailleur and get 124 links. (I have used 126 links because of the 46T largest cog).

P.S. Igor, could you carefully look at the chainring from the side of the frame? Is a chain diagram printed OK THX

Hi Igor,
In case your chainring is 48T and the largest cog 42T, I would even use as little as 124 links. See this calculator:

Chain Length Calculator

This chain length calculator will prevent you from damaging your bike's sprocket by calculating the required chain length for your bicycle!

www.omnicalculator.com

Chainstay length = 485 mm (Specialized claim it is 478 mm but I measured my Vado...)
Chainring = 48 teeth
Largest cog = 42 teeth
Calculated = 122 links.
You add 2 links for Long Cage Derailleur and get 124 links. (I have used 126 links because of the 46T largest cog).

P.S. Igor, could you carefully look at the chainring from the side of the frame? Is a chain diagram printed there?

OK THX, i see on my frame ...

 

[TS25]

You're sure the chainring is directional?

I'm sure the Deckas narrow-wide chainring isn't directional.
And if you could provide the RAL code I could look for some matching red Revell paint to your red Deckas chainrings so you could cover your crank arm scratches in matching red.

Not so sure about the Praxis Wave Tech chainring. Attached is a picture taken from the Praxis dealer tech manual 2021. All actual Praxis chainring pictures show the icon on the outside of the chainring, but Vado MY 2018-2020 chainring had the icon on the inner side. That's why I called it Voortrekker spirit what you and @GuruUno are testing (unconsciously?). The Praxis Vado chainring has threads which stand out app.1,5-2mm to the opposite side of the icon side. So using that chainring reversed could alter the chainline. Did you check on that ? As @GuruUno's pictures have shown the teeth wear of his Wave Tech chainring was on both sides of the teeth which shouldn't be with the (alternating) Wave technology. Might be an indicator that the chainline isn't correct, due to the reversed chainring with the outstanding threads.

Please notice too that Praxis states the chainringbolts should be 7,5mm at least.
And that the Wave Tech isn't as safe (as narrow-wide) so Praxis recommends an additional upper chain guide (for MTB use).

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thank you TS25! Well, I won't remove the chainring now. Let it die a slow death The drive-train works problemlos now
I'm also interested what @Igor M has to say about his chainring and its orientation.

P.S. 7.5 mm is only relevant to 30T chainrings.
P.S.2. The shape of Praxis ring teeth tells me Guru and I did the setup right. Or I think so.

 

[TS25]

P.S. 7.5 mm is only relevant to 30T chainrings.

No. It is relevant for all threaded Praxis 104BCD chainrings but of the Praxis chainrings listed in my pic only the 30T is threaded.
If not threaded you're using the two-piece-bolting but then it's different..

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@TS25: Mein Freund, it was the only time you were not absolutely correct (and it was even not your fault -- you had been misled).
I'm about to replace the chain on my Trance E+, which is by chance equipped with Praxis Wave 36T chainring.

It is how Giant has originally mounted the chainring. The diagram (and logo) is facing the outside of the bike. Also note the angle of the teeth.

It is human to err

 

[TS25]

@TS25: Mein Freund, it was the only time you were not absolutely correct (and it was even not your fault -- you had been misled).
I'm about to replace the chain on my Trance E+, which is by chance equipped with Praxis Wave 36T chainring.

Correct in what? I don't think we differ.

As I said: "Not so sure about the Praxis Wave Tech chainring. ... All actual Praxis chainring pictures show the icon on the outside of the chainring, but Vado MY 2018-2020 chainring had the icon on the inner side. ... The Praxis Vado chainring has threads which stand out app.1,5-2mm to the opposite side of the icon side. So using that chainring reversed could alter the chainline. Did you check on that ?"

Looking at the teeth of the actual Praxis Wave Tech chainring from the top it shouldn't matter if you reverse the chainring or not. What concerned me is the outstanding part of the thread and why I asked: did you check your chainline.
But I had posted before that f.e. my 2018 Praxis chainring isn't marked with "wave tech".

 

[Stefan Mikes]

but Vado MY 2018-2020 chainring had the icon on the inner side.

The person did it wrong. (Not your fault).

So using that chainring reversed could alter the chainline. Did you check on that ?

Why should I? Now I can remember how I was replacing that chainring and previous chains. When I had to replace the chain last Autumn, I was very careful to place the proper link onto the proper chain tooth. The diagram was obscured by the chainguard, yet I could see the diagram (it was half hidden behind the chainguard). When I was about to replace the chainring, I removed the bolts first and put the assembly away.

Next was the failed experiment with Deckas chainring. As I had had enough, I took the original Praxis ring and unscrewed the chainguard. Then I replaced the guard on the new Praxis ring with exactly the same orientation as the original. Therefore, it is correctly mounted.

The angle of the teeth on the Vado chainring also agrees with what I can see on my Giant.

My problem is memory, which is not exactly as good as it was when I was younger

 

[TS25]

I'm about to replace the chain on my Trance E+, which is by chance equipped with Praxis Wave 36T chainring.

Taking a closer look at your pic it shows normal wear on your Wave Tech chainring of your Trance (which I've marked with the "rings"). And that your Trance seems to have a upper chain guide at the top which is according to the recommendation for MTB use of Wave Tech chainring, thats fine.

Did you notice the difference to the wear @GuruUno's Vado chainring had?
Compare the teeth of your Trance chainring marked with a yellow and a red ring. The wear on the outer side (yellow ring) is normal with Wave Tech, and no wear on the inner side (red ring) is normal, too.
@GuruUno's chainring teeth showed wear on the inner side, too! Not normal.

 

[TS25]

The person did it wrong. (Not your fault).
My problem is memory, which is not exactly as good as it was when I was younger

I think your memory is playing tricks on you right now.
You're telling me all of us (me, @Sierratim, @Nxkharra, @Marcela, @PaD) "did it wrong".
My memory led me back to your Club thread, #626 - #635. Just about everybody of us stated: "found the teeth icon on the inner side of the chainring".

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My memory led me back to your Club thread, #626 - #635. Just about everybody of us stated: "found the teeth icon on the inner side of the chainring".

I'm truly sorry but the factory setup of the Praxis Wave chainring on Trance E+ proves otherwise.
What would be the logic to place the LOGO at the invisible side of the chainring?! The logo is on the same side as the chain placement icon. And many bikes (notably MTB) don't cover the chainring. Are you telling me you put your Deckas chainring with the logo on the invisible side?! Come on...

 

[TS25]

I'm truly sorry but the factory setup of the Praxis Wave chainring on Trance E+ proves otherwise.

I do not deny that.

What would be the logic to place the LOGO at the invisible side of the chainring?!

Now that would be a question you could ask "Zach" at Specialized help desk.

P.S.: The "invisible side" of the Vado chainring is the outer side as it is covered by a bashguard. So it is logical that Specialized placed the teeth icon on the inner side of the chainring, the only side to be seen usually.

The logo is on the same side as the chain placement icon.

There wasn't any further "logo" on the Praxis chain ring for the Vado MY 18 f. Nada. Just the teeth icon. On the inner side.

Are you telling me you put your Deckas chainring with the logo on the invisible side?! Come on...

Specialized had put in on that way (the icon to the inner side) with the Praxis chainring in MY18 f., no doubt about it.

And I did mount my Deckas chainring with the pattern to the outside but it is covered by a bashguard because I could find my drilling machine.
@Lectric Bill didn't like the pattern so he mounted his Deckas chainring with the pattern facing to the inside:

Swap Como 4.0 48T chainring with Vado 4.0 40T chainring

Like Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors"? I have to listen to the song first :) P.S. That's right! A "Galician Style" house is one once built and then "enhanced" with many extensions, each "from a different parish" :D

electricbikereview.com

Whatever you prefer. But the Deckas chainring doesn't have thread standing out app. 2mm to one side, so it's no problem with the Deckas.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@TS25:
I did it the simpler way. Just called Specialized Brand Store Warsaw +48 698 206 287.

-- Hello, Stefan M here. As I went into an argument with my German friend who like me rides a Vado, I need to ask you some technical questions.
-- Go on.
-- Are Vados 5.0 still equipped with Praxis chainring?
-- Yes, they are.
-- Could you approach a Vado and tell me whether the chain placement icon is located on the frame side or at the bashguard side?
-- A second... No icon at the frame side. Only the number of teeth is engraved on the frame side. No icon whatsoever.
-- Then perhaps the icon is on the outside?
-- Sorry. If it is, it is covered by the bashring, so I cannot see it.
-- Thank you!

I had that talk 11 minutes ago and swear it is true. That LBS is the most competent I could ever find, and the personnel knows me.

 

[TS25]

-- A second... No icon at the frame side. Only the number of teeth is engraved on the frame side. No icon whatsoever.
-- Then perhaps the icon is on the outside?
-- Sorry. If it is, it is covered by the bashring, so I cannot see it.

Sadly, Specialized changed a logical placement (inner side), as I said before in #66.
As you've said: "where is the logic to place a icon on an invisible side?"

Good ol Specialized again

Attached is a picture of the inner side of my Vado's Praxis chainring. The outer side had no marking at all. Just to proof the Club thread postings (did you look them up yet?)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

TS, you are very good at not admitting white is white and black is black. It is PRAXIS not Specialized. Why not admit you might be wrong?

Why to present the backside of the chainring in the marketing material if that's the frontside?

This is how Praxis engrave their chainrings.

 

[TS25]

TS, you are very good at not admitting white is white and black is black. It is PRAXIS not Specialized. Why not admit you might be wrong?

So you are insisting still we're all wrong?
Read #626 - #635 of

Specialized Turbo Vado/Como/Tero/Tero X User Club

Specialized just responded about the chain ring. They carry it but has to be ordered by LBS as it is more involved according to them. no one including the manufacturer (Praxis) have the chain ring. Those of you who might need this in future should ask your LBS to order. I don’t want to ride my...

electricbikereview.com

and make up your mind again. Please explain how these pictures could be taken if the teeth icon would have been on the outer side, behind the bashring. Got it?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is not what Specialized told me today. I can only hope the 48T Praxis ring is not directional and installing it either way makes no difference.

Because it really matters with the 36T Wave ring: It is directional.