Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 EQ

[Pale Rider]

so more a stiff tailwind than a moped. That's pretty much how it feels so far.

That's what I'd expect.

Which is what you wanted.

So looks to me to be a case of 'happy days'.

It also seems everything is working as it should, which is not always the case whatever ebike you buy.

Even more happy days.

 

[gzoom]

Thats the opposite of what I want. I still want and need a workout, which I can still get by riding at > 25 km. The motor is there for days when my slipped disc pain would otherwise keep me off the bike.

It's only a low torque (40 nm) motor, claimed by Specialized to boost my input by 80%, so more a stiff tailwind than a moped. That's pretty much how it feels so far.

That's the great thing about eBikes you can adjust the assist to suite. But if the motor on your bike is the same as the Fazua one it can provide much more than 80% extra support.

This is the difference the motor makes on the steepest climb around me - 17% max gradient. On max support the Fauza powered bike pretty much doubles my speed compared to trying to get up the same hill on my road bike.

Even if you don't want the extra assistance its worth just giving it a go, it really is an odd experience, to be going up hill so easily .

 

[newfhouse]

I thought I’d report back after having done a few commutes on the bike. It has covered 240 km (150 miles) on two and a half charges. The Mission Control app reports that my 18 km (11 mile) ride to work uses 15 to 20 Wh and the return journey with a bit more uphill and headwind is between 60 and 80 Wh. The battery is quoted as having a 305 Wh capacity so the numbers do seem about right. I haven’t let it discharge to less than 20% indicated charge level.

I have a few observations about things that are less than perfect, Only one is a minor fault, the others to be expected.

The app is capable of recording rides and automatically uploading to Strava. Unfortunately it doesn’t flag them as E-bike rides so I have to edit them manually to avoid my segment history on a real bike being polluted. On a couple of rides the route recording has completely failed, but I still use my Garmin as a backup, so no great loss.

The flat bars are wider than the drops and bull horns on my other commuting bikes so I’m a bit slower filtering through stationary traffic queues. No big deal now I’m used to it and know what’s possible.

It has 1 x 11 gearing and for my preferred cruising cadence the gaps between gears at the small end of the cassette are a bit annoying. This is to be expected and is balanced out by the simplicity of a single trigger shifter.

Comfort-wise everything is good. The 38 mm tyres are grippy and smooth out the lumps and bumps well. The saddle suits me fine too so I don’t feel any urgent need to change it.

I’m very pleased so far.

 

[newfhouse]

I’ve clocked up my first 1000 commuting kilometres and the bike continues to do its job without much fuss.

I have settled into a routine of charging it every four days (140 km / 88 miles) which usually leaves me with less than 10% battery remaining if I only use medium 60% assistance. My fitness is gradually returning such that I don’t need to run it in full power mode at all, and this obviously helps eke out the power.

My mudguards and rack order is still incomplete so I have been using a bar bag for taking lunch and spare clothes to work. Sadly, as a result, I have snapped the custom mount for the supplied Lezyne front light. Internet searches reveal this as a known weakness. I’m still waiting for my bike shop to give me price and delivery on a replacement. I could hack something using a GoPro mount but it wouldn’t be as elegant as the original.

 

[newfhouse]

Four months in, 2000 km ridden, two punctures. My longest ride so far is 80 km to Brighton which used a little over two thirds of my battery. That range may even make touring viable. Watch this space next Spring, plague permitting.

On the commute I have noticed this week that I only expect to get three days on a charge instead of my usual four. Two days in I have 40% left. That’s actually three and a half days but because I only have one charger it’s effectively three. The recorded Wh per ride hasn’t changed much. I think it’s probably a temperature effect causing the decrease rather than a decline in battery capacity but I will keep a close eye on it. It has been a bit chilly in my garage overnight this week. The bike is stored indoors at work. I might start charging it in the warm and see what effect that has.

In other news my rack and mudguards arrived a few weeks ago so I’m now using a pannier for the commute instead of a bar bag. My replacement front light bracket remains outstanding, not expected for another few weeks. Annoying but not a huge problem.

 

[Rob81]

Hi. Apologies for dredging up an old topic but I wonder if you can give an update. I'm hoping to buy the same model for my long commute (35 mike's each way, once a week). I do it occasionally on my road bike but want a bit of assistance. The Vado seems to be a good compromise between being light enough to feel like a normal hybrid, give a reasonable work out but also get me to work without being a sweaty mess. Charging at work might not be always possible so I may need to explore the range extender option.
Thanks
Rob

 

[newfhouse]

Hi. Apologies for dredging up an old topic but I wonder if you can give an update. I'm hoping to buy the same model for my long commute (35 mike's each way, once a week). I do it occasionally on my road bike but want a bit of assistance. The Vado seems to be a good compromise between being light enough to feel like a normal hybrid, give a reasonable work out but also get me to work without being a sweaty mess. Charging at work might not be always possible so I may need to explore the range extender option.
Thanks
Rob

Hello Rob, welcome to CC.

My bike has just over 3000 km on the odometer now and I’m still pretty pleased with it. Depending on how much assistance you want or need you may find your round trip is doable on a single charge. My longest ride on the internal 300 Wh battery was just shy of 60 miles so you may be just about OK for your round trip.

One thing I have noticed is that the range dropped significantly through the winter. In the coldest weather I had to charge every 50 miles or so. The bike is stored and charged in an unheated garage at home but kept indoors at work. Now the weather is improving the range is increasing again, so it does seem to be a battery chemistry effect rather than a deterioration.

I tend to ride it a little beyond the cut off speed so the battery is only working hard when I accelerate away from a stop or ride uphill. You can hear a slight whine when the motor is doing its stuff but you don’t feel much of a change as you pass through the transition. With the power off (or battery depleted) it just feels like a moderately heavy hybrid.

I’m using it for a smaller number of my commutes at the moment as my back condition has improved a little and my lighter bikes are a much more entertaining ride. The Vado SL gets the job done without fuss, definitely flattens hills and poor road surfaces, but isn’t exciting. Maybe commuting doesn’t need to be.

In summary, it’s almost exactly what I expected and I don’t regret buying it.

Feel free to ask if there’s something in particular you’d like to know.

 

[Rob81]

Thanks for that really useful answer - just what I wanted to know. The Vado really appeals because it sounds much more of a "natural" riding experience. On my road bike or Croix de Fer, I average 18-19 mph to work (although I arrive in a bit of a state) so it's reassuring to hear that the Vado doesn't hit a wall at 15.5 mph. I need to find out a bit more about the attitude to charging at work. It it does sound like the bike for me. Re the impact of temperature, my wife and I have come to an agreement about one bike living in the house so it could charge and be kept in the warm, maybe mitigating some of the range issues.
Thanks again

 

[BoldonLad]

Pleased to hear you are pleased with your choice, after approximately a year.

I was intending to purchase the Ribble Ale, but, have been looking at the Vado 4.0 SL EQ (actually, two, one for myself, one for Mrs @BoldonLad), and, despite the not inconsiderable price difference, we are tending toward the Vado.

May I ask @newfhouse, (or, anyone else watching this thread) did you consider any other makes/models, before making your choice

 

[newfhouse]

May I ask @newfhouse, (or, anyone else watching this thread) did you consider any other makes/models, before making your choice

I did but my choice was limited for several reasons. I bought it through a Cycle to Work scheme which meant that if I wanted to buy locally rather than online I could only use a couple of shops. Stock was in short supply last year too. And I decided I wanted a mid motor based on a few helpful posts here and elsewhere on the web.

I didn't want a full on electric bike either. The idea was to help me recover from a slipped disc but still get a sweat on. I've been back on a non e-bike for the last month so I guess that was a success. I will still use it on nasty wet and especially windy days as it does make enough of a difference to keep me away from other commuting options . I'm also mindful that my back could deteriorate again.

I looked at a broadly similar spec BMC, referenced in my original post, but didn't like it as much in the flesh, either in looks or fit. Sorry, that was the limit of my research. I hope it helps with your deliberations anyway.

 

[BoldonLad]

I did but my choice was limited for several reasons. I bought it through a Cycle to Work scheme which meant that if I wanted to buy locally rather than online I could only use a couple of shops. Stock was in short supply last year too. And I decided I wanted a mid motor based on a few helpful posts here and elsewhere on the web.

I didn't want a full on electric bike either. The idea was to help me recover from a slipped disc but still get a sweat on. I've been back on a non e-bike for the last month so I guess that was a success. I will still use it on nasty wet and especially windy days as it does make enough of a difference to keep me away from other commuting options . I'm also mindful that my back could deteriorate again.

I looked at a broadly similar spec BMC, referenced in my original post, but didn't like it as much in the flesh, either in looks or fit. Sorry, that was the limit of my research. I hope it helps with your deliberations anyway.

OK, thanks for that. I appreciate that what suits one person, doesn't necessarily suit another. I suspect our situation is rather different to yours. We are two 75 year olds, no slipped discs, but, we are rather past our "best before date" Having said that, like you, we don't want 25kg full on e-bikes, we just want a little "tail wind" to help us along, plus, we take the bikes in our Motorhome, and, lifting 25kg+ of e-bike into the storage area is probably not wise at my age, not to mention the impact of 50kg+ of bikes, on our van's payload. Hence the looking at "light" e-bikes.

I can understand your "liking" the Vado. We haven't actually ridden one yet, but, we have "tried them for size", and, even Mrs @BoldonLad (who I think largely goes along to humour me, rather than out of any deep seated love of bicycles) has said, she feels it is "just right", and, looks very attractive (she liked the pale green colour ).

 

[newfhouse]

we just want a little "tail wind" to help us along

That’s what it’s like. It’s a more natural feeling than a colleague’s front hub motor that I tried and the transition from assisted to non-assisted as you ride beyond the cut off is very smooth.

 

[newfhouse]

Bike stolen, charger for sale

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/specialized-e-bike-charger.294210/