The Specialized Turbo Vado SL has so many over-the-top reviews that its almost a no brainer purchase.
TechRadar https://www.techradar.com/reviews/specialized-turbo-vado-sl
BikeRadar https://www.bikeradar.com/news/specialized-turbo-vado-sl/
eBikeTips https://ebiketips.road.cc/content/reviews/electric-hybrid/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-40-2449
Electric Bike Reviews https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/vado-4-0-vs-vado-4-0-sl-eq-ive-owned-both.34575/
Bike Exchange https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/blog/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-5-eq-review
Electrek https://electrek.co/2020/05/12/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-electric-bicycle-launch/
Gear Patrol https://www.gearpatrol.com/outdoors/a724105/specialized-vado-sl-commuter-e-bike/
News tech https://lepc.be/pcmac/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-review/
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Thursday, September 10, 2020
How Long Will My Battery Last
What is my battery capacity or how far can I go on a single charge.?
Answer: Probably a lot less than the manufacturer claims.
The Turbo Vado 80-mile range most likely is based on the bike alone. Add a Fat Old Guy and it is a lot less.
Here is a great tool for figuring out what is reasonable. You can change all the conditions to match the biker, the bike accessories, and environmental conditions.
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/range-assistant/
I put a link to it in the FAQ section of this blog
Here's a note from Brett
From: Brett Dauer Sent: September 10, 2020 To: Tom Subject: Re: Turbo Vado
Answer: Probably a lot less than the manufacturer claims.
The Turbo Vado 80-mile range most likely is based on the bike alone. Add a Fat Old Guy and it is a lot less.
Here is a great tool for figuring out what is reasonable. You can change all the conditions to match the biker, the bike accessories, and environmental conditions.
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/range-assistant/
I put a link to it in the FAQ section of this blog
Here's a note from Brett
From: Brett Dauer Sent: September 10, 2020 To: Tom Subject: Re: Turbo Vado
Battery should be 500 watt hour or better to get you 60 miles...
500 watt hour in eco is about 60 miles
320 watt hour may only get you about 40 miles in eco...
Brett
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The 320KW battery that Brett references is the battery that comes with the Vado. Specialized claims this will propel the Vado for 80 miles. Brett says 40 miles. Use the Bosch tool to check it out. The results will be closer to Brett's figure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 320KW battery that Brett references is the battery that comes with the Vado. Specialized claims this will propel the Vado for 80 miles. Brett says 40 miles. Use the Bosch tool to check it out. The results will be closer to Brett's figure.
How to Buy Best eBike
Here is a book you can read on Amazon for FREE.
Follow this link
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0795933G3/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1516403602&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+buy+the+best+electric+bike&linkCode=sl1&tag=ajc58-20&linkId=79f5e5f02d5c6dc1e2772c123b4988c7#reader_B0795933G3 
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Selecting a Specialized Turbo Vado
Our favorite eBike is the Specialized Turbo Vado, but with four options, how do we select? We added the following detail to the Specialized Page and over the next several months try to understand if the $1000 addition for the 5.0 is worth it.
How to pick a Turbo Vado
The FOUR Turbo Vado options: the 4.0 SL, 4.0 SL EQ, 5.0 SL, and 5.0 SL EQ
- The EQ costs $150 more and includes DRYTECH fenders and the rear rack.
- The 5.0 costs $1000 more than the 4.0 ($3,500). The primary differences are listed here
How to pick a Turbo Vado
The FOUR Turbo Vado options: the 4.0 SL, 4.0 SL EQ, 5.0 SL, and 5.0 SL EQ
- The EQ costs $150 more and includes DRYTECH fenders and the rear rack.
- The 5.0 costs $1000 more than the 4.0 ($3,500). The primary differences are listed here
eBike Comments (from Canada)
I confess that I built an electric for doing quick trips around town without breaking into a sweat. That was a number of years ago. I gave it away when I moved.
Some club members feel that the electric aspect those bikes diminish the purity of the GHG reduction compared to regular bikes but most don't make a big deal about that.
There are a lot of e-bikes in our city now, my guess is about 1/3 of the bikes on the street today here are electric. The regular bike riders can have a snobbish feeling of superiority, the e-bike riders can go up hills faster. There are also many electric scooters, skate boards and unicycles as well on the bike paths. I think however rollerblading has seemed to have declined from past years. Perhaps the name bike path should change to miscellaneous path.
The are only two reservations the club has about e-bikes. First, because they are much heavier, they may be difficult to carry on to trains for some of our rides. This has not been tested yet.
Second, on long rides, 50 miles plus, the range of the bike may be a problem. On a ride recently one of our eBike owners did 45 miles and the battery I believe was just under 1/2 power left. An e-bike
without electric power is a truly a dog to ride.
In terms of enjoyment, my experience is that e-bikes are great when you just want to get from A to B quickly with minimum effort. However because they are heavier, they lack the feeling of quick response and sense of accomplishment one gets with a regular bike.
My Response
Regarding the bike snobs, I have adopted the same attitude
toward eBikes as toward scooters. It puts more people on the road NOT in cars and, in the long
run, provides more leverage for funding of bike facilities and safety. It also provides more people who
want to speak positively about biking and fewer who think we don’t belong on THEIR road.
One more bicyclist; one
less motorist.
Monday, September 7, 2020
WIRED Updates its Favorite Picks
This September WIRED has updated its list of FAVORITE eBikes.
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-bikes/
Updated for September 2020: We removed several older picks, added new information, and added new bikes, like the Cannondale Quick Neo SL.
Still WIRED's (and ours) favorite all around best eBike is the Specialized Turbo Vado SL for $4,500. However, this month they have added Cannondale to their favorites pick. The prices on and the appearance of the Cannondale City Bikes are VERY inviting.
We have consequently reorganized our blog to present their list.
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-bikes/
Updated for September 2020: We removed several older picks, added new information, and added new bikes, like the Cannondale Quick Neo SL.
Still WIRED's (and ours) favorite all around best eBike is the Specialized Turbo Vado SL for $4,500. However, this month they have added Cannondale to their favorites pick. The prices on and the appearance of the Cannondale City Bikes are VERY inviting.
We have consequently reorganized our blog to present their list.
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Everything To Know About eBike Touring
ADAPTED FROM (5/20/15)
https://www.cyclingabout.com/bicycle-touring-on-electric-bikes-ebikes/
Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of a divide between those who employ electric assistance and those that pedal under their own steam. Some view it as cheating, while others view it as a great opportunity. When it comes down to it, there is no correct way to travel. You’re going to have the same travel experience with or without a motor on a bicycle.
Also see: eBike Touring Blog
https://www.cyclingabout.com/bicycle-touring-on-electric-bikes-ebikes/
Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of a divide between those who employ electric assistance and those that pedal under their own steam. Some view it as cheating, while others view it as a great opportunity. When it comes down to it, there is no correct way to travel. You’re going to have the same travel experience with or without a motor on a bicycle.
Also see: eBike Touring Blog
A Bike For The (Older) Ages
Adapted From
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarazeffgeber/2020/08/31/a-bike-for-the-ages/#26f3e7e8297c
I’ll bet that 95% of all baby boomers living in single-family homes and condos have a bicycle or two hanging from the rafters of the garage or clinging to the back of a storage cage somewhere. Most of them haven’t been ridden in well over 10 years, but their owners still harbor a hope that one day they will again have the time, energy, and courage to enjoy a bike ride. Or maybe they just can’t bear to get rid of that symbol of a more active time of life.
Take heart, boomer bicycle enthusiasts: the ebike has arrived!
In the latter half of the 20thcentury, Japanese technology and manufacturing entered the field, with both Sanyo and Panasonic developing and marketing their versions, which mostly showed up on the streets of Europe, while America was still enjoying its love affair with the automobile.
The most important breakthough in the evolution of the battery-powered bicycle came in 1989 with the invention of the ‘Pedelec’ (known today as pedal-assist). Rather than utilizing a throttle mechanism, the Pedelec allowed riders to enjoy the look and feel of a traditional bike, with the motor being engaged and controlled by their pedaling motion. In addition, the use of Lithium-ion batteries has allowed ebike manufacturers to develop lighter and more efficient bikes than were previously possible.
The combination of modern technology and the aging of America have created a perfect storm for the bicycle industry. Suppliers are hard-pressed to keep ebikes in stock. They are flying out the doors of bike shops that carry them and new specialized ebike-only stores are springing up in cities and towns across the U.S.
We (author of the article) were headed to Barcelona for a week when an ad for a wine-tasting-by-bike tour caught my eye. But were we physically up to it? I emailed the tour operator and asked about the terrain, knowing that big hills would be a kick-out factor for me. He emailed back to tell me that yes, the terrain was hilly and would we be interested in reserving one of the ebikes for a small extra fee.
I grabbed it, we went on the tour, and had a great experience on the ebikes. The next year we sought out and rented ebikes during a trip to Ashland, Oregon. We were hooked and are now the proud owners of two of them. They took the place of our aging 10-speeds in the garage.
Ebikes allow us older riders to get all the exercise we want, with the option of employing the pedal-assist motor when our personal energy has been drained.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarazeffgeber/2020/08/31/a-bike-for-the-ages/#26f3e7e8297c
I’ll bet that 95% of all baby boomers living in single-family homes and condos have a bicycle or two hanging from the rafters of the garage or clinging to the back of a storage cage somewhere. Most of them haven’t been ridden in well over 10 years, but their owners still harbor a hope that one day they will again have the time, energy, and courage to enjoy a bike ride. Or maybe they just can’t bear to get rid of that symbol of a more active time of life.
Take heart, boomer bicycle enthusiasts: the ebike has arrived!
In the latter half of the 20thcentury, Japanese technology and manufacturing entered the field, with both Sanyo and Panasonic developing and marketing their versions, which mostly showed up on the streets of Europe, while America was still enjoying its love affair with the automobile.
The most important breakthough in the evolution of the battery-powered bicycle came in 1989 with the invention of the ‘Pedelec’ (known today as pedal-assist). Rather than utilizing a throttle mechanism, the Pedelec allowed riders to enjoy the look and feel of a traditional bike, with the motor being engaged and controlled by their pedaling motion. In addition, the use of Lithium-ion batteries has allowed ebike manufacturers to develop lighter and more efficient bikes than were previously possible.
The combination of modern technology and the aging of America have created a perfect storm for the bicycle industry. Suppliers are hard-pressed to keep ebikes in stock. They are flying out the doors of bike shops that carry them and new specialized ebike-only stores are springing up in cities and towns across the U.S.
We (author of the article) were headed to Barcelona for a week when an ad for a wine-tasting-by-bike tour caught my eye. But were we physically up to it? I emailed the tour operator and asked about the terrain, knowing that big hills would be a kick-out factor for me. He emailed back to tell me that yes, the terrain was hilly and would we be interested in reserving one of the ebikes for a small extra fee.
I grabbed it, we went on the tour, and had a great experience on the ebikes. The next year we sought out and rented ebikes during a trip to Ashland, Oregon. We were hooked and are now the proud owners of two of them. They took the place of our aging 10-speeds in the garage.
Ebikes allow us older riders to get all the exercise we want, with the option of employing the pedal-assist motor when our personal energy has been drained.
It’s a great solution for that interminable itch to get back on a two-wheeled vehicle and feel the wind on our face at a time when those aging muscles just don’t give us what we would like of them.Prices of ebikes are slowly coming down to earth, with some manufacturer’s base models dipping under $1000. Fancier models with more features can go as high as $10,000, but there are excellent models for casual riders (without long commutes or a need for top speed) in the $1500. range.
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