Originally Posted by
Rick53
Mixed Reviews on The VADO SL vs Original Vado . I am 64 6' 178 lbs : Been Riding a Trek Verve for 1 year : Live in Michigan So depending on Weather We get 6 months tops to Ride : Started last August Riding : This Year My Average Ride is 25 Miles With Rides up to 40 Miles 5 times this Year : A Ton of wind on the way back .
I live around Lake Michigan So it's a combination of Slight inclines and Steep Hills > Very Little Flats : Of course that makes the Ride back easier
How old are you ? I am concerned whether an SL Model will Do the trick : We AVERAGE Speeds between 10-11.5 MPH With Max Speeds of 16 MPH. Not considering Down Hill : I guess I can consider Myself an Average Strength Rider : I know several guys that can't keep up. But just as many that can out do me >
Do you think You are going to be happy over-all With The Vado SL ? What's the difference between teh 4 and 5 ?
Hi,
I’m 72. I stared to ride again after 50+ years a year ago. Last year didn’t go well because of illness. Mine and my wife’s. So it goes.
I’m in Northern Virginia and mostly ride the W&OD trail. It’s a MUP on an old railroad right-of-way. It’s mostly rolling hills ascending from Alexandria to Purcellville. Though there are occasional steep climbs, they’re short.
I averaged about 10 MPH on my Analog bike, cruising at about 14 on flats, hitting about 18 downhill. Up hill could slow me to about 6, 7, or 8. With the Vado SL, I’m cruising at about 16 MPH, slowing to about 14 on the hills. That’s one of the real Vado SL advantages. On the downhill And flat stretches I can get up to about 26. Hard to maintain those speeds due to traffic - pedestrians, walkers, runners, skate boarders, skaters and there are rumors of horses, though I’ve not seen any. Average speeds also influenced by street crossings. stop signs, some of which can require mere slowing, others a full stop. I wait for the traffic lights because there are generally lots of cars and trucks where there are lights.
I often ride with a younger friend who got me into riding. In fact we moved to this location to be near the W&OD. He’s a much more experienced rider than I, and cruises at about 15 mph on his road bike. When we both rode analog, he’d have to slow down for me. Now I have to slow done for him. Ebike acceleration when passing usually leaves him in the dust and the occasional downhills on which I let it all out leaves him far behind.
From your self-description you would do fine with the Vado SL, assuming getting a workout is part of your riding goals. The regular Vado would give you a workout too, but not as significantly.
The SL 5 has a suspension seat post and fork, plus more gears and different tires. I may miss the lack of suspension but I couldn’t justify the extra $1000, especially since the “4” was itself 1500 over my planned budget.