I bought an earlier model a few years ago, and it has served me well commuting and getting places in NYC. The power assist may not be as powerful as some e-bikes out there, but it's enough for most inclines. The battery life is decent. I turn on the power assist only when I need it, but even if I keep it on during any given week, I don't worry about running out of battery. It works well as a regular bike without power assist. Another bonus is that it doesn't look like an electric bike at first glance. So, it's less likely to draw attention other than for its good looks.

I'm 76 and have not used my road bike since I got the Vado SL. I enjoy the freedom of not having to clip in and the comfort of a more upright position. I have over a thousand miles over mostly flat terrain. I enjoy that I can ride even if its windy. I try to stay in Eco mode because I do want some kind of a workout when I ride. However, the most fun I've had is riding to the top of Vail Pass in Colorado. The ride up is about 10 miles (used Turbo a couple of times). The ride down is fantastic, of course. I only used about 50% of the battery. The bike is so light that I get away with a trunk mount carrier.

Hi purchased this bike in Dec 2022 in order to ensure I had a bike for the 2023 summer. It has been in repair since June.. and still waiting on a new motor that they say won't arrive until October, and possibly later. I am very disappointed with this purchase. The bike is now on sale... and so paying full price for a bike that does not work is extremely frustrating.

You're correct. Just bought this bike for my wife. On our first ride (today), she rode 32 miles... and then the battery died. So, add the price of the extra battery if you want to consider this bike. Weak sauce considering it was the "up to 80 miles on a single charge" that convinced me to purchase the bike. Seems they rate downhill with a tailwind.

I have never enjoyed riding quite so much! I took advantage of the sale price and purchased a Vado SL 4.0. I utilize the bike for (in my opinion) its intended use as a 'fitness bicycle'. While Class 3 this bicycle has a relatively low(er) powered motor it is quite capable of 'assisting' a fitness minded rider. This model is FIRST an analog bicycle and secondarily an 'ebike'. Most of my rides are completed 50+% with assist completely off. Unless you are QUITE fit and capable of heavy exertion you should not plan on motoring around your city at 25+mph. At 33lbs...a capable and wonderful ebike for fitness minded cyclists.

I've rode a couple hundred miles and absolutely love the vado SL 4.0. It goes fast. It helps when you need it. I set the power controls to 100-40, 100-70, and 100-100 and this suits me well. Sometimes I turn assist off. Great bike. Wife loves her step through too.

Initially, I found the ride to be harsh and jolting riding over anything but smooth asphalt. If I had a time machine I would spring for the 5.0 for the future shock stem feature. In order to smooth out the teeth rattling jolts over bumps & pot holes, the seatpost was replaced with a redshift shockstop suspension seatpost. Cons: not easy to make even minor changes to the initial setup. Examples: to change the saddle the wiring to the rear light has to be disabled which is connected to the main battery. This bike has no seat collar clamp, which gives an elegant look, but is impractical. The seatpost is tightened from the top tube. When removing or changing the seatpost, the screw assembly falls into the seat tube 99% of the time. Then it has to be fished out (magnets sometimes work, but not always). Overall quality is excellent. After 2 1/2 years & 8,000+ miles the battery has 100% health and has had no mechanical issues. Bottom line: Fun, fun, fun to ride!

I've had this now for 1000 miles. I use it primarily for commuting. So far I've deleted the front headlamp. Didn't like that it's always on. Also threw on some continental terra speed 40mm's. Tubeless. Rides like a dream now. This bike allows me to put in the same effort, but now I get home in 1 hour vs 1.5 hours from work.

Great lightweight ebike however disappointing and surprised that a Specialized rear rack is not even available for the VADO 4.0 SL … I put a planet bike eco rack on my bike … In addition had to purchase a kickstand as well …

I'm 64. This bike makes me feel 34. It's does what is needed: Support on hills and against the wind. I have been using it on 35 support / 100 power only on the app, and that gives about 40 miles range. Everything is good on stock bike ( Vado SL 4.0 ). Only added pedals and bottle cage. I have a fancy ass gravel bike with bowed seat stays, and this bike rides almost as good. Think I'll sell the gravel bike.

With 500 miles since last June, this ebike is a dream to ride. Smooth, just the right power, and haven’t used more than 75% battery on rails to trails rides up to 65 miles, with 20lb of panniers - and that’s without the range extender battery! Never thought I’d want or need an ebike and others we looked at were like tanks. Best part, it weighs the same as my 34lb Trex 8.4 DS, which I’ve been riding for many years. So even if the battery did run out, I wouldn’t know the difference and wouldn’t be pedaling a 60lb bike back to the car.

After 500 miles I love the bike. It's nimble, rides comfortably and is aerodynamic enough to handle the CO winds. The things I like about it are: I can turn e-assist off completely and ride totally glucose powered, the TCD (extra $$), the concealed battery simplifies transport and the SRAM mech is an excellent upgrade and the ability to program the assist level for the day's ride. Things I'd like to see different are: it would be nice to be able to turn off the damn lights, the blue lights on the control panel are hard to see in bright daylight, using presta valved tubes is a pain and the motor is a bit buzzy compared to my wife's Bosch on her Trek Verve 2+. If you're at a point in your life where age is creeping up on you, but you can still push hard, this is your bike. Also, I'm 6', 200lbs with wide shoulders so wind is a big deal to me. Having the battery to offset a 20 mph headwind allows me to ride on days that in the past my bike would have stayed on the garage wall.

I've had my Vado SL for about three months. I'm 69 years old and not a daily rider, but I've put about 400 miles on it so far. At first I thought 2X assist wouldn't be enough, but it is. I live in coastal South Carolina where it's flat, and the SL was the perfect choice. Most of the time I ride in eco mode, but if a headwind kicks up then I'll go to the next level. I've ridden it in turbo mode just to see what it was like, but haven't encountered a situation where I actually needed it. I suppose if I lived in a hilly area I'd want the 4X version, but for here the SL is just fine. Build quality is excellent. The bike is comfortable, reasonably quiet, and I love the light weight. Most people don't even realize it's an ebike unless I tell them. The only changes I've made are to add a suspension seatpost and a leather saddle. I'm looking forward to years of fun riding. I love this bike!

I’ve had my Vado sl 4.0 for 3weeks now and logged about 500 miles I’ve had it on gravel and pavement. It does real well on both I am taking it to the mountains next week and do a bit of single track, nothing technical tho. I weigh in at 205 so I only get about 70 miles on the bike battery and another 30 on the extended battery. I have a friend that’s a little women and she says she gets about 125 total with the extended battery

I’ve been a a cyclist for well over 50 years . I love bikes . My local shop refers to me as that ole ‘Bike Junkie’. I must have owned close to 100 bikes over the the years . Bought and sold . Loved them all. But let me tell you, the Turbo Vado is the best bike I’ve ever owned . I’ll keep this jewel til the day I die. These 76 year old legs just aren’t what they used to be , but the Turbo makes up for it ! She’s a real keeper and I never intend to part with her. The ride is smooth and natural . Tried a rear hub bike from another shop and there’s no comparison. Do yourself a favor and try the Turbo Vado, you can’t go wrong .

Specialized made a fitness bike that is light enough to pedal without battery power. Using it to climb mountain through rainforest near where I live. Use sport mode for the 5 mile climb. It is easy on my knees. I'm 72 getting in good shape climbing to the summit. Like the greenstone color. I can lift it into back of my Forrester. Couldn't do that with all those ugly heavy ebikes.

I have had my Vado SL for about a month, and taken it on four 20 mile trips on hilly terrain. This bike handles the hills like a champ, which was my main reason for getting an electric bike. There are 10 indicator bars for power available, and each of those trips took less than 2 bars. That equates to getting a minimum 100 miles, or most likely 120 miles on 1 charge of the battery. That outperforms the 80 listed in the bike features. One of the top reasons I bought this bike is its 33 lb weight, which I can lift by myself on my bike rack. This bike is the envy of my biking buddies. I love the bike and highly recommend it. It has the power to get up long and steep hills, and a battery strong enough to do long bike rides. I did change the seat, which is OK for about the 1st 15 miles, but after that, it is hard.

This is my second e-bike. I needed something that can easily go on the train and bus but still carry a full set of panniers. The geometry is very similar to my Sirrus Sport (which I also love). This bike is so light I sometimes forget to turn the pedal assist.