SPECIALIZED TURBO VADO 2.0
£2600 > A smooth operator with a taste for power
The Vado 2.0 is the cheapest model in Specialized’s Turbo e-bike range. Instead of opting for an off-the-shelf battery and motor system from the likes of Shimano, Bosch, E-Bikemotion or Yamaha, Specialized has worked with Switzerland’s Brose to develop its own, which has ended up being a 250W motor powered by a neatly integrated 460W/h battery.
This certainly pays dividends in one respect, as the way its power-assistance is delivered is among the smoothest we’ve tried. It does a brilliant job of giving you a helpful push up to the legally restricted EU limit (15.5mph/25kph). And once there, it tapers off gently instead of simply cutting out.
On climbs the power assistance is ample and welcome. It’s not as subtle as Orbea’s Gain e-bike, that has a ‘just enough’ feel, or as heavy as Giant’s Fastroad, which uses masses of torque to drag you up steep inclines. Climbing on the Vado 2.0 is a pleasant experience, but still requires you to put in a bit of work – not so much that you won’t be able to take in the scenery, but neither will you have to grit your teeth.
Despite all this, we think that the Vado 2.0 delivers too much power assistance too soon, which is having a detrimental effect on its range. We did a mixed-surface ride on roads, gravel tracks and towpaths (to cover the most adventurous of commutes) and the battery gave up the ghost at 32 miles, after the bike had averaged 15.6mph with 556m of elevation. A second ride on the same course saw us cover 31.2 miles, while a third ride in which we only used the Vado 2.0 in eco mode (one of three, along with normal and turbo) and turned the motor off on descents saw us reach 55.4 miles with an average speed of 14.8mph and 668m of elevation.
On other routes with less climbing we were able to consistently hit an average range of 40 miles, which is okay, but we’ve tried e-bikes with far greater ranges. That said, few people will commute more than 40 miles a day, so it’s fit for purpose.
The Vado 2.0 rolls beautifully on its wide rims and 47mm tyres, has a suspension fork that’s suitable for gentle off-road forays, and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with enough power to halt a 22kg bike (+rider) safely, but we think Specialized needs to address the limits of its range. However smooth the Vado 2.0’s power delivery may be, it needs to be able to cover more ground to really measure up to its rivals.