I needed (wanted?) a new bicycle. The old one was still ok, but severely outdated in many ways and while I could replace and upgrade some parts, it just made no financial sense to do that. Thus a new bicycle it was. Assisted or not was an open question for a long time. I like those points:
- easier climbing up hills (there’s plenty here)
- being able to go further
I did not like those points though:
- additional stuff which can break or needs maintenance (motor, battery)
- additional weight
- need to charge
- price
In the end it became the Specialized Vado SL 4.0 EQ (2021 model) as it was almost perfect: it’s relatively light for an e-bike, without assist function it’s pretty much a normal bicycle (the motor does not interfere), and the price is, while not cheap, acceptable. The 2022 model is quite a bit more expensive and I would not have bought that one. I really wanted a removable battery as it would make charging easier, but it looks better as it is. I can live with that.
Update after some more tests: The motor is very smooth. It kicks in quickly at low speeds, which is important when starting from a stand-still, and by law it slowly decreases power output when you get over 10km/h. At 25km/h it disconnects completely. No jerking, no sudden drop in speed. And it kicks back in when I go below 25km/h and again it’s very subtle. Very smooth. Some engineers did a fabulous job here.
Harald's Random Stuff 