tl;dr: have long commute. Want eBike. Am fat. Should I buy Specialized Veno 4.0 or Veno SL 4.0 EQ?
Hello everyone,
For multiple reasons I'm looking to purchase my first eBike for my long commute to work. My local bike shop (who I would like to work with on this) sells Specialized. It looks like the Vado 4.0 and Vado SL 4.0 EQ can both be had for around $3200 and these seem like the most likely candidates for this role.
My bike shop is recommending the SL. I normally wouldn't question them but Specialized's website claims I would get more range out of the regular Vado. It also has the added advantage of having a removable battery which means I can charge it at my desk and have a full battery for the commute home.
On the other hand the SL seems more approachable for someone who has a lot of experience with non-assisted riding. Additionally it's light enough that it should function decently as a conventional bike should the electric drive train turn off.
About my commute:
By bike my commute to work will be about 26 miles (42km). Terrain is mostly flat and I will be on dedicated bike paths for 85% of the trip. This commute is located in SE Michigan and I intend to ride 2 or 3 times a week as weather permits. I will likely still ride in rain and cold conditions but snow may be a limiting factor as the bike paths are not plowed during the winter. My workplace has lockers and a shower. I can keep changes of clothes at work but would prefer to not have to use the shower unless absolutely necessary.
About me:
I'm 6'4' (193cm) and about 260lbs (118kg). That may seem too fat to consider this commute, but I race XC (Beginner/Clydesdale) and Enduro (Expert/Open) so I am decently in-shape for my size. For reference Strava has me at 2,458 out of 5,827 at the local hard XC loop, and 75 out of 6584 on one of the downhill sections so I feel capable enough to make this happen. Additionally I used to commute by bike more regularly but the trips were shorter and I would just use one of my mountain bikes.
Google claims that the commute will take 2 hours but I'm guessing that is accounting for a slower rider on a conventional bicycle. If I can get the time down to 1hr 30min then this should be entirely feasible. Especially considering my normal commute takes between 40min to 1hr 30min in my car.
Additional notes:
The bike shop loaned me a demo bike. a Specialized Globe Haul ST. Neither they or I think this is the right bike for me but they had one that's a demo model and suggested I try half my route to see how bad the commute will be. This will give me a decent sample of the route and will be a nice introduction to eBikes in general.
Sorry for the long post. Curious what your thoughts are. Has anyone used these bikes or have any tips or recommendations? Thanks!
Edit: I tested the route today on the Haul ST I'm demoing. I decided to do the route to the halfway point and turn around as this would roughly simulate the total distance.
The good news is despite a couple hiccups with the bike (mostly due to me inexperience), and having to slow down for busy Saturday trail traffic (my rule was 12-15mph anytime I was near any other trail user) I still made the halfway point by 45 minutes. This is exactly the time frame I was hoping for.
The bike shop told me they didn't think the Haul had the range to make the trip at the speed I wanted and they were right. The Haul preformed admirably overall. I ran PA level 3 until halfway back I realized I had misinterpreted the 'RNG' indicator and checking the app showed that I only 9% battery remaining. I switched to PA level 1 for the rest of the trip home. the Haul is an absolute pig on PA 1 but I was able to limp it home without further issue.
If I had a slightly shorter commute and needed to carry more than a couple light bags the Haul would be perfect. However, it's designed to carry heavier loads than I need.
Here's the Strava track if anyone is curious to see how it performed: https://www.strava.com/activities/10121452712
Yeah, I could tell from your initial post that it was about the shop, not the brand, and I totally get wanting to support them. Considering that they've gone so far as to build you custom stuff before, is it possible they'd be willing to let you support them by paying them to assemble and maintain a mail-order bike?
(Incidentally, I myself do have some love for Specialized, since my trusty old acoustic commuter bike happens to be an early-'90s Specialized Hard Rock that I stripped down, rebuilt, and customized for utility cycling. I don't ride it as much now that I've got an e-bike, but I'm still fond of it.)
Once you start bike commuting, you might find it turns into a whole lifestyle change. In other words, I'm suggesting erring high on the cargo capacity not necessarily because of typical work needs, but because you might end up wanting to do things like getting groceries on the way home.
Makes sense! Being much more average height myself, I didn't think to take that into account.
Speaking of which, I'm definitely viewing your question through the lens of my own experience, and my use-case is pretty different (relatively short trips, hilly, hauling two kids plus groceries and whatnot, much smaller budget). I've got a Lectric Xpedition with dual-batteries that I love, but I'm trying to stop myself from recommending it to you because it's more "e" and less "bike" than it sounds like you want. In other words, it's probably even more piggish on low- or no-assist than the Haul you're test-riding and it's much more "entry-level" in terms of component quality than a Specialized 4.0 would be, although unlike the Haul, it should have the range you need at a reasonable assist level.
If what you're looking for is closer to an aggressive-geometry nimble road bike experience with a little electric assist rather than a heavier-duty utility-cycling experience, I don't really know much about that. That's not to say I'm not still perfectly happy to blunder my way through the problem with you, but just that you shouldn't put too much faith in my non-existent expertise.
No worries; it doesn't!