Originally Posted by
2old
From what I've read, the Vado, like most electric bikes can supply "bursts" of more than its rated power, while the SL can't. Those who have tested both attest to this. There's a thread on MTBR which relates.
That’s not quite correct. Using the Mission Control App you can customize the three “Preset” levels of assist.
There are two settings for each level. One is the amount of assist your start out with and the second is the peak assist available based upon cadence and torque. The default for the third, Turbo, level is 100% for both settings. If you’re riding in either of the first two levels, pedaling faster or harder and changing gears will the amount of assist will rise automatically, up to the maximum preset level. This is a subtle, but real boost to your human energy.
There is also a button on the remote that immediately changes to Turbo mode. Assuming it remains at the defaults you will immediately get a “burst” of assist. It’s not as extreme as on other Vado’s or most other ebikes, but it is definitely welcome. I climbed a hill today that I ran out of gears and legs and had to dismount to reach the top on my analog a week ago. On my Vado 4 SL I was able to reach the top with a gear or two left and no expressed anger from the guy driving the really large dump truck following me up the hill. He courteously continued downshifting along with me, (I moved off to the side at the summit and he went by and then pulled off to his destination.) The difference was profound. I couldn’t have done that safely without the e-assist.