Shop Turbo Vado
Introducing the 2022 Specialized Turbo Vado! One of our most popular bikes in the last few years here at Steed Cycles; the Turbo Vado is a humble yet amazing machine, built for getting the job done, but is much more than the sum of its parts. Always ahead of the curve, the Vado has always been a great looking bike with incredible ride and handling characteristics. With the latest incarnation, the Vado is as cutting-edge as ever, yet retains the amazing ride quality that made it great.
What's new?
The 2022 Turbo Vado is a complete ground-up redesign, so while the new bike retains all the classic characteristics of the older Vado, pretty much everything has changed, even down to the frame and wheel size. The new bike runs on 27.5" (or 650b) wheels with bigger tires that should be just as fast but even smoother. Specialized have also tweaked the geometry to make the new Vado even more comfortable and easy to ride, as well as adding a suspension seatpost on the 4.0 and 5.0 models to take the sting out and keep the ride smooth.
If that wasn't enough, Specialized have also completely revamped the electronics, including a new motor, battery, display and everything in between to make the new Vado the smartest one ever. Topping all of that off is a whole bunch of safety features to keep riders and their bike safer than ever!
Ride Quality
The 2022 Turbo Vado is all about the quality of ride and rider experience. Specialized have designed the new Vado to be easy to ride for experienced cyclists and occasional riders alike, with a focus on being an awesome all-around tool for commuting, fitness, grocery-getting, recreational cycling and everything in between.
With a relaxed yet efficient geometry, the latest Vado is comfortable and easy to ride. The ride position maintains a fine balance between upright and sporty, meaning it's comfortable on longer rides, but easy to ride fast when needed. Available in both "double diamond" and step-through models, the Vado is easy to get on and ride for riders of any size and build.
Making the ride smooth and comfortable is a Suntour front suspension fork, paired with high volume 27.5" (650b) x 2.3" Specialized Pathfinder tires. Designed with a solid centre strip and knobby shoulders, they're fast rolling, efficient and amazingly grippy so riders can confidently go wherever they need to with speed and comfort. On the back end is a suspension seatpost with 40mm of travel, helping keep the ride smooth even when seated.
Smart and Intuitive Electronics
The new Vado is the smartest, smoothest and most powerful ebike Specialized have made to date. With an updated Turbo 2.0 or 2.2 motor the Vado puts out up to 90Nm torque and 250w power in the 5.0 model. Specialized have made some important changes to both motor hardware and software which means that it rides even smoother than the previous generation - a bike that was pretty well sorted in itself. The Vado 4.0 and 5.0 get a new uprated 710Wh battery that should last up to 145km depending on usage, and the 3.0 gets a 530Wh battery. As well as this, Specialized have made numerous hardware and software updates to make the latest incarnation of the Vado more reliable than ever.
New on the 2022 Turbo Vado is the Mastermind Turbo Connect Display (TCD), featuring a colour screen, USB C port for device charging, bluetooth compatibility for over-the-air updates for motor and display from the rider's phone. Also new and useful is the ride coach feature which visually tells riders when they're pedalling at optimum cadence for efficiency, helping riders get the most kilometres out of their battery.
Bike and Rider Safety
The new Turbo Vado comes with a whole bunch of integrated bike and rider safety features, designed to help get the rider safely from A to C and everywhere in between. All models come with integrated lights including a super powerful Lezyne front light and LED rear light controllable from the cockpit remote, meaning riders can always see and be seen.
Vado 5.0 models come with a Garmin radar fitted allowing the bike to warn the rider of vehicles approaching from behind, up to 460 feet (140 metres) away showing speed and location on the integrated display. All Vado models are compatible with the Garmin Radar, meaning riders can upgrade later on.
When your bike takes care of you, you want to take care of your bike too. The Vado comes with some new additional safety features, making it even easier for riders to keep their pride and joy safe. The battery is still lockable with a key, but now also has a handle making it easier to remove and take away. The real game changer however is the Turbo System Lock, allowing the rider to lock the bike from the Mission Control phone app and lock would-be thieves out of the bike as well as activate a motion-detecting alarm.
Ready To Roll
The new Turbo Vado is ready to go right off the showroom floor. Every bike comes fitted with Specialized Drytech full coverage fenders and a rear cargo rack so it's ready for anything. With a robust 1x drivetrain on all bikes that has enough range to go anywhere and no front shifter for simplicity it makes shifting a breeze without having to think about it. Powerful hydraulic brakes from Shimano or Sram come on all models with extra powerful 4-piston Sram brakes on the top level Vado 5.0, every bike has stopping power on tap, keeping riders safely out of harm's way.
Summary
The Turbo Vado is a bike designed to be all things to all people. Utilitarian at its core but with smart design, innovative features and safe and sensible component spec, it's so much more than just a tool. A means of transport for the professional that wants to skip the traffic, a grocery getter for an eco-savvy parent, an around-town cruiser for the retiree or a fun sporty whip for the younger generations with less time on their hands. The new Vado is comfy and fun, fast and efficient, the perfect e-bike for those on the go.
The Vado line-up starts with the entry level 3.0 and 3.0 step-through which comes with Shimano Hydraulic disc brakes, a suspension fork and 9 speed drivetrain. The Vado 3.0 IGH and 3.0 IGH step-through is the next model up with the same spec but a belt-driven Enviolo internally geared hub with a stepless twist-shift to simply make things easier or harder, for an easy, low-maintenance ride. Up next is the Vado 4.0 and 4.0 step-through with upgraded wheels, Sram brakes, Sram NX 11-speed drivetrain, suspension seatpost and an upgraded motor.
The top spec models are the Vado 5.0 and 5.0 IGH. The 5.0 and 5.0 step-through includes highlights such as the Garmin Radar, Sram GX 11 speed drivetrain, a quality Rockshox Recon suspension fork, powerful Sram G2 four-piston brakes and much more. The 5.0 IGH and 5.0 IGH step-through shares the same spec but with the Enviolo geared hub and an automatic shifting system which shifts based on the rider's cadence meaning it's always in the right gear no matter the situation, providing the ultimate care-free riding experience.
