Hahaha I have said the same for years “me on a ebike ? never !” And guess what my wife and I bought last Saturday... two spe vado turbo to commute and now the Vespa is on sale ! We went for the 45 km version, the 25 km when you are used to ride your road bike feels to slow on the flat. Great video as always !
I've got a Vado 4.0 SL EQ, 1 kg extra, but with fenders, rack, much better light and a 320 Wh battery. You'll probably won't notice the extra kg, but will notice the extra range.
These orbea ebikes are just great bikes and quality . I had the orbea gain road ebike and it just so smooth to ride . People say that the 250w motor isn't enough power like some ebikes or conversion kits . But it is plenty and it's there to assist you to give u that little boost . They may be more expensive then some ebikes , but there worth every penny . Such a great make ebike .
Well, that's certainly the first time I've heard a hub-drive being sold as a positive when compared to a mid-drive. I guess it depends on what you're after. If you want discretion, the hub is the way to go. On the other hand though, I gotta have them sweet sweet nMs.
Interestingly, I went the other way when choosing between these two. Although the Vado was more expensive, the price came down in a Specialized promotion + a dealer discount. This closed the gap a bit, but it was the larger Vado battery (320W vs 250W in the Orbea), greater range, more efficient and beautifully smooth hub motor, neater mode change buttons and, IMO, better quality finish which made me choose the Vado. Both are light enough to be pedalled without assistance, so no real range anxieties with either bike.
One thing that concerns me is the rear hub motor; it’s been well documented that a mid- drive motor is much more efficient and “mimics” a non ebike very well. Thank you for your review of the Orbea.
Thanks for these H30 vids! I got one back in May and have been enjoying it very much. Mostly road commute riding, but it's also up for a bit of light gravel. Thing I like least about it is for me, there's quite a big jump between some cogs, in particular I find when I hit around 15mph on the flat I'm pedalling quite fast, but the next gear up makes it a bit of a slog. Maybe a front mech would solve that. But otherwise I love the bike and highly recommend it.
HA! I am completely with you on the owners manual diagrams instructions. Near impossible to understand and in fact it's why I arrived at your video. We purchase the Orbea Ultima for my wife yesterday and it's a game changer for her after several mud-drive heavy bikes
super super, my partner just purchased the mid vibe medium. probably the best bike I have ever rode beside, beautiful and worringly aggressive as she now has worked out the settings. good for you pointing out the manual. It is vague!! unlike most ebikes this beauty has the weight to enjoy a perfect day out INCLUDING hills. cheers.... martin
I respect your choice, and Orbea Vibe H30 is certainly a beautifully designed e-bike. You forgot to mention that by saving several hundred quids you gave up a mid-drive motor and great connectivity of Vado SL though :) Now, demonstrate a serious climb on your Vibe. 8% grade would be enough! Or, connect a Garmin or a Wahoo to your Vibe!
Thanks. I was buying a bicycle first of all, and not a motorcycle. I still have power in my legs :) so 8% gradient is not a problem, especially with a 1:1 gear ratio and a 12.5kg weight of the bike after my upgrades (have a separate video about it). If we are talking about climbing, I’ve climbed 20% climbs on much longer distances than what I ride in the city. And if I decide to do Everesting, I won’t choose any of these two bikes anyway :)
I bought my vibe in the US. Mines limited to 20mph. It's difficult to get to and maintain 20 mph . I bought mine In a bike shop. The shop said there is a break in period, but I emailed Orbea and they said there's no break in period. How it for you to get to 25 km?
Hi, I am looking at buying this bike but my end of day commute I have a 1.5k hill climb of 160m. Would this be a problem for the bike? 30k return commute.
Did you compare against the Cannondale Quick Neo SL 1 or 2 as well? Seems like similar specs to the Vibe. Maybe the SL 2 could be a good base to upgrade? The Vibe is so clean and minimal though. Great choice.
Hi Tyler, no I didn’t. Cannondale looks good, but like you said, Orbea is very clean and with fully internal cable routing. I don’t think there is anything like that on the market
Nice review. Deal breaker for Orbea for me is hub drive and crazy control setup. I am looking for my wife, same reason you are, to keep up. The controls on my Specialized Turbo Levo are straightforward especially nice when exhausted and losing one’s mind. I assume same for Vado. Add the auxiliary battery and prices are about the same. Here in the Atatea it would be hard to service the Orbea as our bike shops won’t touch mail order brands for service. Those total internal cables may become a headache come time for serious service. But I am glad you are pleased with the bike!
Thanks Control setup is easy to use. The instruction manual is not straightforward. I wanted a bike that doesn’t look like electric and orbea wins in this category. As you’ve seen in the video, I replaced the brake hoses easily, so internal routing is not an issue and is definitely where the industry is moving to (which I support with both hands).
great review! How often do you need to charge, what is the distance on one charge? and where is the charging port located? last one it is easy to ride without assist?
I do a 19 mile commute to work, with a big downhill but mostly flat, with low assistance (30%) in places, battery is at 75% when I get to work. On return leg, again mostly low assistance but I use 90% power on a 5 mile climb and get home with 25% battery. So yeah it depends on how you ride and the terrain you cover. Hope this helps!
That looks like a great alternative to the Vado SL. But in the US there are many Specialized dealers but fewer Orbea dealers. How would you compare the motors of those two bikes?
Hello, you seem to know a bit about bikes, just recieved my Orbea Vibe H30 EQ yesterday. Had it up on my maintanance stand checking out the display and motor etc and found i could not get it into first gear, 2nd and third were a bit rough making a clicking noise, the jockey wheel will not pass the largest sprocket wheel to feed the chain on. Very diappointing this.
I have both an Orbea Vibe and Specialized Vado SL 4.0…both are great lightweight e bikes. If I had to choose one, the Specialized is the bike I tend to ride most often. With a mid-drive motor, it feels more a regular bike during acceleration. You can’t go wrong with either bike.
The Vado SL is to be fair one of the Best if not the Best light E Bike out there- especially as the bike is on discount a lot lately, it cost less than some direct consumer brands. I rode 5k km on mine, no issues at all and all in perfect Working order and get about 70-80km per Charge which is a lot for the small Battery. Hopefully in 2 or 3 years they come up with a little bit stronger motor (maybe 50nm) for steep uphills
Have you considered the "add-e next" motor in combination with an ultra light bike? You would loose some features like lights connected to battery and the look might be not as clean, but it would save some weight mainly because you can choose your own bike to add the motor to.
The bike it's so beautiful. But it's looks like a none removable battery? Is this a big deal? What if the battery it the future don't work anymore? How you can remove it to exchange it? Thanks for the great review
Yes, I don’t think the battery is removable. If there is a fault, I’d expect Orbea to replace it by warranty. Not sure about performance deterioration over time though, but I’m hoping that it’ll serve me well for a number of years…
Hello, I would like to know how the bike behaves after 25km / h in the plains, pedaling you can easily reach 30 / 35km / h or do you have a lot of effort? I usually use a road bike and would like to replace it to go to work, can you recommend it? the distance is 15km with little height difference, thank you very much, good rides Paolo from Turin.
There is no extra effort or braking when you reach the 25 km/h on the new light E-bike motors. Mahle X35, Fazua and Spezialised SL 1.1 all transition smooth into above 25 km/h speeds.
Beautiful bike! I am considering one for myself. Is the motor loud when under pressure? How do you feel about the electric assistance, is it powerful enough?
The motor is quite. Assistance is up to 25kmh, after that there is a bit of resistance from the rear hub, so retaining an average speed of more than 25kmh is quite a work. But if you just commuting in the city - this bike is perfect
@@TwistedWheels Thanks for the reply and for pointing that out... I have a hub based electric bike from Decathlon and I feel the same, after 25km/h it's not as efficient as a normal bike, whereas drivetrain based bikes feel more natural. I visited the LBS and they have some for sale, I will still give it a test drive.
thanks for the nice informative video! and i guess things are pretty safe in the UK... if this was in the US, by the 8:15 mark, u'd see a couple kids in the background running off with the bike... 😂
beautiful bike! I had my eye on one of these as well, but in the end I wanted something lighter and faster so I went for an Orbea Gain M30 (flat bar). according to the bike shop I ordered it through, it was starting to get built today! It's going to be tough waiting for it to arrive... ☺
@@TwistedWheels around 3-4kg I believe...this should make the most difference when I go faster than 25km/h (stupid Australian ebike speed restrictions), or if the battery dies. 👍
@@superflea72 3 kg - that’s a big difference! They also look very nice. Just checked them and the price was out of my budget, otherwise would also go for M30 👍🏼
@@TwistedWheels haha, yeah they're not cheap, and it was out of my original budget as well...but luckily for me I had a motorbike sitting around that I hadn't been riding, so I sold it to help fund the M30. I also loved that I could get on the MyO page and customise my bike's colours and name it (I went for Matte Black/Sky Blue, and named it Demonio Veloz). ☺
Thanks for the review! I looked at one today! I currently ride a flat bar hybrid with front suspension and I'm reluctant to lose that front fork as I sometimes go across grass and other rougher ground! What are your thoughts after riding one? Thanks in advance!
I often ride to work at an average close to 25kph (leg power). I wonder if getting a bike like this one would help me improve the commuting time. I believe the assistance would help me reduce the moments bellow 25 but those I manage to go above 25 would be unhelped by the electric system... really puzzled about how much this bike could help. Could you share some advice?
I feel that you will not improve your time, but you’ll most likely spend less energy to get to work. But it obviously depends on the road, number of traffic lights, number of hills you need to climb etc
I watched a RU-vid vid were a guy/girl did a head to head test of a mid/rear motor and the mid was significantly quicker. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hzTIWtaf6So.html
Hi. Great review. I have tried a medium and a large and I found both ok. I am 175 cm five foot nine and I can’t decide on size. What would you recommend ?
Was looking for the Ampler Court but this one looks nice too. Do you know how much is a replacement battery? How many km can you drive with the battery at once?
Haven’t checked how much they cost. The distance very much depends on the terrain you ride and level of motor support that you use. I’d say something in the range of 40-90km
Thanks, Sam. I’m 5ft11 and I bought 53cm because I want it to be used by my wife too and she is 5ft4 😬 I would recommend going 53cm, because they have quite a short front triangle (I believe Orbea based it on their gravel bike), unlike Specialized vado that are based on mtb geometry and have longer front.
@@TwistedWheels Hello! I'm 6ft2, do you think 53cm would feel too cramped? I've read the official orbea size recommendations and I fall under L (53cm), but by what you're saying I think maybe XL (57.5cm) would be a better choice...
G'day from Australia. Great video mate. What is the max battery range on this bike? How long does it take to recharge it? I can't find that info anywhere online.
Hey, the range will very much depend on the terrain you riding and the level of motor support. I believe I saw the number 100km-ish somewhere (without battery extender).
It really depends on what you need. It is extra 250 watts in your legs which is more than enough for me personally. More than that and you probably need a moped, not an e-bike.
I think what they put is the best case scenario with minimum level of assist. How much you can get depends on the terrain you ride, how much much you push yourself and what level of assistance you need. I bought the battery extender with my bike :)
Hi, I see that you understand something and I am a very newbie. They taught me an Orbea Gian F3o I don't know a basic mtb type, an urban environment I believe and the truth is I am looking and I see very little to inform me of several things that to have an ebike, without knowing them I would not be encouraged to have one. 1- the battery in the future, you can change it yourself or you usually need a special tool. 2- The motor, are they the type that I ever read, without brushes and do not need periodic maintenance? or from time to time to the store ... I am an urban user - basic but I want help on medium long stretches and hills. I imagine that for assistance in 30, 40 km it is right? Thank you
Sorry, I don’t know what your requirements are. I guess, why not. However, in London, deliveroo guys are usually riding converted to e-bike MTBs with chinese motors where you don’t even need to pedal at all 🤣
Hi there, great review! I would love to know do you still think this is as good a bike as the specialized vado sl. I am looking at both for my daily commute. Currently i use my road bike, but there are days when take the car because of head winds or general tiredness. My commute is 28km each way, with 143m elevation. I would normally average 23-26kph on my road bike in the mornings, depending on wind direction. In the evenings its usually a bit higher. So I'm thinking the battery would be enough, as the motor would only be kicking in on the gentle hills. Anyway, i love to hear your advice, Thanks.
Motor support is up to 25 km/h. After that it depends on your legs :) Check their website for sizing. You’ll probably need the largest size they have and potentially replace the stem/seatpost for longer ones.
I got this bike too, but I can sense a vibration when pedalling, which intensifies as i pedal harder.. doesnt matter if motor is on or not, the vibration is still noticable.. anyone else with this issue? had a Orbea Vibe before without this issue
Thanks, great video, I've also been trying to choose between the Orbea and the Specialised Vado. I think the Specialized looks nicer but I'll be trying an Orbea when my local bike shop has one in stock. Performance rather than price will be the decider for me.
Specialized looks nice in the photo, but I didn’t like it that much in real life. The downtube is huge and the whole bike feels bulky. Whereas Orbea looks like a normal non-E bike. But you may be looking for something different
@@TwistedWheels Thanks - interesting observation! I hope I will be as happy with the Orbea as you were. I'm also after an e-bike that doesn't look like an e-bike!
@@thamesking no worries, I’m glad you found it helpful. Try both of them and decide. They also have a very different riding position: Spesh has more of a relaxed MTB, whereas Orbea feels more like a gravel bike with flat handlebars, so quite a bit shorter.
@thamesking I am curious if you have chosen between Orbea Vibe H30 vs SL Vado 4. Appreciate if you could reply as I'm also in same situation and performance is the key factor for me as well. The confusing thing is Vibe has 40Nm Torque and 250W Motor Power whereas SL Vado 4 has 35Nm Torque and 240W Motor Power so would like to know which one is better performance in hills and overall. Thanks.
what speed does this cap out at? is it 20mph? i have an alez and i routinely ride 30-35mph on the flat. would this assist at all or would it restrict my top speed?
In the UK, the legal limit for motor assist is 25Kph or 15.5mph, after that you can go as fast as you can pedal and the gearing will allow, bloody hard work on the flat and inclines though!
i can pedal up to around 27mph on the flat. maybe 32 on my sprint bike. my motor on my ebike will assist to 28.8mph and im on my own after that. i modded teh spedo to boost me up to 38mph though. that makes it much more feasible for commuting as i need to bike on teh road in a 45mph area. @@petejones1957
Video lacks content about the back. Is this full electric with throttle or pedal assist? Video guy said it will move forward if motor is switched on. Should have a kill switch for full motor stop. What are the gearings, components, etc?
Where is fender mounts on the fork and on the rear. I mean fenders is a must! There is no connection between chainstays like on most normal bicycles, which allows you to bolt on simple fenders.
@Twisted Wheels Thanks for the video. Please could you advise me here. I am struggling to choose between Orbea Vibe H30 and SL Vado 4. I am looking for good performance and Power and want to ride super smooth in hills so appreciate if you could reply. The confusing thing is Vibe has 40Nm Torque and 250W Motor Power whereas SL Vado 4 has 35Nm Torque and 240W Motor Power so would like to know which one is better performance in hills and overall. Thanks.
Hi! The most importat key to ebike hill performance is the position of the engine. Orbea Vibe is a wheel hub type engine and Specialized Vado is mid drive engine (on the cranks). Electric engines only can drive at full output on certain RPM range, in the case of wheel hubs (18 ~ 24 Km/h), at slower speeds, the controller drain lower intensity of the battery to prevent burn the engine (at higher speed no problem). But the mid drives rotates at your cadence speed and still engineered for optimun cadences from 65 to 95 RPM, resulting on better engine power at lower bike speeds on spteepest hills if you reduce to shortest gears and can mantain regular pedal cadences(80~90 RPM). I try the Orbea Gain line Orbea Vibe and is light and fasta but at very steep hills (>10%) the power of the engine decreases, at the mid drive bikes if change the chain to bigges cassette sproket the bike climb like motorcycle hills of 20 and 24% grade.
@@SuperSer886 Thank you my friend. Really appreciate your detailed technical explanation and I do really had the same understanding about the Mid drive motors and they are better than Hub drive motors so Specialized takes advantage of that. I hopefully Test ride both of these in the coming months before I decided. Cheers!!
"And save 20 - 40%" on cycle scheme. Sure thing and at the end of the you pay 7% plus V.A.T. for continued use of the Bike. Who owns it well you will in a few years. Oh and the dealer gets a hit of a similiar amount on his sale which he pays to Cyclescheme. So only if you are a higher rate tax payer does it look favourable as a 10% discount is hardly worth the hassle for others especially as you can shop around for huge discounts.
Yep - same! I said NEVER for an e-bike and now I own this Orbea-Vibe😜 Not sure if I will pass it to my daughter to use for work (commuting) or keep for myself. Nonetheless- this rhetro style and light model are impressive on every level thus far. Ride on 🚴♀️
@@TwistedWheels you should I had a gain and the electrics stopped r working after a year and getting a response is never gunna happen have a look at the reviews bro. The company never responds nor do they care the blue exposed wire on the electric bike is so flimsy I should have bought a ribble e bike instead
NEVER EVER BUY Specialized e-bike. I bougth a Specialized Turbo S, I think in 2015, so it's not that old. Now the rear drive has a mechanical problem. Went to the dealer they replied that it's an old bike and cannot be repaired, and there are no more spare parts. WHAT, this was a 5000 Euro bike. And now it's ready for the scrap yard ??, a 5000 Euro bike within a couple of years. First of all not very sustainable and very envirionmental unfriendly and towards customers ........ What a crap brand.
Bonjour merci pour la vidéo par rapport au vado 5sl il 'y a pas la suspension intégré donc moins confortable pour la ville pa de porte bagage et garde boue donc un peu plus lourd mais au prix de 4600 euros pour la France beaucoup trop chère merci à vous
