When comparing Marin Gestalt 2 vs Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0, the Slant community recommends Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 for most people. In the question“What are the best high-end bikes?” Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 is ranked 1st while Marin Gestalt 2 is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 is:
This e-bike has three different levels of assistance: Eco, Sport and Turbo. The Eco level only helps you to maintain speed, whilst Turbo will kick in almost immediately and will push you forward with great effort. The exact amount of assistance levels for each mode can be fine-tuned in the smartphone app so you can personalize the bike to your needs. The battery capacity should be enough for most everyday commuters, as it can go as far as 50 miles in Eco mode or 25 miles in Turbo mode.
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Pros
Pro Good braking system
The bike uses cable-operated disc brakes. Although they have fairly large 160mm rotors, their performance is somewhere between traditional V-brakes and hydraulic brakes. While they are better at braking compared to V-brakes especially in wet conditions, they fall far behind hydraulic brakes. Still, they are easier and cheaper to maintain compared to hydraulic brakes but are more expensive compared to V-brakes.
Pro Has room for upgrades
There are slots and holes on the bike where you can add or upgrade equipment. There’s an internal cable routing port for a front derailleur if you want to add one. There are also mounts for mudguards and a lug on the seat tube to mount a rack, so it would serve commuting and load lugging duties well too. The frame lets you put on wider tires if you are thinking about more serious off-roading.
Pro Frame has a good compromised between lightness and sturdyness
The frame is made from aluminum and is fairly light, so you can gain speed on flat surfaces while still being sturdy enough to not bend when going off-road.
Pro Customizable for wider tires
If you want even wider tires, the frame can easily take 35mm wide tires too.
Pro Balanced gear for both road and mountain biking
The bike combines the best from both worlds. The 30mm wide Schwalbe G-One tires with lightly dotted treads lets you ride the bike quickly on tarmac while providing a decent amount of grip when going off-road and the drivetrain provides a wide range of gears, so you can use the bike to gain high speeds on flat surfaces or to do steep climbs.
Pro Variable assistance, according to the needs
This e-bike has three different levels of assistance: Eco, Sport and Turbo. The Eco level only helps you to maintain speed, whilst Turbo will kick in almost immediately and will push you forward with great effort. The exact amount of assistance levels for each mode can be fine-tuned in the smartphone app so you can personalize the bike to your needs. The battery capacity should be enough for most everyday commuters, as it can go as far as 50 miles in Eco mode or 25 miles in Turbo mode.
Pro Can be monitored and customized via a smartphone app
You can download the Specialized E-Bike Mission Control app that offers a wide range of features and allows to customize your bike. You can check all the previous stats of your rides, the current status of the battery, plan routes accordingly to the battery level and diagnose potential problems with the bike. You can also fine tune the characteristics and response of the motor and change the behavior of each travel mode.
Pro Won't attract unwanted attention
The bike is designed in a way that from a distance, it’s hard to tell that it has a battery and a motor. The battery is seamlessly integrated in the down tube while the motor sits hidden in the bottom bracket. It does have a built in headlight, a display mounted on the handlebar and a taillight that works as a brake light, but the rest looks like an ordinary bike so it’s less likely to attract thieves and will blend in the traffic with the rest of the bikes.
Cons
Con Cable slot is vulnerable to debris
There is a large slot at the bottom end of the down tube through which the cables pass. While this is good for threading new cables, it also means there’s a chance of dirt and sand getting caught there that can deteriorate the cables overtime.
Con Doesn't support V-brakes
You cannot install V-brakes on this bike.
Con Expensive
Costing more than $4000, it’s a serious investment so you have to definitely think if you really need all these features.
Con Can be too heavy to use without motor assistance
Because the bike is heavy, it’s almost impossible to pedal up a steep hill without the motor’s help.