500 miles later: the Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0

Since July of last year, I’ve put over 500 miles (800 km) on my Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0.

What is it?

An electric (class 3) hybrid bike with 68 miles (109 km) of maximum range, 300 pounds (136 kg) of rider+cargo capacity, full front and back suspension, and a dropper seatpost.

About me

I’m 78 inches tall (198 cm, mostly torso) and weigh 270 pounds (122 kg).

My setup

Size: XL

Wheel Size: 29 / 27.5 inch mullet setup

I swapped in DEITY HIGHSIDE handlebars and Ergon GP5 grips for a more comfortable ride. The stock handlebars were too low and made my wrists hurt.

Summary

It’s a tank.

Pros: Feels indestructible; shifters and dropper post are responsive and satisfying to use; pedal assist is smooth, natural, and easy to customize with the app; front headlight angle is easily adjusted while riding

Cons: Battery is shockingly difficult to remove; rubber ring around battery cavity doesn’t stay put; limited mount points for a bottle cage; front fender gets misaligned easily and rubs on the tire; battery whines during charging

Compromises: Big and heavy (good for riders like me, but may not be for everyone); some features require logging into an app, though I rode for several months without it and it wasn’t a problem

How does it compare?

The Turbo Tero X 4.0 is a “keeping my options open” kind of bike. It has all the features you’d want for a rough mountain trail, but most of my mileage has been on paved bike paths, and it hasn’t given me too much to complain about there either. It’s not as efficient as a superlight road bike—it certainly feels sluggish without the motor—but when you want to cut through gravel or dirt, there’s no comparison. The Tero is a beast.

That said, I sometimes wish I’d gone with a gravel bike. It’s not so much that there’s something wrong with the Tero; for as many things as it tries to be, it does a solid job. It’s just that I don’t go offroad very often and a lighter profile would be nice on long rides. I’m the guy with a Jeep Wrangler thinking maybe he should’ve gotten a Subaru Crosstrek for the gas mileage. Some of us have real problems, eh?

The only complaint I can lay squarely at Specialized’s feet is the battery cavity. It’s tricky to get the battery in without dislodging the rubber bumper, which is bolted on fore and aft (otherwise I’d remove it) but only loosely grabs the sides. I keep debating whether I should superglue it. And removing the battery, which I do after every ride to avoid exposing it to temperature extremes, is never as easy as unlocking it and pressing the lever; it usually takes a minute or so of prying with my fingernails before it comes loose.

It could be a lot worse. The battery stays put during rides and lives up to the advertised range. It emits a quiet high-pitched whine while charging, sort of like tinnitus, but it’s not a bother unless you’re right next to it. And the battery level indicator is reliable, so you know if you need to charge before your next ride.

Finally, I have to say the Specialized app adds a lot of nice extras. I resisted downloading it until recently because I’m a bit of a tech curmudgeon. I don’t want to log into my fridge, I don’t want TCP/IP in my oven/range, and I don’t want a monthly subscription to my bike. (The Specialized app is free, but these days I live with the unhappy assumption that everything will eventually be a subscription.) Regardless, I gave in and discovered more than enough to keep me around. For one thing, I often forget to track rides on my smart watch, whereas the app automatically starts tracking when I turn on my bike and start pedaling. And for another, it lets you fine-tune “power” (percent of motor wattage used) and “ease” (how hard you have to pedal to access that power) for each assist level. It also exports rides to Apple Health and Strava.

For the price, an e-bike as rugged and well-constructed as this is a good deal. I don’t know what I would add, though I’ll be happier once I figure out how to make the battery play nice.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5