Anybody Ride a Specialized Turbo Tero Yet?

[Surrey Tero]

Let us make friends on Strava! My display name is Stefan Mikeš Mikulski.

I’ve followed you. I’m user starting as Andy

 

[Nubnub]

I'm glad you finally got the match between the MasterMind TCD and GPS.

As I said in another thread, pay no close attention to what Mission Control reads... I can bet there is no real communication between the engineering and programming departments at Spec!

I've also noticed that the Mission Control setting on my Tero appears to be off. In my case, Mission Control reports 90.55 in wheel circumference - same as Stefan reported for his Vado (you have an older Vado not using 650B wheels?) . My Garmin auto detected the 29er 2.35 Ground Control tires as 2249 mm. This is very close to what Chucker;s initial setting of 88.78 (2255 mm) in Mission Control was. I suppose if my bike had been set up with the 88.78 Whc that my Mastermind and Garmin speed readings would be very close. I think it is just a bike shop or factory setup error that my bike Mission control reads 90.55.

But with the Mission Control set at 90.55 I would say displayed speeds are at least 5% different. I first noticed that the power assist did not cut out when my Garmin exceeded 20 mph. Checking Mastermind the speed was always less than 20 mph when assist was still on. Gradually increasing to over 21 mph displayed on the garmin would finally result in the assist going away and Mission Control finally shows > 20 mph. I also note the difference between the Mastermind odometer and the Garmin's ride log is close to 5%. Since the difference between the displayed 90.55 (2300mm) whc and the garmin's auto detect 2249 is only around 2%, I think there is something to the "pay no close attention to what Mission Control reads" comment Stefan has made.

I believe my Garmin is more correct as I've used it quite awhile and have compared it's readout to mileage plots on Google maps as well as vs road mileage odometer calibration markers. So it appears I have a derestricted Class 1 ebike capable of assist up to 21 mph (!) and I'm not gonna check with LBS/Specialized to "fix" this discrepancy. Eventually I think I'll go with the Peartune for derestriction but I'll be ignoring the mastermind speed/distance displays.

I didn't see where Chucker reported what his original whc was, but I did see that it reported as a Vado. If Mission Control thought it was a 2022 Vado with 650b 2.3 in tires, it's likely the circumference was underreporting in the 23xx range. That would account for the Garmin speed readings less than the Mastermind.

 

[Hammick]

Well my tubeless conversion on my wife's Tero 3.0 was going well until I noticed both tires were pretty low on air yesterday. Maybe because the bike has only been ridden around the block since the conversion.

Aired up the front to 50 psi with my compressor. While airing up the rear the tire exploded. It was so loud some of my neighbors rushed over to see if I was OK. Other than being dazed and having ringing in my left ear and bruising on my hand I am fine. I've been airing up my tubeless Turbo Levo for months with no issue. In the future I will be wearing hearing protection along with eye protection when airing up tubeless tires.

Her rear wheel is now bent and the valve stem is also bent. I haven't inspected the tire yet to see if it can be used.

Be careful with the stock tires if going tubeless. Max PSI is 50.

 

[shelglass]

Tero 4.0 review/opinion

I have had a Tero 4 since December and have ridden over 300 miles off road in the Surrey Hiils.

I replaced the supplied 2.35 ground control tires with 2.6, Butcher front & Pergatory rear. The ground controls were ok, but it was so muddy I needed more control and grip. I have setup these as tubeless. The rims had tubeless rim tape fitted already.

I have already worn out the chain and cassette as I was riding in pretty crappy conditions. I had a Shimano GRX810 rear mech that I had recently removed from from gravel bike, I fitted this with a compatible bar shifter, XT cassette & chain and the shifting is much improved.

I have been very much enjoying riding various trails in Surrey Hills and have several ebike Strava trophies, not bad for a 53 year old .

Forks seem to have improved with use, I’m 13st and find the medium spring(s) suits my riding & weight.

I can recommend the 2.6 tire upgrade, better traction, control & comfort. Looks more purposeful to.

I have 3 rides under my bely so far on my Tero 3.0. My first impression is that the bikes seems faster than my base Levo. My be motor or something I just can't figure out because
it may be in my head. The fork is very stiff, the whole bike seems stiff compared to my Levo. Tires are ok I haven't really done any hard single track yet. I bought a medium so it's seems a little tall to be doing any really rough single track. As my ankle heals up ever so slowly, and the weather starts to get better here in the midwest USA I will continue my riding impressions of the Tero. By the way props to you at 53, I am 63 and I can tell you it doesn't get any easier .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My first impression is that the bikes seems faster than my base Levo.

Gearing?

 

[shelglass]

Gearing?

Yes that is right, also this new generation motor seems peepy r. I think, it’s just to soon I need more seat time, but right now the weather can’t make up it’s mind, winter or spring

 

[coffmandave]

I ended up getting a Tero 5.0. Here's my thoughts:

The Good:

• Very fun to ride.
• Motor is very, very powerful.
• The weight + big 29" tires + wide tires make it very easy to ride on anything but the roughest singletrack.
• The ease of setting the motor at 10% increments is a godsend. Since the motor is so powerful, even an assist of 20% is sometimes all I need (on the steep hills I'll bump it to 40%), and if I run with that I can get a range of 70+ miles on hilly terrain.
• USB Charger out of the heads up display is very handy for lights / phone / computer when it works (more on that in a bit).
• I've never had a drop post before, but I love it. Makes the bike feel very nimble on the downhill, and just plain easier to get on and off.
• The heads up display and remote control are both great, much nicer looking than, say, the casio garbage you get with most Bosch motors.
• The tires are totally suitable for just about any offroad but also roll surprisingly smooth on concrete.
• Lots of mounting points, although...more on that later....

The Bad:

• It's heavy. Very heavy. I can't imagine trying to haul this beast up stairs. Just getting it onto my car's rack requires quite a bit of exertion.
• The walking mode doesn't work very well for me. There's not a lot of torque or speed with it.
• Having a shortcut to dim the heads up display from the remote would be nice, it's very bright. Even on the lowest setting it's pretty bright. Great in the day, very distracting at night.
• I'm not a big fan of hydraulic brakes. They're messy and kind of a pain. Can we move to electronic brakes already?
• The motor is so powerful I honestly think it's wasted money. If I could have gotten the Tero 4.0 with a slightly less powerful motor and saved a grand, I would have.
• The 20mph assist cap makes sense on a gravel bike, but since the motor is so powerful, it is a little bit of a shame it can't flex that power up to 28mph.
• One of the advertised features is an "alarm" if the bike is pin-locked and someone moves it. It's not an alarm, it's a quiet beep, which will not attract attention from anyone. And it doesn't trigger if you move it, it triggers if you ride it.

The Ugly:

• The USB charger does not work very well or reliably. 1amp is very subpar, and it's not just an issue of charging slowly....half the time my phone won't recognize the charger at all, which is a little scary and arguably worse than not having the phone charger at all.
• What is the deal with the mounting points facing down under the seat? Terrible placement, imo, it's right next to the seat tube.
• The disc brakes squeal a lot for me. I've taken it to the shop a couple times to try and eliminate it, but it just won't go away.
• I have found the Mission Control ride logging to be unreliable. It will either de-sync with gps, or just completely forget that I'm on a ride. Very frustrating.

One thing I struggled with before buying this bike was understanding the range. I've started logging my own battery usage (when I remember, at least) mostly for my own sake, but it did occur to me that it might be useful to other people. If you're curious, here you go. You'll notice I never start at 100%, and that's out of silly, irrational paranoia about wearing out the battery by charging it up to 100% unnecessarily.

 

[Surrey Tero]

I ended up getting a Tero 5.0. Here's my thoughts:

The Good:

• Very fun to ride.
• Motor is very, very powerful.
• The weight + big 29" tires + wide tires make it very easy to ride on anything but the roughest singletrack.
• The ease of setting the motor at 10% increments is a godsend. Since the motor is so powerful, even an assist of 20% is sometimes all I need (on the steep hills I'll bump it to 40%), and if I run with that I can get a range of 70+ miles on hilly terrain.
• USB Charger out of the heads up display is very handy for lights / phone / computer when it works (more on that in a bit).
• I've never had a drop post before, but I love it. Makes the bike feel very nimble on the downhill, and just plain easier to get on and off.
• The heads up display and remote control are both great, much nicer looking than, say, the casio garbage you get with most Bosch motors.
• The tires are totally suitable for just about any offroad but also roll surprisingly smooth on concrete.
• Lots of mounting points, although...more on that later....

The Bad:

• It's heavy. Very heavy. I can't imagine trying to haul this beast up stairs. Just getting it onto my car's rack requires quite a bit of exertion.
• The walking mode doesn't work very well for me. There's not a lot of torque or speed with it.
• Having a shortcut to dim the heads up display from the remote would be nice, it's very bright. Even on the lowest setting it's pretty bright. Great in the day, very distracting at night.
• I'm not a big fan of hydraulic brakes. They're messy and kind of a pain. Can we move to electronic brakes already?
• The motor is so powerful I honestly think it's wasted money. If I could have gotten the Tero 4.0 with a slightly less powerful motor and saved a grand, I would have.
• The 20mph assist cap makes sense on a gravel bike, but since the motor is so powerful, it is a little bit of a shame it can't flex that power up to 28mph.
• One of the advertised features is an "alarm" if the bike is pin-locked and someone moves it. It's not an alarm, it's a quiet beep, which will not attract attention from anyone. And it doesn't trigger if you move it, it triggers if you ride it.

The Ugly:

• The USB charger does not work very well or reliably. 1amp is very subpar, and it's not just an issue of charging slowly....half the time my phone won't recognize the charger at all, which is a little scary and arguably worse than not having the phone charger at all.
• What is the deal with the mounting points facing down under the seat? Terrible placement, imo, it's right next to the seat tube.
• The disc brakes squeal a lot for me. I've taken it to the shop a couple times to try and eliminate it, but it just won't go away.
• I have found the Mission Control ride logging to be unreliable. It will either de-sync with gps, or just completely forget that I'm on a ride. Very frustrating.

One thing I struggled with before buying this bike was understanding the range. I've started logging my own battery usage (when I remember, at least) mostly for my own sake, but it did occur to me that it might be useful to other people. If you're curious, here you go. You'll notice I never start at 100%, and that's out of silly, irrational paranoia about wearing out the battery by charging it up to 100% unnecessarily.

Interesting about the motor power. I have the Tero 4.0 & find the power is spot on. Maybe the 5.0 is more setup for touring with luggage?

I must be lucky with Mision control (MC) as it works perfectly. When I first got bike I logged ride on Watch to as not certain MC would be reliable. MC & bike updated by shop & my iPhone (12 pro) is also updated, so maybe this helps.

I have a set of Hunt enduro wide wheels & some Maxxis Recon 2.6s coming today. As the Spez 2.6s fitted I’m pretty certain these will. Was worried about 2.6 tires on standard 25mm rims. Hunts are 30mm. I ride in the Surrey hills & some of the trails are very rooty, to much for the standard size 2.35, 80kg rider & 25kg bike. 2.6 are a big improvement, just hoping they are same physical size as the Spez tires & fit!

I’m a cycle mechanic so can mess around with swapping parts easily. Was also handy that a customer came in yesterday desperate for some wheels so sold him the ones of my Tero. They are good wheels, with serviceable free hub & sealed cartridge bearings. They took everything I threw at them including trying 22psi as tubeless & still ran true.

I’m now looking replacing the forks

 

[Nubnub]

I got a Tero 5.0 a couple weeks ago as well. Pretty much agree with you on the above.

Having ridden my Levo SL off road up a +20% stretch littered with rocks and ruts or roots and ruts, I can say I am convinced there is no such thing as too much power. The 90 nm 5.0 can be dialed back but the 4.0 can't be increased if needed. 4.0 was not available to me anyways.

Fully agree that the Class 1 limit is a downside, particularly since the tires work well on the road. One of the reasons I am still considering a full power Vado is it is Class 3. Peartune would also be an option for the Tero I think.

Another downside is the inability to use Blevo's smart power control. On the SL bikes, Blevo does a good job of adjusting power output according to rider power. But because the Tero is so much more powerful, I've found that using a 20/100 support/peak power setting emulates this as well. Actually 20 suport is more than I have on the SL and the Tero is noticeably easier at this setting than the SL. I chose 20 support since it seems that motor (mechanical) power assist is approximately equal to rider power.

I've also been recording battery usage vs mileage between charges. Last charge 100% charge extrapolated to around 70 miles with >2000 ft elevation gain. This is about what I've averaged over the first 300 miles - not always with same elevation but also includes turbo speed tests. Of course 100% isn't possible as power gets reduced below 10% and the assist cut out completely below 5%. Accelerations with no power assist are definitely no fun.

I think the top tube mount is primarily for a pump or lock mount. So far I haven't added anything to the mounting points but I have added garmin/phone mounts, ergon grips, spd pedals and a kickstand.

 

[coffmandave]

I would say Mission Control logging works for me 90% of the time. I'm on Android, Pixel4a if it matters. Would be very curious on other TCD user's experiences. Maybe it's my phone?

As far as the motor, don't get me wrong, I'll take the power, but I'd have rather saved $1k. The weaker motor probably gets a bit more range, too, which I'd probably get more use out of than crazy torque.

I'm extra salty about the top tube mount because the lock I bought (Foldylock Classic) doesn't fit. =(

 

[Stefan Mikes]

First of all, thank you for a great & honest write-up! Congratulations on your new Tero 5.0!

The ease of setting the motor at 10% increments is a godsend.

In my opinion, it is the greatest new feature of all of them in the MasterMind system. It makes it very easy to adjust the assistance as you ride on group rides with traditional cyclists. And that is the feature I'm missing badly in my Vado SL and the older full power Vado!

I'm not a big fan of hydraulic brakes.

They certainly save your ass on long steep descents And these do not wear rims.

The motor is so powerful I honestly think it's wasted money.

It is not the motor itself that makes Tero 5.0 more expensive. It is the air-shock. It is the dropper post. It is the better drivetrain. If you bought Tero 4.0, you would hate the heavy and poor coil-loaded fork.
As @Nubnub said, there is no such a thing as "too much power". Think of a big car: You hardly ever use its full power; sometimes it can save your life. You can tune both Assistance and Max Motor Power for Eco and Sport modes, keeping the 100/100% Turbo for very steep climbs (think of 19%) or massive headwind or to just escape a road danger at high acceleration.

The 20mph assist cap makes sense on a gravel bike, but since the motor is so powerful, it is a little bit of a shame it can't flex that power up to 28mph.

Tero is a Class 1 e-bike. No doubts whether you can enter a national park where only Class 1 e-bikes are admitted. And yes, you might try the PearTune. (Bear in mind your range would drop dramatically if you do so).

The disc brakes squeal a lot for me.

Most of MTB disc brakes do squeal. These are not only effective and allowing modulation on braking but also dissipate the heat easily if you modulate your braking. And yes, they do squeal. (Have a look at the Electric Mountain Bike Network videos to listen to hydraulic brake squealing, which is a norm).

Many happy and safe miles!

 

[rochrunner]

Tero is a Class 1 e-bike. No doubts whether you can enter a national park where only Class 1 e-bikes are admitted. And yes, you might try the PearTune. (Bear in mind your range would drop dramatically if you do so).

I agree that this might be behind the reason for it being a Class 1 bike. Not only national parks, but also lots of other rail-trails and such pathways are posted "Class 1 only". I regularly ride my Class 3 Vado on them, keeping to a reasonable speed, but someday someone is going to start trying to enforce these regulations. On the Facebook pages for trails in my area, there are always posts from pedestrians about "e-bikes going too fast", although in fact I see lots of people on analog bikes that are the ones going awfully fast. I think that whenever someone sees a bike going "too fast" these days, they just assume it's an e-bike.

On the other hand, the Specialized bikes that are Class 3 -- such as my Vado -- are generally marketed as "commuter bikes", where going 28mph is not a problem when riding on the streets. I could get up on my soapbox with my standard argument that it's more logical to enforce speed instead of the potential top speed (I rarely exceed 20mph on the trails). After all, my car will go 100mph but I am certainly required to obey the speed limits...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Oh, those U.S. issues... I'd love riding a Class 1 e-bike.
Did you know Doug almost all Specialized e-bikes including Creo (and not only Specialized ones) were restricted to 15.5 mph in Europe? The only 28 mph/45 kph Specialized e-bike for Europe is named Vado 6.0, and it is treated as a moped. Hardly anyone wants to buy it, therefore the 2020 model is still waiting for a potential buyer (These matters including legal issues are very complicated; think of the Type Approval here).

If it is an e-MTB, an European rider gives a sh*t, and rides the restricted e-bike: 25 km/h on a trail is a lot. As I believe the German e-bikers are law abiding, I imagine them steadily riding at 25 km/h. Polish mentality is anarchist; therefore any owner of a non-MTB e-bike does everything to derestrict their e-bike here I'm very honest with you!

 

[gpburdell]

Oh, those U.S. issues... I'd love riding a Class 1 e-bike.
Did you know Doug almost all Specialized e-bikes including Creo (and not only Specialized ones) were restricted to 15.5 mph in Europe?

I'd find that restriction so very frustrating. Particularly since even a moderately fit rider on a conventional bike can exceed that speed.

Here in the US, enforcement of class 1 vs class 3 would seem to be problematic. What will they do, station a ranger or LEO to stop and check every bike passing by? How will they know whether the Class 1 sticker on the downtube is original or aftermarket?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'd find that restriction so very frustrating. Particularly since even a moderately fit rider on a conventional bike can exceed that speed.

Here in the US, enforcement of class 1 vs class 3 would seem to be problematic. What will they do, station a ranger or LEO to stop and check every bike passing by? How will they know whether the Class 1 sticker on the downtube is original or aftermarket?

Let's us not discuss it (the subject has been flogged to death in these Fora). Anyone is free to derestrict their e-bike anyway (and take consequences).
Tero is an XC e-bike, not a commuter.

 

[Nubnub]

Although the 4.0 is not available in the US, I looked at the specs from the Canadian website. If the website specs are accurate, 4.0 is pretty much the same as the 5.0 except for derailleur/levers and the motor. 4.0 has same fork and dropper post as 5.0. More importantly for me is that the battery would be the same. So does seem $1000 less would be a legit reason to go with the 4.0 where available. I'd still stick with the 5.0 on the basis of better to have and not need then to need and not have.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

4.0 has same fork and dropper post as 5.0.

Not.
Tero 5.0:
Rockshox Recon Silver RL, 110mm travel, Motion-Control
Tero 4.0:
Rockshox Recon Silver TK, 110mm travel, Motion-Control

Not the same.

 

[coffmandave]

This is kind of a silly argument, no? The 5.0 is 25% more expensive than the 4.0. Much of that expense, not all of it, but much of it goes to the motor. So far I haven't felt like I've needed more than 60% assist to climb a hill at a reasonable clip. Maybe I will come across the hill that requires me to crank it up to turbo, but it's just as likely that the trails I'm on are easy old-man trails and the extra power is largely wasted on me whereas the extra money could go to strippers and cocaine, and who can get enough of those?!

Do we need to talk about how reviews are subjective? Should I have explicitly said "these opinions are mine and may not be shared by you or anyone else"? I'll be honest, it did not occur to me that it might be necessary, but here: My notes were from my perspective and YMMV based on fitness, goals, or budget.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I could show you all differences between Tero 5.0 and 4.0 but given you attitude, let me spare my time for more important things.
You cannot buy the 4.0 in the United States. Nobody forced you to buy Tero 5.0.

 

[coffmandave]

I could show you all differences between Tero 5.0 and 4.0 but given you attitude, let me spare my time for more important things.
You cannot buy the 4.0 in the United States. Nobody forced you to buy Tero 5.0.

Well, if you do decide to educate me on the differences (again), just remember the 4.0 does in fact have a dropper post. I was/am well aware that the motor is not the ONLY difference and I have no idea why you would assume I needed that education.

I'm also well aware that the 4.0 is not available in the United States, and that nobody forced me to buy a Tero 5.0. I haven't even said I regret the decision of buying the 5.0. What I said was: "If I could have gotten the Tero 4.0 with a slightly less powerful motor and saved a grand, I would have." The facts that a) I knew the 4.0 existed, b), I couldn't have gotten it, and c), I knew it has a less powerful motor should have been a clue that maybe I didn't need you to educate me (incorrectly).

Has my attitude improved?