Should I buy a Vado SL, or Wait for the Release of the Version with the 1.2 Motor?

[Ebikelife72]

Forgot to mention that I have a backpack with clothes & other for about 1 month. I prefer to place the luggage on bike, not on my back. And sometimes the trail is very bad, something like in photo. No chance to use a Creo or Diverge. But, yes, I thought that a lighter bike is better when pushbike is needed ( it could be the case).

I’ve ridden trails like that on my Tero X5 with no problems. The Tero X, especially the 5 and 6 are very capable bikes. That said if that was only type of riding I did then I’d opt for the Levo.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I’ve ridden trails like that on my Tero X5 with no problems. The Tero X, especially the 5 and 6 are very capable bikes. That said if that was only type of riding I did then I’d opt for the Levo.

Thank you for this information. Indeed, Tero X 5 or 6 have a capable suspension.

 

[Green Moss]

I’ve ridden trails like that on my Tero X5 with no problems. The Tero X, especially the 5 and 6 are very capable bikes. That said if that was only type of riding I did then I’d opt for the Levo.

I don’t find Tero X 5 my size, only M and the producer recommend size M for 1.65M height, I am 1.60. Looking at size chart, I see lot of specs are identical for M and S, but for the others, I have (almost) no clue how could affect the rider. Standover it’s the same and it is to the limit for me. Unfortunately, I can’t test the bike since no small sizes for Specialized in my country (RO). But from producer recommendation, I see that I could ride S or M size . The problem for X5 is the weight (27 kg!), which could seem very heavy when pushbiking on a long steep climb .

 

[Green Moss]

@Green Moss: A real life story.

During our vacation 2021, I and brother were on rides in a mountainous area. My brother rode a Giant Trance E+ (a full suspension e-MTB) while my ride was... (don't laugh!) ...a Vado. We did not intend to explore any technical trails but once we had to. While I could make a dramatic climb...

View attachment 172909
...I could not descend on those rocks! My brother was looking at me with disbelief as he could ride those rocks himself easily...

View attachment 172905
That would be an easy cake for a Levo.

We asked our Czech friend, an experienced touring cyclist what she thought about that trail and she said: 'Frames of more delicate bicycles break there!'

For descendings like this, a FS is much better, for sure. But I’m thinking I dismount on bad trails, I prefer to be safe. This one doesn’t look that bad to me.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Green Moss:
Now I clearly see your issue with the Standover Height!

There's a viable alternative: Turbo Tero 4.0 Step-Through EQ size S. It looks it is available in Romania.

Turbo Tero 4.0 Step-Through EQ

The Turbo Tero means one thing: you're going to need a bigger map. With ride anywhere range, this adventure-ready suspension electric bike is our go-any...

www.specialized.com

However, it might require some modification to make it trail-worthy:

• Removing the front mudguard/fender (an easy thing)

From my own experience, it is the front fender that might cause issues off-road but not the rear one. You could remove it easily and store it. Of course, it might even turn out that the front mudguard would not cause any issues on your rides!

You're getting a 70 Nm motor and a 710 Wh battery. (My calculations prove the 2.0 motor is more powerful than 70 Nm; it is closer to 75 Nm). Good weight.

Sounds like a plan?

 

[Ebikelife72]

If you find yourself having to push the bike, the walk mode works very well at removing the weight of the bike. I actually like these heavier bikes on the more complex trails I ride. I don’t do big jumps or drops anymore that the weight might be an issue but otherwise the extra weight gives a very planted feel giving me more confidence at speed.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If you find yourself having to push the bike, the walk mode works very well at removing the weight of the bike. I actually like these heavier bikes on the more complex trails I ride. I don’t do big jumps or drops anymore that the weight might be an issue but otherwise the extra weight gives a very planted feel giving me more confidence at speed.

Yes. The issue is carrying the e-bike over obstacles often met on the trails.

 

[Green Moss]

@Green Moss:
Now I clearly see your issue with the Standover Height!

There's a viable alternative: Turbo Tero 4.0 Step-Through EQ size S. It looks it is available in Romania.

Turbo Tero 4.0 Step-Through EQ

The Turbo Tero means one thing: you're going to need a bigger map. With ride anywhere range, this adventure-ready suspension electric bike is our go-any...

www.specialized.com

However, it might require some modification to make it trail-worthy:

• Removing the front mudguard/fender (an easy thing)

From my own experience, it is the front fender that might cause issues off-road but not the rear one. You could remove it easily and store it. Of course, it might even turn out that the front mudguard would not cause any issues on your rides!

You're getting a 70 Nm motor and a 710 Wh battery. (My calculations prove the 2.0 motor is more powerful than 70 Nm; it is closer to 75 Nm). Good weight.

Sounds like a plan?

Yes, it sounds good. But it seems to be too expensive, compared to bike components.de, for example, where this bike is ~3300€.
I found a Tero X 5.0 for 3500€, free shipping! Nice, full suspension, pretty cheap, but M size and heavy (well, I won’t use the fenders, rack for this trip, and tubeless probably, so 1-2 kg less, I mean 27-2=25kg. I have a Cube city bike of 25kg and sometimes had to go up one floor, so I can manage for short distances with this weight.
I also found a Trek hardtail for the same price, size XS, 22 kg, so I think I finally have to choose between the 2 of them: Tero X 5.0 FS 27kg or Trek Powerfly 7 gen 3 HT 22kg.
(Trek has a 85Nm Bosch motor and 625Wh battery).
Thank you anyway for your competent advice!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes, it sounds good. But it seems to be too expensive, compared to bike components.de, for example, where this bike is ~3300€.
I found a Tero X 5.0 for 3500€, free shipping! Nice, full suspension, pretty cheap, but M size and heavy (well, I won’t use the fenders, rack for this trip, and tubeless probably, so 1-2 kg less, I mean 27-2=25kg. I have a Cube city bike of 25kg and sometimes had to go up one floor, so I can manage for short distances with this weight.
I also found a Trek hardtail for the same price, size XS, 22 kg, so I think I finally have to choose between the 2 of them: Tero X 5.0 FS 27kg or Trek Powerfly 7 gen 3 HT 22kg.
(Trek has a 85Nm Bosch motor and 625Wh battery).
Thank you anyway for your competent advice!

@Green Moss do you have a Specialized store around? Even if the warranty is honoured despite where you have bought a Specialized Turbo e-bike, the local support is vital. I generally do not recommend buying e-bikes online. For brand new Specialized e-bikes, there is basically the same price anywhere, and a dealer can give you a customary discount of 10% (Specialized dealers are not allowed to compete). Now, if you buy from a German online store and the price is lower than the list price, then something could be wrong with that e-bike. For instance, an old model.

With a Specialized dealer, you are buying quality and make a friend that will fight for your interest to the bitter end. Trust me, ebikes are not just bicycles.

Regarding Trek. Do not buy the old Bosch system. Buy a Bosch Smart System e-bike from a dealer. And bear in mind Trek undergoes trouble now. (No Bosch system can match the Specialized electronics...)

P.S. You cannot ride an e-bike with too high standover height in a rough terrain or say goodbye to your vital parts

 

[Green Moss]

@Green Moss do you have a Specialized store around? Even if the warranty is honoured despite where you have bought a Specialized Turbo e-bike, the local support is vital. I generally do not recommend buying e-bikes online. For brand new Specialized e-bikes, there is basically the same price anywhere, and a dealer can give you a customary discount of 10% (Specialized dealers are not allowed to compete). Now, if you buy from a German online store and the price is lower than the list price, then something could be wrong with that e-bike. For instance, an old model.

With a Specialized dealer, you are buying quality and make a friend that will fight for your interest to the bitter end. Trust me, ebikes are not just bicycles.

Regarding Trek. Do not buy the old Bosch system. Buy a Bosch Smart System e-bike from a dealer. And bear in mind Trek undergoes trouble now. (No Bosch system can match the Specialized electronics...)

Thanks a lot. I’ll keep in mind what you told me. But you should know that I bought online the last 2 bikes , Ghost FS lanao 4 (lady) 2017 and Cube Elly R-city bike in 2020. No problem so far . The stores were in Romania, not Germany (Trek) or IBKsports.eu.com from Spain (Specialized). I’ll ask the guy who sells Specialized in our town if he can bring me an X Tero 5.0 .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I’ll ask the guy who sells Specialized in our town if he can bring me an X Tero 5.0 .

Isn't the model too high for you?
Otherwise, a good choice.

 

[Green Moss]

Isn't the model too high for you?
Otherwise, a good choice.

I hope not. With shoes I have cca 74cm inside legs.

 

[Nubnub]

While it likely doesn't help overseas searches, just got an email announcing discounts on the Tero X 4.0 (3750 down from 4500) and 5.0 (4250 from 5500) as well as further discount on the Tero 5.0 (bike I paid $5000 for is now $3500). Demand for bikes is down industry wide and these discounts no doubt reflect that. I did note that size S in the Tero X is not available for order online tho there are plenty in nearby US stores.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

While it likely doesn't help overseas searches, just got an email announcing discounts on the Tero X 4.0 (3750 down from 4500) and 5.0 (4250 from 5500) as well as further discount on the Tero 5.0 (bike I paid $5000 for is now $3500). Demand for bikes is down industry wide and these discounts no doubt reflect that. I did note that size S in the Tero X is not available for order online tho there are plenty in nearby US stores.

Such Specialized discounts are usually only offered in the United States.

Europe is pretty uniform with Specialized e-bike prices. Examples for a Tero X 5.0:

• Poland, PLN 23,500, EUR 5,444
• Romania, RON 25,000, EUR 5,022
• Germany, France, Spain... EUR 5,000
• Finland, EUR 5,500
• Norway, NOK 63,000, EUR 5,422

You could say the price difference in the non-EUR EU countries is the outcome of the currency exchange rate and/or rounding the price in the local currency up. Why is Tero X 5.0 more expensive in Finland then? It is the shipping cost as you practically can only deliver to Finland either by air or sea.

Note: An American would pay a sales tax on the top of the retail price. In Europe, it is VAT included in the retail price, so you pay the amount you can see on the website (minus a customary dealer discount).

 

[Green Moss]

Luckily, all 3 models Turbo Tero are now available on Specialized site (for Eu), in size S. The only thing is to decide between:
hardtail - Tero 4.0 ST, with 70Nm/710W battery - 4100€
FS - Tero X 4.0 with 50Nm/530W - 4200€
or the pretty much more expensive Tero X 5.0 with 70Nm/700 battery - 5000€.

Since I experienced a ride with a hardtail city bike with Bosch 40Nm/500W, 72km, 800m elevation, lot of offroad, I think that the FS X 4.0 will meets my requirements and also will be more comfortable on off-road.

But I still have one question: how comes that a Specialized dealer has (much) lower price for Tero X 5.0 2023? https://www.ibksport.eu/tero-x-50-nb-specialized-2023-oak-green-metallic-oak-green/p?skuId=17157 M Size 3500€ (!!)
and even Tero X 4.0, S size is ~2800€. A friend of mine bought 2 bikes from this site, the company is based in Spain. Why shouldn,t I trust it?

I love Turbo Levo but even S1 size has Standover height 752mm, which is too big for me. Thank you all for your valuable advices and experiences with Tero bikes. Have nice rides!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

But I still have one question: how comes that a Specialized dealer has (much) lower price for Tero X 5.0 2023? https://www.ibksport.eu/tero-x-50-nb-specialized-2023-oak-green-metallic-oak-green/p?skuId=17157 M Size 3500€ (!!)
and even Tero X 4.0, S size is ~2800€. A friend of mine bought 2 bikes from this site, the company is based in Spain. Why shouldn,t I trust it?

No idea. Is it a physical Local Bike Store?

Besides. I'm currently on a ride in Warsaw (I'm riding a Vado SL at the moment). On an intersection, I met a man riding an e-bike familiar to me. 'Is it a Tero?' I asked. 'Yes, a Tero 3.0. I'm riding a regular bike here but bought the Tero for the mountains. It's the first time I took it outdoor in this season'. Then he sped uphill, a 6% grade. He disapperared at a distance while I was pedalling my SL in Turbo mode and a low gear!


City of Warsaw. (A current photo, tap to open in high quality).

 

[Green Moss]

No idea. Is it a physical Local Bike Store?

Besides. I'm currently on a ride in Warsaw (I'm riding a Vado SL at the moment). On an intersection, I met a man riding an e-bike familiar to me. 'Is it a Tero?' I asked. 'Yes, a Tero 3.0. I'm riding a regular bike here but bought the Tero for the mountains. It's the first time I took it outdoor in this season'. Then he sped uphill, a 6% grade. He disapperared at a distance while I was pedalling my SL in Turbo mode and a low gear!

View attachment 172970
City of Warsaw. (A current photo, tap to open in high quality).

Nice city, Warsaw!
Well, about Tero 3.0, we have to admit that it depends on cyclist ‘power’. I tried a Haibike today for a few km, to make a difference with my ‘lazy’ Bosch - 40Nm. Haibike has Yamaha motor, I assume it has 75Nm (the owner didn’t know). It did pretty well on some short uphills.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Green Moss: I am not in your situation (probably) as there are two Specialized brand stores in Warsaw. I made friends at both of them. Bought a Vado SL from one of them. From time to time I do a purchase of gear there (even if that is not an inexpensive brand!) I only bought an e-bike online once; that was a classical simple hub-drive e-bike, and the company is located in a dual Polish-Czech city on the border; it was almost like buying from a local store, with quick support over e-mail, and the e-bike was really simple.

While I have never had issues with my Vado SL, I could appreciate, for instance, a quick replacement of bearings in the wheel by the Specialized store. Or doing free firmware updates. However, there was another story thay could be grim if not the friends at Specialized Warsaw.

There was a Specialized dealer in Warsaw (that later lost its dealership, by the way). They sold me an outdated Vado. Later, Specialized has upgraded the electronics on that Vado per a warranty. Three year into my ownership, the frame of the Vado broke at the motor. Guess what. Guys at Specialized Warsaw (not the original seller!) took all effort and pain to make Specialized accept the "lifetime frame warranty" and do everything so I could get my Vado rebuilt to version 6.0 free of charge! (Yes, I paid for the motor replacement myself, as the motor broke at the same time). It only shows how important it is to buy locally, and make friends at the Specialized store by buying an e-bike from them.

Now, see what a friendship with the dealer is all about:

It is a Specialized Epic 8 Expert, a €7500 bike. It was brought by Specialized for Test Days. Usually, they gather all your data, you present two different IDs, and sign a "cyrograph" about taking the full responsibility for the bike. You are also limited to 1 hour riding.

I booked the Expert. When I came to Specialized Soho, the salesman asked 'Didn't you ask for the Epic World Cup Series Edition?' which meant he was ready to let me ride a US$12000 bike! No, I asked for the Expert. He prepared the Expert for the ride. I asked for signing the rental agreement. He said 'Do you really need it? We know you very well!' so I said 'See you after an hour!' to which he replied 'Ride it as much as you want, only return before we're closed'. Can you imagine that?!

 

[GAJ]

Quick question; have their been ANY changes to the Turbo Vado SL 5.0 since mine was built in October of 2021 for the 2022 model year other than the recent addition of the black color option?

My friend is finally going to pull the trigger now that he can get zero interest financing through Specialized for a 12 month period and that it won't be the same color as mine.

He has the cash, he just has a shrewish spouse who controls him to no end so a smaller monthly payment will rise her ire less than a single larger payment.

Odd but it is a terrible marriage that he refuses to leave or alter in any way as she has some weird influence over him.

Just curious of any changes as I haven't read of any changes which is impressive.

 

[GAJ]

Btw, careful with Ride Review. It's all (crappy) AI-driven and they are extrapolating "reviews" and scores from forum users commenting on the bike announcements.

I looked at the specs and just didn't find anything compelling regarding that bike vs the non carbon Specialized SLs. Not even a massive weight advantage.