Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0

A cargo-capable fullsuspension bike that doesn’t defy existing genres but creates one for itself

Capability and comfort. The Turbo Tero manages to fill a gap in the market that many of us might never have noticed was there. It’s a bike with full suspension and aggressive tyres that can transport rider and kit over rough terrain in comfort and safety, yet it’s practical enough for day-to-day use too.

To help keep the bike as stable as possible, it uses a smaller 27.5-inch wheel at the back for a lower centre of gravity paired with a larger 29-inch front wheel for smoother rolling where this is more desirable. You also get a dropper seatpost to lower your position on the bike for hopping on and off or getting the saddle out of the way during tricky descents. In all, there’s more than enough mountain bike technology to help you navigate rough and technically demanding routes.

At the same time the Tero can carry up to 20kg of gear via its integrated rear rack, plus another 10kg on the front. Then there’s an integrated headlight to light your way and rugged full-length mudguards to stop you from getting sopping wet if the weather turns. You even gain a kickstand for easy parking.

To reach for a comparison from outside of cycling, it’s like a sports utility vehicle. However, rather than spewing fumes into the environment, the Turbo Tero uses a proprietary 50Nm Specialized mid-drive motor and 530Wh battery to help propel you along.

Like a sports utility vehicle, the Tero is also happy to be put to more pedestrian uses. For one thing it’s capable of towing a trailer, so it could potentially be used for ferrying children on the school run, only in this case you won’t get dirty looks if you park it on the zigzag lines outside school.

Whatever use you put the bike to, its Mastermind display provides instant tunability to swap between modes and a live range estimator, so you’ll always know how much you have left in the tank.

▶ £4,000

▶ specialized.com