Gear
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Transporting 2 e-MTBs
Now with two hefty e-MTBs, the rear hanging racks we’ve used on the Micra for decades (below) would only work once the smaller Lapierre was dismantled and in the back. Even then, at nearly 2m long, my XL, 28-kilo Tero hanging on the rack would still be wider than the car unless I took the…
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Are Schwalbe Johnny Watts LR Tyres Faster?
Tero X5 posts Or put a better way: are they more efficient? While the Tero was at the menders I took my 2022 Merida Big Trail 500 on a 20km ride. Halfway through I started wondering: why I got an e-bike at all? The 15-kilo HT was effortless to manage and nippy to accelerate on…
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Hot Waxing the Chain
Tero X5 posts I was a bit shocked when the not very LBS told me my chain was worn out in just 950km. I’ve cleaned and lubed it regularly as I’m aware of the strain a mid-motor e-bike puts on regular bicycle drivetrain components, especially a super slim 12-speed chain. Along with neglect, it’s said…
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Specialized MasterMind TCD 2 ‘power’ screen explained
Other Tero X5 posts They say attention spans are short these days, but I devoted over half an hour before giving up trying to unravel exactly what the ‘power’ (screen 5) on my Tero’s MasterMind TCD 2 colour display means from a single source. Nothing in the Tero manual at all, nor on the Specialized…
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Tero X5: Faulty Wired Remote
Other Tero X5 posts Approaching Rhayadar’s clocktower in mid-Wales after shaking off another heavy downpour, my Tero X 5.0’s display reset itself and then the ‘Down’ button took several presses to reach Eco. Next day it did not work at all. There were no error codes on the display and all other switches on the…
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Specialized Levo 4 X vs Vado 3X 5.0 vs Tero X 5.0
Tero X5 posts The X Teros are long gone in the UK, but in 2026 the city-focussed Specialized Vado 3 range was updated and some got the X (full sus) treatment, with an entry level X 4.0, midrange X 5.0 I’m looking at here, and the premium X 6.0 with all the digital bells and…
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Tested: Serfas Dual Density Saddle Review
As mentioned in the New Zealand Alps to Ocean write up, I was impressed by the cushy Serfas Dual Density saddle on the original Merida rental bike and back home tracked one down for just £25. It’s really like one of those naff gel covers of old, bonded into a saddle and probably scoffed at…
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Tero X5: Better Headlamp Mount
Other Tero X5 posts Even from near-new the Tero 5.0 X headlamp mount which slots under the handlebar stem was loose. Loose eventually breaks off, so I reduced the play with some tape (below right). In Wales, a gust blew the bike over while opening another interminable gate, and when Tero forks flip 180° the…
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Tested • Adidas 5.10 Trail Cross Mid Pro MTB Shoes
In a LineLook good, well made, grip like geckos, but clammy and ankle cuffs too tight for me. What they sayHigh top shoes for adventure biking.To bike pack is to explore. When the ride is more about the adventure than the destination, these Adidas Five Ten mountain biking shoes fit the bill. Pedal, push and…
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Tested • Catalyst Pedals
Although I won’t miss being thwacked in the shins by MTB pedal studs, I’m not entirely won over by my Tero X5‘s OE Specialized Commuter ‘sandboard’ pedals for my intended use. I suppose commuters prefer not chewing up their city soles, but on the trail and with mud-clogged footwear, I’m not convinced they’ll work with…
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Aeroe Spider Rack
The geef’s XS Lapierre e-MTB needed a rack, but this bike has no fitting eyelets at the axle, just a pair near the seat tube. Odd. There are spindly conventional racks on eBay from 12 quid with crude pipe clamps for the seat stays. Then a mate put me on to Kiwi-made Aeroe racks which…