Specialized believes that the electric bike will be the most popular electric vehicle over the next decade. It sees this as meaning a transition from the bike as an expensive toy into a valuable tool for personal wellness and local transportation needs. It wants to be a part of this movement and see itself as not only following but instead, driving design and innovation. That means keeping everything in-house with no off-the-shelf parts. It also means a constant development cycle with an eye towards rapid innovation.
Specifically, that means the American company today brings the announcement of the new Turbo Vado, new Turbo Como, and the first Turbo Tero electric bikes.
The Turbo Vado and Turbo Como have been hallmark products in the Specialized lineup before today. For those bikes, today brings a new generation. Meanwhile, the Tero represents an expansion of the same platform. The Tero expands the capabilities in the platform and allows riders to take their rides to new places on new adventures. All three bikes share the same innovations but each have their own personality.
The Turbo Vado is about getting where you need to go in a comfortable and efficient manner. This is Specialized's bike for all your transportation needs. The rider position is relaxed, but with an eye towards going forward. To keep the ride as comfortable as possible you'll find large volume tyres, a front suspension fork, and a suspended seat post.
The Turbo Como is a laid-back bike designed for both cruising and cargo. The rider position is upright and the frame features a step-through design. It's ready for loading up with cargo or kids and makes it easier for whatever you want to wear as well as different mobility needs.
The final bike launching today is the Turbo Tero. It's a new model instead of an update and represents an everyday mountain bike. Specialized has designed the Turbo Tero as an all-terrain vehicle for getting across town no matter the state of the road surface, while also being ready for singletrack. In relevant countries, the Tero reduces top speed from the street-friendly 28mph of the Vado and Como to a trail-friendly 20mph.
All three bikes come together not only in the technology but also with a shared vision of the riding experience. Specialized calls this the "it's you, only faster" platform. The design looks to create a riding experiencing that is as much like you naturally riding a bike as possible, only amplified. It's meant to get more people riding by conquering the barriers that hold people back.
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That philosophy plays out with technology designed to support the rider. Choose whatever bike personality matches your own and enjoy the same core group of technologies. Technologies that aim to provide a better, safer, and harder-to-steal bike.
Every electric bike depends on the software at its heart to control the experience. Specialized calls its new integrated computer and brain of Turbo e-bikes the MasterMind controller. Leading with Vado and Como, the software of the MasterMind controller will now feature over-the-air updates through the Mission Control app via Bluetooth.
Out of the gate, the MasterMind carries with it important features for on-the-bike and off-the-bike security. Off-the-bike security means a new System Lock. Use the Specialized Mission Control app and you can disable the bike’s motor and activate a motion sensor alarm. Once locked, only the owner can re-enable the bike. For on-the-bike security, select bikes and models bring an integrated rear-facing Garmin Radar sensor. It has visual, audible, and haptic alerts of relative distance and speed when traffic is coming from up to 140 metres away.
Further enhancing the everyday usability of all three bikes is a focus on cargo capabilities. Vado, Como, and Tero all support up to 27kg (roughly 59lbs) on the rear rack. They are compatible with child bike seats and able to pull a thru-axle trailer. If you find yourself pushing a loaded bike, there's a walk-assist option, so that no matter the load, you’re balanced, stable, and able to easily and comfortably walk a fully loaded bike, even up a hill.
However, today's announcement brings more than just the three new bikes. Alongside the bikes are a new helmet, called the Mode, and pannier bags called the Tailwind. The Mode is a MIPS-equipped helmet with e-bike certification, while the Tailwind panniers are all about aerodynamics. The increased aerodynamics mean less battery consumption when mounted to the rear racks of the Vado, Como, or Tero.
Commitment to sustainability
E-waste is a problem that plagues the potentially transformative nature of electric vehicles of all kinds. Batteries don’t last forever and their end-of-life is an issue. Specialized says it is committed to addressing the issue to make sure that its bikes hold up to their promise as a clean technology. There’s an emphasis on using sustainable and recycled or recyclable materials during manufacturing as well as partnerships with organizations like Ecolamp and Redwood Materials to devise end-of-life strategies for batteries.
Pricing and availability
Vado and Tero are available globally today with Como available for pre-order in the US today and global availability coming this autumn/fall. Options include models covering internally geared hubs and derailleur drivetrains. Prices range from $3,250/£2,900 up to $5,500/£5,000 depending on the model. The new Mode Helmet and Tailwind Panniers are also available today at a cost of $120/£100 for the helmet and $120/£99 for each pannier.
| Model | Tero 5.0 | Tero 4.0 | Tero 4.0 EQ/ 4.0 EQ Step Thru - Same build as the 4.0 w/ | Tero 3.0/3.0 Step Thru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery | Specialized 710Wh | Specialized 710Wh | LED Lights | Specialized 530Wh |
| Motor | Specialized 2.2 | Specialized 2.0 | DRYTECH Fenders | Specialized 2.0E |
| Front suspension | 110mm Rock Shox Recon RL | 110 mm RockShox Recon TK | MIK HD Rack, max. 27kg | 110mm SR Suntour XCM 32 |
| Drivetrain | 11spd SRAM GX | 11-Speed SRAM NX | Kickstand and Chaincover | 9spd Shimano Alivio |
| Brakes | SRAM G2 RS Brakes | SRAM Guide T Brakes | Child Seat Compatible | Shimano Brakes |
| Dropper Post | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Range | Up to 6 hours of ride time | Up to 6 hours of ride time | Up to 6 hours of ride time | Up to 6 hours of ride time |
| Weight | As light as 50lbs | As light as 50lbs | As light as 50lbs | As light as 50lbs |
| Assist to | 20mph | 20mph | 20mph | 20mph |
| Price | £4,500 / $5,000 | £4,000 / $4,000 | £4,200 | £2,900 / $3,250 |
| Model | Como/Vado 5.0 | Como 4.0 | Vado 4.0 | Como/Vado 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Turbo Full Power 2.2 | Turbo Full Power 2.0 | Turbo Full Power 2.0 | Turbo Full Power 2.0E |
| Battery | 710 Wh Battery/90 Nm | 710 Wh Battery/70 Nm Motor | 710 Wh Battery/70 Nm Motor | 530 Wh Battery/50 Nm Motor |
| Garmin Rear-facing radar | Yes | Compatible with Wireless Garmin Varia ANT+ | Compatible with Wireless Garmin Varia ANT+ | Compatible with Wireless Garmin Varia ANT+ |
| Drivetrain | 11-Speed SRAM GX or enviolo AUTOMATiQ stepless shifting IGH with Gates Belt | 11-Speed SRAM NX or enviolo TR Gear Hub with Gates Belt | 11-Speed SRAM NX | 9-Speed Shimano Alivio or enviolo City stepless shifting with Gates Belt |
| Range | Up to 90 miles | Up to 90 miles | Up to 90 miles | Up to 90 miles |
| Weight | between 25 and 28kg | between 25 and 28kg | between 25 and 28kg | between 25 and 28kg |
| Assist To | 28mph | 28mph | 28mph | 28mph |
| Price | £4,200 / $5,000 or £5,000 / $5,500 for IGH model | £3,700 / $4,000 or £4,000 / $4,500 for IGH model | £3,700 / $4,000 | £3,200 / $3,250 or £3,900 / $3,750 for IGH model |
Shared features
- Internal Cable Routing
- Fully Integrated/Lockable/Removable Down Tube Battery
- Compatible with Mission Control App
- Thru-Axle Trailer compatible
- Fender, Rack, and Kickstand Mounts
- MasterMind TCD with Full-Color Display
- Turbo System Lock with Motion Sensor Alarm
- ANT+/Bluetooth®
- USB-C Charging Port
- Over-the-Air Updates
- Como/Vador come with Pathfinder 650b x 2.3” tires and are compatible with 2.2” MTB tires depending on tread, even with the integrated 65 mm wide DRYTECH fenders.
- Tero features 29x2.35” Ground Control Tires
Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140 lb.
Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx
