Test Ride: Tern Verge X10

Great expectations..
I have never ridden any of Tern Bicycle's X-series 20" bikes before.
The closest ever - was a short ride on the Verge X-20.
That was six months ago when I was giving a helping hand to Kevin Tan, my colleague and captain of Starmetro's cycling team.
On Wednesday, the representative of K2 Asia had dropped off a Tern Verge X10 together with some goodies to my office.
I had it rigged up with the usual commute gear and decided to give it a short-distance test ride today.

Taking the VX10 out for a ride this morning

What you pay is what you get..
The Verge X10 carries a pricetag of RM5,740 a pop.
It ranks fourth of the Verge series in terms of pricing.
This bike is a notch above the Verge P18 and I must say that I love the VRO synthace stem that gives it such a firm and sturdy handling.
I must say that my greatest concern was the kinetix pro wheelset. The front wheel has 14 spokes and 16 on the rear.
For a Godzilla-sized guy like me who also pushed the weight-limit of the bike to the brim, I was proven wrong by the rim's ability in handling our Malaysian road.
Paired with a pair of Schwalbe Durano high-pressure tires (120psi at the max), the Verge X10 literally 'glided' along the bumps and knocks.

Uneven road surface, debris and sand is the tire's and rim's no 1 enemy

Weighing in at 9.7kgs, the X10 is lighweight. 
But when you fold it, you will need a hex wrench to free its handlebar. Unlike the conventional handlebar latch, this one keeps in firmly in place and yields a really solid ride.
Most high-end Terns would feature a VRO synthace handlebar, but this impedes folding if you require a compact and fast action on the go.
Its a little price to pay for performance, but when you are used to it, its not a hassle.

A solid ride
The Verge X10 folds and deploys with a solid-lock-up.
Once on riding mode, it handles really smooth.
I don't have anything to complain about its 10-speed drivetrain and the smoothness of the SRAM X-7 trigger shifter.
With a 55T chainring and a set of 11/36T cogwheels, this bike has everything it takes to tame the road including hills. Climbing is not an issue and on the high-gear setting, I pedaled at a constant speed of 25km/h effortlessly.
This goes to say that the combination of a lightweight frame and high-end groupset actually helped the bike to perform better. If you are a strong cyclist, all you need is this bike as its 10-speed drivetrain would take you places.

Satisfying commute: The Verge X10