At a first glance: 2015 Tern Verge X10

A chance encounter...

I made a beeline to Johnny Ng's bike shop in BU4, Bandar Utama to leave a packet for a fellow cyclist.
In it, a piece of nut for his rear hub. The poor fella has been searching high and low for a replacement not for his Dahon Speed Pro. This is an old bike which was handed down to him from a mutual acquaintance of my wife.
When I arrived, I was greeted by GC "The Ninja-Godfather" Tan, an old-timer who rides a Tern Eclipse X20.
He was eyeing the new 2015 Tern Verge X10.
With little or no announcement, the bike has arrived with two other models in Malaysia.

Tern's 2015 Verge X10 is as impressive as it looks

So, what's new? 

The second-generation Verge X10 is a vast improvement from its predecessor.
It maintains its unique colour and custom-made SRAM X9 rear derailleur which is color coordinated with the frame.
A noticeable change is the new Tarsus hydroformed fork. This is said to be stiffer and lighter, so, you can expect the bike to perform even on the tightest bend around the corner.
And for next year, Tern had included a mainstay chainguard on the bike. This acts as a cushion to prevent the chain from bouncing and derailing from the main chainring.
What's even more impressive, is the massive 55T chainring made by FSA for Tern and the 11-36T cogwheels. 
This enables the rider to take on any terrain, be it a flat course or a hilly climb.

The X10, folded

Hot item: the Kinetic Pro-X hub

The V-brakes

You can expect the new Kinetic X rim to perform

Stability and solid handling comes from the VRO syntace steering system

The huge 55T chainring, largest on any Tern bikes of its class

Expect cutting edge performance..

There's no doubt that the large chainring and wide array of gears on the cogwheels would really spin the bike fast.
Despite the makeover, the genius is in the details.
On the crank, Tern had included an FSA BB386 bottom bracket. So, there's no issues with moisture on the crankset when you ride in wet weather. its practically sealed to prevent dirt and water from damaging the bottom bracket.
Another major improvement is on the Kinetic Pro wheelset. 
The Kinetic Pro-X hubs are out of this world and to give the wheels a real solid roll, there's the sapim aero spokes that is much stronger than previously used on the first-generation Kinetic Pro wheels.

How much and where to buy? 

The Verge X10 is available in two colours: White/Lime Green and White/Orange. It is priced at RM5,900 and is available at My Bicycle Shop, Lot G3, BU 4, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Call Johnny Ng at 016-632 2599 for details on the bike.

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