Levo correct choice?

fallingoff

fallingoff

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I'm moving towards purchasing my first (real) electric bike and I've taken a liking to the specialized Levo turbo HT.I'm mid 50's,have Osteoarthritis in both knees (MX,usual stuff ) so I need a bit of help.Riding regularly helps my condition believe it or not.I ride towpaths,canals and some road (40%) with trips of 40 miles +.Nothing off-roady really so not need for a full sus.Riding a Cube Analog atm.Now the question... will the Levo be suitable?overkill?Thanks.
 
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I am 69 and have arthritis in both knees and elsewhere. I used to ride analogue bikes frequently right up to when I was around 64, then the knee pain started. Distances got less and less until eventually I bought an emtb in Jan'19. wish I had bought one earlier, but at the time it felt like giving in (stupid me!)

Your Cube Analog is a hardtail and I can see why you may believe that a full suss emtb may be overkill. It isn't; tales abound of riders who bought a hardtail emtb then later switched to a full suss. However, your preferred riding indicates that you sure don't need a long travel bike. I have a Focus Jam2 which is a 150mm travel and I absolutely love it. However Focus also do a 130mm travel bike that looks very similar called the Thron2. It will be cheaper than a Levo, (most bikes are, for the same spec).

With its 625Whr battery, you will be able to go for miles and miles, pump up the tyres and go even further.

This bike will enable you to extend your range of trails that you can attempt and enjoy. Who knows this time next year you could be riding red trails all over the place! :)
 
A Levo SL might be more suitable than a full fat Levo for how and where you ride. Better range and far nicer to pedal unassisted.
 
simonk said:
A Levo SL might be more suitable than a full fat Levo for how and where you ride. Better range and far nicer to pedal unassisted.
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Lighter, too - which definitely makes for a more enjoyable experience, especially when not being ridden balls-out over rough stuff.
 
I would echo the previous advice and suggest a full suspension bike, so much more comfortable than a hardtail.

Unless Specialized have changed it on the latest bike, the standard shock isn't great at all.

Maybe something like the Cube Hybrid 120 would suit your riding and they're good value for money.
 
In your case I would question the choice of a Levo on cost grounds rather than performance. If you break a bike down into component parts you tend to get better quality components for the same money from alternative manufacturers so I would be looking at more subtle differences. Do you like the motor, battery and controls of the Levo or would you prefer a more visual, approach as is provided with a Bosch system? How does it feel to ride? Do you like the look of it. etc. etc. Looked at in this way a Specialised bike is simply the frame, it's build quality and it's geometry which are less critical considerations for the riding you describe. All the other parts are bolt-ons and you very much get what you pay for in price, quality and performance in that regard. Having said all that I like the fact that Specialised motors (Brose) are quieter and have a 4 year warranty. Unfortunately this latter is countered by the fact that this warranty was to some extent a marketing strategy as 2019/2020 motors were notoriously unreliable. I like the more elegant, slimline look of the Brose system which I think is dictated by the size and shape of the battery. I also like the minimalist cockpit and the layout of battery information. I also like the fact that Specialised have an app to configure the bike. Despite all this I went for an alternative make (Orbea) because it offered higher spec suspension and brakes for significantly less money. My riding habits are, however, a little more demanding than yours.

Al
 
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KeithR said:
But Specialized gives the best warranty in the business, by a country mile - it's peace of mind that really adds to the value proposition.
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That may well be true and I trust that I didn't say anything in my post that would put the OP off Specialised but the simple fact is that when I was researching I spoke to countless Specialised owners at my local trail centre and was astounded by how many had to return their bikes after a few weeks. Warranty or no warranty it's a hell of an inconvenience and there is no denying they are expensive bikes compared to some.

Al
 
fallingoff said:
I will look at other bikes and look into these now.Do they tend not to lock out as a rule?
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I haven't seen a "lockout" advertised for years on suspension. The closest feature you will get to it is a Low Speed Compression (LSC) dial, but even that only tends to come on mid to high end forks. Suspension design now is so good that a lockout is not really necessary, unless you are an out of the seat pedalling hero, grunting and heaving your way up steep hills. The big problem I had with lockouts (or a three position switch that said open, pedal, firm) was that having used them on a long and steep climb, I would then forget to return the setting before hurtling down the other side. I just don't use them any more. I would be suspicious of a bike that said it had a lockout.
 
As this will be your first emtb, I would recommend buying from a dealer that is local to you. "Local" of course is a subjective term. That fantastic looking low priced offering by Canyon, YT and many others may seem the dog's and they will all ride beautifully. But when they have a fault with the motor, battery, software, wiring harness, or more normal stuff like the frame and so forth having to parcel it up and send it to Germany, Italy or Spain for example is an arse-ache. Your bike can be gone for weeks and then it becomes a real pain and your "local" dealer suddenly seems very attractive. "Local" for me was a 3 hour round trip. Too long to drop off the bike and then return later, just long enough that I would have to find something to do locally to kill time. I could have easily bought the bike from an even more local one hour round trip LBS, but that was my mistake. Both LBSs in the above story are very good.
 
Wow,thanks all...overload..LOL....great advice appreciated.As I said I ride a Cube Analog(HT),it has lock out forks which I use on the road hence the question.All I really want is assistance when and if required,I will try to use pedal power as much as possible,so essentially I'm looking for something that is easy to pedal without assistance.
What is on offer if I budget for a similar price to the Levo @ £2.3k that can better it if possible?@JoeBlow I've not ridden any yet.
 
JoeBlow said:
I spoke to countless Specialised owners at my local trail centre and was astounded by how many had to return their bikes after a few weeks.
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Bet they were all on Brose-powered bikes. The motor in the SL is a Mahle unit, and so far it seems bomb-proof in comparison.

And the latest iteration of the Brose is, by all accounts, much more reliable than earlier versions.
 
fallingoff said:
Wow,thanks all...overload..LOL....great advice appreciated.As I said I ride a Cube Analog(HT),it has lock out forks which I use on the road hence the question.All I really want is assistance when and if required,I will try to use pedal power as much as possible,so essentially I'm looking for something that is easy to pedal without assistance.
What is on offer if I budget for a similar price to the Levo @ £2.3k that can better it if possible?@JoeBlow I've not ridden any yet.
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KeithR said:
Bet they were all on Brose-powered bikes. The motor in the SL is a Mahle unit, and so far it seems bomb-proof in comparison.

And the latest iteration of the Brose is, by all accounts, much more reliable than earlier versions.
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Yes it was the Bros motors.

To the OP: I'm as reluctant to recommend as I am to criticise so I tend to simply describe my personal experience in these matters and to be fair I can't comment at all specifically with regard to what you are looking for. When I was looking into this and wanted a replacement bike I short listed them to Cube and Orbea. I settled on an Orbea Wild FS for £3950 with a spec that would have cost at least £6000 on a Specialised but in all fairness this was in a sale for a 2020 bike.

With regard to having something that is easy to pedal without assistance I think the Levo SL meets that criteria but at a price. You get less assistance overall. You would have to try one before deciding. I did and it was not enough but then I am almost 73 years old.

The point I'm making is that it is possible to get better value for money. And I'm not knocking Levo's, if I had had £6500 I would have bought one.

Al
 
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Looking wider I found the Cube Reaction HT,it looks like my Analog with a battery.Never had an issue with my Cube,just a thought..
 
fallingoff said:
I'm moving towards purchasing my first (real) electric bike and I've taken a liking to the specialized Levo turbo HT.I'm mid 50's,have Osteoarthritis in both knees (MX,usual stuff ) so I need a bit of help.Riding regularly helps my condition believe it or not.I ride towpaths,canals and some road (40%) with trips of 40 miles +.Nothing off-roady really so not need for a full sus.Riding a Cube Analog atm.Now the question... will the Levo be suitable?overkill?Thanks.
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Always the danger that I reply to a question you didn't ask. but :-

1) People talk nonsense about the sum of the parts being cheaper in different marques to Specialized. It has always been a truism that 'bits' are not representative of the 'whole', and nowhere more evident than in the automotive industry. Why buy a Porsche Macan when the Audi Q5 ( previous version) is 40% cheaper -- and a SEAT ( same family ) even cheaper than that? Same parts apart from some fettling. Porsche reliability rating is worse but people keep buying 'quality' .. ie Porsche Macans. Are we stupid ?
2) Electronics ( and electrics) are a big part of the present and future developing e-bike landscape. Pick your own winner , I will back Specialized cos they have a boss and 'system' that is driven to succeed not just make $ ( imho)
3) E-MTB owners are ( surprisingly to me ) obsessed with every cent/penny on the table. Given what I wrote above Im somewhat surprised at that.

4) 5 months ago , and probably now, you could eat me for experience and commitment to cycling. Buying a full suspension was rather a left-field decision given my age ( 66) and lack of fitness / obesity. It would have been logical to buy a nice VADO or similar for comfort / cruising. One of the best mistakes I ever made was to buy a Turbo Levo . It opened up opportunities that ZI hadn't even dreamed about in terms of off-road, multiple terrain.

5) So I would go full suspension, cos there are only (potential) upsides vs hardtail afaics. I would NOT go SL as you don't know what is going to be opened yup to you ( unless speed OTG is really the B-All and end of all to you )

6) I would go Specialized because I like their innovative approach, SUBJECT TO :

7) A LBS within normal cycling distance of you.

If in doubt .. revisit point 1.

At the end of the day, you obviously have to do what you think is right. Im sorry if I missed your point in this .

Edit -- Oh and if you are a Lada , Skoda, Moskvich or Chevvy fan then please ignore everything I've written ( incoming !)
 
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I have had my 2020 Levo HT for more or less a year now, I have changed the forks, but in all honesty for the type of riding I do, which is mainly cycle ways and tow paths I didn’t need to. I will be 57 next month, the bike does every thing I need it to and I am very happy with it having covered around 2000 miles so far.
 
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Howz said:
I have had my 2020 Levo HT for more or less a year now, I have changed the forks, but in all honesty for the type of riding I do, which is mainly cycle ways and tow paths I didn’t need to. I will be 57 next month, the bike does every thing I need it to and I am very happy with it having covered around 2000 miles so far.
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Mmm similar to myself...thanks everyone,still undecided but no rush.
 
Liking the Cube Reaction 625,I read a reveiw that could have been written by me in a years time,still nothing set in stone and stocks are low atm anyway,I can wait.They have lock out forks btw.
Thanks very much for all the input,that's why I came here...
 
I’ve ridden a borrowed cube HT ebike, several times. 120mm if I remember correctly.
For the type of riding you suggest it was absolutely fine. I took it off road on trail centre blacks and land rover tracks and it was still fine as long as you wanted to keep the wheels in the ground.
The forks did have true lock out too.
 
I would recommend something like the Scott Strike - 140mm travel front & rear & Shimano 4 pot brakes with 203 rotors. Price is not too bad & is wired for lights front & rear which is great for night communting.
 
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