I’m just back from my first ride on a Turbo Levo Expert and thought I’d share
my initial thoughts. For context I’m coming from a Gen 2 Turbo Levo (comp carbon 2019) which I’ll keep as a second bike for friends to ride.
One of the key features that led me to buy the new bike was for the upgraded TCU. I’m one to always be customizing the settings for the three modes (eco, trail, turbo) based upon the ride planned. So the idea of having the ability to customize the three settings plus having the ability to switch to over to the 10% gradient mode was a big selling point. And it hasn’t disappointed. My plan is to leave the three settings at 5%, 10%, and 15%, and if I need more that that I’ll just switch over to 10% gradient mode and just click up from there. No more having to decide what three amounts I want before heading off on a ride. Very nice!
Prior to buying the bike, I was a little concerned that the Gen3 was a more capable bike on the trails at the expense of comfort. I’m not a hardcore technical
rider - some of the trails I ride are steep, rocky, and rooty, but I’m not one to take big risks. So the idea of a more capable bike on the trails wasn’t a big selling point. Well I’ve got to say that after just one ride, I’ve changed my mind. This Gen3 just flat out performs better than the Gen2. Even on just some fire roads with a little single track thrown in, it was clear to me during this afternoon’s ride that the Gen3 is just a more nimble ride while still feeling just as comfortable. Even to a casual rider such as myself, I found the bike to handle noticeably better. I felt more confident riding this bike than I ever did on the Gen2 which was a bike I always thought handled the trails well. So if you’re wondering if there truly is a noticeable difference in handling/performance, the answer to me is quite evident. I attribute this to different geometry.
Getting back to comfort (a key feature for this 54 year old rider with a iffy back), I will say that I did suffer from a little saddle soreness during my ride. Hopefully that will go away with some adjusting.
I’m 6’2” and my Gen2 is an XL. I went with a S5 for my new ride. I find that it’s a tad smaller with less reach, which is fine by me. Being 54 with an iffy back, I don’t mind being a little more upright. I’m happy with my decision to get an S5.
As for aesthetics, I have to say that the carbon smoke is as stealthy of a bike as I’ve seen of late. Everything is black or grey. All of the branding is dark as well, making it very plain looking, which I’m fine with. I don’t need my bike to be a rolling advertisement. I will say that the glossy black portion of the bike seems to have some type of protective covering over it as you can see a seam going down the length of the top tube which I find a bit unsightly. I also don’t like how a lot of the Gen3s have a severe change in color along the seat tube and down tube. I prefer the looks of the frames that are more uniform in color.
Finally, I too had trouble syncing the bike with the Mission Control app. As previous posts have mentioned, pushing the F1 button seemed to resolve things.
I hope that others find this post helpful. I’m psyched that I decided to get the Gen3, despite the bike being nearly twice as expensive as my Gen2 comp carbon. Overall, even after one ride, I can tell that this Gen3 is just a better, more capable bike that will make me a more confident rider. And if anyone is wondering, I ordered my bike on the morning it was announced a few months back. According to Mike’s Bikes in San Rafael, CA mine was the first (or one of the first) Experts they had received.
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