Levo generation 1 vs new bike?

[rodgemx125]

I have a 18 levo comp and like the bike but seems to be completely out done by new bikes in term of power and handling. Friends have orbea, yt etc and they seem much better down trails and more power on climbs but might just be me?

 

[Zimmerframe]

There's no definitive answer.

If you have a 1.3 motor, then power wise you'll be similar (ballpark) to the latest Bosch or Brose.

If you have the 1.2 motor, you'll have less power, but the advantage of more range - think of it as a bit like the EP8 RS motor in an Orbea Rise.

There's a good chance your battery will have lost some of it's capacity, so it won't give you the same range, or the same power at the start of a ride which you would of had when new.

The geometry will have changed with the newer bikes, so they'll be more stable, though your bike is possibly more agile and very likely - lighter than most of the newer bikes.

Maybe your suspension just needs servicing, or upgrading. Most Levo's of that generation were fairly poorly equipped and many owners immediately swapped out the forks and shocks.

I have a gen1 Kenevo which, when new, I joked about it one day being a lightweight do anything bike compared to bikes of the future - rather than the unwieldy tank it was. All the newer bikes feel faster, better. On paper are leaps forward in technology and ability. In reality, I get the Kenevo out and find it's actually effortlessly faster than the others and at the same time lighter, easier and more comfortable if I just want to grab a bike to go and see the countryside for a few hours instead of throwing myself down mountains.

For me at least, much of the "better" is in the mind and there always seems to be a honeymoon period when I'm convinced the new bike is so much faster and easier - even when I ride it back to back with the Kenevo. Once that's over and my brain isn't compensating for my man shopping justifications, things are no longer as clear cut.

 

[maynard]

So what your saying is I need a new ebike ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

So what your saying is I need a new ebike ?

No !

I'm saying WE ALL NEED A NEW BIKE !

 

[Kingerz]

Not much has changed really except eMTBs are way more expensive. we thought they'd get cheaper. They did not.

 

[RustyIron]

Friends have orbea, yt etc and they seem much better

Without a doubt, new bikes are better than your rusty old klunker. Maybe your friends are better riders.

When you figure out the formula for deciding when it's time to sell the old bike and throw down a stack of cash on a new one, you need to write a book. You'll rocket to the top of the best-seller list. You'll be rich. And you can buy TWO new bikes.

 

[faberle]

My Levo expert 2017 6Fattie hasn't aged really, even compared to recent bikes which I occasionally try. After 4 years of extensive use, it still provides me great fun and doesn't look vintage yet (yes I changed motor / battery, converted to 29' wheels, upgraded nearly everything... but the core (frame/motor/battery) is far from obsolete. The fact I ride it less is because I got an Orbea rise but they cannot really be compared.

 

[chamaruco]

strange answer @faberle
you say except for the fact that i've changed the core (motor, battery, and wheels, so it isn't the stock one)the core is far to be obsolete, anyway i'm happy with it because i ride an orbea.
you must be studied at schools

 

[R2thek]

Without a doubt, new bikes are better than your rusty old klunker. Maybe your friends are better riders.

When you figure out the formula for deciding when it's time to sell the old bike and throw down a stack of cash on a new one, you need to write a book. You'll rocket to the top of the best-seller list. You'll be rich. And you can buy TWO new bikes.

I bought a carbon Rise and then sold my Turbo Levo v .2. The levo was one generation old and still under the extended warranty and so I got a good price for it. My current thinking is to upgrade bikes while the bike I’m selling still has decent value. I believe that is less of an issue with acoustic bikes but Ebikes are changing quickly, batteries wear down, staying under warranty is more important, and their are new models all the time which are (hopefully) lighter and more reliable.

 

[bikechiq]

They're probably just better riders than you

 

[lloydbayliss]

I have a 18 levo comp and like the bike but seems to be completely out done by new bikes in term of power and handling. Friends have orbea, yt etc and they seem much better down trails and more power on climbs but might just be me?

I have the same bike (or similar 2018 Carbon 6Fattie I think?), and I love it. I used to think my 2016 Scott Genius LT was the ultimate, with 170mm travel front and rear, I could throw it at everything and it would look after me. However, I mostly ride my Levo these days, and when I do dare to take the Scott out, it feels so less stable and nowhere near as planted as the Levo.

I agree with the 'honeymoon' comment, most things seem better when new (bikes, phones, watches, you name it...) but after a while, I usually find they mostly do the same as what I had before. So, unless you have serious range problems or issues with major components, keep on enjoying what you've got

 

[rodgemx125]

I have the same bike (or similar 2018 Carbon 6Fattie I think?), and I love it. I used to think my 2016 Scott Genius LT was the ultimate, with 170mm travel front and rear, I could throw it at everything and it would look after me. However, I mostly ride my Levo these days, and when I do dare to take the Scott out, it feels so less stable and nowhere near as planted as the Levo.

I agree with the 'honeymoon' comment, most things seem better when new (bikes, phones, watches, you name it...) but after a while, I usually find they mostly do the same as what I had before. So, unless you have serious range problems or issues with major components, keep on enjoying what you've got

Yes, I think I'm going to try a 29 front wheel and get the suspension serviced and see how that goes