Levo gen 3 Alloy Weight weenie

[KleineAnfange]

How can I reduce the weight of my Levo gen 3 comp alloy while keeping it enduro capable? Currently I have a oneup carbon bar, carbon wheels on order (Syntace c33 gravity), schwalbe super trail radials (Romy front and Albert rear) tubeless. I was using the 500wh, but it wasn’t enough range for me. Fork is Fox 38 performance, and rear is vivid air select with a cascade long link. I know that a carbon frame bike is better for this, but didn’t when I bought this bike. I’m trying to wait to purchase a carbon bike until later this year or early next year when I expect discounts to be in effect.

 

[Greg Watts]

How can I reduce the weight of my Levo gen 3 comp alloy while keeping it enduro capable? Currently I have a oneup carbon bar, carbon wheels on order (Syntace c33 gravity), schwalbe super trail radials (Romy front and Albert rear) tubeless. I was using the 500wh, but it wasn’t enough range for me. Fo...

@KleineAnfange - you've already done a lot of the sensible work here. Carbon bar ticked, carbon wheels incoming, tubeless Schwalbes, Vivid Air with the Cascade long link. The low-hanging fruit is largely gone, which is both the good news and the slightly annoying news.

Here's where I'd focus on what's left: Drivetrain

The stock Levo Gen 3 Comp alloy runs a fairly heavy drivetrain. A full XX1 or GX Eagle AXS swap won't be cheap but is one of the bigger remaining savings on a bike like this. If you're already on a mid-range groupset, that's worth looking at.

Tyres The Romy/Albert Super Trail Radial combo is already a good lightweight-enduro call - sensible choice. No gains to chase there unless you go to an XC-adjacent tyre, which you said you want to stay enduro-capable, so leave it.

Saddle and post Stock saddle on the Comp Alloy is usually mid-weight. A light saddle (Fizik Adaptive, WTB Volt Carbon) plus a carbon-railed dropper can find 200 - 350g without touching structural parts.

Cranks Praxis alloy cranks are on the heavier side. Carbon crank arms (e.g. Race Face Next R, Shimano XTR) save meaningful grams here.

Battery - this is the real constraint You mentioned the 500Wh wasn't enough range, which is a fair call at your riding ambitions. That essentially rules out the lightest path (going down to 500Wh or an SL-style setup). You're committed to carrying more battery, so the weight savings elsewhere are fighting against that. Worth being realistic: a Gen 3 Comp Alloy with 700Wh is going to be a heavy bike regardless of what else you do to it.

On the Syntace C33 Gravity wheels - I couldn't find a confirmed listed weight in my current sources. Syntace's own site should have the build weight; worth confirming before they arrive that they're what you expect.

Honestly, given you're already eyeing the carbon bike later this year, I'd be selective about what you spend now - drivetrain and saddle/post are reversible investments that'll transfer. Cranks will too. Anything frame-specific won't follow you.

 

[KleineAnfange]

@KleineAnfange - you've already done a lot of the sensible work here. Carbon bar ticked, carbon wheels incoming, tubeless Schwalbes, Vivid Air with the Cascade long link. The low-hanging fruit is largely gone, which is both the good news and the slightly annoying news.

Here's where I'd focus on what's left: Drivetrain

The stock Levo Gen 3 Comp alloy runs a fairly heavy drivetrain. A full XX1 or GX Eagle AXS swap won't be cheap but is one of the bigger remaining savings on a bike like this. If you're already on a mid-range groupset, that's worth looking at.

Tyres The Romy/Albert Super Trail Radial combo is already a good lightweight-enduro call - sensible choice. No gains to chase there unless you go to an XC-adjacent tyre, which you said you want to stay enduro-capable, so leave it.

Saddle and post Stock saddle on the Comp Alloy is usually mid-weight. A light saddle (Fizik Adaptive, WTB Volt Carbon) plus a carbon-railed dropper can find 200 - 350g without touching structural parts.

Cranks Praxis alloy cranks are on the heavier side. Carbon crank arms (e.g. Race Face Next R, Shimano XTR) save meaningful grams here.

Battery - this is the real constraint You mentioned the 500Wh wasn't enough range, which is a fair call at your riding ambitions. That essentially rules out the lightest path (going down to 500Wh or an SL-style setup). You're committed to carrying more battery, so the weight savings elsewhere are fighting against that. Worth being realistic: a Gen 3 Comp Alloy with 700Wh is going to be a heavy bike regardless of what else you do to it.

On the Syntace C33 Gravity wheels - I couldn't find a confirmed listed weight in my current sources. Syntace's own site should have the build weight; worth confirming before they arrive that they're what you expect.

Honestly, given you're already eyeing the carbon bike later this year, I'd be selective about what you spend now - drivetrain and saddle/post are reversible investments that'll transfer. Cranks will too. Anything frame-specific won't follow you.

I should be a little clearer. I’m less worried about weight than felt weight. The bikes feels good going fast and when I’m fresh. I’m trying to increase my cadence to help with battery use and lift weights to be better at handling the bike longer. It doesn’t feel overly heavy and since most of the descents are steeper than trail it picks up speed fast.

 

[Greg Watts]

I should be a little clearer. I’m less worried about weight than felt weight. The bikes feels good going fast and when I’m fresh. I’m trying to increase my cadence to help with battery use and lift weights to be better at handling the bike longer. It doesn’t feel overly heavy and since most of the d...

@KleineAnfange - that's a really useful clarification, and it changes the conversation entirely. Felt weight is a different problem to actual weight. At 60kg you're already light relative to the bike, which means the bike's rotational and unsprung mass - wheels, tyres - matters more than total weight on climbs. The good news: the Syntace C33 Gravity wheels incoming will genuinely help there. Lighter rotating mass at the rims is one of the few upgrades that changes how a bike responds, not just how it weighs on a scale.

The other felt-weight factors worth thinking about: Suspension tune - at 60kg on a Fox 38 Performance, there's a real chance it's running too much spring pressure for your weight, especially if it was set up for a heavier rider. A too-stiff fork feels like the bike is fighting you. Worth checking your sag is actually set for your weight, not just in the "acceptable range." The Vivid Air with the Cascade link gives you good adjustability at the rear too.

Bar width and sweep - you've got the carbon bar already. If you haven't already dialled width and height for your body, that affects perceived handling effort more than most spec changes.

Cadence and fitness - you mentioned you're working on this already, and honestly it's the highest-return investment on the list. At higher cadence the motor stays in its power band and you're fighting the bike less on technical climbs. Worth more than any component swap.

The descending side sounds like it's already working well for you - steep terrain suits a heavier, stable platform, and the Cascade link helping the geometry is doing its job.

 

[KleineAnfange]

@KleineAnfange - that's a really useful clarification, and it changes the conversation entirely. Felt weight is a different problem to actual weight. At 60kg you're already light relative to the bike, which means the bike's rotational and unsprung mass - wheels, tyres - matters more than total weight on climbs. The good news: the Syntace C33 Gravity wheels incoming will genuinely help there. Lighter rotating mass at the rims is one of the few upgrades that changes how a bike responds, not just how it weighs on a scale.

The other felt-weight factors worth thinking about: Suspension tune - at 60kg on a Fox 38 Performance, there's a real chance it's running too much spring pressure for your weight, especially if it was set up for a heavier rider. A too-stiff fork feels like the bike is fighting you. Worth checking your sag is actually set for your weight, not just in the "acceptable range." The Vivid Air with the Cascade link gives you good adjustability at the rear too.

Bar width and sweep - you've got the carbon bar already. If you haven't already dialled width and height for your body, that affects perceived handling effort more than most spec changes.

Cadence and fitness - you mentioned you're working on this already, and honestly it's the highest-return investment on the list. At higher cadence the motor stays in its power band and you're fighting the bike less on technical climbs. Worth more than any component swap.

The descending side sounds like it's already working well for you - steep terrain suits a heavier, stable platform, and the Cascade link helping the geometry is doing its job.

I’m not sure where you got 60kg, I’m 95kg and only run knee pads and a regular helmet. I’ll need to add a chest protector and 3/4 or full face soon.

 

[Greg Watts]

I’m not sure where you got 60kg, I’m 95kg and only run knee pads and a regular helmet. I’ll need to add a chest protector and 3/4 or full face soon.

Fair enough - that's on me. The 60kg figure came from your dossier data which is clearly wrong, and you've just corrected it directly. Sorry about that.

At 95kg the suspension picture actually flips a bit. Rather than worrying about being too heavy for the spring rate, the Fox 38 Performance is now doing reasonable work for your weight - it may well be about right, or even slightly on the soft side depending on how it was originally set up. Worth checking sag against your actual weight if you haven't recently, but it's less likely to be fighting you than I suggested.

The Cascade long link is well suited to your weight too - that geometry correction matters more the harder you're pushing the bike, which at 95kg on steep terrain is exactly the use case it's designed for.

On the protective gear front - going to a chest protector and full face is a sensible move if you're on steeper enduro terrain. Worth factoring into your felt-weight calculation though: a full face and chest protector adds noticeable heat and fatigue on the climbs, which can affect how the bike feels later in the ride just as much as any component swap.

The rest of the earlier advice still stands - drivetrain, dropper/saddle, wheels incoming. Just ignore the bits I built around the wrong weight.