Levo SL Gen 1 Levo SL 2023 Megathread

[Ribinrobin]

My Levo SL gen 2 in S5

- S-Works frameset build
- We Are One Convergence 29” rims on I9 Hydra hubs
- 5Dev 160mm cranks
- Enve M7 carbon bars
- XTR brakes, 223/203mm Galfer rotors
- PNW 200mm Loam seatpost, WTB Volt saddle
- Assegai DD 2.6” front, DHR Exo+ 2.4” rear
- Fox Factory 38 @ 170mm
- Crankbrothers Mallet DH pedals
- Stock shock
- XO Transmission drivetrain

This comes in at 19.47kg. This is as light as I am prepared to go without sacrificing capability - not going to be chasing weight down.

Slightly heavier than expected, but I’m extremely happy with it. Only 2.5kg more than my analogue enduro bike.

So good!

View attachment 136609 View attachment 136610

Strange to see DD up front and Exo+ on back. I normally run heavier casing on rear on my eeb. Lovely looking bike!

 

[RFID]

 

[Losiak]

View attachment 136628

18.3 kg nice Is s3 or s4 ?

 

[RFID]

S3

4 kg lighter without motor

 

[Lightme]

Strange to see DD up front and Exo+ on back. I normally run heavier casing on rear on my eeb. Lovely looking bike!

It is! That’s what I could get.

 

[bakedbun]

Swapping dropperpost today and I accidently pulled my dropper housing too much and now I can't push it back up the seat tube. Do I really have to drop the motor to fish it back up the seat tube?

 

[Mcharza]

Swapping dropperpost today and I accidently pulled my dropper housing too much and now I can't push it back up the seat tube. Do I really have to drop the motor to fish it back up the seat tube?

Try this long armed grabber pickup tool. Has saved my ass many times. You can probably find it in most hardware stores.

 

[bakedbun]

Try this long armed grabber pickup tool. Has saved my ass many times. You can probably find it in most hardware stores.

Thanks for the idea. I ended up just pulling the dropper cable housing as much as I could down the downtube. With the bash guard removed I could kind of see the inside of the seat tube. So I carefully shoved the housing back up towards the seat tube and it went inside. Got lucky I guess.

 

[Marshall Willanholly]

New colors for the S-Works and Comp models in the U.S. and we finally get the Pro model.

Pro

S-Works

Comp

 

[Pete N]

New Green/grey S-Works is lovely

 

[Shjay]

Like the new Pro colour

 

[Pete N]

Yeah very nice. Specialized are smashing the colours recently.

 

[sethimus]

cascade link is a available

Turbo Levo SL Link (2023-Current) | US | Cascade Components

Our new Turbo Levo SL link takes everything we've learned from the Stumpjumper, Levo, and the Orbea Rise, our best selling links, and applies it to the latest rendition of the Levo SL. This link takes the amount of progression and pushes it up to 24% from 12% while putting travel at 160mm even...

cascadecomponents.bike

 

[bakedbun]

How much sag % do ya'll run? I believe spesh recommends 25% I typically run 30% on all my bikes and it feels good/plush still playful. However the sag o ring is always at the very end of the stanchion after my rides. Will try 25% next time I am out.

 

[Lightme]

I was running closer to 15% on the stock shock.

 

[dirt-diggler]

Is it possible to slam the seat posts on these? Currently have a kenevo SL and a major issue I have is the seat. Ridden transitions for years and the seat tubes are always fairly short and the seats always go right in.

Thanks

 

[G-Sport]

How much sag % do ya'll run? I believe spesh recommends 25% I typically run 30% on all my bikes and it feels good/plush still playful. However the sag o ring is always at the very end of the stanchion after my rides. Will try 25% next time I am out.

Have you maxed out on volume spacers?

 

[dirt-diggler]

Is it possible to slam the seat posts on these? Currently have a kenevo SL and a major issue I have is the seat. Ridden transitions for years and the seat tubes are always fairly short and the seats always go right in.

Thanks

More specifically S4 frames and 180mm droppers

 

[G-Sport]

More specifically S4 frames and 180mm droppers

I'd be very surprised if it won't. I have a gen1 medium with a 180mm one up V2 31.6 shimmed to 34.9 and it will slam

 

[sethimus]

Is it possible to slam the seat posts on these? Currently have a kenevo SL and a major issue I have is the seat. Ridden transitions for years and the seat tubes are always fairly short and the seats always go right in.

Thanks

its not like they wont tell you that information…

 

[dirt-diggler]

its not like they wont tell you that information…

I'm asking because the two numbers I've found for max seat post insertion are 220mm and 255mm.

A one up 180mm dropper insert length is 267mm.

Obviously you could drop down to 30.9mm and shim up like the s-works.

But, it would be lovely if someone confirmed to me it'll go without sticking out the frame miles.

 

[bakedbun]

I'm asking because the two numbers I've found for max seat post insertion are 220mm and 255mm.

A one up 180mm dropper insert length is 267mm.

Obviously you could drop down to 30.9mm and shim up like the s-works.

But, it would be lovely if someone confirmed to me it'll go without sticking out the frame miles.

I have size S3 and with the stock 150mm dropper I was not able to slam it all the way down. I have switched to a smaller diameter 31.6 PNW 170mm dropper and can get the same insertion depth as the stock dropper but with more travel.

 

[Lightme]

I’m on an S5 with a 200mm PNW Loam dropper pretty well slammed. I’m sure you’d be fine.

 

[Black Bear Trail]

Have you maxed out on volume spacers?

Do you have a recommendation for volume spacers for a Gen 3 Levo Comp Carbon? My shock is way too soft and I'm a big guy, so I can't get enough air into it.

 

[G-Sport]

Do you have a recommendation for volume spacers for a Gen 3 Levo Comp Carbon? My shock is way too soft and I'm a big guy, so I can't get enough air into it.

I like to do quite a lot of drops and jumps that tend to bottom out the bike if I don't max out the volume spacers and put the sag down a bit so that's what I do. But I'm not a huge guy so it works for me.
Unfortunately there are very few options for bigger guys and especially bigger guys who ride hard. I assume you have already maxed out the air pressure? What sort of sag are you getting with it maxed out?

 

[Black Bear Trail]

I like to do quite a lot of drops and jumps that tend to bottom out the bike if I don't max out the volume spacers and put the sag down a bit so that's what I do. But I'm not a huge guy so it works for me.
Unfortunately there are very few options for bigger guys and especially bigger guys who ride hard. I assume you have already maxed out the air pressure? What sort of sag are you getting with it maxed out?

The rubber sag ring on the shock is probably at around 90%. It's almost at the bottom after a ride. Yeah, I put max air pressure in it. The shock is just the stock Fox shock. The Specialized dealer guy told me I could buy a stronger, better shock, but I'd be looking at about $700, or more for it. I'm not a hard ride - no jumps. But I ride some steep logging roads and trails. The guy at my Specialized shop told me to lose weight aha! I think the max air pressure for the Fox shock on my Levo is 300 psi, but I get about 280 psi I think into it. Close to 300 psi.

 

[G-Sport]

The rubber sag ring on the shock is probably at around 90%. It's almost at the bottom after a ride. Yeah, I put max air pressure in it. The shock is just the stock Fox shock. The Specialized dealer guy told me I could buy a stronger, better shock, but I'd be looking at about $700, or more for it. I'm not a hard ride - no jumps. But I ride some steep logging roads and trails. The guy at my Specialized shop told me to lose weight aha! I think the max air pressure for the Fox shock on my Levo is 300 psi, but I get about 280 psi I think into it. Close to 300 psi.

You're at 90% sag?!?!
That's not even close to being workable.
If you buy a new shock before you break this one then you should be able to sell it to recoup a lot of the cost but I don't think any shock is going to get the sag down to 30% kind of territory if you are really at 90 now.

 

[dirt-diggler]

Took delivery of a levo SL alloy today S4, stripped down to the frame and rebuilt with parts I already had. Knocked 1kg off the standard build weight.

I'm booked for a weekend of uplifts, dirt farm and bike park Wales. I was going to take the non e, but I'm considering taking this instead now!

 

[Black Bear Trail]

You're at 90% sag?!?!
That's not even close to being workable.
If you buy a new shock before you break this one then you should be able to sell it to recoup a lot of the cost but I don't think any shock is going to get the sag down to 30% kind of territory if you are really at 90 now.

Yeah. I looked after my last ride, and the rubber ring was almost at the bottom. And that was after the guy at my Specialized shop filled with air. I stopped by the shop on my way to go riding in the trails near my house. Max air pressure in rear shock is 300 psi, isn't it? I think he put max air pressure in it. Here is a picture of where the rubber ring is on my shock. I drew a red line where it is. So that would be around 80% - 90% sag, right?

 

[Black Bear Trail]

You're at 90% sag?!?!
That's not even close to being workable.
If you buy a new shock before you break this one then you should be able to sell it to recoup a lot of the cost but I don't think any shock is going to get the sag down to 30% kind of territory if you are really at 90 now.

Also, that's riding only with the compression lever in the "Closed" position. I never turned the lever to "Open" during the ride.