All New 2019 Specialized Turbo Levo launched

[CryptoBiker]

Kind of , but i have already waiting for a year for something with better range and good dynamics and this is acceptable on those fronts. I guess this bike will be outdated soon enough but it should still be suitable for me. It is expensive though, no getting around that.

I think it might make the 2018 models temping, already seeing ex demo ones and the like around 3.5k, then if you buy another battery, you're still only spending around 4.2k for what would still be a really cutting edge bike with approx 1kwh range (- whatever the demo took from the first 504wh)

I always try to look at 2nd hand markets now when it comes to rapidly advancing tech, I think the benefit of a 40-50% saving outweighs having the very very newest bike, although sometimes its hard to fight the urge...

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

How did it ride good sir? Did you purchase one?

Compared to my 23.6kg heavily customised beast of a Levo it rode really well.
The weight saving is very noticeable on the carbon comp I rode.
It definately feels more agile, The front lifts a lot easier which indicates to me that the front/rear balance is better compared to my bike. This was all done in a car park with a few lumps here and there so not a good test scenario really..... need one to test on my local trails which may be a challenge but I know which direction I am heading in. I would 100% recommend a proper test ride before you purchase one as my view could be completely different to your expectations.

Am I going to buy one? Yes

Which one?..... It will probably be the base model.
Why would I do that? I am a serial upgrader and ideally all I want is the frame and motor. I already have most of the replacement parts in stock and ready to fit on it

 

[R120]

Pretty cool looking bikes, but basically style over substance till the S works, and it seems to be about 30% over the price it should be, but it you've got the cash, why not?

Personally, I think its a bit of a cheek to offer a 500wh battery on any 2019 models. I bought my bike in 2016 and 500wh was an option then.. 650/750w should be on all models in this price range by now, its a bit of a liberty to charge more imo.

Think waiting till next year, or possibly even longer is going to be a good idea, the rapid rate of development means if you can just resist temptation for a few years, some bargains are going to be had..

Is anyone here waiting til say 2020 for a new bike?

I agree with you in that if the Alu Comp came with the bigger battery at 5k, I would seriously consider buying it, but at nearly 6k currently if you got a comp and upgraded the battery it’s a lot of money.

Maybe in 2020 bigger battery standard across range

 

[ccrdave]

Chris what is your opinion of the motor area? Is it still a mudtrap?

 

[Cyclejunkie]

Hi,
Sorry for the slow response, lots of driving yesterday.

Unfortunately I could not connect to the new bike using Blevo.

I tried scanning for the bike a number of times and had no luck sorry.

The bike is more secure now as it requires you to input a Bluetooth PIN number when you first connect to it. This 6 digit numerical PIN comes with the bike documentation.
I presume you may need to adjust your software now to take this extra step into account?

Do any shops near you have the new Levo in stock? Maybe its worth you taking a trip to visit and see first hand what the issue is?

Hope the above helps you.

hi mate have you tried this link the app is LightBlue on the iphone its free on the app store would be interesting to see if it worked...cheers in anticipation

 

[Surge]

It’s not the same bike. If it was the same S-works bike as last year with no Öhlins fork and 20% more expensive you would have a more compelling argument.
40% more range
Lighter frame
Stiffer frame
Better Geometry
90Nm of torque
And I would take Fox Factory suspension over any of that Öhlins stuff.

Ah, ok, but torque and power is the same. And I think the price went up by more than 20%.
I’d rather ride on Ohlins, but to each their own.
No thanks.

 

[Surge]

NO!
You fall once - goodbye bike!

What?! Absurd. It’s more like the other way around: Carbon is much stiffer than Aluminium; that’s the main advantage of Carbon, not weight.

The Carbon frame on my S-Works has taken a beating and doesn’t even scratch or show any wear. Love it.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

Chris what is your opinion of the motor area? Is it still a mudtrap?

Much improved, however could have been better.
Why they are still insisting on putting the connection to the battery in the same place where it is going to get covered in mud and crap is beyond me......

Also, that connection now has a great big gutter on the top which is going to be a mud magnet...

I like the way the battery is integrated into the frame but the connection needs to be in a different place tdue to our wet, muddy conditions in the UK.

hi mate have you tried this link MEDIA=youtube]__KMvZtfiqE[/MEDIA]
the app is LightBlue on the iphone its free on the app store would be interesting to see if it worked...cheers in anticipation

I have LightBlue for Android but did not try it yesterday......
I was focused on using Blevo but in hindsight should have tried LightBlue so you have raised a very good point for others to try.
The bike is now 4 hours away from me so I cannot give it a try
I am sure we will get other forum members on the case who will report back their finding soon

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

I just picked mine up from Berkshire Cycles and I’m itching to get out!

 

[Hannes_3000]

I have LightBlue for Android but did not try it yesterday......

I'm curious as well if LightBlue still works, would be great if anyone could double-check

 

[idahoskiguy]

The new LEVO is great, 700 Wh battery, sturdier frame, and lighter weight are all good improvements. However, consider if the LEVO were to have an IGH and belt drive, less maintenance and no derailer to damage out on the trail.

 

[Sophie777]

Umm nope. If you drop a carbon bike on a rock you can ding or crack it. If you drop an aluminum bike on the same rock and you dent or ding it, this will become a crack as well. However Carbon Fiber can be repaired. Aluminum can’t be repaired

I have to disagree.
An aluminum bike will not crack as easily as a carbon bike.
So where a carbon bike may crack if you fall; an aluminum bike may only have its paint scratched or chipped.

 

[neils]

No I think Rob has an Expert on order

I stand corrected... Rob is about to be showing off his new Comp Carbon... Wow the blue is amazing in the flesh...

 

[Tamas]

I prefer it as it is but as you say, others may want a key.

What happens if you lose the key or break the lock?

I have found in the long term, locks exposed to the outside elements tend to seize up and fail. For instance bike rack locks, I have had a few fail on me lately and they are not cheap to replace. I had a key break inside the lock again, a painful experience.

When I am out riding I never leave my bike unattended or out of sight so I do not need a key to secure my battery. For me, it just another thing to remember or....... forget

I guess I will think about it then but I'm not sweating on it now... Until that I just spray some WD40 in the cylinder once in a while and try not to lose the key. It's with the house key so if I lose it then I'm screwed anyway, even if the battery comes out with an Allen key.
But as I'm charging the battery off the bike 99% of the time I find the latch mechanism is more suitable for me.

 

[MattyB]

The new LEVO is great, 700 Wh battery, sturdier frame, and lighter weight are all good improvements. However, consider if the LEVO were to have an IGH and belt drive, less maintenance and no derailer to damage out on the trail.

Nice idea, but at the present time that tech does not exist for ebikes. Even if it did the weight penalty would be significant, and there are other issues too (for instance the current generation of gearboxes from Pinion cannot change gear under load; you have to stop pedalling first).

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

I guess I will think about it then but I'm not sweating on it now... Until that I just spray some WD40 in the cylinder once in a while and try not to lose the key. It's with the house key so if I lose it then I'm screwed anyway, even if the battery comes out with an Allen key.
But as I'm charging the battery off the bike 99% of the time I find the latch mechanism is more suitable for me.

Ah, I get where you are coming from now....
If you have to take your battery out to charge then put it back in that adds a few more tasks to carry.

 

[Sophie777]

Yes fall once badly and the frame is a gonner - but surely Spesh with replace it Free of Charge for the bikes Lifetime to the origainal Purchaser.

Cannondale do this and I have claimed once on a Carbon Rush - which they replace no quible.

Specialized will not replace a frame that cracked because of a fall for free - at least they did not in my case.
I purchased a Carbon Diverge Expert - fell (not hard at all) riding my bike out the bike shop. The bike frame cracked in three places, including both chainstays - with the major, through and through crack, on the chainstay opposite the side I fell on.
Specialized would not replace the frame free of charge (I have to admit, I didn't really ask for a free replacement); but Specialized did offer to sell me a replacement frame with a significant discount (I don't recall exactly how much; I think maybe 40% off).

 

[UKPHOTO]

I just picked mine up from Berkshire Cycles and I’m itching to get out!

View attachment 5270

Congratulations.
Picked up my 2019 Kenevo Expert from Chris about week ago now, top service!

 

[Al Boneta]

I have to disagree.
An aluminum bike will not crack as easily as a carbon bike.
So where a carbon bike may crack if you fall; an aluminum bike may only have its paint scratched or chipped.

You can disagree. It doesn’t change that a carbon frame can be repaired and an aluminum frame can’t.
I am only basing my opinion on my 30 years inside the bike industry, the laws of physics and the tensile strength of carbon fiber.

 

[Sophie777]

What?! Absurd. It’s more like the other way around: Carbon is much stiffer than Aluminium; that’s the main advantage of Carbon, not weight.

The Carbon frame on my S-Works has taken a beating and doesn’t even scratch or show any wear. Love it.

That's correct, carbon is stiffer (more brittle) - that's why it cracks so much more easily that aluminum.

 

[Albez]

I just picked mine up from Berkshire Cycles and I’m itching to get out!

View attachment 5270

That the same one from the live stream?
They give you a freebie?

 

[neils]

You can disagree. It doesn’t change that a carbon frame can be repaired and an aluminum frame can’t.
I am only basing my opinion on my 30 years inside the bike industry, the laws of physics and the tensile strength of carbon fiber.

Well as an engineer I'd have to disagree Al.
Here's a chap offering that exact service to repair alloy bicycle frames in the UK. It is indeed specialist but it can be done.
Aluminium Bike Frame Welding Repair UK

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

Chris what is your opinion of the motor area? Is it still a mudtrap?

I know why they put it there..... to make it easy to pull the plug out.

Just don’t know why the didn’t just adjust the final position of it by 90 degrees or even 180 degrees.

How long do you think this ‘gutter’ that flows nowhere will take to fill up in my wet muddy climate in Wales...... hmmmm about 3 to 5 minutes me thinks

I can see me filling this with black sealant leaving just enough depth to pull the plug out but not enough room to for it to fill up with mud

 

[Sophie777]

View attachment 5248
So I just did a little test ride on this one. Motor pulls like a regular bike. Not as instant as Yamaha. Halfway thru about 20 minutes everything shut off and I rode for about 5 with no power. It came back on with button after. Told shop when I returned. All the shop guys still hadn’t ridden it. When shut off and above 20 mph it rode really nice. Flats and small hills would be fine. No drag at all. I’ve demoed a few bikes and have a new giant e trance sx on order. This is the only silent bike motor. Absolutely no noise I could hear but in suburbia so in the quiet bike area may have a little. It handled awesome in the little I could try things. It was way to big for me but they only had a S and L. I took the L. I’m a med but small needed software update. They are available and was told expert in Nov...S works Jan

That's interesting - Specialized claims (at least from what I've read) that their new Brose moter is the only "instant on" motor available; and what you are saying corroborates others saying the Yamaha motor is best for hills.

Is that why you ordered the giant e trance? (thinking of that bike also)
How noisy is the Yamaha motor?
For the new e trance the display has been removed. Do you know if a display can be added?

 

[Halcon]

For those worrying about a lock you can try HexLox. It is a tiny insert you put inside the bolt head (where the allen key would go) You have a special device to remove the plug and then undo the bolt as normal. It is cheap and effective (note if the bolt is not steel you will also need the magnetic insert) $23 for bolt insert and key and $6 for the magnetic insert. www.hexlox.com

 

[MarkH]

Pretty cool looking bikes, but basically style over substance till the S works, and it seems to be about 30% over the price it should be, but it you've got the cash, why not?

Personally, I think its a bit of a cheek to offer a 500wh battery on any 2019 models. I bought my bike in 2016 and 500wh was an option then.. 650/750w should be on all models in this price range by now, its a bit of a liberty to charge more imo.

Think waiting till next year, or possibly even longer is going to be a good idea, the rapid rate of development means if you can just resist temptation for a few years, some bargains are going to be had..

Is anyone here waiting til say 2020 for a new bike?

I've got the 2018 carbon comp and was always planning to keep it until at least the 2020, possibly 2021 model year. However now I've seen the new comp with weight saving, 150 travel and charger damper, I'm considering a part x for the ally one as the range with the 500 battery has proven adequate over the last year and I was planning to spend about a grand on 29 wheels and a fork on the 2018 anyway. Possibly could get a 2019 for maybe another grand more.
Hmmmmmmmm

 

[Al Boneta]

Well as an engineer I'd have to disagree Al.
Here's a chap offering that exact service to repair alloy bicycle frames in the UK. It is indeed specialist but it can be done.
Aluminium Bike Frame Welding Repair UK

I should have stated that it can’t be done as easily as carbon.
After you weld aluminum it has to be heat treated again. If it’s a hydroformed tube, you cant just have it replaced with the same one.
The chap doesn’t mention heatreating once on his website and his repairs look horrific. He adds more material to strengthen up aluminum that gets more brittle when you weld on it.

Where a carbon fiber frame repair is a lot like repairing a fiberglass boat or a surf board.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

21 KG bang on for the XL Comp Carbon.

That’s 1.5 KG lighter than my 2018 Expert.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

21 KG bang on for the XL Comp Carbon.

That’s 1.5 KG lighter than my 2018 Expert.

View attachment 5278

Very impressive dude ?
That = 46.29 pounds for the imperialists

 

[eabmex]

I do not know if this has been covered already, Specialized is speaking about a reduced frame weight but does anybody knows the weight of each version? I am particulary interested to know how much does the Expert weights in size large.