Levo SL Gen 1 any Levo SL owners also bought a Creo SL ?

[iainc]

Have had my Expert carbon SL for a month or so now and love it. Only change is that it's going to the LBS next week to get the SRAM G2RSC's swopped out to XT 4 pots.

I'm in the market for a new road bike and was thinking of another Defy, this time with eTap Force shifting, however I am being drawn to the Creo SL Expert. I'm having a look, and short spin on one at the LBS later this week. Keen for experiences.

 

[Moe Ped]

Yes i recently bought the Creo Expert SL, what would you like to know ?

Also have the Levo Comp Carbon SL.

 

[iainc]

Yes i recently bought the Creo Expert SL, what would you like to know ?

Also have the Levo Comp Carbon SL.

Many thanks, keen to know what type of road terrain you are using it on, typical mileage, battery life etc, plus how it feels compared to a regular road bike !

 

[Moe Ped]

The mileage is pretty good I mostly use it in Eco and can get around 150kms with the range extender. It is a bit noisy and is more noticeable than on the mountain bike when riding, like the mountain bike it pedals really easily after the cutout.

My only real gripe is the single front cog can leave a gap between gears and sometimes can be too easy in one and not enough strength for the next one up, that’s obviously on me though.

Hope this is ok to say, there is a good thread on the Creo on the EBR forum and one of the guys who contributes is in Aus.

Oops just noticed you are in Glasgow, it really eats up hills which is the main reason I bought it. And for the wind, Perth (Aus) is very windy.

 

[ofcounsel]

I have a 2019 Levo Expert Carbon and a Creo SL Carbon Comp.

Here's what I like/dislike about the Creo SL:

Likes:
Power is smooth, almost seamless,
Virtually no motor drag riding with the power off.
Plenty of assist on steep climbs to keep up with the best of my skinny friends,
Can do 50-60 mile rides with juice to spare (riding in low and medium power mostly, which is enough for most situations). Can add external battery for more juice to complete a century ride if I wanted,
Light weight for an e-bike,
Shimano GRX (as equipped on my Creo) shifts smoothly,
1x gearing is simple, and
Future shock 2.0 front end takes a good amount of buzz out of the road.

Dislikes:
Uses "Road Boost" hub standard (110x12 front and 148x12 rear). Only bikes I'm currently aware that use this standard are the Specialized Creo's and the Focus e-bikes. Only 1 off-the-shelf aftermarket wheel option currently available (DT Swiss HGC 1400 Spline). But a custom solution is to build a wheelset with with regular mountain bike "boost" hubs and swap out the 15mm front end caps with 12mm end caps (DT Swiss 240 hubs do the trick and I'm sure other hubsets do as well, but confirm before buying).

The motor is whiny. High pitched noise is noticeable above the typical wind/drivetrain noise, particularly in turbo mode.

 

[iainc]

Very useful info, much appreciated, thanks

 

[iainc]

Well it’s at the bike shop and getting built early in the week ?

 

[Killswitch73]

I have the Levo SL comp Carbon (custom build) .. Toying witht the idea of an SL but cant come to terms with the price of the expert even with 15% off compared to a Focus paralane2 9.8 thats got the Di2 x2 gears and @ £2200 cheaper .. only draw back is the Focus is 1kg heavier . but has near double the torque if the Creo SL .. i love my Levo SL but not sure i want a road bike with the same motor wit honly 1x drive chain .

 

[Killswitch73]

AND ....i went and bought a Creo SL Expert Evo .. it wont be staying an EVO for long . Carbon bars ordered and going carbon seatpost . road tires and tubless ..1KG+ off the bike . got the bike for an amazing price .

 

[NZ Levo Rider]

I have the "full fat" Levo and about 4 months ago I bought the Creo SL Comp Carbon EVO. It's a riot, I love it, great on both gravel and the road. Funny thing is, after buying that, I tried the Levo SL and really didn't like it....

 

[mopar04]

AND ....i went and bought a Creo SL Expert Evo .. it wont be staying an EVO for long . Carbon bars ordered and going carbon seatpost . road tires and tubless ..1KG+ off the bike . got the bike for an amazing price .

I also have the Creo SL Expert EVO (2020), probably the coolest paint job I’ve ever seen on a bike. I ended up throwing some 30mm Rapidair tubeless tires on it and they are so much better than the Pathfinder Pros on the road. Also ditched the dropper post as well, not worth having my spine hammered every ride for 50mm of drop.

 

[Killswitch73]

I also have the Creo SL Expert EVO (2020), probably the coolest paint job I’ve ever seen on a bike. I ended up throwing some 30mm Rapidair tubeless tires on it and they are so much better than the Pathfinder Pros on the road. Also ditched the dropper post as well, not worth having my spine hammered every ride for 50mm of drop.

Hay bud . I’ve now done exactly what you have . I also changed the bars to S-Works 25mm rise bars with cable routing through the bars . I’ve changeS the tires to conti 5000tl and they are great so far . Took out dropper and put in S-Workss 0 offset . Got some carbon cranks on the way too .

 

[mopar04]

Hay bud . I’ve now done exactly what you have . I also changed the bars to S-Works 25mm rise bars with cable routing through the bars . I’ve changeS the tires to conti 5000tl and they are great so far . Took out dropper and put in S-Workss 0 offset . Got some carbon cranks on the way too .

Very nice, it’s amazing how much the bike’s handling and ride characteristics change after the tire and seat post swap, isn’t it? It wasn’t a pig before but it feels like a proper top-tier road bike once it’s on street tires. I’ve debated changing my handlebars up but since I have very broad shoulders I actually like the swept-out drops

 

[Lew]

Hi all.Had my creo sl expert now and done 2000km.What a bike.Sold my sworks venge vias and this thing is just a replacement of note.Had a levo 2020 model also and sold this last year in April.Since then also only done creo sl road riding.I put a 50 tooth front sproket and makes a world of difference for not spinning out.Iam now also in 2 minds about getting a levo sl but not sure?Was thinking i have a creo,put evo 38 on my rims and then i can do tar and gravel.I know it will be a different ride to the levo sl but a lot of money to spend on a mtb again.So next week I have made a plan for a demo ride on levo sl and will se what happens.I suppose the gravel side on the creo is fun and bike could handle most fire and dirt roads but must be honest the single track and jump lines i miss on my levo.

 

[shakeystart]

@Lew I have the Levo SL, and in my N+1 mind, it made perfect sense to get a Creo. So I now have a Creo SL Expert EVO, so there is no excuse for not going anywhere there is a trail or road. I’m not completely a fan boi of Specialized, as their "non-standard save-a-buck” builds cause me a lot of mental anguish, but there are not a lot of options that are better today. At some point, the other major players will catch up, but Spesh made the jump early on and is still the leader in E-bikes today, at least here in the US. Post up on your decision!

 

[robespana]

The mileage is pretty good I mostly use it in Eco and can get around 150kms with the range extender. It is a bit noisy and is more noticeable than on the mountain bike when riding, like the mountain bike it pedals really easily after the cutout.

My only real gripe is the single front cog can leave a gap between gears and sometimes can be too easy in one and not enough strength for the next one up, that’s obviously on me though.

Hope this is ok to say, there is a good thread on the Creo on the EBR forum and one of the guys who contributes is in Aus.

Oops just noticed you are in Glasgow, it really eats up hills which is the main reason I bought it. And for the wind, Perth (Aus) is very windy.

WOW...really 150km ?
I've ordered am Expert with range extender and would love to see it go over a 100km with a 1000hm

 

[flash]

WOW...really 150km ?
I've ordered am Expert with range extender and would love to see it go over a 100km with a 1000hm

Actually easy on a eBike on the road. It's so easy to get to the speed limiter you're on your own most of the times. I have the Fazua version (eZesty and Cairn 01) I get easily 70+ km on the road on the Cairn and it only had a 250Wh battery.

Gordon

 

[robespana]

Actually easy on a eBike on the road. It's so easy to get to the speed limiter you're on your own most of the times. I have the Fazua version (eZesty and Cairn 01) I get easily 70+ km on the road on the Cairn and it only had a 250Wh battery.

Gordon

Above the speed limiter you can do theoretically a 1000km...but lets say you have a constant 1-20% assist = 50w max, how far would you come by estimation.
I've got 320 + 160wh battery does that mean I can get almost 10hrs at 50 watt ???
Sorry for my newbie question.

 

[Jilleride45]

Above the speed limiter you can do theoretically a 1000km...but lets say you have a constant 1-20% assist = 50w max, how far would you come by estimation.
I've got 320 + 160wh battery does that mean I can get almost 10hrs at 50 watt ???
Sorry for my newbie question.

In Mission Control you set Assistance AND Peak power. Assistance is the percentage of your effort it will give you (50% is 1:1 match, 100% is 2 motor:1 you). Peak power is how many watts the motor can give you at your set assistance. The motor can give 250 watts but the peak power can be set to limit this to extend battery. Setting assistance down also decreases battery but high efforts could require large motor power even at low assistance.
So from your example, with assistance set at 20% this does not give 50 watts. Assistance at 20% just means the motor will give you back 0.4 watts for every watt you put in, up to the peak power you set (100% is 250 watts, 50% 125 watts etc.) For example if you put in 400 watts at 20% assistance and peak power 100%, the motor gives you 80 watts.

 

[robespana]

In Mission Control you set Assistance AND Peak power. Assistance is the percentage of your effort it will give you (50% is 1:1 match, 100% is 2 motor:1 you). Peak power is how many watts the motor can give you at your set assistance. The motor can give 250 watts but the peak power can be set to limit this to extend battery. Setting assistance down also decreases battery but high efforts could require large motor power even at low assistance.
So from your example, with assistance set at 20% this does not give 50 watts. Assistance at 20% just means the motor will give you back 0.4 watts for every watt you put in, up to the peak power you set (100% is 250 watts, 50% 125 watts etc.) For example if you put in 400 watts at 20% assistance and peak power 100%, the motor gives you 80 watts.

Thanks for your extensive answer, really appreciated. The 0.4w return for every 1w i put in where does that come from ?
20% of 1w would be 0.2w ...right ?

I'm planning to use BLEvo smart power instead of MC...
Already have been reading and fiddling a couple of hours but it's not totally clear to me.

 

[Jilleride45]

Thanks for your extensive answer, really appreciated. The 0.4w return for every 1w i put in where does that come from ?
20% of 1w would be 0.2w ...right ?

I'm planning to use BLEvo smart power instead of MC...
Already have been reading and fiddling a couple of hours but it's not totally clear to me.

I agree that assistance can be confusing because Specialize uses a 1-100% scale for a more that gives you 1-200% assistance. So as mentioned before 50% assistance is a 1:1 assistance, 1 watt motor 1 watt you.
Enjoy your bike!

 

[robespana]

I agree that assistance can be confusing because Specialize uses a 1-100% scale for a more that gives you 1-200% assistance. So as mentioned before 50% assistance is a 1:1 assistance, 1 watt motor 1 watt you.
Enjoy your bike!

Thanks, my baby will be delivered July 2-3 ?

 

[flash]

Above the speed limiter you can do theoretically a 1000km...but lets say you have a constant 1-20% assist = 50w max, how far would you come by estimation.
I've got 320 + 160wh battery does that mean I can get almost 10hrs at 50 watt ???
Sorry for my newbie question.

On my Tuesday road ride with 38mm semi slick tyres I go 72kms and arrive home with 3 bars left from 10. So say around 20% remaining. That's in a mix of eco and *trail*. My route is not super hilly. About 450-500M of climbing only.

On the road all my bike does is take the sting out of the hills and get me going at the lights which is what I wanted. Most of the time I'm just riding a 16kg bike by my own power. Momentum does half of it. As a reference I go about 4 times as much distance as on my eZesty with the same motor. (ie: road ride vs MTB cross country.)

Your Creo is more efficient than my bike and has a larger battery. I'm not sure about how efficient it will be (10hrs at 50 watts indicates perfect efficiency). There's always some loss to heat etc. But over 100kms (62 miles) should be pretty easy on the road unless it's all climbing. And that's without the extender.

Gordon

 

[robespana]

On my Tuesday road ride with 38mm semi slick tyres I go 72kms and arrive home with 3 bars left from 10. So say around 20% remaining. That's in a mix of eco and *trail*. My route is not super hilly. About 450-500M of climbing only.

On the road all my bike does is take the sting out of the hills and get me going at the lights which is what I wanted. Most of the time I'm just riding a 16kg bike by my own power. Momentum does half of it. As a reference I go about 4 times as much distance as on my eZesty with the same motor. (ie: road ride vs MTB cross country.)

Your Creo is more efficient than my bike and has a larger battery. I'm not sure about how efficient it will be (10hrs at 50 watts indicates perfect efficiency). There's always some loss to heat etc. But over 100kms (62 miles) should be pretty easy on the road unless it's all climbing. And that's without the extender.

Gordon

Hey Gordon, thanks for your reply.
I will post my experience after I've done a few rides ?

 

[CoreyB]

@Lew I have the Levo SL, and in my N+1 mind, it made perfect sense to get a Creo. So I now have a Creo SL Expert EVO, so there is no excuse for not going anywhere there is a trail or road. I’m not completely a fan boi of Specialized, as their "non-standard save-a-buck” builds cause me a lot of mental anguish, but there are not a lot of options that are better today. At some point, the other major players will catch up, but Spesh made the jump early on and is still the leader in E-bikes today, at least here in the US. Post up on your decision!

I have a Levo SL and fast and technical trail riding is the extent of my 30 years of riding...never been on a gravel or road bike and understand it is a very different sport than what I'm used to. I'm old now and considering getting a Creo to ride with my son-in-law on the gravel. Wondering if you could give me a rundown on the pros and cons of Creo style riding compared to what I'm used to.

 

[levity]

@CoreyB - you may want to consider another option…

Mrs levity and I both have Levo SL trail bikes and had Creo Comp Carbon road bikes for about a year and a half. The Creos were great fun, fast and efficient on the road and fun on dirt/gravel roads and easy XC trails. Early this year we decided to try the Vado SL, same motor and batteries as the Creo in a hybrid-type alloy frame. We set them up with 100mm dropper posts and Pro Taper 20/20 carbon bars. I went with the same 700x47 Tracer Pro tires I used on the Creo, while mrs levity switched to 650b wheels so she could run fatter (up to 2.1” wide) tires. The bikes are a hoot! As fun on the road as the Creos but with a more comfortable riding position. On dirt and gravel there is more control with the 720mm mtb bars on the Vados than with the 440mm drop bars on the Creos. I think someone more used to a road bike would lean toward the Creo, but since you’re primarily a mountain biker you may prefer the Vado as we do.

here’s a garage pic of my Vado SL

here’s an outdoor pic of mrs levity in Death Valley Natl Park

If interested you can see more info on mrs levity’s bike build here
Vado SL 5.1 GQ, a 27.5/650b “Gravel-Queen”

Have fun deciding! It’s a good time for bike and build choices.