Levo Gen 2 Canadian Winter Riding?

[Canmore TLCC 29]

I have looked and haven't found any discussions on winter riding. That doesn't seem possible so my apologies for my inability to find any Turbo Levo winter riding threads.

Here are my questions:
1) Are the OEM tires good enough? I think I will need studs for ice, but so far I have found riding on packed snow to be no problem at all, and riding through fresh snow OK but deep powder will be a problem for sure.
2) Are there any suggestions for winter tires? My 2020 Levo has 2.6x29's on the front and 2.3x29's on the back. My local shop suggests the same 2.6 studded tires on the front and the back. I'm not sure how well the 2.6 will fit in the back.
3) Battery performance is a concern. The temperature this morning was -18C. So far I am storing the bike and battery indoors to keep it warm. I plan to keep on top of the outdoor tire pressure as I expect the pressure will drop in cold weather. I think as long as the battery is stored and charged indoors that the battery will keep warm under use to some degree. I know riders in the UK will never see the temperatures we will have every day here in the Canadian Rockies, but I am hoping there are others out there who are facing/have faced these questions for themselves.

 

[Canmore TLCC 29]

Ok, just in case this thread is noticed in the future, I have mounted two 29X2.6 45NRTH Wrathchild studded tires on my turbo Levo. The rear seems to leave enough room. I’m pretty sure I will have a blast riding this winter.

 

[Patledoc]

Hi.i was able to do some nice rides on packed snow tracks in Quebec winter with the regular tires, tubeless, with 12-15 psi..Changing tires twice a year is too much trouble....Or an extra set of wheels?...What do you think of studded in front only?....

 

[Canmore TLCC 29]

Hi.i was able to do some nice rides on packed snow tracks in Quebec winter with the regular tires, tubeless, with 12-15 psi..Changing tires twice a year is too much trouble....Or an extra set of wheels?...What do you think of studded in front only?....

That may work for you, but I really appreciate these tires on the front and the back. Mounting the front for good traction braking and the rear for good traction pedaling works for me very well. I have ridden in hard pack snow with absolutely no issues. I have ridden on slick ice fairly well in a straight line, but had one issue on a switchback that was solid ice and I didn't carry enough speed to stay upright. I had to use my breaks to keep from sliding off the path, which I finally did because my shoes had no grip at all.

I have also ridden in fresh snow that isn't too deep. Snow that has a crust was the most difficult to ride through. My typical ride this winter was on mountain paths that had been packed by fat tire bikes and hikers. If I lost my line on the path and ran off into unpacked snow I was done. I would have to get back on the path and restart, using my clipless pedal to get started. It has been a learning experience but a real blast this winter. So much so that I like winter riding more than downhill skiing.

Back to your point about studded front only. That would not work for my riding. If you don't need traction to move, studded front might be enough. My photo above is the front tire which is mounted so the scoop shape faces front on the road for stopping. The rear tire has the scoop facing rear for forward traction.

 

[Patledoc]

Very good points. I also had a lot of fun, with beautiful scenery to look at.
thanks for your advice.
Pat

 

[RazaR]

I was trying to find what tires I could use and ended up here, have a 2023 Levo (Mullet), have you see anyone else ride levos or other 2.6 tire ebikes on the mountain here in alberta?