Levo Gen 3 Cascade Link 2022+ Levo Long Shock Kit

[Cb750stu]

85kg [187 lbs]

More details about my setup and spring rates here:

Levo Gen 3 - Cascade Link 2022+ Levo Long Shock Kit

Per Cascade, the LS kit is intended to be used in the low position Really per Cascade then eh? I do not see that information on the page for the kit...you'd think they'd have that specification written out right there if so important. Getting the feeling Mr. Light is a shill.

www.emtbforums.com

I fitted a TTX coil on my 22 levo pro absolutely love the coil feel, I did notice that the standard fox 38 just didn't feel right after fitting it , I firstly tried a luftkappe which did sort some issues right but then I fitted a smashpot at 170mm and it transformed the bike the front and rear of the bike is now more stable , planted , smashpot is such a awesome upgrade if you like the coil feeling

 

[tom_blunt]

Hi everyone, I’m new on this forum. I’m looking for a link to buy to try this setup. If you have one black in stock PM me.

 

[Christox]

So I finally had a chance to ride my bike with long link and Öhlins TTX22 M.2 with 502 lbs/in spring which gives me 29% of SAG.

Since some riders reported problems with bottoming out the coil shock when set at around 30% SAG, first I took the bike to the city and hucked it to flat. My Fox 38 completely gave up bottoming out hard while the Öhlins TTX22 M.2 was smooth all the way. You cannot tell if and when the travel ends. I was simply blown away, just like my fork.

Next, I went for a ride on the known trail in the woods: jumps, berms, and downhill sections with big roots. UNBELIEVABLE! I forgot how compliant coil shocks can be. The rear feels much more planted, it tracks the terrain like crazy. I can only compare it to my 190mm travel analog bike with CCDB coil shock. Smooth and plush.

There is one problem however. Now my fork (Fox 38) feels like crap compared to the rear suspension. I think Smashpot should fix this and make front and rear suspension feel more alike. For reference, in my analog bike I have Marzocchi 55 RC3 Evo V2 Ti + Avalanche Cartridge. It's the definition of how the fork should perform. Hopefully, I can emulate this feeling by converting Fox 38 to coil.

Do i see right your TTX has a golden shaft ? I have Seen only chrome Silver shafts also in the m.2 Version and the Plastic spring protection sleeve is also shorter. Looks nice Is This a special Version ?

Best regards,

Chris

 

[BikeBert]

Do i see right your TTX has a golden shaft ? I have Seen only chrome Silver shafts also in the m.2 Version and the Plastic spring protection sleeve is also shorter. Looks nice Is This a special Version ?

Best regards,

Chris

Good eye sir - there is a golden shaft in my TTX. The shock was built from scratch with a custom valving for Levo, my weight and riding style. It is a mix of parts from previous version and M.2. Golden shafts are usually reserved for World Cup racers but somehow this particular Öhlins partner got hold of them and presented them as having lower friction, great coating durability, etc. To be honest, I found it a marketing bullcrap (just like Kashima coating) but at the end went for it due to cool factor and the looks

There is also updated one-piece black bottom out bumper that is a bit longer than standard one. I find this more performance relevant (than the golden shaft) as I am really not able to bottom out the shock. I use the full travel very often but there is no harsh feeling at the end of the stroke compared to other shocks I have ridden in the past. Plush all the way!

 

[Mr. Light]

Also, where did you get information that "the long link kit is meant to be run in the low setting"?
No mention of such suggestion on the Cascade Components website.

Probably from me. I emailed Cascade and that was the answer I received directly from them (not on an online forum). He stated that it was intended to be run in the low position and that “the LSK in the low setting is 1-2mm lower than the stock setup in the high position”. Again, not making this up or trying to spread misinformation.

Also, all this quibbling is irrelevant, the bike's handling is so vastly improved with the kit. If you're going to lose sleep about geo and numbers, don’t buy the kit. Stick with the stock setup or maybe the linkage that doesn't require a shock change. It likely won’t be an improvement for someone riding tame terrain

 

[TuomasR]

I do have Turbo Levo Long Shock Kit link in black colour for sale if anyone needs. Please PM. Thanks

Do you still have it? Is it for alloy version?

 

[MM5K]

Just to add more data to the pool - I just installed a regular link (not the long shock one), and BB height was identical before and after. 343mm on my bike set at middle/high with a 2.5 Assegai and 2.4 DHR II.

 

[MM5K]

Another thing to share, since I'm sure many considering either of the Cascade links may also be looking at the E-Storia - a nice bonus is that the S3 now has clearance for a 26oz bottle, whereas with the stock X2, the piggyback only lets you fit a 22oz.

 

[JJ503]

Another thing to share, since I'm sure many considering either of the Cascade links may also be looking at the E-Storia - a nice bonus is that the S3 now has clearance for a 26oz bottle, whereas with the stock X2, the piggyback only lets you fit a 22oz.

View attachment 109324

How’s it ride with the EXT/LT link combo?

 

[MM5K]

How’s it ride with the EXT/LT link combo?

Not sure... EXT shock just showed up today and my trails are all waterlogged from the battering of rain the whole Bay Area has gotten over the past several weeks, so I haven't had the chance to test it out yet.

Just from the driveway impressions though, I'm pretty impressed they got my spring rate spot on and rebound only 1 click off, to be balanced with my fork (although I did write a 1,084 word mini essay describing my setup, riding style, and terrain, to go along with the order form).

I weigh 150 lbs and was previously running 230psi and no volume spacers in the X2 with stock linkage. I always set suspension purely based on feel, not sag, but the sag ended up right in the ballpark 15.5mm. With the CC link (standard 210x55, not the long shock link) the 475lb/in spring they included gives me the same perceived stiffness as the original setup and feels balanced with the front end.

All that being said, I have a Vorsprung Smashpot with a 45 lb/in spring showing up for my 38 next week, and I also just got a Sprindex on order, so I can get the rear end perfectly balanced with the front, since the fork springs come in 5 lb/in increments.

 

[BruceJR]

I love my E-Storia. I'm not a super hard hitting rider but I will say it's very stout and provides immense traction and a very smooth ride overall in my experience. It's also nice to know it won't blow out like the OEM. Confirm, LSK in Low snow picture is latest test run w/ 29" 2.5" Maxxis. So far I like the 29" except that I can't use my mudguard.

 

[MM5K]

I love my E-Storia. I'm not a super hard hitting rider but I will say it's very stout and provides immense traction and a very smooth ride overall in my experience. It's also nice to know it won't blow out like the OEM. Confirm, LSK in Low snow picture is latest test run w/ 29" 2.5" Maxxis. So far I like the 29" except that I can't use my mudguard.
View attachment 109376
View attachment 109375

Check out the SKS Mudrocker. It attaches to the top of the seat stays, rather than inside, and the section that fits in front of the tire inside the triangle can be removed, so it has no impact at all on tire clearance.

 

[freerideandi]

85kg [187 lbs]

More details about my setup and spring rates here:

Levo Gen 3 - Cascade Link 2022+ Levo Long Shock Kit

Per Cascade, the LS kit is intended to be used in the low position Really per Cascade then eh? I do not see that information on the page for the kit...you'd think they'd have that specification written out right there if so important. Getting the feeling Mr. Light is a shill.

www.emtbforums.com

What is your lsc setup?
I Ride it fully Open but it feels not good…
I ride a 548 spring with 87kg

 

[BruceJR]

Check out the SKS Mudrocker. It attaches to the top of the seat stays, rather than inside, and the section that fits in front of the tire inside the triangle can be removed, so it has no impact at all on tire clearance.

The mudguard I used was mainly to keep mud off the back of the frame/pivot/motor. The SKS one looks like it would work well for keeping water and splatter off your backside though not so much the frame…..?

 

[MM5K]

The mudguard I used was mainly to keep mud off the back of the frame/pivot/motor. The SKS one looks like it would work well for keeping water and splatter off your backside though not so much the frame…..?

It does a great job at keeping dirt off the linkage and dropper. My KSL is a good example of that, with the linkage and shock being so exposed:

Also, more on topic with this thread - I was able to get my first ride in on the new regular CC link and E-Storia, and I'm absolutely blown away with the shock.

Between my KSL and Enduro, I've put about 5,000 miles on DHX2's and have gotten them as dialed in as you possibly can. I never believed the hype with EXT's, thinking it couldn't really get any better than the current DHX2, having independent adjustments for high/low speed rebound and compression, but the E-Storia on my Levo has the rear end feeling better than my KSL or Enduro have ever felt. The best way I can describe it is it just keeps the rear end very composed and keeps the rear wheel in constant contact with the ground.

I even changed some settings in the driveway to get it feeling balanced with the fork, but once I got out on trail, I did some more fiddling and actually ended up right back at their original settings for rebound and compression, only dialing in the HBO a bit more. I sent them a riding video and went into great detail on my setup preferences, riding style, and terrain, so it's super cool to see they actually listened, interpreted it all correctly, and set it up properly. This shock is so good, the front end now feels bad (as someone else mentioned above with their Ohlins), so hopefully, the Smashpot showing up next week brings the two ends closer inline. Without a doubt, this is the only coil shock I'll ever buy from now on.

 

[iadmtb]

It does a great job at keeping dirt off the linkage and dropper. My KSL is a good example of that, with the linkage and shock being so exposed:

View attachment 109403


Also, more on topic with this thread - I was able to get my first ride in on the new regular CC link and E-Storia, and I'm absolutely blown away with the shock.

Between my KSL and Enduro, I've put about 5,000 miles on DHX2's and have gotten them as dialed in as you possibly can. I never believed the hype with EXT's, thinking it couldn't really get any better than the current DHX2, having independent adjustments for high/low speed rebound and compression, but the E-Storia on my Levo has the rear end feeling better than my KSL or Enduro have ever felt. The best way I can describe it is it just keeps the rear end very composed and keeps the rear wheel in constant contact with the ground.

I even changed some settings in the driveway to get it feeling balanced with the fork, but once I got out on trail, I did some more fiddling and actually ended up right back at their original settings for rebound and compression, only dialing in the HBO a bit more. I sent them a riding video and went into great detail on my setup preferences, riding style, and terrain, so it's super cool to see they actually listened, interpreted it all correctly, and set it up properly. This shock is so good, the front end now feels bad (as someone else mentioned above with their Ohlins), so hopefully, the Smashpot showing up next week brings the two ends closer inline. Without a doubt, this is the only coil shock I'll ever buy from now on.

I’ve heard the e-storia being a bit “noisy”. Is that true? I’m considering getting the regular cascade link for my Levo as well as the e-storia since they’re offering 15% off the shock on cascade’s website.

 

[Ou812]

I’ve heard the e-storia being a bit “noisy”. Is that true? I’m considering getting the regular cascade link for my Levo as well as the e-storia since they’re offering 15% off the shock on cascade’s website.

I have regular EXT Storias on 3 bikes and they’re all noisy, you hear the “swoosh” noise a lot more but there’s also some rattle noises. I fixed the rattle noises with some superglue I highly recommend the EXT though.

 

[JJ503]

I have regular EXT Storias on 3 bikes and they’re all noisy, you hear the “swoosh” noise a lot more but there’s also some rattle noises. I fixed the rattle noises with some superglue I highly recommend the EXT though.

I’ve run EXT for years (non-e-bike) and it’s incredible. The rattling is likely from a plastic spacer they use to protect the bump stop. I think I just pushed mine back to the bumper and it went away.

 

[Ou812]

I’ve run EXT for years (non-e-bike) and it’s incredible. The rattling is likely from a plastic spacer they use to protect the bump stop. I think I just pushed mine back to the bumper and it went away.

That’s exactly what it was from, I glued it to the bumper so it no longer moves.

 

[iadmtb]

I have regular EXT Storias on 3 bikes and they’re all noisy, you hear the “swoosh” noise a lot more but there’s also some rattle noises. I fixed the rattle noises with some superglue I highly recommend the EXT though.

The swoosh sound I wouldn’t mine. Rattles annoys me though lol. Looks like the others say it’s easy solve though. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[MM5K]

The swoosh sound I wouldn’t mine. Rattles annoys me though lol. Looks like the others say it’s easy solve though. Thanks for the feedback.

Yup, no rattles here - The E-Storia doesn't have the loose plastic washer that the regular Storia does.

And yes, you can hear the swoosh on every rebound stroke. I personally like it, being able to hear that it's properly reacting to and rebounding after every tiny bump.

 

[Haveland]

Im in the process of planning the build of bike. I was planning on going long linkage with an X2. Mostly because I’m around 220 and my current bike I can bottom it out and it’s been to 2 different shops who told me to buy a new bike, so I am

Why not go with an fox x2. I did have a coil years ago and found setting sag a bit annoying if your like me and go up/down 20-30kg all the time.

 

[Ou812]

Yup, no rattles here - The E-Storia doesn't have the loose plastic washer that the regular Storia does.

And yes, you can hear the swoosh on every rebound stroke. I personally like it, being able to hear that it's properly reacting to and rebounding after every tiny bump.

I’ve not seen the E-Storia in person, I’m running the regular Storia on my Levo. It’s nice that they got rid of that damn washer though, that thing drove me crazy until I superglued it down.

 

[BikeBert]

What is your lsc setup?
I Ride it fully Open but it feels not good…
I ride a 548 spring with 87kg

I run the following settings [from fully closed]:
LSC - 7
HSC - 1/2 [depending on terrain]
R - 3

However, as I mentioned my Öhlins TTX22 M.2 has a custom valving for my bike, my weight and riding style.
Considering this and the fact I run much softer spring (502), my damping settings are totally irrelevant for anyone else.
I would suggest to set your shock to your liking and not try to copy somebody else's setting.

 

[DeeSeM]

Im in the process of planning the build of bike. I was planning on going long linkage with an X2. Mostly because I’m around 220 and my current bike I can bottom it out and it’s been to 2 different shops who told me to buy a new bike, so I am

Why not go with an fox x2. I did have a coil years ago and found setting sag a bit annoying if your like me and go up/down 20-30kg all the time.

The X2 with the long link works really well for me. So much less harshness from the back with plenty of pop. Up until now I was not able to bottom out the damper which was an issue with the stock link and damper.

Initially I was tempted to go for a coil damper but I think the X2 with the link is not far off away in terms of small bumb subtleness and I enjoy the progressive character.

The problem, as others have written as well, is that I now have to do something with the fork as it is lagging behind after the damper/link change. I plan to go up to 170mm and add a 'Luftkappe' from Vorsprung. Would be great to read what others have done with the front.

 

[DeeSeM]

...
There is one problem however. Now my fork (Fox 38) feels like crap compared to the rear suspension. I think Smashpot should fix this and make front and rear suspension feel more alike. For reference, in my analog bike I have Marzocchi 55 RC3 Evo V2 Ti + Avalanche Cartridge. It's the definition of how the fork should perform. Hopefully, I can emulate this feeling by converting Fox 38 to coil.
...

Same problem on my end even though I went for an X2 instead of a coil damper. With the back of the bike now more plush and calm especially in fast sections over small bumps, rocks and roots the front feels very busy and I still need to concentrate and hand in extra efforts to hold the line. I plan to go for the poor man's solution and the 'Luftkappe' and maybe later upgrade if this is not sufficient. Is that extra weight of the coil and the Smashpot not an issue for you?

Anyway, the fork change will raise the BB but I hope that it won't affect the overall sensation too much. Before the suspension changes I was happy with the slack/high geo but I fear I need to get used to normal/low when I'm done with the changes. Also here the questions what geo setting are you running on and plan to go for after the fork change?

 

[maramouse]

Hi, I put the Diaz Suspension kit "the runt" with double positive chamber on my fox 38 performance elite and after a few tests I found a good set up in harmony with the rear ttx22 m2

 

[Ou812]

Hi, I put the Diaz Suspension kit "the runt" with double positive chamber on my fox 38 performance elite and after a few tests I found a good set up in harmony with the rear ttx22 m2

I’ve wanted to try one of those for a good while, they were sold out the last time I was in the US. Shipping it over to the UK makes it not even worth it price wise.

 

[DeeSeM]

I’ve wanted to try one of those for a good while, they were sold out the last time I was in the US. Shipping it over to the UK makes it not even worth it price wise.

Plus I see the version for the Fox 38 being sold out on their page. Too bad, looks like an interesting idea and concept.

 

[gbarfoot]

FYI the Vorsprung SECUS is REALLY Good...I have that and a smashpot, I like the secus more personally.