mtbross
Member
After over 30 years riding both MTB's and road bikes...and Muni's, I've decided to get an Emtb. After much searching and reading and checking locally, I narrowed it down to two bikes: The Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay 50, or the Specialized Turbo Levo Comp. I couldn't find a review that included and compared both bikes, even with different years and models. Even those shoot outs with a dozen bikes, one or the other was missing. Frustrating!! So I decided to rent a demo of each on the same weekend to compare and see if that could help finalize my decision.
To keep it fair as possible, I decided to do the same ride twice in a row. That way my faltering memory could retain the feel of the first during various sections as I did the second ride. I chose a route close to home so I could do a fairly quick bike swap. Which narrowed the choices a bit. I chose a ride we do a lot that has a mix of fire road, twisty trails, and some technical rocky sections and not so long (just 10 miles) that I would run out of time after the end of the first ride. Both bikes came with the stock tires and both were tubeless. I was excited and ready to go! This should be fun!
First batter up: the 2019 Turbo Levo Comp
Prior to starting I connected to the Mission Control App. I really appreciated the flexibility to set each power mode with both Support and Peak Levels. Could defintely tell when the motor sensed I needed more power and would seamlessly provide it. I had the three modes set as follows: Eco 25/45, Trail 40/60, Turbo 75/75. Acceleration Response 80%. In hindsight, I would probably lower the Peak levels on E&T to retain greater battery life.
I haven't had much time on 29ers and could see right away that the larger wheels not only add momentum, especially on flats and descents, but also add confidence and iron out challenging sections. The bike always felt smooth and comfortable, and the one word that came to mind was floating. Grip was good both up and down, and the only time I found the stock tires wanting was when the trail was both very sandy and technical. Over very technical terrain the bike was awesome, making what has always been challenging almost too easy. The few times I stood and hammered, I felt the bike was a bit "heavy", but found I didn't really need to stand as the motor would take care of the times that would normally be necessary.
Other reviewers have said the Levo's motor is silent. This was not. I checked with dealer who assured me this was not one of those faulty loud Brose motors. Just that the 2019 motor is louder than the 2018. It was not a big deal. Just noticed it whenever the motor was working. I also noticed the motor didn't instantly stop with pedaling. Which is fine 99% of the time.
There's one section of trail that is brutal..about 10 successive switchbacks that get progressively steeper starting at 15% and maxing at a whopping 28%. At the top of each section is a block of wood for hikers. These are I'm guessing 10-12 or more inches. On a regular bike, most capable riders can't make it all the way, though I've done it once or twice. Combining the motor and 29 wheels, it was almost too easy. I didn't even lift the front end at the steps, just plowed up and over, brake, make the 45% turn, plow up the next. Was amazing. On twisty fast single track the bike handled well, though just a bit of a bear, again because of the larger wheels.
I also appreciated the 11 gears in the cassette, and found shifting response was reliable, most of the time. Oh, the saddle. Hated it. I prefer WTB saddles and was sore on the Levo saddle. Not a dealbreaker as I could easily switch out. But really hated it.
iWok. Found the position a little awkward and would sometimes have to look when I changed power modes.
Dropper: worked fine and not as radical a b-buster as on the 2018 Levo. Got the saddle down enough, at least for me.
Appearance: The Levo is a great looking bike. It's a bit non-discreet, which can be a good thing.
Ride stats from the Levo ride from Strava, Garmin and Motion Control:
Moving time 1h 11m, distance 10.4 miles, elevation gain 2,012 ft., estimated average power 149w, energy output 641 kJ. Average speed 8.7mp/h. And lastly, the all important battery life. Remaining: 67%. I stayed in the Eco and Trail modes the entire ride, never using Turbo.
Next, drive home, grab a bite to eat, switch bikes, head back. Was now 2:00 pm and a bit hotter. The bike is the 2018 RM Altitude PP Carbon 50.
Second batter up, the 2018 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 50
Rocky Mountain uses Ebikemotion app when setting up before the ride I tried to find a middle point for the power mode settings since it doesn't offer the support and peak power options like the Mission Control. They really should consider a software update to provide this if possible. So I set to Eco: 31%, Trail 57%, and Ludicrous/turbo 81%. I would normally have Eco at 20-25% and Trail at 40% but wanted to try to get a fair comparison of battery life, and being trail side, punted.
Being a 27.5 wheel set-up, the bike felt lighter, more agile and more responsive right away. While it still had some of the point and shoot characteristics of the 29er, it required a bit more input, which is, to me, more natural and what I'm used to.
There's so much chatter (pun intended) out there about the chain noise on the Rocky Mountains, and of course I noticed it right away. Whereas the Levo only has the noise when the motor is engaged, the Rocky Mountain chain noise is there to some degree most of the time, though it is never what I would call loud, and ranged from almost nonexistent, to more pronounced when the drive is under strain. As far as noise from the motor, I never heard that at all, ever. Which surprised me. No whining, humming...nothing. I've been told there are some inexpensive parts from the 2019/2020 bikes that will reduce the noise considerably on the 2018. It's a non-issue for me, but suppose I would put them on if I got the bike. But I quickly got used to the sound and even used it to judge strain on drivetrain.
On the first climb I definitely noticed that power band was more fixed than than Levo, but it never lacked for power. I think there's a sensor that kicks in when extra torque is necessary. So while it's not managed in the app, is more seamless and just ..there. The big question is the SRAM e-bike drivetrain of 8 gears. I did find I was shifting less frequently. And I found the range of 8 gears sufficient. But having one more higher and lower gear wouldn't be a bad thing either. And then there's the replacement cost for the cassette. Definitely a nod to the Levo in that regard. Though if I could get a lot more mileage from the SRAM would be closer to a wash.
The Altitude was also a comfortable ride. The positioning is a bit different from the Levo, and there were a few times I found myself shifting weight forward a bit on very steep sections, but it climbed great as well. On the 10 steep step section mentioned above I did do the point and push just to see if it would do it, and found that only on one very high step I was inclined to lift the front end. But like the Levo, it made this exceptionally hard section pretty easy. There was no extra push from the motor when I stopped pedaling, which I appreciated after clearing each step preparing for the 45 degree turn. On twisty flowing singletrack, the Rocky Mountain felt more nimble and responded better than the Levo when I needed a quick change of direction.Again, probably tire size.
I did feel like I was riding a bit slower overall on the Rocky Mountain. And figured it could be due to the fact that this was the second ride, and it was a bit hotter in mid-day in So Cal in August. Or perhaps the wheel size difference. Or greater range of gearing. So I was surprised when I looked at the stats after the ride.
The motor cover on the Altitude is, in my opinion, a bit vulnerable to damage if not careful going over fallen trees or rocks that might hit the bb. The shell is plastic and would think it could crack with a sufficient impact. But being plastic, imagine it's cheap to replace. Unlike one person who posted about pant leg getting caught in it..well yeah...jeesh...I don't ride in "pants" and if I did, would use velcro strap anyway. He must have had some bad experiences with that. I guess it's possible to have something wedge in there, but realistically do not see that happening. And the cover is easily removed if necessary. I also found that there are after market protective shields available for that section.
iWok. Found it easy to use and in a great position. While it doesn't have the full battery readout of the Levo on the top tube, the color coding was enough to be aware at a glance. And there's a subtle buzz when you change power modes. So it was basically all feel and easy to use. I know some people have commented on it feeling cheap. I found it the opposite and good quality.
Saddle: mucho better. My butt was much happier. Again, not a big deal but one less thing to have to change out.
Dropper: pretty perfect and got the saddle completely out of the way at lowest setting. Much lower than I've ever experienced with others. Was smooth and responsive as well.
Appearance: The 2018 Carbon Altitude looks awesome in shiny black with the yellow trim. Like the Levo and others, a quick glance at the bottom and you know it's an ebike. and it does have the funky and unique chain pulley thing going. But to me it looks like it's hungry and wants to go kill something. Does that matter? Not really. Just saying. The color choices on the 2020 are nice too..prefer the blue over the beige but then, it's personal preference. But that black on the 2018 is mean looking.
Braking was superb on both bikes, as they each have the same SRAM system.
Ride stats from RM Altitude from Strava, Garmin and Ebikemotion app:
Moving time 1h 9m, distance 10.4 miles, elevation gain 2,091 ft., estimated average power 155w, energy output 647 kJ. Average speed 9.0 mp/h. And again, the all important battery life. Remaining: 76%. I stayed in the Eco and Trail modes the entire ride, never using Turbo or what I think they call Ludicrous.
Conclusions
I really enjoyed riding both bikes. I was surprised that I did the ride a touch faster on the Rocky Mountain as the effort felt like it was a bit harder, and I thought the difference would be much greater. Taking a closer look and comparison of trail sections I can see why. The Levo was a marginally better climber, and the Altitude a marginally better descender.
Here are some random sections from the rides with average grade for each section, and average speeds.
Climbing
1. 7% grade Levo 7.6m/hr RM 7.3 m/hr
2. 16% Levo 2.1 m/hr RM 2.0 m/hr
3. 10% Levo 6.0 m/hr RM 6.4 m/hr
4. 18% Levo 5.0 m/h RM 4.8 m/hr
5. 15% Levo 4.8 m/hr RM 3.9 m/hr
6. 10% Levo 7.8 m/hr RM 6.3 m/hr
7. 9% Levo 7.7 m/hr RM 6.4 m/hr
8. 9% Levo 7.7 m/hr RM 4.7 m/hr
9. 6% Levo 8.5 m/hr RM 7.8 m/hr
10. 11% Levo 5.7 m/hr RM 5.8 m/hr
So, generally speaking the Levo was a better climber than the Altitude. And the power readings verify with 149 Watt average on the Levo, and 155 W on the Altitude. I was working just a little harder with the sort-of matched power levels. Energy outputs of 641 kJ for Levo and 647 kJ for RM super close though.
Descending:
1. -11% Levo 8.2 m/hr RM 8.2 m/hr
2. -10% Levo 9.2 m/hr RM 10.3 m/hr
3. -5% Levo 9.7 m/hr RM 10.9 m/hr
4. -11% Levo 10.6 m/hr RM 11.6 m/hr
etc. etc. etc.
Again, the second ride was in hottest part of day on the RM but don't think that played into it. So, generally speaking, the Altitude seemed to be the faster downhill. It certainly felt that way and was more lively. Felt like a difference of a Cadillac (Levo) just flowing over things, and a Porsche (Altitude) playing with the trail more. Reality Check: Can't really do more on the downhill to go faster unless the courage and skills increase. But can always turn up the power if speed uphill is an issue, managing battery of course. End of the day, the ride times were very close
Though each had a 500 watt/hr battery , the battery life was significantly better on the Rocky Mountain, no doubt due to the wider range in the settings on each power mode on the Levo with Mission Contol. So if I were looking to get a really long ride in with the Levo, would just dial down or eliminate the Peak Power. Because of the vertical nature of our riding I don't typically do 50-60 mile rides, but think that either bike with the 500 w/hr battery is totally capable of doing it, long as you manage properly.
Removeable vs nonremovable battery. I don't live in an area that gets very cold, so there really isn't a need to remove the battery for that for me though it would be nice if RM made it easier to remove. So for me, not a dealbreaker at all.
Alloy vs Carbon: meh...don't think it matters much on mtb. Sure the RM Carbon is a bit lighter than it's alloy brother (or sister) but I can go either way. On road, carbon all the way. They say the alloy transfers heat from motor better. Okay. Truth be told, I think the saying Steel is real still rings true. Old school livin in the past but steel was schweet.
Dealer network. There are many more Specialized dealers around here than Rocky Mountain. But many don't carry the ebikes (yet). The closest RM dealer to my home is just 10 minutes away. But the next closest one is about an hour up the road. Getting service at a LBS would be an issue if there wasn't one close by. But have always heard good things about the brand and their support.
Charging: Both have nice chargers. I really liked the locking mechanism on the Rocky Mountain. Only downer would be if the bike fell while charging and it happened to be in a position to pull the cord could do damage. But that's avoidable. On the Levo the magnetic connection was, to me, a tad wonky, and the cover just a little clumsy. Charge time from the 60-some percent to 100 took awhile. Was faster on Altitude. And the charger with the Altitude almost sounds like there's a fan in it. Is there a fan in it? Pretty cool if so.
Model years. There isn't a huge difference between the 2018 and 2019 RM. And the demo bike I could get was 2018. However, I see the 2020 uses a different 11 speed Shimano drivetrain and brakes, and is supposedly quieter and has a bit larger battery at 672 watt hour. Not that I see huge need for increase over 500 watt hour, but bigger is better. Everyone knows Specialized had their big change in 2019 Levos from what I heard at dealer, the new ones will have bigger battery and fork diameters. So a little change, but not major overhaul.
Upkeep. Replacing the SRAM cassette would be a lot more expensive than the Shimano on the Specialized or on the 2020 RM which is spec'd with Shimano. But, being a dry environment, and I'm the type of rider that abuses the drivechain and keeps it smiling and happy, would expect to get more time with the SRAM drivetrain. Theoretically anyway.
So, if the price of each bike were the same, what would I get?
The Levo is a great bike. But personally, I like the handling of the RM better. I am willing to give up the naturally faster uphill and plow through everything ride of the 29er Levo for the more fun, rowdy and lively Altitude. I prefer the challenge of tough terrain versus simply holding on and letting the bike do all the work. If I want to go faster on the Altitude, I can simply crank the power mode up a notch. I find the Altitude handles a lot like my former Ellsworth Moment on descents, but feels like my light Giant Trance on climbs. The Levo is somewhere in the middle...to me..after just the one ride. It would take ownership to know for certain but I know can't go wrong with either bike.
So, do I know what bike I'll be getting? Sort of. I have narrowed it down to the RM Altitude. Just not sure if it's the super discounted 2018 Carbon 50 (bro-deal) or wait for the 2020 Alloy 50 and pay, literally, thousands more. Common sense will probably win. Or will it?
P.S. Took the Levo out for another ride on Sunday. This is a very rocky area just outside LA with grinding technical climbs and equally demanding descents. And the Levo was awesome. As I'm sure the Altitude would (will) be too.
To keep it fair as possible, I decided to do the same ride twice in a row. That way my faltering memory could retain the feel of the first during various sections as I did the second ride. I chose a route close to home so I could do a fairly quick bike swap. Which narrowed the choices a bit. I chose a ride we do a lot that has a mix of fire road, twisty trails, and some technical rocky sections and not so long (just 10 miles) that I would run out of time after the end of the first ride. Both bikes came with the stock tires and both were tubeless. I was excited and ready to go! This should be fun!
First batter up: the 2019 Turbo Levo Comp
Prior to starting I connected to the Mission Control App. I really appreciated the flexibility to set each power mode with both Support and Peak Levels. Could defintely tell when the motor sensed I needed more power and would seamlessly provide it. I had the three modes set as follows: Eco 25/45, Trail 40/60, Turbo 75/75. Acceleration Response 80%. In hindsight, I would probably lower the Peak levels on E&T to retain greater battery life.
I haven't had much time on 29ers and could see right away that the larger wheels not only add momentum, especially on flats and descents, but also add confidence and iron out challenging sections. The bike always felt smooth and comfortable, and the one word that came to mind was floating. Grip was good both up and down, and the only time I found the stock tires wanting was when the trail was both very sandy and technical. Over very technical terrain the bike was awesome, making what has always been challenging almost too easy. The few times I stood and hammered, I felt the bike was a bit "heavy", but found I didn't really need to stand as the motor would take care of the times that would normally be necessary.
Other reviewers have said the Levo's motor is silent. This was not. I checked with dealer who assured me this was not one of those faulty loud Brose motors. Just that the 2019 motor is louder than the 2018. It was not a big deal. Just noticed it whenever the motor was working. I also noticed the motor didn't instantly stop with pedaling. Which is fine 99% of the time.
There's one section of trail that is brutal..about 10 successive switchbacks that get progressively steeper starting at 15% and maxing at a whopping 28%. At the top of each section is a block of wood for hikers. These are I'm guessing 10-12 or more inches. On a regular bike, most capable riders can't make it all the way, though I've done it once or twice. Combining the motor and 29 wheels, it was almost too easy. I didn't even lift the front end at the steps, just plowed up and over, brake, make the 45% turn, plow up the next. Was amazing. On twisty fast single track the bike handled well, though just a bit of a bear, again because of the larger wheels.
I also appreciated the 11 gears in the cassette, and found shifting response was reliable, most of the time. Oh, the saddle. Hated it. I prefer WTB saddles and was sore on the Levo saddle. Not a dealbreaker as I could easily switch out. But really hated it.
iWok. Found the position a little awkward and would sometimes have to look when I changed power modes.
Dropper: worked fine and not as radical a b-buster as on the 2018 Levo. Got the saddle down enough, at least for me.
Appearance: The Levo is a great looking bike. It's a bit non-discreet, which can be a good thing.
Ride stats from the Levo ride from Strava, Garmin and Motion Control:
Moving time 1h 11m, distance 10.4 miles, elevation gain 2,012 ft., estimated average power 149w, energy output 641 kJ. Average speed 8.7mp/h. And lastly, the all important battery life. Remaining: 67%. I stayed in the Eco and Trail modes the entire ride, never using Turbo.
Next, drive home, grab a bite to eat, switch bikes, head back. Was now 2:00 pm and a bit hotter. The bike is the 2018 RM Altitude PP Carbon 50.
Second batter up, the 2018 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 50
Rocky Mountain uses Ebikemotion app when setting up before the ride I tried to find a middle point for the power mode settings since it doesn't offer the support and peak power options like the Mission Control. They really should consider a software update to provide this if possible. So I set to Eco: 31%, Trail 57%, and Ludicrous/turbo 81%. I would normally have Eco at 20-25% and Trail at 40% but wanted to try to get a fair comparison of battery life, and being trail side, punted.
Being a 27.5 wheel set-up, the bike felt lighter, more agile and more responsive right away. While it still had some of the point and shoot characteristics of the 29er, it required a bit more input, which is, to me, more natural and what I'm used to.
There's so much chatter (pun intended) out there about the chain noise on the Rocky Mountains, and of course I noticed it right away. Whereas the Levo only has the noise when the motor is engaged, the Rocky Mountain chain noise is there to some degree most of the time, though it is never what I would call loud, and ranged from almost nonexistent, to more pronounced when the drive is under strain. As far as noise from the motor, I never heard that at all, ever. Which surprised me. No whining, humming...nothing. I've been told there are some inexpensive parts from the 2019/2020 bikes that will reduce the noise considerably on the 2018. It's a non-issue for me, but suppose I would put them on if I got the bike. But I quickly got used to the sound and even used it to judge strain on drivetrain.
On the first climb I definitely noticed that power band was more fixed than than Levo, but it never lacked for power. I think there's a sensor that kicks in when extra torque is necessary. So while it's not managed in the app, is more seamless and just ..there. The big question is the SRAM e-bike drivetrain of 8 gears. I did find I was shifting less frequently. And I found the range of 8 gears sufficient. But having one more higher and lower gear wouldn't be a bad thing either. And then there's the replacement cost for the cassette. Definitely a nod to the Levo in that regard. Though if I could get a lot more mileage from the SRAM would be closer to a wash.
The Altitude was also a comfortable ride. The positioning is a bit different from the Levo, and there were a few times I found myself shifting weight forward a bit on very steep sections, but it climbed great as well. On the 10 steep step section mentioned above I did do the point and push just to see if it would do it, and found that only on one very high step I was inclined to lift the front end. But like the Levo, it made this exceptionally hard section pretty easy. There was no extra push from the motor when I stopped pedaling, which I appreciated after clearing each step preparing for the 45 degree turn. On twisty flowing singletrack, the Rocky Mountain felt more nimble and responded better than the Levo when I needed a quick change of direction.Again, probably tire size.
I did feel like I was riding a bit slower overall on the Rocky Mountain. And figured it could be due to the fact that this was the second ride, and it was a bit hotter in mid-day in So Cal in August. Or perhaps the wheel size difference. Or greater range of gearing. So I was surprised when I looked at the stats after the ride.
The motor cover on the Altitude is, in my opinion, a bit vulnerable to damage if not careful going over fallen trees or rocks that might hit the bb. The shell is plastic and would think it could crack with a sufficient impact. But being plastic, imagine it's cheap to replace. Unlike one person who posted about pant leg getting caught in it..well yeah...jeesh...I don't ride in "pants" and if I did, would use velcro strap anyway. He must have had some bad experiences with that. I guess it's possible to have something wedge in there, but realistically do not see that happening. And the cover is easily removed if necessary. I also found that there are after market protective shields available for that section.
iWok. Found it easy to use and in a great position. While it doesn't have the full battery readout of the Levo on the top tube, the color coding was enough to be aware at a glance. And there's a subtle buzz when you change power modes. So it was basically all feel and easy to use. I know some people have commented on it feeling cheap. I found it the opposite and good quality.
Saddle: mucho better. My butt was much happier. Again, not a big deal but one less thing to have to change out.
Dropper: pretty perfect and got the saddle completely out of the way at lowest setting. Much lower than I've ever experienced with others. Was smooth and responsive as well.
Appearance: The 2018 Carbon Altitude looks awesome in shiny black with the yellow trim. Like the Levo and others, a quick glance at the bottom and you know it's an ebike. and it does have the funky and unique chain pulley thing going. But to me it looks like it's hungry and wants to go kill something. Does that matter? Not really. Just saying. The color choices on the 2020 are nice too..prefer the blue over the beige but then, it's personal preference. But that black on the 2018 is mean looking.
Braking was superb on both bikes, as they each have the same SRAM system.
Ride stats from RM Altitude from Strava, Garmin and Ebikemotion app:
Moving time 1h 9m, distance 10.4 miles, elevation gain 2,091 ft., estimated average power 155w, energy output 647 kJ. Average speed 9.0 mp/h. And again, the all important battery life. Remaining: 76%. I stayed in the Eco and Trail modes the entire ride, never using Turbo or what I think they call Ludicrous.
Conclusions
I really enjoyed riding both bikes. I was surprised that I did the ride a touch faster on the Rocky Mountain as the effort felt like it was a bit harder, and I thought the difference would be much greater. Taking a closer look and comparison of trail sections I can see why. The Levo was a marginally better climber, and the Altitude a marginally better descender.
Here are some random sections from the rides with average grade for each section, and average speeds.
Climbing
1. 7% grade Levo 7.6m/hr RM 7.3 m/hr
2. 16% Levo 2.1 m/hr RM 2.0 m/hr
3. 10% Levo 6.0 m/hr RM 6.4 m/hr
4. 18% Levo 5.0 m/h RM 4.8 m/hr
5. 15% Levo 4.8 m/hr RM 3.9 m/hr
6. 10% Levo 7.8 m/hr RM 6.3 m/hr
7. 9% Levo 7.7 m/hr RM 6.4 m/hr
8. 9% Levo 7.7 m/hr RM 4.7 m/hr
9. 6% Levo 8.5 m/hr RM 7.8 m/hr
10. 11% Levo 5.7 m/hr RM 5.8 m/hr
So, generally speaking the Levo was a better climber than the Altitude. And the power readings verify with 149 Watt average on the Levo, and 155 W on the Altitude. I was working just a little harder with the sort-of matched power levels. Energy outputs of 641 kJ for Levo and 647 kJ for RM super close though.
Descending:
1. -11% Levo 8.2 m/hr RM 8.2 m/hr
2. -10% Levo 9.2 m/hr RM 10.3 m/hr
3. -5% Levo 9.7 m/hr RM 10.9 m/hr
4. -11% Levo 10.6 m/hr RM 11.6 m/hr
etc. etc. etc.
Again, the second ride was in hottest part of day on the RM but don't think that played into it. So, generally speaking, the Altitude seemed to be the faster downhill. It certainly felt that way and was more lively. Felt like a difference of a Cadillac (Levo) just flowing over things, and a Porsche (Altitude) playing with the trail more. Reality Check: Can't really do more on the downhill to go faster unless the courage and skills increase. But can always turn up the power if speed uphill is an issue, managing battery of course. End of the day, the ride times were very close
Though each had a 500 watt/hr battery , the battery life was significantly better on the Rocky Mountain, no doubt due to the wider range in the settings on each power mode on the Levo with Mission Contol. So if I were looking to get a really long ride in with the Levo, would just dial down or eliminate the Peak Power. Because of the vertical nature of our riding I don't typically do 50-60 mile rides, but think that either bike with the 500 w/hr battery is totally capable of doing it, long as you manage properly.
Removeable vs nonremovable battery. I don't live in an area that gets very cold, so there really isn't a need to remove the battery for that for me though it would be nice if RM made it easier to remove. So for me, not a dealbreaker at all.
Alloy vs Carbon: meh...don't think it matters much on mtb. Sure the RM Carbon is a bit lighter than it's alloy brother (or sister) but I can go either way. On road, carbon all the way. They say the alloy transfers heat from motor better. Okay. Truth be told, I think the saying Steel is real still rings true. Old school livin in the past but steel was schweet.
Dealer network. There are many more Specialized dealers around here than Rocky Mountain. But many don't carry the ebikes (yet). The closest RM dealer to my home is just 10 minutes away. But the next closest one is about an hour up the road. Getting service at a LBS would be an issue if there wasn't one close by. But have always heard good things about the brand and their support.
Charging: Both have nice chargers. I really liked the locking mechanism on the Rocky Mountain. Only downer would be if the bike fell while charging and it happened to be in a position to pull the cord could do damage. But that's avoidable. On the Levo the magnetic connection was, to me, a tad wonky, and the cover just a little clumsy. Charge time from the 60-some percent to 100 took awhile. Was faster on Altitude. And the charger with the Altitude almost sounds like there's a fan in it. Is there a fan in it? Pretty cool if so.
Model years. There isn't a huge difference between the 2018 and 2019 RM. And the demo bike I could get was 2018. However, I see the 2020 uses a different 11 speed Shimano drivetrain and brakes, and is supposedly quieter and has a bit larger battery at 672 watt hour. Not that I see huge need for increase over 500 watt hour, but bigger is better. Everyone knows Specialized had their big change in 2019 Levos from what I heard at dealer, the new ones will have bigger battery and fork diameters. So a little change, but not major overhaul.
Upkeep. Replacing the SRAM cassette would be a lot more expensive than the Shimano on the Specialized or on the 2020 RM which is spec'd with Shimano. But, being a dry environment, and I'm the type of rider that abuses the drivechain and keeps it smiling and happy, would expect to get more time with the SRAM drivetrain. Theoretically anyway.
So, if the price of each bike were the same, what would I get?
The Levo is a great bike. But personally, I like the handling of the RM better. I am willing to give up the naturally faster uphill and plow through everything ride of the 29er Levo for the more fun, rowdy and lively Altitude. I prefer the challenge of tough terrain versus simply holding on and letting the bike do all the work. If I want to go faster on the Altitude, I can simply crank the power mode up a notch. I find the Altitude handles a lot like my former Ellsworth Moment on descents, but feels like my light Giant Trance on climbs. The Levo is somewhere in the middle...to me..after just the one ride. It would take ownership to know for certain but I know can't go wrong with either bike.
So, do I know what bike I'll be getting? Sort of. I have narrowed it down to the RM Altitude. Just not sure if it's the super discounted 2018 Carbon 50 (bro-deal) or wait for the 2020 Alloy 50 and pay, literally, thousands more. Common sense will probably win. Or will it?
P.S. Took the Levo out for another ride on Sunday. This is a very rocky area just outside LA with grinding technical climbs and equally demanding descents. And the Levo was awesome. As I'm sure the Altitude would (will) be too.
....And yeah, the $20 replacement of the chain guide fixed the noise issue. Read good review of the Norco, but dealer isn't close enough to me so passed.
