Has anyone got the Levo base aluminium model?

[Andy A]

Hi guys my wife Linda wants a Levo and we were looking at the expert but even with a great discount we just don't want to spend £6000 on one but on looking at the spesh site she really likes the look of the base model at £4000 there is a black one with a bright blue Specialized on the frame so has anyone got this model and if so what do you think?

She would have to get a dropper post put on it and she would buy the 700wh battery but it would save us a fortune so it would be good to hear some users thoughts on it

How hard would it be to sell the original 500wh battery as she wants the 700wh battery?

Also is the back brake ok with just the two pistons?

She says she would be more than happy with an aluminium frame but is the spec ok on it and any upgrades we need to consider.

Thanks

 

[R120]

2019 Levo Custom Build...from FSR to S-Works and beyond - EMTB Forums

 

[Andy A]

2019 Levo Custom Build...from FSR to S-Works and beyond - EMTB Forums

Thanks for that and that is the colour she likes when I said upgrades I meant very basic ones a dropper post is a must so is the bigger battery but that will probably do her

 

[R120]

Yes I think a great route to go down @All Mountain Coaching rode the bike a fair bit in standard guise, and I believe was quite impressed. The interesting thing is I think his build came in at less than a carbon comp, so shows that you can significantly upgrade the bike as and when

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

If you've got any questions just let me know.

I've also done an upgrade spreadsheet to show you how much it costs to sell and replace parts along with weights.

1st upgrade, as you said, a dropper post.

 

[Andy A]

Damn they have sold out of the black/nice blue which is the only colour she likes so back to the drawing board

 

[GuyBerry]

I have an Expert and got the base model for a few days when my bike was in for service.
The fork is a big difference.
Brakes are OK but will not handle the same abuse.

 

[Andy A]

I have an Expert and got the base model for a few days when my bike was in for service.
The fork is a big difference.
Brakes are OK but will not handle the same abuse.

Oh really! her brakes need to be good for her so that might be a problem! Isn't the fork on that base model that good, we aren't elite riders we do some on road from home and then a lot of off road north york moors rides which are around 27 miles but nothing technical, she loves the expert but we don't want to take that much out of our savings, she fancies the Levo for the looks but especially the 700wh battery which will give her some peace of mind

 

[khorn]

I do believe that along the road of your ownership you will properly upgrade brakes, fork and for sure add a dropper. That is the first 700£. Then you will buy a 700 Whr battery and thats another 1000£. You can get some of your money back by selling the stuff you upgrade but you have to do it right away when the stuff still possess value. Who would buy a well used Sektor fork if its been used for a year. Buying a base is good if you only want to use frame/motor and take it from there but with your intentions it would not be that more expensive to buy the Expert. After all that will possess a better re-sale value if you want to upgrade in 2 years.

Karsten

 

[Thomas]

How hard would it be to sell the original 500wh battery as she wants the 700wh battery?

For 50% of the retail price maybe, otherwise hard.

 

[GuyBerry]

Oh really! her brakes need to be good for her so that might be a problem! Isn't the fork on that base model that good, we aren't elite riders we do some on road from home and then a lot of off road north york moors rides which are around 27 miles but nothing technical, she loves the expert but we don't want to take that much out of our savings, she fancies the Levo for the looks but especially the 700wh battery which will give her some peace of mind

Even on the paved road, the Sektor feels less stable in the corners compared to the Pike.
I must add I have DT Swiss wheels (plenty of €€€€) which also add to the stability , the brakes give the same feeling on the paved road as the codes, but will not have the same stopping power nor endurance when doing serious off road, after all, the Level are XC brakes.
Put back-to-back : the Expert felt a lot more lively and stable.

 

[Andy A]

Even on the paved road, the Sektor feels less stable in the corners compared to the Pike.
I must add I have DT Swiss wheels (plenty of €€€€) which also add to the stability , the brakes give the same feeling on the paved road as the codes, but will not have the same stopping power nor endurance when doing serious off road, after all, the Level are XC brakes.
Put back-to-back : the Expert felt a lot more lively and stable.

Thanks Guy I don't think we will go this way, I just went to put the deposit down on a Giant Trance E + 2 and Linda came with me and really loved the bike and from what I have read it's a well specced and great bike for the money

 

[MattyB]

Thanks Guy I don't think we will go this way, I just went to put the deposit down on a Giant Trance E + 2 and Linda came with me and really loved the bike and from what I have read it's a well specced and great bike for the money

So you may buy a second new Trance for her as well? Sorry, I don’t really get your thinking - if she has range anxiety or can’t complete her rides on her 500Wh Haibike, switching to a 500Wh Giant is highly unlikely to solve the problem. If she loves her Haibike as you say just get a second battery and keep enjoying it with the added bonus of keeping a big wedge of cash that can remain in your back pocket.

 

[Andy A]

So you may buy a second new Trance for her as well? Sorry, I don’t really get your thinking - if she has range anxiety or can’t complete her rides on her 500Wh Haibike, switching to a 500Wh Giant is highly unlikely to solve the problem. If she loves her Haibike as you say just get a second battery and keep enjoying it with the added bonus of keeping a big wedge of cash that can remain in your back pocket.

Ahh I said she liked the bike not that she was going to get one Motors have moved on somewhat since she got her 2016 Haibike as looking at the assistance for the 5 levels on the Giant compared to her Haibike there is quite a difference I reckon she would spend most of her time in the second setting eco + on the Giant setup so the battery would last her longer and I think she really fancies treating herself to a new bike with a concealed battery and why not

 

[R120]

People are getting some good figures range wise on the new Giants too - if going the shop route they are hard to beat value wise, and nice looking bikes too

 

[Andy A]

People are getting some good figures range wise on the new Giants too - if going the shop route they are hard to beat value wise, and nice looking bikes too

I have read that and looking at the assistance levels on the Trance there is more assistance in lower settings so she could do most of her ride on the first two settings so you would assume it will go further on the same size battery, I get my Trance 2 this week so let's find out ; )

 

[Gren_Patterson]

I have the base model and upgraded the fork to a fox 36 and the brakes to magura MT5

 

[Sparkerfix]

My wife has the 2019 ally frame comp. All good so far. Have put 27.5 wheels on it for her though. For her 700battery not an issue but dropper post is.

 

[Hunter-m-j]

Hi Guys, i have the base model on order here in Australia. My plan is to part out the bits I don’t want. Ill be replacing the fork with Cane Creek Helm spring set at 160, the shock with Cane Creek IL coil, putting on a bike yoke dropper post and fitting a 4 piston calliper to the rear brake and a cushcore in the rear wheel. I get a really good deal from my local Bike Shop that make it better for me to go this way than buying the carbon frame bike and i end up with an exceptionally good build. I already have the 2019 stumpjumper expert and the only change I’ve made is a cane creek coil in the rear and cushcore in the rear wheel, the bike is awesome. If the 2019 levo handle like the stumpy its going to be unreal. We already have a 2017 Turbo Levo that my wife rides but is a size medium and a touch on the small size for me. Will see how the 500amph battery goes

 

[HGmtb]

I'm also in Australia, and have the black/blue logo 2019 base model Levo - I've swapped the forks to a RC2 160 mm Rockshox Lyrik, and put in an X-Fusion Manic dropper post (the same one as specified on the Carbon Expert) with the Specialized lever. My mate has an 2019 S-WORKS which cost nearly twice as much as mine has, and to be perfectly frank, it is hard to tell the difference, and he agrees. I've been riding carbon mountain bikes for many years (my current analogue bike is a Mondraker Dune), and do really appreciate the lightweight frames and components , but the benefits are not so noticeable on a 20kg+ bike with a motor. Loving it.

 

[MattyB]

I have read that and looking at the assistance levels on the Trance there is more assistance in lower settings so she could do most of her ride on the first two settings so you would assume it will go further on the same size battery, I get my Trance 2 this week so let's find out ; )

Sorry, but this is completely wrong. As we have explained before, the number of assistance levels or percentage values on the display make zero difference to the efficiency (and therefore range) of the overall drivetrain.

The factors that influence range are a) the capacity of the battery (analogous to fuel capacity in an IC vehicle), b) the electrical efficiency of the motor and any inline gearing (analogous to the combustion and drivetrain efficiency in an IC car), and c) the load imposed i.e the number of watts being drawn by the motor in absolute terms (which is defined by the characteristics of the power train such as motor Kv, pack voltage, power mode, rider effort etc). Having more power modes or a higher peak output does not make a power train more efficient or give you more range - that would be like claiming swapping a throttle pedal on a car to one with more travel gives you more range. The power modes are an input variable; they don’t magically give the battery more capacity or improve the electrical efficiency of the motor.

 

[Andy A]

Sorry, but this is completely wrong. As we have explained before, the number of assistance levels or percentage values on the display make zero difference to the efficiency (and therefore range) of the overall drivetrain.

The factors that influence range are a) the capacity of the battery (analogous to fuel capacity in an IC vehicle), b) the electrical efficiency of the motor and any inline gearing (analogous to the combustion and drivetrain efficiency in an IC car), and c) the load imposed i.e the number of watts being drawn by the motor in absolute terms (which is defined by the characteristics of the power train such as motor Kv, pack voltage, power mode etc). Having more power modes or a higher peak output does not make a power train more efficient or give you more range - that would be like claiming swapping a throttle pedal on a car to one with more travel gives you more range. The power modes are an input variable; they don’t magically give the battery more capacity or improve the electrical efficiency of the motor.

ok ok you made your point! at least I can see how I get on with it when I get it, I really think she would be better with a Levo 700wh battery at least that will give her more, just a shame they are expensive

 

[mark.ai]

One option if you are both using the same type of battery, is you can always swap batteries half way round your ride, if one of you is using up the battery faster. Or just carry one spare battery between the 2 of you for an extra 50% range each.