Levo SL Gen 1 Is too much power a thing?

[Captain_Kadaver]

Folks, ... I thought I would post this in the Specialized section cause that is where my train of thought is going .....

The summary is, should I sell me Crafty R (2021 bought in 2020) for a Levo SL ..... I know some of you might have fallen off your chair, but hear me out ....

Bought an E-Bike to get back into riding, after a few years off due to a big crash and complete loss of confidence, I was unfit and the thought of doing a 15-20K ride filled me with dred and compounded matters. Eventually bought a Mondraker and loved it and I'm back in the game, only really done 300ish KM's on it, now after a nice ride out in Afan, the W2 loop if you've been out there, 2.5 Hours 40KM, at the end, I feel I've not been challenged enough physically, I think that's the crux of the matter, a number of years ago, doing the Dalby loop or something similar 40K's ish was a slog, maybe a little to much of a slog, now it's turned that ride into a quick blast and a sense that I'm not getting that physical kick out of riding I used to ..... you see where I'm going here .... it seems like a good idea to take the sting out of the climbs, but not so much you haven't had a good work out ..... also a 25KG bike it a much different beast to a normal bike ride .... anyway, that's what I'm thinking, has anyone else gone through these ponderances ?

 

[George_KSL]

I've got addicted to e-bikes roughly 5 months ago, when I borrowed old Levo 6Fatty, the one with 320perc. "you" motor, instead of the current "400perc.". And I had similar thoughts.. well there is whole thread on it here, also other forums and it's quite conflicting topic :- ). My opinion was that while I was technically exercising, with heartrate up and aerobic this and that... I was losing power, particularly peak power a lot. Which to me was always confirmed when I jumped back on my regular Enduro bike.

That to me wasn't an issue because exercise was never a part of what I liked about mountain biking (and I go to gym anyway), that was technical riding, mainly downhill and overall mental well-being in Forest.
What disconcerted to me was how detached it was from regular biking experience. Too much faster (up-hill) and overall forcing me to almost always go on big rides and do them quickly. I know you can lower the assistance, but then I just feel slow on heavy bike, again, not comparable experience to normal biking. The heavy full-fat e-bike simply felt good to me only with strong assistance and going fast.

So we decided to go for LevoSL for my wife and KenevoSL for me as main bikes. And it's absolutely what we both wanted to such a point that my wife got rid of her regular enduro bike and I will probably do too. The SL-bikes are just like normal bikes, but better (and sadly louder).

I know there are lot of 20-21KG big FF Levos, but those only achieved that weight with unfit wheelsets and tyres. With proper gear, full-fat bike is never under 22-23KG.
LevoSL is 18KG and KenevoSL 19KG when equipped with 1300+ gram tyres with inserts, no bullshit with XC carbon wheels and Recon tyres ;- ). And they just feel fantastic (outside of that terrible whine noise...).

While the SL will become primary bikes for us, I would probably keep full-fat if I lived in massive Alpine region like Swiss Alps or Dolomites.
I do not have such epic trails anywhere close to where I live, so I don't need that kind of battery capacity or climbing assistance. And when I'll visit Alpine regions, I'll just use Gondola ;- )

 

[Alexbn921]

I'm in the opposite camp. I want 4x the power and a full on DH bike to get down the trails. Give me a motorcycle with pedals just so I can "get away" with riding it. Fitness is what you make it. I can average 170 or 130 heartrate on my Kenevo depending on my mood.
Actually riding single track, I use all the power, but back off the assistance level so it's controllable.

 

[Konanige]

Have been down this same path myself. Its not fun destroying yourself on a ride but its nice to 'feel' that you've been on a ride. FF Levo was too much power for me and I couldn't see the point of dragging another 5 or6 kilos around with the power 'turned down'. If you love fast singletrack and throwing the bike about picking lines as opposed to just blasting down the hill then the SL is the bike for you. Always liked Afan W2 myself especially the Whites climb but it was even more enjoyable on my SL, think it would have been a 'non challenge' on a FF.

 

[RebornRider]

I've never understood these threads. Power gives you options. More power gives you more options. I like having more options!

The thing I focus on is not "too much power". I focus on "having enough control of that power". If you say you have too much power, I will reply by saying you don't have enough control of the power. You don't have to use all of it.

Maybe the issue is having more power than you will ever use. But even in that case, I'll ask if you can predict with 100% certainty how much power you'll need in the future.

 

[Konanige]

I've never understood these threads. Power gives you options. More power gives you more options. I like having more options!

The thing I focus on is not "too much power". I focus on "having enough control of that power". If you say you have too much power, I will reply by saying you don't have enough control of the power. You don't have to use all of it.

Maybe the issue is having more power than you will ever use. But even in that case, I'll ask if you can predict with 100% certainty how much power you'll need in the future.

The issue is the trade off, a FF bike can never handle the same as a lighter bike, so if you don't need the 'power' why carry it round? You wouldn't carry a full 4 litre water bladder on a one hour ride even if you can control your bladder!!

 

[duk916]

I have a Levo Comp, this is my second one. I have the power settings turned down to give myself a challenge.
This is my settings;
Eco 20%
Trail 30%
Turbo 80%
Assist turned down to 80%

I do get where you are coming from.

 

[RebornRider]

The issue is the trade off, a FF bike can never handle the same as a lighter bike, so if you don't need the 'power' why carry it round? You wouldn't carry a full 4 litre water bladder on a one hour ride even if you can control your bladder!!

So as I said, "more power than you will ever use".

 

[flash]

The correct answer for full power vs light weight has always been.... One of Each!

Gordon

 

[Captain_Kadaver]

My FF never really comes out of Tour Mode, I do understand where people coming from on such a contentious issue I think my attitude would be different if I lived in the alps. I've got a carbon enduro that I take to bike parks for uplift days and perhaps that has spoilt me, going from a 15KG bike cracking down hills, to basically piloting an oil tanker thru the trails of wales has just started me thinking about how I ride and what i want out of trail riding, as the end of every youtube video on the subject says "it's personal preference" .....

 

[Mcharza]

So as I said, "more power than you will ever use".

So you still don't get it?
There's so many personal needs, Others just want a little assistant, a light, poppy and fun bike. Others like power and like riding a tank.

It's a personal preference. I have no trouble producing 700-800 watts on my own legs. That's why I'm riding with the SL version and moved of the FF.

 

[Don_Singer]

My 2 cents, I need the power to reduce pedal force and help with my arthritis disability, so the lower power aggravates my condition. However, I don't ride an MTB strictly for fitness, it is s fun way to get exercise but I ride because I like trail riding and the more the better. Also, I am noticing my technical skills are getting better more quickly, I can take lines I never would have tried in the past. I think this is due to the eMTB allowing me to ride farther for longer and is improving my technical bike handling.

 

[RebornRider]

So you still don't get it?

Them's trolling words. Every forum has a few.

Edit: After I posted this reply (in US cowboy dialect), this comment from the same post: "I have no trouble producing 700-800 watts on my own legs" reminded me of this YouTube video:

Olympic Cyclist Vs. Toaster: Can He Power It?

 

[GDS]

I currently ride a Trek Rail 7 which is an awesome bike. I was looking at a Levo SL recently but decided to keep the Rail. I live in Colorado at 7,400' elevation and where I typically ride is even more elevation. I'm also 69 years old, total knee replacement, rotator cuff repairs, etc. The other day my buddy and I did a 20 mile ride up in the mountains, over 2,500' elevation gain, just under 4 hours. My point is that I could never do a ride like that on an acoustic bike or even with an SL as it would not have enough range. Sure, I could lug a battery extender (another 2.2lbs) but even in Turbo mode on the SL some of the climbs we did would be tough with only 25nM of torque. Believe me, even with the larger motor on the Trek that ride certainly gave me a workout! To each his own. If I live at lower altitude I'm sure an SL would be really fun but I don't so I keep my full-powered bike. I am considering a Santa Cruz Heckler because it will be 5-7 lbs lighter than my Rail but still have a good amount of power for the elevation. To each his own.

 

[ridesantacruz]

I would get the SL, best bike I have ever owned for all the reasons you mentioned. Agile like an acoustic mt. bike but not crushed by bigger rides.

 

[jimslade]

Same. I had years off, was out of shape and confidence. Had FF Levo for a year, was awesome but by the end of the season I was riding eco only and it felt like a monster truck to me. Sold it for an SL, couldn’t be happier. I’m 50+ and in reasonably good shape. Ride mostly in Sierras

 

[Captain_Kadaver]

Thanks for responding and adding in your 2 cents everyone, as much as this is probably a tired old argument now, it's good to get people's perspectives on it, reading why people ride, where they ride on what on is always helpful.

 

[Binhill1]

I've got addicted to e-bikes roughly 5 months ago, when I borrowed old Levo 6Fatty, the one with 320perc. "you" motor, instead of the current "400perc.". And I had similar thoughts.. well there is whole thread on it here, also other forums and it's quite conflicting topic :- ). My opinion was that while I was technically exercising, with heartrate up and aerobic this and that... I was losing power, particularly peak power a lot. Which to me was always confirmed when I jumped back on my regular Enduro bike.

That to me wasn't an issue because exercise was never a part of what I liked about mountain biking (and I go to gym anyway), that was technical riding, mainly downhill and overall mental well-being in Forest.
What disconcerted to me was how detached it was from regular biking experience. Too much faster (up-hill) and overall forcing me to almost always go on big rides and do them quickly. I know you can lower the assistance, but then I just feel slow on heavy bike, again, not comparable experience to normal biking. The heavy full-fat e-bike simply felt good to me only with strong assistance and going fast.

So we decided to go for LevoSL for my wife and KenevoSL for me as main bikes. And it's absolutely what we both wanted to such a point that my wife got rid of her regular enduro bike and I will probably do too. The SL-bikes are just like normal bikes, but better (and sadly louder).

I know there are lot of 20-21KG big FF Levos, but those only achieved that weight with unfit wheelsets and tyres. With proper gear, full-fat bike is never under 22-23KG.
LevoSL is 18KG and KenevoSL 19KG when equipped with 1300+ gram tyres with inserts, no bullshit with XC carbon wheels and Recon tyres ;- ). And they just feel fantastic (outside of that terrible whine noise...).

While the SL will become primary bikes for us, I would probably keep full-fat if I lived in massive Alpine region like Swiss Alps or Dolomites.
I do not have such epic trails anywhere close to where I live, so I don't need that kind of battery capacity or climbing assistance. And when I'll visit Alpine regions, I'll just use Gondola ;- )

Folks, ... I thought I would post this in the Specialized section cause that is where my train of thought is going .....

The summary is, should I sell me Crafty R (2021 bought in 2020) for a Levo SL ..... I know some of you might have fallen off your chair, but hear me out ....

Bought an E-Bike to get back into riding, after a few years off due to a big crash and complete loss of confidence, I was unfit and the thought of doing a 15-20K ride filled me with dred and compounded matters. Eventually bought a Mondraker and loved it and I'm back in the game, only really done 300ish KM's on it, now after a nice ride out in Afan, the W2 loop if you've been out there, 2.5 Hours 40KM, at the end, I feel I've not been challenged enough physically, I think that's the crux of the matter, a number of years ago, doing the Dalby loop or something similar 40K's ish was a slog, maybe a little to much of a slog, now it's turned that ride into a quick blast and a sense that I'm not getting that physical kick out of riding I used to ..... you see where I'm going here .... it seems like a good idea to take the sting out of the climbs, but not so much you haven't had a good work out ..... also a 25KG bike it a much different beast to a normal bike ride .... anyway, that's what I'm thinking, has anyone else gone through these ponderances ?

Sounds like you are maybe too young to be Ebiking it yet , no offence. . 60 year old at least i think and even then some folk miss the ego thing . Lot of very fit older folk out there , usually slim.

 

[rod9301]

I ride in France often, and the majority of young, fit, skilled riders are on e bikes.

This way they can ride more often and more downhill.

 

[Binhill1]

I ride in France often, and the majority of young, fit, skilled riders are on e bikes.

This way they can ride more often and more downhill.

Used uplift and you can ride all day thats what i do when i go to France as you dont need to charge Ebike .