Newbie in Brisbane

[ShaneV34]

Hi Everyone, have been reading the posts and watching lots of YouTube videos trying to decide between a Specialized Turbo Levo Comp and Merida eOne Sixty 900E!! Leaning towards the Merida for value but dam that Levo looks good.

 

[Tmacca]

Welcome mate,
Im on a levo but a riding mate has a levo and a merida one sixty.
For quite awhile he didn't get along with the merida but now loves it, would have been a serious contender for me if it was available at the time.
Don't think you can go wrong with either though having the extra travel on the Merida is a bonus, depending on the trails you ride.
Havnt checked prices for a spell, but Merida was a lot cheaper than the Levo.
If you can try both you'd be more informed.
Im riding all the Black trails on the Levo I ride with my normal enduro type bike, just get more runs in and weirdly now prefer jumping on the heavier bike.

 

[ShaneV34]

Thanks Tmacca,
I have tested the Giant, Cube and Spesch but only got 8km into a ride on the Levo and got a pinch flat!! Rookie mistake not bringing a spare tube, repair kit or even a pump!! I left the house in the morning too excited to ride it!! Epic Cycles in Brisbane hire one out so I’ll have to check it again. The Merida is so rare it took two months before 99 Bikes had one and I only got to ride it around the block! But seemed ok. I know there’s a bit of fitness involved but I keep the bikes in boost and hammer the trails!! Well as quick as I can which isn’t that quick but it’s more fun. Good to hear u can hit hard runs on the Levo, was concerned about the amount of travel and the suspension spec, they certainly aren’t cheap but the total package seems to be more that the sum of its parts!! Do u know why ur friend didn’t get on with the Merida to start with?
Cheers
Shane.

 

[Bonz]

Hi Everyone, have been reading the posts and watching lots of YouTube videos trying to decide between a Specialized Turbo Levo Comp and Merida eOne Sixty 900E!! Leaning towards the Merida for value but dam that Levo looks good.

Both bikes get great reviews. I have a Merida E160 and find it fantastic for the mtb park single tracks I ride.
Whatever you decide on go for more travel and powerful breaks, it’s well worth it.
Try out as many as you can get your hands on.
The Merida is certainly great value in Aus for the spec you get. $1000 cheaper than here in NZ.
Just returned to our cold wet weather from three beautiful sunny weeks up at Cotton Tree. Feel sorry for your farmers though.

 

[ShaneV34]

Thanks Bonz, yeah i was even playing with the idea of the new lower spec Kenevo but seeing if i could swap the motor for the 1.3 one!! Also looked at the Focus Sam2 but its the same as the Levo, a lot of money for the spec. I am not a good jumper but want to learn to go bigger!! Most of the trails around Brissy are XC, one or two small drops but nothing major, they can be fun and flowy though with the right bike!! I have a Giant Trance 2 that has 140mm of travel, have never really used all of that suspension but i do want to try different trails and some jumps.

 

[Bonz]

Thanks Bonz, yeah i was even playing with the idea of the new lower spec Kenevo but seeing if i could swap the motor for the 1.3 one!! Also looked at the Focus Sam2 but its the same as the Levo, a lot of money for the spec. I am not a good jumper but want to learn to go bigger!! Most of the trails around Brissy are XC, one or two small drops but nothing major, they can be fun and flowy though with the right bike!! I have a Giant Trance 2 that has 140mm of travel, have never really used all of that suspension but i do want to try different trails and some jumps.

I see Giant have a new Yamaha powered Trance Ebike range which looks very nice. Not sure of prices in Aus.
I rode my wife’s bike with 130 travel, then tried the same tracks on my Merida wth 160 travel and better brakes.
What a huge difference, maybe that extra weight of an Ebike is more suited to longer travel.
Good luck.

 

[ShaneV34]

I see Giant have a new Yamaha powered Trance Ebike range which looks very nice. Not sure of prices in Aus.
I rode my wife’s bike with 130 travel, then tried the same tracks on my Merida wth 160 travel and better brakes.
What a huge difference, maybe that extra weight of an Ebike is more suited to longer travel.
Good luck.

Hey Bonz, yeah I seen that. I rode the old model but the suspension felt wooden to me, if u know what I mean and it needed more travel for me. Plus it felt more about the motor than the overall bike. Don’t get me wrong I had a blast on it but it left me wanting more from the experience. Same with the Cube. But there are other factors involved, neither bike was exactly the right size for me I think which wouldn’t have helped. Plus for a change, Giant aren’t the bike offering the most bag for your buck!!

 

[Smac21]

Hey Shane, I am in the same dilemma at the moment. Rode the e160 at bunya and gap creek in Brisbane this weekend and was super impressed with its ability both climbing and descending. I haven’t had a chance to demo the Levo yet. Have you pulled the trigger on anything yet ? If so which way do you go ?

 

[Indigo]

Hi Shane & Smac21,
I'm in Brisbane too and last Wednesday when I visited Epic Cycles in Brisbane, they said their 2017 Levo demo will be replaced with a 2019 Levo in 2-3 weeks time.
I have also tried the 2018 Focus Jam2 at electric bikes brisbane, it's noticeably lighter and the Shimano E8000 felt more natural to me, but I didn't like the less progressive disk brakes. The better spec'd Sam2 PRO 170/170 mm (f/r) might interest me. Anyway, I'm in no rush and will be trying as many emtb as I can find at lbs.

 

[ShaneV34]

Hey Shane, I am in the same dilemma at the moment. Rode the e160 at bunya and gap creek in Brisbane this weekend and was super impressed with its ability both climbing and descending. I haven’t had a chance to demo the Levo yet. Have you pulled the trigger on anything yet ? If so which way do you go ?

hi Smac21 & Indigo, I went with the Ficus Sam2 about 6 weeks ago. Loving it. Was a tough call between the Merida and the Focus, the Focus won purely on looks. There’s no other bike at the moment that comes close to the Merida for bag for ur buck and the new black and gold one looks cool in my opinion. I got a decent deal on the 2018 Focus, $1000 off and the battery pack for $700 instead of $1000. Used the battery pack once just to see what it was like, did 22km in boost around the gap and was barely sweating!! Took the battery off and did another 15km in trail mode, still had 3 bars left. The Levo was just too expensive for what u were getting but I did like the way it rode. The suspension on the Sam2 is good but I am blowing through the travel too easily, I am only 85kg with all gear and water on board. A spacer or two in the shock should remedy this tho. I ride most Mondays and fridays at the gap before work. Loving being able to have a quick blast and cover almost 20km in an hour!!

 

[Rockyw]

I got The 2019 Merida E160 900E after trying 2018 Mondraaker, Specialized, Scott, and Haibike. Value for money wise and rideability, the Merida won easily. Shorter chain stays, better suspension, and bakes than the other bikes. I would have liked to try the 2019 Specialized, but the price difference was huge, and still not available yet. To get the same component quality, as Merida 160 900E you would have to buy an S works, which was quoted as $16500 here n NZ, as against $8500 for the Merida.