Newbie...treat me gently

[Flog]

As said, a real virgin on all things electric and, mmm bikes in general!
Wife has got me on her old Saracen bike with 7 of 21 gears working and rubber brake blocks, no suspension no nuffin' - just hard work!!
Spent the weekend on YT and Google checking all the reviews and vids and the Specialized Levo kept coming up top and top... so thats my thinking. Go straight in with something decent and then gives me time to grow in to the bike!
Although my budget and wife's slightly differ. So, finally, question......
There's a grand difference between 2019 and 2020 and to my virgin brain, both models are almost the same - think the shocks differ. My main question and what I'll be using most is the motor and the battery! Is that the same as that's the way I read it.
I have a 3k budget (will be able to squeeze +200) so the 2019 is in reach... but is the 2019 model worth buying being 18 months old. I'm never. going to be in the X Games squad, just a MAMIL with no idea....
Sorry, last thing - I was going to go to a Specialized Concept store in Bristol - are they good, any feedback I should know?
Or, what else should I look at - did think the Decathlon new alls us bike??
I am sure if I used the search function this above will all have been answered but what else have we got to do at the moment!!
THANK YOU!

 

[Zimmerframe]

Go straight in with something decent and then gives me time to grow in to the bike!

I think this is a good call .. I went through three bike changes last year as I progressed, would have been far far easier and cheaper to just get something good to start with. 3k ish for a Levo sounds like a great deal.

There were various upgrades/fixes done on the 19, so if you go for that over the 20, just make sure they've all been applied. The motor and battery are the same. I think the 20's generally came with better suspension spec as standard over the 19, but if you're just starting out, you should be fine with the 19's standard spec. Lots of people upgrade them, but lots of people leave them standard, it really depends what you're doing.

No idea about the bristol spesh concept store, sorry.

The new Decathlon stilus seems a nice bike for the money. There's plenty of info on that in here :

Decathlon STILUS Full Suspension Electric Mountain Bike - SRAM SX - EMTB Forums

Someone said the other day though that they were out of stock. Not sure if that was for a particular size or in general.

 

[Flog]

Thanks Zimmer. Any shocks will be better than no shocks so worry about that when grabbing air off the side of a barrel!!
You don't say if you ride a Levo, but if you do, I'm 5-10 and fall between a M and L size according to their size guide - I know easiest thing to do is go in and sit but obviously not at the mo, do you know if I should go lower or higher??
thanks again.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Morning Flog,

Exactly !

I went for a 2019 Kenevo Expert. Same height as you but I went for a Large and had the same dilemma. The previous two bikes were mediums and I'd also ridden a large in one of those, which felt a bit cumbersome.

I went large with the Kenevo as it gives a bit more stability, but at the expense of playfulness/manoeuvrability. There's a whole mix of people the same height who have L's or M's on the forum, so there is no hard and fast rule. The medium will sit you upright a bit more, keep some weight off the wrists and will probably be more comfortable.

 

[wepn]

Zimmer plays it down massively but actually he is the Oracle and offers excellent advice. I agree the Decathlon is great value and that's why it's sold out. Levo is better and if you can get one in that price range, get it.

There's a lot of talk about Brose motor issues but that's magnified by the amount of bikes they sell and reports focus on failures not on reliability. If you look at the total number of Specialized posts here vs the rest, that gives you some idea.

I've had a dropper post issue, fixed by replacing it with a Reverb AXS & a chain guide issue fixed by reinstalling it. That's all. Super reliable, great bike.

 

[Flog]

Thanks Guys, really appreciate the thoughts and that's why the forums work.
The old joke - use to be indecisive but now I'm not sure.... the Cube stereo 140 HPC is quite near the budget so question again - new 2020 with new motor and bigger battery against the older Levo tech?? And still in the background is the Decathlon.
In more normal times I'd go and see both etc... but thats quite hard now and of course I'm impatient!!
Thanks again

 

[Wheelie_King]

Another vote for stretching as far as you can on the first purchase to avoid the expensive upgrade/replacement cycle that often follows an early compromise on price.
I did this 6 months go (first eMTB) and am releived to say I've got not burning desire for anything better at the moment. Very happy it's all the bike I need / deserve!!

 

[maynard]

Yea do it . Join the revolution. Be somebody.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Thanks Guys, really appreciate the thoughts and that's why the forums work.
The old joke - use to be indecisive but now I'm not sure.... the Cube stereo 140 HPC is quite near the budget so question again - new 2020 with new motor and bigger battery against the older Levo tech?? And still in the background is the Decathlon.
In more normal times I'd go and see both etc... but thats quite hard now and of course I'm impatient!!
Thanks again

I really like the look of the latest cubes and the bosch Gen 4 (normal sized chain ring - compared to the previous bosch Gen 2 - tiny chainring) seems to be reliable so far, with plenty of improvements on the last version.

Also worth considering in that price bracket is the Trek Rail 5. Seems like an all round really solid bike and has the Bosch Gen 4 motor. With some negotiation these are often available for about £3200.

The Levo motor will be the quietest being belt driven internally, the others have more of a whine, which you don't really notice after a while - so don't discount them for that. Power wise, they'll all feel much like other when it really comes down to it. It's not like one Feels like a Fiesta and the other a Koenigsegg .

The Decathlon's definitely great value, but probably isn't perceived as being as cool as the others, but then it's a re-badged Lombardo, so shouldn't really matter.

Ultimately, they're all really good bikes. For me, I think the build quality and attention to detail goes to the Spesh, but the others have really caught up lots this year. So it will either come down to price and deals and if you're actually buying from a shop, which shop you feel most comfortable with for giving you support down the line .. or Looks ... Whilst you can't really see it when you're riding it .. If it's a dead heat then you might as well go for the one which gives you that "I like it feeling" ..

Or if you really don't care which one it is .. let the wife choose then she might feel placated and afterwards when she complains, you can say "well, you chose it" ....

 

[steve_sordy]

@Flog Before you take the plunge, have a look at Focus.
They have a range of full suss emtbs
Thron2 with 130mm
Jam2 with 150mm
Sam2 with 170mm

Dealers will have deals available for this years and last year, or maybe some ex-demo bikes

 

[Flog]

More great thoughts Gents! To comment on a couple of Zimmerframes points:

1. Only from what I have read as haven't ridden all the alternatives - the Bosch seems to be the motor of choice this year (although see there is quite a grumble / whining noise on this "out of gear" ??) so that was my thought on new tech and old tech of the Levo motor - although like the sound of 90nm of torque??
1.1 I thought would be a good time to buy considering the world is in shutdown but as a shop guy said to me today - Have you seen the price of oil today, thats the price it is Sir! (d'oh)
2. Impressed with spelling of Koenigsegg
3. Decathlon coolness - have you seen me in lycra - uncool is the new cool is what I'm going after
4. Absolutely - Smile factor makes up 50% of purchase, no matter what all the tech and specs say
5. Are you mad! We already going to have a wife "price" which will probably be 30% lower than ticket so we need to keep everything at arms length... but as she is the / was the cyclist (did cycle Cuba and a few other tours 12 years ago) I know she'll want one and I'll be scr@wed for sure!!
6. Sordy - not more choice!

 

[Wheelie_King]

5. Are you mad! We already going to have a wife "price" which will probably be 30% lower than ticket

Everything costs £50 or less doesn’t it? I told my wife this week that my new Hope grips came with a free set of carbon bars ?

 

[R120]

Interestingly my LBS is doing the best business it has had for years during the lockdown, between people getting old bikes serviced to go out and ride on, and lots buying new bikes for their hours fitness, they said they have never been busier, so I dont know that there will be that many "extra" discounts at the moment.

 

[CjP]

Just get the specialized bike, what ever breaks they will fix it quick. They’re the hottest bike going around and they ride awesome! Don’t listen to the haters. A couple salty guys whinge on the forum and all of a sudden they’re the worst bikes yet they out sell any other brand.
Ive got two of them and I want a third. I’ve had hardly any issues and I push them hard.
In saying that if you think the other bikes are prettier go for them. Any ebike is better than an equivalent non ebike!

 

[#lazy]

Everything costs £50 or less doesn’t it? I told my wife this week that my new Hope grips came with a free set of carbon bars ?

I’ve had the same bike for 15 years just upgraded the frame and bits every 2 edit ; my spelling is tarrible

 

[R120]

I’ve had the same bike for 15 years just upgraded the frame and bits ever 2

Triggers broom! My wife only realised I had two EMTB's when I gave one a respray - boy did I get a bollocking!

 

[Flog]

Normally you can just smuggle things. in to the house, but a new hobby and a bike are pretty big. plays...even for me!
Thanks