Levo SL Gen 1 Official Levo SL Thread
- Thread starter Rob Rides EMTB
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Mcharza
E*POWAH BOSS
Interesting story of the bike weight here Nerding Out: Why You Shouldn't Worry Too Much About Weight - Pinkbike
George_KSL
Active member
I think most of us have the 1K +/- Carbon wheelsets from "oem" makers like LB, Nextie, etc.. :- ) I was just saying... don't go as low as 1600 grams. Yes rotational weight... but this is e-bike :- ). 1600 grams definitely felt very sketchy for my 85KG and there were lot of weight savings from DT240 instead of 350, only 28 straight-pull spokes, etc. If you go with heavier US/UK hubs like Hope, ChrisKing, Hydra, etc.. then 1600 grams is just not right weight unless you're riding cross-country.
SantaCruz Reserve 30 V2 is 1800 grams, one of the lightest hard charging sets. There is reason no trail/enduro wheelsets are less than that, even if it costs 3000 Euro. I would say that is the goldilock weight for high-end set. But for e-bike, I see no reason why even get that low.
The stock aluminium wheelset is very much a trash though. It's super heavy and it's not particularly strong or anything. It's literally 100 Euro wheelset on 7000 Euro bike. It's fascinating :- ).
SantaCruz Reserve 30 V2 is 1800 grams, one of the lightest hard charging sets. There is reason no trail/enduro wheelsets are less than that, even if it costs 3000 Euro. I would say that is the goldilock weight for high-end set. But for e-bike, I see no reason why even get that low.
The stock aluminium wheelset is very much a trash though. It's super heavy and it's not particularly strong or anything. It's literally 100 Euro wheelset on 7000 Euro bike. It's fascinating :- ).
George_KSL
Active member
There is a Seb Stott article as perfect counter-argument for almost any nonsense :- ). I liked the one where he debunks the strength of "rolling resistance" which really becomes almost placebo for average mixed-trail ride when looking at the real numbers.
There was a guy here claiming he lost 40perc. of range with softer rear tire. Yeah that's not how it works.
Fast tire will make you at best, 5perc. faster. And then you wash-out in corner, tear your shoulder tendons and spend 4 months off the bike with life-long repercussions. True story of my friend :- ).
Seb
Member
Question, does anyone know if there is already a thread on this forum on wear/play/movement on the levy sl crank. I have understood some play is normal but I still have the feeling it is getting worse, i.e. you can move crank left and right and then makes a sort of clicking sound, maybe only or less then a millimeter but it doesn't feel sound to me. Anyone has same experience? Is this warranty?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Seb
Member
Thanks for your reply, but would you know if there is an option to adjust (tighten?) as with any normal crank?
If we are thinking of the same cranks what is noted above is the opposite of what Praxis wrote me regarding removing the crank arms :
"Use an 8mm allen wrench and turn the bolt counter clock wise. That’s it. Don’t touch the cap surrounding the 8mm allen bolt.
Thanks
Praxis Works"
arh, ok, I loosened the lock ring first (reverse thread). I didn't realise you did not need to do this.
I've edited my above post.
SquireRides
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Thank god for Rob's video. Of course when I wanted to clean up the cranks the first thing i did was take the lock rings right off. Then I am staring, confused, at the bolts, trying to work out how my crank extractor would work...
mizzourah2006
New Member
Went on my first long(ish) ride today. I was hoping to get 22 miles in, but the first 16 ended up taking a bit longer than I expected and I needed to get home to pick up my daughter. According to Trailforks the climb was just shy of 2.5k feet.
My setup was eco: 35/40, trail: 55/70, turbo: 85/100. I'd say my use was probably 55/35/10 eco/trail/turbo. I weigh about 230 pounds with all of my equipment on. I used about 55% of the battery, so my guess is with the range extender I could get close to 40-45 miles and ~6k ft of climb.
My setup was eco: 35/40, trail: 55/70, turbo: 85/100. I'd say my use was probably 55/35/10 eco/trail/turbo. I weigh about 230 pounds with all of my equipment on. I used about 55% of the battery, so my guess is with the range extender I could get close to 40-45 miles and ~6k ft of climb.
just be careful "guesstimating" range as you may need to call on more motor assistance for longer rides
mizzourah2006
New Member
just be careful "guesstimating" range as you may need to call on more motor assistance for longer rides
true, but I also called on trail a bit more than I normally would because I was trying to go a bit faster. I also upped the support and power more than I normally ride with. If I wasn't time constrained I would have ridden trail in 50/60, which is where I usually have it. Either way, I don't see myself riding ~50 miles anytime soon. 25-30 is about what I wanted from my e-bike and the Levo SL seems capable of getting there on the standard battery.
freerideandi
Member
ride anyone a Rock Shox Superdeluxe with the Megneg in his Levo SL?
Not the Superdeluxe but I did try the Deluxe Ultimate with the magneg. I liked it. Seemed to be a little more plush with good mid stroke support (no wallow like the DPS). Eventually went with an X2 which is fantastic but resulted in a noticeable increase in pedal strikes. Cascade link improved the pedal strikes. Currently using the Cane Creek DBair Inline which is on par with the X2 IMO and rides a little higher in its travel.
freerideandi
Member
ok...what setup do you ride with the Megneg Can?
Not sure what you mean by setup?
freerideandi
Member
the setup from the negativ chamber (0-4 bands) and from the Positiv chamber (Volumespacer)
Sorry, don’t remember.
sdcoffeeroaster
Active member
New to this SL section of the forum but I do post a lot over on the Focus section. I currently ride a 2018 Focus Jam2 C, mullet, DVO shock, 2021 Lyrik Ultimate, 45 lbs, 6,000 miles now but motor is still tight and hardly any battery degradation (I have a DIY extender I use a lot) etc. It's a medium and stand over height is a bit uncomfortable for my 30" inseam. The medium SL is so much lower stand over so I tried one on the trails and really liked it. I did not find the power to really be lacking for me and this was a large so I was a bit stretched. The Focus has a very long chain stay at 457mm and that makes it a great climber but not exactly great for things like bunny hops. And the FOLD suspension does tend to wallow and then get so stiff at the end of travel that you can never use the last 20 mm of travel not matter how you adjust. Still it's not really a bad bike and with the mods I've made it handles OK.
I've found a 2021 SL expert carbon medium bike for only $7300. grip2 fox 36 forks, dpx2 and not a scratch on it at 550 miles. The owner says it weighs only 38 lbs but I doubt that's really true from what I've read here, more like 41+ lbs with the 2021 upgrades, suspension and brakes, etc. Is there much difference in weight between a large and medium? I think he's running 2.4" Maxxis Minions and is selling because he just bought a 2022 SL Kenevo. I could feel the weight difference and geometry difference on the large SL (41.3 lbs) I tried compared to my Focus and thought it a bit more fun to ride too. The Focus has a very long chain stay at 457mm and that makes it a great climber but not exactly great for things like bunny hops. And the FOLD suspension does tend to wallow and then get so stiff at the end of travel that you can never use the last 20 mm of travel not matter how you adjust. This is at least true for a lighter 68 kg rider like me. So does this sound like a good deal? It does have about 1 yr and 4months of transferrable warranty left too with the original owners receipt available (check with my Specialized dealer). Thanks!
I've found a 2021 SL expert carbon medium bike for only $7300. grip2 fox 36 forks, dpx2 and not a scratch on it at 550 miles. The owner says it weighs only 38 lbs but I doubt that's really true from what I've read here, more like 41+ lbs with the 2021 upgrades, suspension and brakes, etc. Is there much difference in weight between a large and medium? I think he's running 2.4" Maxxis Minions and is selling because he just bought a 2022 SL Kenevo. I could feel the weight difference and geometry difference on the large SL (41.3 lbs) I tried compared to my Focus and thought it a bit more fun to ride too. The Focus has a very long chain stay at 457mm and that makes it a great climber but not exactly great for things like bunny hops. And the FOLD suspension does tend to wallow and then get so stiff at the end of travel that you can never use the last 20 mm of travel not matter how you adjust. This is at least true for a lighter 68 kg rider like me. So does this sound like a good deal? It does have about 1 yr and 4months of transferrable warranty left too with the original owners receipt available (check with my Specialized dealer). Thanks!
IMHO, the stock Levo SL needed a suspension upgrade for the type of tech trails I ride (Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler); therefore, to worry about an extra pound or 3 over a significant upgrade in performance was never an issue. I am not an all day rider. Then again, it sounds like you are fairly particular about your bikes and have a good idea of what you like. If you were able to buy a new Levo SL Comp Expert, how much would it cost and was the one you rode modified or stock? It all comes down to where you want to ride it. I am waiting for my Kenevo SL to show up as it has better rear suspension.
sdcoffeeroaster
Active member
Thanks. The bike I rode was a Levo Sl Carbon comp, stock but large. It was a 2020 and so it had the Rhythm 34 and dps shock which I also had on my Focus. For my weight they are OK but a bit harsh. I love the Lyrik and while I was considering the Yari (slightly lighter) glad I got the Lyrik and don't really need the ZEB, not a fast down hiller. I agree that the added weight on the 2021 Expert went into the right things, brakes and suspension. There definitely is a point of diminishing returns on trying to cut weight as I've found on my Focus. I ended up putting a DTSwiss 350 Hybrid hub wheel assy on my Focus because I got tired of gouged up cassette drivers on the aluminum one I had and it was a good trade off.
And I'm not an all day rider either. My butt isn't even taking 2+ hr rides these days for some reason and fighting a saddle sore that just won't go away, lol. I'm 72 and rode Observed Trials back in the 70's but only riding mtn bikes 4 years now. The reduced weight and maybe cg of the SL is noticeable to me on the trail, fells a bit more lively, walk mode works better than my Shimano, pushing it and riding with no power is easier, stand over height lower and lifting the bike up onto my car carrier is so much easier for this senior citizen, lol. It's not the 30 lbs of the Giant Anthem I started on but it's not a bloated 55 lb ebike like many of the new ones, even the new Focus one with the Bosch motor is 55+ lbs!
And I'm not an all day rider either. My butt isn't even taking 2+ hr rides these days for some reason and fighting a saddle sore that just won't go away, lol. I'm 72 and rode Observed Trials back in the 70's but only riding mtn bikes 4 years now. The reduced weight and maybe cg of the SL is noticeable to me on the trail, fells a bit more lively, walk mode works better than my Shimano, pushing it and riding with no power is easier, stand over height lower and lifting the bike up onto my car carrier is so much easier for this senior citizen, lol. It's not the 30 lbs of the Giant Anthem I started on but it's not a bloated 55 lb ebike like many of the new ones, even the new Focus one with the Bosch motor is 55+ lbs!
Well... at 72 you deserve to ride the best you can afford! Why leave anything to those ungrateful things we call children? I have never ridden in San Diego so I am not sure what kind of trails you like. My wife and I (I am 60 years old) both have Levo SL which are set up with Ohlins TTX 22M coil shocks, Ohlins RXF 36 170mm Air forks and tubeless with Cushcore for the trails we like to ride (see link below). We prefer function and comfort over an XC or light Trail bike, which the Levo can be, if you set it up like that. That being said, we still ride for 4+ hours at a time and have never run out of battery even when climbing the FSRs and climbing trails in Squamish and North Vancouver. I have never weighed our bikes but I used to have a 2020 Kenevo but found it was too heavy to be lively enough on the trails. The Levo SL is a great All Mountain bike!
My limited collection of a few of the Trails in Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler that I like:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2zZG25wQ970XJ2Amk1yC9A
My limited collection of a few of the Trails in Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler that I like:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2zZG25wQ970XJ2Amk1yC9A
Pdoz
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
That weight sounds about right - the expert will have a lighter cassette than a comp , they might be thin / light minions , so don't weight the bike and it'll always feel like 38 lbs
Be aware that buying second hand your warranty isn't the same as the original owner - eg frame / wheels are shorter. I bought mine from someone moving to a kenevo sl , my theory was he ha already tested the frame well beyond anything I'll ever do, if the wheels die it's an excuse to upgrade, and any electrical gremlins should have been scared out of hibernation after a year of his antics.....
sdcoffeeroaster
Active member
Yes max two year on all Specialized components from date of purchase so nothing additional on suspension, brakes, derailleur etc. I think the frame would have a lifetime warranty to original owner for instance. The other items, like your said, are tested and more wear and tear items too.That weight sounds about right - the expert will have a lighter cassette than a comp , they might be thin / light minions , so don't weight the bike and it'll always feel like 38 lbs
Be aware that buying second hand your warranty isn't the same as the original owner - eg frame / wheels are shorter. I bought mine from someone moving to a kenevo sl , my theory was he ha already tested the frame well beyond anything I'll ever do, if the wheels die it's an excuse to upgrade, and any electrical gremlins should have been scared out of hibernation after a year of his antics.....
sdcoffeeroaster
Active member
Amazing trails! We have Laguna Mtn which is great but not on a par with what you have. My local trails vary but mostly pretty dusty and unshaded too. Lots of challenging rock gardens, switchback etc that I can ride to right from my house. But when it gets wet a lot of it is clay like and sticky. One of a couple of exceptions is right above my house and lots of decomposing granite hills that drain well. But again, nothing like Vancouver BC area. I don't know if I'll get to ride there in this lifetime but I intend to ride until I can't get my leg over the bike, lol. I do ride my Focus in ECO mode a lot and have set that to it's higher setting so that I don't have to spend much time in trail or very little if any in boost. I find I get just about the workout I got on my analog bike too. And the Sl I rode seemed to fit my riding style with trail mode being where I would probably keep it the majority of the time. But eco was fine on flat, twisty single tracks too. Like my Shimano motor, I only needed boost on those really steep sections and it was much more controllable than the Shimano. I think it will work out for me. With 6000 miles my Focus may go another 6K but hard to get motors and batteries here in the US...maybe impossible.
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