Levo Gen 2 Turbo Levo link from Cascade

[palkox]

Hi. Andbody have any experience with the new Turbo Levo Link from Cascade Components? Natre Vatne kortversjon 1

I have upgrade my rear shock to DBcoil IL 210x55 with VALT spring and the Lyrik fork to 160mm with new 2021 debonair upgrade. Took out two tokens and added a bit more air. Its like a new bike. Much better. Plusher over small bumps, better on trail, more planted. Better climbing. Overall very pleased.

But now I read about the Turbo Levo not actually being very progressive. More linear than progressive. And not best suited for a rear coil shock in theory. Yeah I know I know - if I am pleased with my setup, why venture into this...

But I am just curious - would the link from Cascade make my bike better? And why is the Turbo Levo not progressive on paper, but with coil shock my experience is the opposite!

Pls someone explain to me

PS I am considering Smashpot coil upgrade for my Lyrik fork. Not because I am not pleased with my Lyrik, but because coil rear and front makes sense. Also les maintenance coil vs air.

 

[Vilt]

I cannot testify to the cascade link. (That price!!!)

But the Smashpot, I love it in combination with my ohlins coil on the rear. So. Darn. Plush!
(Combined with the fact that it's not very expensive compared to a new fork)

 

[palkox]

Yeah, the cascade link price is ridiculous. But their customer service is excellent. I asked them on their web page about upgrading my Turbo Levo to their link and they quickly responded that maybe I don't need the link since I have coil shock 210x55 which already increases travel and also makes the bike a bit more progressive. So no link for me at this point.

But fork is still up for discussion. And nice to hear about your Smashpot experience. Seems a lot of people going more and more enduro with e-bikes prefer the Smashpot. Because this is the reason I am considering upgrading to coil front: My Turbo Levo takes me places I never ventured before. And as a bonus I get these crazy downhill segments that makes my hands shake and air shock/fork to suffer. So probably I should have bought a Kenevo instead. But then again, I mostly ride forest trails so I think Turbo Levo is better. Just that those crazy gnarly DH lines I get myself into now and then, made me consider coil and now also full face helmet Expensive hobby!

What I also like about the Smashpot is that it doesn't destroy the insides of the fork so we can always go back to air if wanted. Could you confirm this? And was it fairly easy to install or did you get your LBS to do it?

I think I will go Smashspot. Better performance for heavy rider on heavy bike, and less maintenance vs air.

Cheers

 

[Vilt]

I installed it myself. It is not hard to do. But, you do need the proper tools and a bit of suspension oil listed in their manual. (Get those in advance!)

It does not destroy the fork immedeately as protective shrink wrap shields the fork from the coil, but...going back to air is not supported and installing the smashpot will void all your usual warranty on the fork. The process however is easily reversed.

I'm also a heavy ride (90kg) and this has been an excellend upgrade.

 

[Bigtuna00]

Now that we have totally derailed the thread ...

I rode the Smashpot on my 2020 Lyrik Ultimate for ~500 miles and swapped back to air without issues. There's no guarantee of course, just sharing a positive experience with that aspect.

One reason I switched back to air is waste: it's a lot of oil to waste (100+ mls) just to do a lower leg service, which I do every 30 hours, 50 is too long where I live because of the dust. Another is weight. Smashpot is pretty heavy. But obvious the main point is the ride...

On the one hand the Smashpot makes for a VERY sensitive initial stroke. You can compress the fork with one hand on the bars easily. The bike actually sags under its own weight with no stickiness.

On the other hand, now that I'm back on air, I can't say I really noticed a difference in small bump performance on the trail. The Lyrik with Charger 2.1 is already REALLY good. I'm not sure the Smashpot is significantly better, especially given the weight penalty.

The aspect of the Smashpot that I just could not get dialed was the performance over sharp small hits - think of rocks partially buried in the ground, sticking out 2-3 inches, on an otherwise hard-pack trail. With everything else feeling good, these kind of hits made it feel like the bike was springing back at me and going off-line. If I reduced high-speed compression or increased rebound, I didn't like the ride. Now that I'm back on air I find that the ride is better overall.

I haven't given up on the Smashpot, I may put it back in with my next service. I guess all this is to say that my experience with the Smashpot was not nearly as transformative as putting a coil on the rear. Coil rear was instantly better. Smashpot was only better in the garage

 

[Vilt]

I can't say I share the observation the bike sags under it's own weight. Mine does not, but I have a 65lbs spring so that probably differs from yours.

I find the sensitivity for small rocks especially better, but that is coming from a 2018 revelation - which is probably not the lyrik you are used to.

 

[Bigtuna00]

I can't say I share the observation the bike sags under it's own weight. Mine does not, but I have a 65lbs spring so that probably differs from yours.

I find the sensitivity for small rocks especially better, but that is coming from a 2018 revelation - which is probably not the lyrik you are used to.

Good point, I have a 50lb spring.

Yeah I would say a 2020 Lyrik and 2018 Revelation have very little in common in terms of small bump performance and stiction, especially since those are the specific issues Rockshox addressed for 2020. It really is just a great fork.

 

[tacoma22]

I must have had too many beers last night because I could not find this thread in my searching haha.

Anyone with 210x55 ever get the cascade link? Think it’ll have a better chance to clear tire rub on an xl frame?

 

[Bigtuna00]

Cascade link *increases* travel. Adding it to a 55mm shock will make it worse, not better.

 

[tacoma22]

Cascade link *increases* travel. Adding it to a 55mm shock will make it worse, not better.

How so? It would only make it more progressive. The 210x55 adds progression from the stroke being increased.

Had a coil on my last levo and I welcome more progression for the bigger hits without needing to increase spring weight.

If your talking about the chances of the tire hitting then yeah..it would be worse lol

 

[Bigtuna00]

A 55mm stroke already increases travel. If you have a problem with tire rub on a 55mm shock the cascade link will make it worse, not better.

Edit: it doesn't "only add progression", it increases travel as well.

 

[tacoma22]

A 55mm stroke already increases travel. If you have a problem with tire rub on a 55mm shock the cascade link will make it worse, not better.

Edit: it doesn't "only add progression", it increases travel as well.

Ohhhh ok I see what you were saying. Yeah not worried about tire rub with just the 210x55. That is not an issue. Just curious if any one had done longer shock and the link.

 

[Tedgar]

Ohhhh ok I see what you were saying. Yeah not worried about tire rub with just the 210x55. That is not an issue. Just curious if any one had done longer shock and the link.

I will try and post pics. I have a 55mm DPX2 and am probably going to try the Cascade link. Both bikes in the following test are 2019 carbon comps. One was large and one medium, but I think the rear triangles and pivots are identical. The closest point of contact with the 52.5mm shock is 6.5mm. The 55mm shock should add 7mm of travel and the closest point of contact drops to 6mm. So my brain calculator says that another 8mm of travel from the Cascade link will put the closest contact point at 5.5mm. All I have to worry about is the chain. It should work fine. Tire rub is not even close.

 

[tacoma22]

I will try and post pics. I have a 55mm DPX2 and am probably going to try the Cascade link. Both bikes in the following test are 2019 carbon comps. One was large and one medium, but I think the rear triangles and pivots are identical. The closest point of contact with the 52.5mm shock is 6.5mm. The 55mm shock should add 7mm of travel and the closest point of contact drops to 6mm. So my brain calculator says that another 8mm of travel from the Cascade link will put the closest contact point at 5.5mm. All I have to worry about is the chain. It should work fine. Tire rub is not even close.

View attachment 45659

View attachment 45660

Nice! I didn’t even think about the chain.

 

[Tedgar]

Nice! I didn’t even think about the chain.

Ask me how I know. I screwed following some "add 5 links" advice and broke/ripped the derailleur off my trek recently. Now I compress the rear and fit the chain. With just the 55mm shock the chain is fine.

I ordered the Cascade link, but I wanted black so I had to "pre-order" it as they are out of stock. When I get it I will check the clearance and post the rear travel and BB height and head angle to see if it changes compared to my initial measurements.

 

[Tedgar]

Got the Cascade link on. The website said the black link was backordered, but I got it in a week. No clearance issues with the 55mm stroke DPX2 in the low (slack) position at either end of travel. Chain is plenty long enough also. Looks and Quality are better than the stocker.

Here are my travel measurements. I know they are not accurate, but it will give you an idea of the difference. I measured axle movement perpendicular to the floor. BB height and Head Tube Angle did NOT change from my previous measurements.

Stock 52.5mm = 146mm
55mm Stroke = 149mm
55mm + Link = 154mm

 

[Tedgar]

No big test ride. Just my "back yard North Shore"..... Give me a break, I am in Florida.

I usually just barely bottom out if I land flat off that big one, but I did not with the link. I still had a few mm on the o-ring. I will have to take it for a big ride, but I was happy just to get more travel. Easier on my broke and poor ankles and knees!

 

[lumpy]

I added a neoprene "shield" to keep rocks from getting stuck between the Cascade link and the seat tube and causing damage. I figure if the happened Specialized might not be too keen on a frame replacement

 

[tacoma22]

Got the Cascade link on. The website said the black link was backordered, but I got it in a week. No clearance issues with the 55mm stroke DPX2 in the low (slack) position at either end of travel. Chain is plenty long enough also. Looks and Quality are better than the stocker.

Here are my travel measurements. I know they are not accurate, but it will give you an idea of the difference. I measured axle movement perpendicular to the floor. BB height and Head Tube Angle did NOT change from my previous measurements.

Stock 52.5mm = 146mm
55mm Stroke = 149mm
55mm + Link = 154mm

View attachment 46610

View attachment 46611

Cool backyard! A local buddy of mine picked up the link and a 55 stroke shock as well. Zero issues!

 

[Mtb247]

I have a 210x55mm DHX2 with a CC progressive spring and a cascade link with my Medium Levo comp carbon in the high position(27.5Rear). I went from bottoming out with my compression settings at 8HS 9LS (from full open) to no bottoming at 4HS5LS. So plush, and the rear end sticks to the ground like glue. (Edit)I've been experimenting a bit and my shock is now at 3LS 0HS. slight bottom out on a rough trail. So good!

 

[Tedgar]

Just got back from my 1st ride with the new link. I usually run the compression in "trail" middle mode. With the new link I am running all the way open on the compression with no harsh bottoming issues . So much better.

I can't believe how good the bike feels now. The increased travel is noticable,(I think) or the link makes the suspension feel bigger. I really couldn't tell with just the 55mm shock alone so a definite improvement. Reminds me of my coil bike now in plush feel on rocky descents or flat landings. I ended up going from 235 psi to 250 psi (I'm 190 lbs) also and the bike seemed to get every bit of its "pop" back. I am sold.

Guess I will have to get that 160mm Fox 38 now to balance it out.

 

[HopperMtb]

Just placed an order for a black link for my 2021 Levo comp. Suspension is currently stock. Now we play the waiting game!

 

[Tedgar]

Just placed an order for a black link for my 2021 Levo comp. Suspension is currently stock. Now we play the waiting game!

Mine said the black was back ordered. I had it in less than a week in Florida.

 

[HopperMtb]

Mine said the black was back ordered. I had it in less than a week in Florida.

The website was showing 17 black ones in stock. I actually already received a tracking number. Sounds like I’ll have it pretty soon. Thanks!

 

[SpaceBubba]

I'm installing the link on my 2021 Comp (stock suspension) tomorrow. I'm a lifelong sufferer of high BMI- 255 lb- so hopefully this is the elixir to my bottoming out woes.

 

[HopperMtb]

I'm installing the link on my 2021 Comp (stock suspension) tomorrow. I'm a lifelong sufferer of high BMI- 255 lb- so hopefully this is the elixir to my bottoming out woes.

Keep us updated!!!

 

[jonpress]

Hi, how did you get on with the link and have you noticed a difference? I emailed Cascade the other day to see if they recommend the link as I'm currently running a DPX2 with standard 52.5 length. I'm not a massively aggressive rider but I am on the heavier side and tend to run higher pressure to stop bottoming out to often. I've not heard back from them as yet but wondered if you'd got any experience on it yet.

 

[Tedgar]

Read my description about 5 comments up from here. Still loving it. Oddly I am running more pressure now but keeping the shock open as I do not have to rely on low speed compression to slow me down. It does not seem to bottom out anymore. I was getting that metallic "broke something" sound before the link.

 

[jonpress]

Read my description about 5 comments up from here. Still loving it. Oddly I am running more pressure now but keeping the shock open as I do not have to rely on low speed compression to slow me down. It does not seem to bottom out anymore. I was getting that metallic "broke something" sound before the link.

My bad, I thought I was replying to spacebubba on their previous comment.

 

[SpaceBubba]

I believe Tedgar's description is spot on.