| Specialized Levo turbo Ebike review.; its a bike,Jim; but not as you know it! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 2 2016, 10:55 AM (248 Views) | |
| Jim | Nov 2 2016, 10:55 AM Post #1 |
If this was a combat situation, we'd be dead by now.
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So, with my main mountain bike out of action whilst having its frame and shock repaired, I had the opportunity to take out the 2017 Specialized levo turbo Ebike. The exact specs and details can be found here clicky Naturally, I was rather sceptical about this kinda thing - im quite traditional in my views of what a mountain bike should look like and do but the lovely chaps at Rayments cycles persuaded me to have a go and then let me have it for a few days to really try it out. Originally, I thought the bike was powered by a separate engine, distinct from the pedals but that's not the case; the motor merely adds a little push to the pedals rather than turn the wheel. This little push depends on which of the three settings you have the bike on. ( high, medium and low, each draining the battery at different rates ) The assist can be quite a boost when you're not quite ready for it, usually negotiating a tight corner where the burst of acceleration can be unwelcome but i quickly got the hang of it and started using it to launch the bike out of corners - very much in slow , out fast! The battery lasted pretty well, after a full charge i turned it on for the muddy arse 10th anniversary ride at about 0845hrs and had it on the lowest setting for the majority of the day. I turned it off for a about half an hour to make sure i had power for the Stanmer shenanigans towards the end of the ride and it finally died completely at around 1500hrs and 34 miles. There is a mission control app for your smart phones that has lot of battery management options so you can fine tune the way it delivers power and leave charge in reserve to get you home. The rest of the bike was very comfy, 650b wheels with fatty tires where confidence inspiring and didn't give me any cause for concern ( apart from hitting a wet root mass and warp speed and losing the front end ). The only exception to that was the saddle - but that's a very personal choice and I didn't really fiddle with the position. The ( 1x11 ) SRAM drive train was OK, I personally prefer shimano but it did what it was supposed to all day. The final climb home for me was done with a flat battery and the 48lb weight made it self known at that point, but the bike is well balanced and it didn't feel like I was trying to tow an aircraft carrier. Would I buy one? If I had the money spare, Id have one as well as a regular MTB; I can honestly say it I didn't stop smiling on it all day - and that's got to be the best recommendation of all, hasn't it? If you're in the market for one, buy one. Many thanks again to the wonderful chaps at Rayments!  14910483_10154104989197756_3041132725942564589_n by Jim Kirk, on Flickr 14907189_10154104989042756_5530246094426057904_n by Jim Kirk, on Flickr
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| belugabob | Nov 2 2016, 06:39 PM Post #2 |
Mudking
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Excellent! Where do you put the Dilithium crystals? |
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| Rich_F | Nov 7 2016, 11:46 AM Post #3 |
Mudthing
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Nice review Jim! R |
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