I have had one for 6 months and ride Eco 10% to 15% most times and trail 30% these settings more than enough, and the distances and time I achieve is much longer than quoted in this video. Most riders when they get the bike ride with too much assistance 10 to 15 % more than enough for most riding. Then a 2h30 ride with 900m climbing I use 25% to 30% of the battery, also if you spin more you get good cardio workout and use little battery. These bikes force you to redefine cycling it requires a quantum leap of thinking for most cyclists. There are preconceptions about them but all I can say is embrace the future it is here. I hear all the talk and misguided discussions but 99% of what I hear is rubbish propagated by guys that haven't ridden one. I was first in my group to own one now everyone owns one. Everyone hangs on to the naturally aspirated bike thinking Ill ride both and end up selling the other bike 6 months later.
I too have owned one for almost 6 months now and absolutely love it. Only real gripe I ever had with the bike and have since changed were the brakes. Felt like the stock brakes my Comp version came with were incredibly underwhelming on the bike and were easily overwhelmed when descending. That since has been remedied by going with Shimano Saint brakes (highly recommend the upgrade to anybody experiencing the same issues or concerns). That said, I too roll around in the 10% eco range most of the time and even at 100% and full on sprint I tend to be completely gassed after a full ride. The dangling a carrot out in front of a hare effect is hypnotizing and drags you into going balls to the wall for the length of the ride thus getting crazy cardio in, but most haters don't seem to understand that and have found myself spending more time defending the bike and my reasons for having one than enjoying it as of late. Wayne made mention of the added upper body workout and increased awareness when pointed down, what say you guys that own or have experienced one? What kind of crap do you get out on your local trails and what do you say? Getting tired of being called a cheater
I have spent a good few days on the bike after this review because a friend of mine purchased some & we often go out on the ebikes for fun. I did not really find the stock Guide R brakes bad at all, they do have a history of crapping off because of piston issues in the lever, but they were sufficient. This bike does wear through brake pads pretty quickly though, chains too. I will agree with you that Saint brakes would be Boss on the bike. Many haters of ebikes have not tried one and don't really see the bigger picture because of misconceptions about the bikes, they can be a very valuable tool and a lot of fun to ride, but you will always have haters no matter what, in time some may come round. The only way you could be cheating is if you enter an MTB race with an ebike, riding it for fun is definitely not cheating.
The Levo is amazing.I own 2 Fattie6 FatHT.great bikes.Super fun.The suspension is designed specific the frame geometry is awesome.They descend like a rocket.Climb like the wind.Once you dial in Mission Control you can do big long rides without killing your battery.Don't be hammering when shifting and you're golden.
HTFAT yeah, it was a rad experience and the geometry is dead on for the bike. I did not have the bike long enough to mess around too much with mission control, I just played around with motor power settings a little. I can add that the bike had its governing removed so this bike really flew like a rocket ship.
whoa, great fun review and agree on the planted feel descending on the Levo. Geez, you've got so much energy I feel like Ive had 2 shots of coffee after watching :)
T-Macca hey thanks buddy. I'm stoked that you liked it and could relate. I got loads more rad stuff coming, subscribe to keep up to date with new uploads.
I only had a demo for an hour and noticed quick smart that when climbing into tight corners that when normaly on the apex and as you pedal you still have time to turn the front Wheel ,on the Levo at that moment your front Wheel had to be pointing exactly on the line out otherwise the powersurge would take you up the side before you knew it . Loved it .
Thanks so much mate. Yeah these are great machines and I love taking them out for day missions up in the mountains. A friend of mine has 3 Levo's so we group eMTB every now & then, its a blast every time.
Great review, I watch many of them and I have to admit you are spot on! The only comment are when shifting, do not put pressure and it shift smootly! Roger the Canadian
Roger Laroche thanks bro, a friend of mine has just bought 3 Levo's, so I'll be riding one again soon and put some proper mileage down. I'll try that technique out, it only did that on really steep climbs, I'm talking 18% and up, I just have to learn to plan well ahead when riding this bike.
Tamas Varga testing bikes is always tough, I'm sure you are going to like the e-bike, it's different to the standard mtb but still fun, in its own way.
I am familiar with ebikes my wife has a Lapierre Overvolt and I used to steal it from her but i was waiting for something to come along that would perfectly suit my needs. The Levo ticks pretty much all the boxes. Almost looks like a regular bike, no display to break and very capable geometry maybe the best e-mtb right now.
John Lambert I rode black, red & blue graded trails with this bike, nothing seriously steep though. the head angle feels nice and slack ad is and should perform really well on most trails, if you are riding really steep stuff you could always stretch the fork out to 160mm(provided it allows it) to slacken the head angle even more if you don't feel confident with the standard geometry. The levo eats the rough stuff up for breakfast because of those huge tires, just watch out for puncturing because that's the ultimate downside to plus tires at the moment. I got 2 puncture on the same day riding on the sharp jagged rocks. hope that helps.
Ride Rate Review Sweet thanks mate. I currently ride a Stumpjumper FSR Comp Carbon 29er and love it! It's a great all rounder for any trail you throw at it. I live in Australia and thought these trails look like they're somewhere here that's all.
John Lambert these trails are in cape town, I haven't ridden a stumpy yet (will happen very soon though) but I believe the geometry is the same, if u like your stumpy then this bike will blow your mind, just go out and hit the roughest trails because it's hungry for rough stuff.
Yep, the latest version, the BBSHD is 1000w nominal, and works somewhat the same. The "gear change sensor" is a nice add-on; it cuts the motor power, so it makes changing gears much smoother. I've got one on my old 08 Specialized StumpJumper FSR. I ride for fun and thrills, not for pain, so I'm loving it, and ride a lot more now! I prefer motorbikes, but it's illegal to ride local trails, so I ride my ebike locally instead, which is almost as much fun!
Rational Thinker thanks bro, the fattie does flatten most of the chunk up there, biggest worry was getting a tire tear. I did shred a tire further down the trail on die kloof with this bike.
Thumbs up for zebras l!! Thanks for the great video this think can RIPP!!, I rode one of these for about 100m on flat concrete and found it really weird! EMBN have just started up so I'm interested in these but Im in 2 minds though because I value my fitness and have worked hard for it.
Hey thanks buddy, yeah I am a fan of ebikes and think they are a great tool. It takes a little getting used to but once you got the hang of it these things fly. I saw EMBN and follow them, I think an ebike channel is a great idea because they are so popular in Europe. As for the fitness aspect I totally get what you mean, riding these bikes can still be a great workout if you cover a lot of ground and use the motor conservatively, even more so if you leave the motor off... but that will be the toughest ride you have ever done.
Is the Levo restricted to 25kph (15.5mph) in South Africa like it is in the EU? Looked like you were going faster on the road. Just got the hardtail fattie and it can be a little annoying when the battery cuts out on the roads, suddenly feels like your peddling through mud when you're on the tarmac. Thought about bluetooth overriding the restriction (you can fool the bike into thinking you've got smaller wheels on) but I don't know what max speed would damage the motor. I just want to get to the off road bits quicker!
frazerh44 yes the motors are still governed here in south africa at 25 kph but the bike i was riding did have the governing modded to bypass it. I am not sure if it will damage the motor or if warranty would be void if u do mod it. the giant full e I tested had the 25kph governance activated and it was a little crappy to be limited like that.
Do you know how it was modded Ride Rate Review? I've heard of two different methods so far, one being using an app on your phone to change the wheel diameter setting tricking it into thinking you've got a very small rear wheel, with the other a small component that's installed into the bike (which isn't cheap I've read).
John Lambert I unfortunately don't know for sure how they performed the mod, I think it was done via the phone application because the shop asked me not to reset app to factory settings.
Cool no dramas mate, thanks! I've test ridden one myself recently and thought it was fantastic - APART from the 24km/hr restriction (and power restriction) they put on them here in Australia. You really need to be able to ride a lot faster than that with the pedal assist!
I have had one for 6 months and ride Eco 10% to 15% most times and trail 30% these settings more than enough, and the distances and time I achieve is much longer than quoted in this video. Most riders when they get the bike ride with too much assistance 10 to 15 % more than enough for most riding. Then a 2h30 ride with 900m climbing I use 25% to 30% of the battery, also if you spin more you get good cardio workout and use little battery. These bikes force you to redefine cycling it requires a quantum leap of thinking for most cyclists. There are preconceptions about them but all I can say is embrace the future
it is here. I hear all the talk and misguided discussions but 99% of what I hear is rubbish propagated by guys that haven't ridden one. I was first in my group to own one now everyone owns one. Everyone hangs on to the naturally aspirated bike thinking Ill ride both and end up selling the other bike 6 months later.
best bike
I too have owned one for almost 6 months now and absolutely love it. Only real gripe I ever had with the bike and have since changed were the brakes. Felt like the stock brakes my Comp version came with were incredibly underwhelming on the bike and were easily overwhelmed when descending. That since has been remedied by going with Shimano Saint brakes (highly recommend the upgrade to anybody experiencing the same issues or concerns). That said, I too roll around in the 10% eco range most of the time and even at 100% and full on sprint I tend to be completely gassed after a full ride. The dangling a carrot out in front of a hare effect is hypnotizing and drags you into going balls to the wall for the length of the ride thus getting crazy cardio in, but most haters don't seem to understand that and have found myself spending more time defending the bike and my reasons for having one than enjoying it as of late. Wayne made mention of the added upper body workout and increased awareness when pointed down, what say you guys that own or have experienced one? What kind of crap do you get out on your local trails and what do you say? Getting tired of being called a cheater
I have spent a good few days on the bike after this review because a friend of mine purchased some & we often go out on the ebikes for fun. I did not really find the stock Guide R brakes bad at all, they do have a history of crapping off because of piston issues in the lever, but they were sufficient. This bike does wear through brake pads pretty quickly though, chains too. I will agree with you that Saint brakes would be Boss on the bike.
Many haters of ebikes have not tried one and don't really see the bigger picture because of misconceptions about the bikes, they can be a very valuable tool and a lot of fun to ride, but you will always have haters no matter what, in time some may come round. The only way you could be cheating is if you enter an MTB race with an ebike, riding it for fun is definitely not cheating.
The Levo is amazing.I own 2 Fattie6 FatHT.great bikes.Super fun.The suspension is designed specific the frame geometry is awesome.They descend like a rocket.Climb like the wind.Once you dial in Mission Control you can do big long rides without killing your battery.Don't be hammering when shifting and you're golden.
HTFAT yeah, it was a rad experience and the geometry is dead on for the bike. I did not have the bike long enough to mess around too much with mission control, I just played around with motor power settings a little. I can add that the bike had its governing removed so this bike really flew like a rocket ship.
whoa, great fun review and agree on the planted feel descending on the Levo. Geez, you've got so much energy I feel like Ive had 2 shots of coffee after watching :)
T-Macca hey thanks buddy. I'm stoked that you liked it and could relate. I got loads more rad stuff coming, subscribe to keep up to date with new uploads.
I only had a demo for an hour and noticed quick smart that when climbing into tight corners that when normaly on the apex and as you pedal you still have time to turn the front Wheel ,on the Levo at that moment your front Wheel had to be pointing exactly on the line out otherwise the powersurge would take you up the side before you knew it . Loved it .
So much fun! I love my eMTB! Thanks for this video. Shared to "eBike Smile eMTB Community" group on facebook
Thanks so much mate. Yeah these are great machines and I love taking them out for day missions up in the mountains. A friend of mine has 3 Levo's so we group eMTB every now & then, its a blast every time.
Great review, I watch many of them and I have to admit you are spot on!
The only comment are when shifting, do not put pressure and it shift smootly!
Roger the Canadian
Roger Laroche thanks bro, a friend of mine has just bought 3 Levo's, so I'll be riding one again soon and put some proper mileage down. I'll try that technique out, it only did that on really steep climbs, I'm talking 18% and up, I just have to learn to plan well ahead when riding this bike.
Haha awesome review :) I'm going to test one next month and I am afraid I will like it too much and I'll buy one...
Tamas Varga testing bikes is always tough, I'm sure you are going to like the e-bike, it's different to the standard mtb but still fun, in its own way.
I am familiar with ebikes my wife has a Lapierre Overvolt and I used to steal it from her but i was waiting for something to come along that would perfectly suit my needs. The Levo ticks pretty much all the boxes. Almost looks like a regular bike, no display to break and very capable geometry maybe the best e-mtb right now.
I'm seriously considering grabbing one of these Levos, they look incredible!! Just wondering what trails you were riding on in this video?
John Lambert I rode black, red & blue graded trails with this bike, nothing seriously steep though. the head angle feels nice and slack ad is and should perform really well on most trails, if you are riding really steep stuff you could always stretch the fork out to 160mm(provided it allows it) to slacken the head angle even more if you don't feel confident with the standard geometry. The levo eats the rough stuff up for breakfast because of those huge tires, just watch out for puncturing because that's the ultimate downside to plus tires at the moment. I got 2 puncture on the same day riding on the sharp jagged rocks. hope that helps.
Ride Rate Review Sweet thanks mate. I currently ride a Stumpjumper FSR Comp Carbon 29er and love it! It's a great all rounder for any trail you throw at it. I live in Australia and thought these trails look like they're somewhere here that's all.
John Lambert these trails are in cape town, I haven't ridden a stumpy yet (will happen very soon though) but I believe the geometry is the same, if u like your stumpy then this bike will blow your mind, just go out and hit the roughest trails because it's hungry for rough stuff.
Its here to stay. I run a Bafang and its the sh!t.
CncObsession I don't really know anything about Bafang, looks like its an e-bike mod kit that you attach to a bicycle? is this correct?
Yep, the latest version, the BBSHD is 1000w nominal, and works somewhat the same. The "gear change sensor" is a nice add-on; it cuts the motor power, so it makes changing gears much smoother. I've got one on my old 08 Specialized StumpJumper FSR. I ride for fun and thrills, not for pain, so I'm loving it, and ride a lot more now! I prefer motorbikes, but it's illegal to ride local trails, so I ride my ebike locally instead, which is almost as much fun!
Hi, what exactly original brose motor is installed in this ebike? C,S,T,1.1,1.2,1.3…
By the way Wayne good riding at the top of the enduro loop at conties its damn rough in places.
Rational Thinker thanks bro, the fattie does flatten most of the chunk up there, biggest worry was getting a tire tear. I did shred a tire further down the trail on die kloof with this bike.
The new grid Purgatory much better
Thumbs up for zebras l!! Thanks for the great video this think can RIPP!!, I rode one of these for about 100m on flat concrete and found it really weird! EMBN have just started up so I'm interested in these but Im in 2 minds though because I value my fitness and have worked hard for it.
Hey thanks buddy, yeah I am a fan of ebikes and think they are a great tool. It takes a little getting used to but once you got the hang of it these things fly. I saw EMBN and follow them, I think an ebike channel is a great idea because they are so popular in Europe. As for the fitness aspect I totally get what you mean, riding these bikes can still be a great workout if you cover a lot of ground and use the motor conservatively, even more so if you leave the motor off... but that will be the toughest ride you have ever done.
Is the Levo restricted to 25kph (15.5mph) in South Africa like it is in the EU? Looked like you were going faster on the road. Just got the hardtail fattie and it can be a little annoying when the battery cuts out on the roads, suddenly feels like your peddling through mud when you're on the tarmac. Thought about bluetooth overriding the restriction (you can fool the bike into thinking you've got smaller wheels on) but I don't know what max speed would damage the motor. I just want to get to the off road bits quicker!
frazerh44 yes the motors are still governed here in south africa at 25 kph but the bike i was riding did have the governing modded to bypass it. I am not sure if it will damage the motor or if warranty would be void if u do mod it.
the giant full e I tested had the 25kph governance activated and it was a little crappy to be limited like that.
Do you know how it was modded Ride Rate Review? I've heard of two different methods so far, one being using an app on your phone to change the wheel diameter setting tricking it into thinking you've got a very small rear wheel, with the other a small component that's installed into the bike (which isn't cheap I've read).
John Lambert I unfortunately don't know for sure how they performed the mod, I think it was done via the phone application because the shop asked me not to reset app to factory settings.
Cool no dramas mate, thanks! I've test ridden one myself recently and thought it was fantastic - APART from the 24km/hr restriction (and power restriction) they put on them here in Australia. You really need to be able to ride a lot faster than that with the pedal assist!
there's an easy hack for that
Just needs a more powerful titanium brakes from Sicrotors
is this the "expert"??
ombra306 hey there, the bike on test was the comp version.
Sounds like Conner McGregor...LOL
LOL, Thanks for watching
funny