I've been umming and ahhing and reading reviews and watching shootouts for about 6 months now trying to decide what to get for my first ebike, to replace my 2016 specialized enduro that I'm finally ready to part ways with.
I've considered probably 8 different eebs now and carefully chipped away the list to a Trek Rail 9.7 gen 5 and a Specialized Turbo Levo 4 comp carbon and I cannot decide between the two at all.
It doesn't help that a lot of these reviews contradict each other so I've come to you guys to see if you have any real world riding data from these two bikes, maybe youve demoed one? Maybe your mate has one or a bloke at work? I'd like to know real world riding conditions what the two bikes excel at, and what they struggle with.
You'll probably say to go demo both of them, but I'm only able to demo the levo 4, my local trek dealer doesn't have a demo bike so it's a roll around the car park test only
I demo'd the Specialized Turbo Levo 4 comp carbon for one day in the Alps. I thought it was excellent. Really good fun, and didn't feel heavy to ride at all. I rode it on some flow and jump trails as well as some double black tech.
I'm probably going to buy one, but the expert not the comp, although I didn't have an issue with the Fox 36 when I demo'd it.
I've also got a Stumpjumper Evo with the same adjustable geometry as the Levo, and I think it's a great feature to play around with, and really does make a difference.
Aye thats one of those reviews i had in mind when making the post, however had read and watched other reviews that say the exact opposite to what the pinkbike review said.
Which does make me wonder about biases which pinkbikes been known to have as how can they be so wildly different in opinion?
Demo the Levo. Then buy one if you have fun. Life’s too short to worry about alternatives IMO.
Buy whichever one is available at the nearest LBS to you. If they both are then buy the Spesh as their warranty support is excellent.
It's actually pretty hard to buy a crap modern bike nowadays.
I have demod a levo, liked it but bought a Whyte e180 in the end.
I have spent the day on a hired trek rail in whistler and didn't particularly like it, it is however a completely different bike to the Whyte that I am used too.
I would buy the bike you like the look of the best and also that is closest to you/has the shop your most happy with
I think the fact that most bikes are really good nowadays is true. The other fact is that sometimes they break (e-bikes especially - although it seems less common than it was) and sometimes this can take ages to resolve, which means you have no bike in the meantime.
I’m riding a (fairly upgraded) base model Levo Gen 2 for my ebike/FS needs. Seven years and over 8000 miles. Still great and working well (one motor replacement under warranty due to a slipping belt) even though people seem to think e-bikes spontaneously combust after a few years…
There may be better bikes for the money than the new Levo but is the support as good as if you have a good local Specialized dealer?
Both are fine. Get the Spesh. Better the devil you know etc. But as mentioned, also factor in which of the bike shops is best for you.
I'm a bit of a Spesh fanboi (they make decent bikes) had a couple of Enduros and more recently a couple of ebikes.
Bought the Kenevo in 2019 and it's been a great bike - still on its original motor and still in use. Bought a Gen 3 S-Works Levo last year heavily discounted and it's even better.
Unpopular opinion (on here) but a big factor in getting the Levo was the ease of deristricting it. Get past all the noise of the haters and it really does make the bike a lot more useable
It's worth remembering that Spesh's electronics are proprietary, and hence can only be fixed at a Spesh dealer... The Trek runs Bosch electronics, and any Bosch accredited shop will be able to diagnose faults and fix them...
If you've got a good local Spesh dealer with a decent reputation, then fair enough... But I've known people buy a Levo who've lived a long way from a reputable Spesh dealer, and end up getting incredibly frustrated with the ownership ordeal (Spesh motors do seem far more likely to need warranty work than others) and end up cutting their losses and moving on to a bike with a Bosch motor in the end...
It also worth noting you can buy all the internal part of the Brose motor, everything even for the first gen.. from the latest e-bike repairs video you can buy **** all internal for the latest Bosch (places can replace bearing but no official parts). I don't know the latest info, as I'm, only a punter, but the e-bike repair shop said Bosch have been selling less and less each generation, the last being aonly gasket...
Thanks for the replies everyone, bit of a wildcard but I went and test rode a Levo 4 comp carbon in both s4 and s5 as I couldn't get away with either, s4 felt great during riding, but did feel cramped and slightly too small in general.
The s5 felt good riding seated and during standover but I didn't like it as soon as I got on a nearby bit of singletrack, I think it's down to the fact the chainstays don't scale with the frame size.
It felt weird, almost unexpected in terms of handling, front end felt too light on corners but as soon as I'd manage to pop off a little jump it felt like the balance was front and top biased. It felt like I was fighting the bike to ride how I wanted it, which wasn't apparent on the S4. LBS said it's likely the geometry scaling between sizes which got me looking into it and concluding the chainstay situation.
Anyway, Had a go of a Whyte Kado RS in XL yesterday, came across a bloke on one up the woods whilst I was getting some saddle time in and mulling over the fact it was gonna have to be the trek and feeling sad about it, thinking about why I felt that way I guess I can only describe as, its feels fitting for a bloke who says "my eldest has just gone off to university and I fancy a new hobby" which doesn't resonate with me, I like bikes with a bit of character and I feel the gen 5 trek rail lacks it on purpose in order to be the go-to choice for people getting into the hobby or still relatively new and wanting the easiest do it all ebike, not saying thats the case for everyone who owns a trek rail, but it just lacked visually a bit of zest for me.
Anyway I chased him down to ask about it, thought I was gonna die trying to catch up with him flying around in turbo mode through the mud whilst I was on my heavy acoustic enduro, they look a bit utilitarian but I rode it down a couple of short steep trails on it near the top of the woods and I was blown away, composed, balanced, eager, great roll over, felt like two bikes in one.
One of those where you look at it and go hmm, then get off it after riding it and looking at it again and go ooOOoo.
Anyway I'm off to my nearest Whyte stockist next weekend to make the purchase, looking online seems there is some deals to be had on the RSX for about 6400/6500, the RS for much less. The bloke had hope tech 4 V4 brakes on his as he said the stock SRAM DB8 are absolutely crap, so going to see if LBS that have the RS up for 5100 will do a deal with some new brakes fitted and kiosk display, or price match internet prices for the RSX and I'll update the display sometime later. The whyte wasn't even in my original shortlist of bikes, the last time I ever looked at them was about 10 years ago when it seems they were riding in the coat tails of specialized and I'd sort of wrote them off ever since until now.
Sounds like someone has done you a great favour. And he’s right about the brakes.
Levo 4 comp carbon in both s4 and s5 as I couldn't get away with either, s4 felt great during riding, but did feel cramped and slightly too small in general
Resonates that you should mention this - when I got my G3 Levo in S4, despite the numbers looking about right, it felt a tad small (and that was coming from a large old gen Kenevo). I had been riding my Big Al a lot though, so had got used to the reach on that.
As soon as I swapped the 35mm stem for a 42mm and put some 50mm/800mm risers on it though (from the 30mm/780mm stock ones), it felt spot on and suits me perfectly
Wheelbase are selling Kado RS special edition for £5,199. Large but no XL.