Hi guys! I'm moving some content off of the main site and into the most relevant categories of the forum. This post was originally made on February 27th 2017:
Recently I purchased a new Specialized Turbo Levo full suspension electric mountain bike from Peloton Cycles in Fort Collins Colorado. This ebike uses the Brose motor system and seemed like an excellent way to learn more about their motor and battery technology as it is becoming popular with many companies in the US (Bulls and Easy Motion). What follows is a rough outline of the steps shared by a professional bike mechanic named Erik. The video goes into depth and is neat because it actually shows him working and explaining what all of the tools are for. The first step is to find a bike frame that fits you. This was easier to do with the Turbo line because each model comes in several frame sizes, I chose Medium as an average height 5’9″ male. A good basic way to determine this is whether you easily stand over the top tube (for a high step bike). Some riders prefer smaller frames so they can achieve a more upright body position and handle the bike more easily but I’ve also met those who appreciate slightly large frames for stability and speed.
This bike shop and many others have all of the proper tools to do fitting such as a bike stand, measuring tape and angles. A full fit consists of multiple visits with a flexibility analysis and cable adjustment for break in. It’s important after an initial fit to come back because some problems can arise after some time in the saddle and the bike may need cleaning. Depending on your intended use, you may also need to tighten pedals and shoes if you go clipless. I purchased Speedplay Syzr pedals because they offer some extra movement side to side (they are an adjustable float pedal) and my legs tend to angle outwards naturally, they felt the most comfortable and for me that’s the biggest thing. They may be good for people with knee issues because the connection is not based solely on spring tension and you get that flexibility. I was using this clipless system with the Specialized 2FO shoes. They looked more normal to me and offered a good flat base for walking around when unclipped.
During our fit, I was experimenting with shoes and pedals but then branched out into bars and grips. I asked Erik about swapping the handle bar and going with more of a riser (so my body position could be more upright). He recommended riding with the stock hardware and seeing what causes issues before making any changes. I followed his advice and ended up sticking with the original bar. Erik explained that the longer bar and shorter stem is designed to slow down handling for aggressive trail riding. The grips I chose were fairly round or standard but had a bit of ergonomic wave to them and this gave the pad of my hand more surface area and comfort. The grips lock and were angled properly to align my hands and avoid any brake or angle. The full process of fitting is quite extensive and you can pay extra for motion capture and video analysis. For the average rider, the following steps are a great start:
Recently I purchased a new Specialized Turbo Levo full suspension electric mountain bike from Peloton Cycles in Fort Collins Colorado. This ebike uses the Brose motor system and seemed like an excellent way to learn more about their motor and battery technology as it is becoming popular with many companies in the US (Bulls and Easy Motion). What follows is a rough outline of the steps shared by a professional bike mechanic named Erik. The video goes into depth and is neat because it actually shows him working and explaining what all of the tools are for. The first step is to find a bike frame that fits you. This was easier to do with the Turbo line because each model comes in several frame sizes, I chose Medium as an average height 5’9″ male. A good basic way to determine this is whether you easily stand over the top tube (for a high step bike). Some riders prefer smaller frames so they can achieve a more upright body position and handle the bike more easily but I’ve also met those who appreciate slightly large frames for stability and speed.
This bike shop and many others have all of the proper tools to do fitting such as a bike stand, measuring tape and angles. A full fit consists of multiple visits with a flexibility analysis and cable adjustment for break in. It’s important after an initial fit to come back because some problems can arise after some time in the saddle and the bike may need cleaning. Depending on your intended use, you may also need to tighten pedals and shoes if you go clipless. I purchased Speedplay Syzr pedals because they offer some extra movement side to side (they are an adjustable float pedal) and my legs tend to angle outwards naturally, they felt the most comfortable and for me that’s the biggest thing. They may be good for people with knee issues because the connection is not based solely on spring tension and you get that flexibility. I was using this clipless system with the Specialized 2FO shoes. They looked more normal to me and offered a good flat base for walking around when unclipped.
During our fit, I was experimenting with shoes and pedals but then branched out into bars and grips. I asked Erik about swapping the handle bar and going with more of a riser (so my body position could be more upright). He recommended riding with the stock hardware and seeing what causes issues before making any changes. I followed his advice and ended up sticking with the original bar. Erik explained that the longer bar and shorter stem is designed to slow down handling for aggressive trail riding. The grips I chose were fairly round or standard but had a bit of ergonomic wave to them and this gave the pad of my hand more surface area and comfort. The grips lock and were angled properly to align my hands and avoid any brake or angle. The full process of fitting is quite extensive and you can pay extra for motion capture and video analysis. For the average rider, the following steps are a great start:
- See where the foot rests, shoe placement (foot positioning using first and fifth metatarsal bones)
- Overall leg length and knee bend (20° to 30° degree angle, using the goniometer, make sure the seat post is all the way up if you’ve got a dropper post)
- Knee over spindle measurement (for saddle position, using a plumb bob for leverage ratio over the pedals)
- Controls: wrist angle, brake lever angle and reach and shifter placement (rotate bar and grips for proper arm angle and hand position, you don’t want bend or “brake” in the wrists)
- Depending on arm length, the bicycle stem could also be swapped out for longer or shorter reach (the range they had was 40 mm to 136 mm) Erik said there are 30 mm and 160 mm out there as well
- Saddle Position: forward and aft so the seat bones sit properly and comfortably
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