Creo Remote Control DIY

[kattanm]

If you are riding in a group ride using the Creo to help when your back pain creeps in, I cannot recommend this remote option here strongly enough. It absolutely makes this bike fantastic to actually dial almost exactly the amount of assist you need with your thumb. This is especially critical if you are riding in a paceline and with hills. In an ideal world, we would just use the left shifter to accomplish the same thing, but until then, this DIY and an absolute necessity.

 

[sfebiker]

Can someone comment or post a picture of how far they milled down the connector?
I have it dremel'd it out to this but feel it needs to be even slimmer to fit through the cable hole

 

[kattanm]

Can someone comment or post a picture of how far they milled down the connector?
I have it dremel'd it out to this but feel it needs to be even slimmer to fit through the cable hole

I just removed the hole cover (unscrewed it) and then put black tape around the connector to cover the hole. It doesn’t look completely professional but I got over it

 

[Dazmanturbo]

I have friend here in the UK with have swapped the remote to work on the redundant DI2 left shifter. Basically he used the Levo remote and cut the wire to just use the plug. He extended the wires the the left shifter and the up and down on the shifter now does the power settings. Got a Levo remote on order to do the same with mine

 

[kattanm]

I have friend here in the UK with have swapped the remote to work on the redundant DI2 left shifter. Basically he used the Levo remote and cut the wire to just use the plug. He extended the wires the the left shifter and the up and down on the shifter now does the power settings. Got a Levo remote on order to do the same with mine

Oh wow this is a breakthrough. Please post videos or pics to illustrate. The wire into the Levo remote doesn’t look like a normal Di2 wire nor does it have a plug at the shifter (that you can simply unplug) so there’s going to be a tricky step here. I think there will also be a shifter programming step with the E-TUBE software.

 

[Dazmanturbo]

I will dig the pics out later, but essentially the only part of the Levo remote he used was the plug to the TCU. There are 3 wires which go down to the shifter in Di2 (up / down / common) and he has spliced this wires into the Levo plug. The Di2 shifter is redundant and the only part which Di2 still recognises is the hidden button to change Garmin remote

 

[kattanm]

I will dig the pics out later, but essentially the only part of the Levo remote he used was the plug to the TCU. There are 3 wires which go down to the shifter in Di2 (up / down / common) and he has spliced this wires into the Levo plug. The Di2 shifter is redundant and the only part which Di2 still recognises is the hidden button to change Garmin remote

Oh I didn’t realize the ports on a Di2 shifter were specific. So just get 2 E-TUBE wires and splice them into a TCU plug. Not sure it is same thing but if it is just the cable would be cheaper to take plug off of:

Specialized Levo FSR Cable

This cable connects to the Motor TT-Display/Brose Motor HMI. Compatible with the following models: 2019 Men's Levo 29 2019 Men's... S194200010

www.amaincycling.com

 

[Dazmanturbo]

That is cheaper than the remote, the main thing you need is the plug to the TCU. Here is the wiring diagram

 

[kattanm]

On the end going into the bike unit (whatever that's called; not the shifter), why do you need a Di2 connector there? Nothing for it to plug into is there? Or does that end also have to go up into the shifter? Looks like he's only plugging one plug into the shifter...

 

[Dazmanturbo]

Not done the mod myself yet, as waiting for Levo remote to be delivered. The Di2 connection is just for the hidden button, so if you happy to not use that, skip the Di2 cable. What he has done is use the wires within the Levo remote and spliced these into the Di2 shifter loom. This means to Di2 shift button take the place of the Levo remote buttons (power up /down)

 

[kattanm]

Not done the mod myself yet, as waiting for Levo remote to be delivered. The Di2 connection is just for the hidden button, so if you happy to not use that, skip the Di2 cable. What he has done is use the wires within the Levo remote and spliced these into the Di2 shifter loom. This means to Di2 shift button take the place of the Levo remote buttons (power up /down)

Ok. So if you are ok with leaving the top button of the left shifter for Garmin pages (or whatever) and using the left shifter for power up/down, you just need an e-tube cable to run from the shifter down into the bike. You then just have to change out the bike end of the e-tube by splicing on the plug that fits into the bike control unit. There's only one open plug on the shifter and the bike power control so can't mess that up. Right?

 

[Dazmanturbo]

DI2 cable only has 2 wires in it, where as mod need min of 3 (up /down/common). Therefore you have to bare matching wires on the Levo remote to splice into the Di2 shifter loom. The Di2 connection is solely for the Garmin button

 

[kattanm]

DI2 cable only has 2 wires in it, where as mod need min of 3 (up /down/common). Therefore you have to bare matching wires on the Levo remote to splice into the Di2 shifter loom. The Di2 connection is solely for the Garmin button

Ok. Still just one di2 cable running from shifter into bike. Shifter side needs no modification. Bike side replace e-tube plug with Levo remote plug.

Or do I have this backwards? Use the Levo remote wire; cut off the levo remote. solder on etube plug. Plug in to shifter?

 

[Dazmanturbo]

The diagram is for the full set up with Di2 garmin button working. The Di2 wire carries this Garmin signal only. The Levo remote has wires cut open and the button end removed. 3 of these then go the Di2 shifter loom and are spliced into up / down and common. This is does the same job as the Levo remote, but built into Di2 Shifter

 

[kattanm]

The diagram is for the full set up with Di2 garmin button working. The Di2 wire carries this Garmin signal only. The Levo remote has wires cut open and the button end removed. 3 of these then go the Di2 shifter loom and are spliced into up / down and common. This is does the same job as the Levo remote, but built into Di2 Shifter

Ok. So you are running the Levo remote wire. Cut the Levo remote switch off. Splice on one Di2 plug for the shifter.

 

[Dazmanturbo]

Yea, something like that. Not sure if he used the actual Di2 port, but essentially it is correct. As long as there is a wired connection to the 3 wires on the Di2 shifter and the Levo plug in the correct order, then this will work. This basically replaces the Levo remote buttons with the Di2 ones in there place. Very neat.

 

[kattanm]

Yea, something like that. Not sure if he used the actual Di2 port, but essentially it is correct. As long as there is a wired connection to the 3 wires on the Di2 shifter and the Levo plug in the correct order, then this will work. This basically replaces the Levo remote buttons with the Di2 ones in there place. Very neat.

Ok. If we do that, there are 5 wires (I think) in the Levo remote cable: yellow, blue, violet, and 2 others. Only 2 of these wires get soldered into the Di2 plug (only takes 2 wires). Which of the 5 get soldered to which of the 2?

 

[eddief]

Hi everyone, I was able to get this working and put a test ride on it. Everything works as expected. The remote (Specialized PN S194200007) let's you run up "+" the modes 0 (no assist), 1, 2, 3 and back down again with the "-". Also intact is the Turbo button at the top which takes you from any mode to Turbo. And at the bottom is the walk assist button if you want to walk along side up a hill, etc.

How do you do this? I'm not going into ever excruciating detail but basically here it goes. The remote will plug into the open connector on your TCU (the unit in the top tube)[you need a Torx T-10 to get that open]. I removed the unused port on the left top tube and basically milled it out so that the connector could pass through (too small as it is on the bike).

Then you need to mount the remote. I opted to place it as you can see on the left bar. The remote wants to see a specific mounting condition. A 7/8" dowel or bar. For now I cut off a length of MTB bar to do this. At the end I drilled a hole through all the way so I could pass a cable tie for mounting. I really couldn't find a way to mount this dowel without an exposed cable tie on the drops. I did hide the connector wire under the bar wrap best as I could.

Future plan is to fabricate a black nylon dowel and replace the handlebar end since that has some sharpness against the handlebar and wrap.

My 90 minute test ride was great. Just slip your left hand back a touch on the hood and choose your mode. No more fumbling with the top tube at all. I like to ride with as little assist as possible but have an easy way to adjust the mode, and this does the trick. Wish Specialized had a drop bar solution for us, but for now this is great. Let me know if you have questions.

No programming or anything is required. Power down, connect, power up...it works.

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would this gadget from Profile Designs work? https://www.togoparts.com/marketplace/ad-details/1035152/profile-design-ucm-mount

 

[kattanm]

would this gadget from Profile Designs work? https://www.togoparts.com/marketplace/ad-details/1035152/profile-design-ucm-mount

Wow yeah I think so. Of course you are using Di2 and we get the di2 solution above to work, the shifter is way cleaner.

 

[kattanm]

Ok. If we do that, there are 5 wires (I think) in the Levo remote cable: yellow, blue, violet, and 2 others. Only 2 of these wires get soldered into the Di2 plug (only takes 2 wires). Which of the 5 get soldered to which of the 2?

Dazmanturbo, did you solder yet and test?