eMTB Options For 2024

[BillyKidd]

Yeah, you really need to ride them. EMTB's aren't about how fast you can go, more of a 'can I make it over the trail. It's very fun and challenging all at the same time.

Pedaling up a steep dirt hill in 2nd gear is nearly as fun as 28mph on a downhill rolling trail!

Off-road is a completely different experience that road or bike path.

25 miles feels like a LONG way, and 20mph feels very fast when you're dodging ruts and rocks and trees.

So Browneye (thank you for your response BTW) am I looking at two bikes, one for each application(road vs mountain)? For example buy the Dost Kope now and save up for a Frey EX and wait it out?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Billy, most of professional road cyclists produce 200-300 W during a stage (of course they produce more during the sprint). Now, a recreational rider may produce 100 W. A 250 W motor means there is a pro pedalling together with you on your ride, especially if that's a mid-drive motor (mid-drives are excellent climbers). Hub motors are better with more power if some hills are involved. One of my e-bikes has a 250 W hub motor and despite of my legs' illness am doing okay on the flats, against headwind and on short inclines such as overpasses. When I started riding e-bikes, I was close to 240 lbs.

Don't be misled with the "power" factor.

 

[BillyKidd]

Billy, most of professional road cyclists produce 200-300 W during a stage (of course they produce more during the sprint). Now, a recreational rider may produce 100 W. A 250 W motor means there is a pro pedalling together with you on your ride, especially if that's a mid-drive motor (mid-drives are excellent climbers). Hub motors are better with more power if some hills are involved. One of my e-bikes has a 250 W motor and despite of my legs' illness am doing okay on the flats, against headwind and on short inclines such as overpasses. When I started riding e-bikes, I was close to 240 lbs.

Don't be misled with the "power" factor.

Thank you Stefan.

 

[BillyKidd]

Don't waste your time with Dost If you actually want a legit mountain bike. It might be a decent comuter for someone with bad knees that just wants cadence sensing but for the most part it's an overhyped bike with very questionable EBR "choice" recommendation from Court. There will be lots of bikes coming out in the near future with dual battery option. I see no reason to purchase from an unproven company that will lijely go out of business If they continue to make poor decisions like their choice of motor for a new bike in 2020.

Thanks Tom. Lets say hypothetically I buy two bikes. One for mountain and one for road. I would buy the road bike first. What would you put up against the Dost for range and features?

 

[TomD]

Assuming you have the money, I would take the watt wagons super bike all day long for a commuter and long distance bike. But that would be a long wait so you'd want to get the eMTB first.

 

[Browneye]

@BillyKidd - notice the Giant ebikes in my sig, that should be revealing. I wouldn't have dropped over 8-grand without some research and trying out a few (at lest a couple dozen).
Choosing a reliable dealer can be the difference between joy and agony.

Try as many as you can stand, you'll have much better feel for what best serves your needs and wants, and be able to recognize a good deal when you see one.

 

[BillyKidd]

@BillyKidd - notice the Giant ebikes in my sig, that should be revealing. I wouldn't have dropped over 8-grand without some research and trying out a few (at lest a couple dozen).
Choosing a reliable dealer can be the difference between joy and agony.

Try as many as you can stand, you'll have much better feel for what best serves your needs and wants, and be able to recognize a good deal when you see one.

Thanks very much Browneye for the advice.

 

[bob armani]

Here's a good info-vid on bars and stems. As a reference, the Trance models come with 800mm wide bars. Bars can be shortened with a hacksaw.

FYI-"Bars can be shortened with a hacksaw" or with a conduit cutting tool. These also give a precision cut. Just finish off with a curved file on the insides of the bar ends.

 

[BillyKidd]

Don't waste your time with Dost If you actually want a legit mountain bike. It might be a decent comuter for someone with bad knees that just wants cadence sensing but for the most part it's an overhyped bike with very questionable EBR "choice" recommendation from Court. There will be lots of bikes coming out in the near future with dual battery option. I see no reason to purchase from an unproven company that will lijely go out of business If they continue to make poor decisions like their choice of motor for a new bike in 2020.

Looks like Dost sold out of the Kope model already so that is off the table. Makes the decision a bit easier. Thanks Tom for all your advice and help.

 

[byunbee]

I have a 2018 Turbo Levo. I think the Mission Control app works with the 2017, it will tell you how many times the battery has been charged and the health of the battery. A new battery is $900. A Specialized lbs should also be able to tell you the condition of the motor and battery. As for the value, I think it may be a little high due to lower power assist.

You may also ask your question at the emtb forum.

The 2017 Turbo Levo doesn't come with display. Are there displays available for these bikes or does the bike connect via bluetooth to a phone and that's your display? I'm still eyeing the bike and it hasn't sold yet.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Specialized Turbo Connect Display (TCD)

The Turbo Connect Display (TCD) puts all of your key ride and bike data in one convenient location on the handlebars. Some of these metrics include: Spe...

www.specialized.com

 

[byunbee]

Thanks @Stefan Mikes.
Compatibility: With all Turbo bikes that feature the Turbo Connect Unit (TCU).
Do you know whether 2017 Turbo Levo FSR have the TCU?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hard question. I think you could only get the answer at an e-MTB forum.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The Shopping for a Specialized Turbo Levo Has Just Begun
I need your advice (not willing to create a separate thread).

I'd like to have a Levo. There are no significant hills in my area; I might want to drive to our Polish or to Czech mountains for some holidays yet. There are many woods and forests in my area, and I might want to travel to ride in more remote wild nature areas. No technical trail riding involved whatsoever.

Why the Turbo Levo? Because I've been watching Electric Mountain Bike Network videos and just started dreaming of that e-bike, practical use or just enjoying the bike. No need to derestrict it either: I've already got enough fast e-bikes in my stable

Specialized have made many models in different model years and it is quite confusing. Please help understand and give your advice:

1. Levo or Levo Comp or Levo Comp Carbon? Depending on the model year, the battery is either 460, 500 or 700 Wh;
2. MY 2019 or 2020? Only Levo Comp 2020 and higher models have the 700 Wh battery;
3. In what terms would be the carbon fibre frame better? I am afraid the carbon fiber is brittle and am afraid to destroy it;
4. Is is smarter to buy a Levo with a small battery and buy a spare large battery? Are the batteries compatible? How hard is to remove the battery?
5. The different components in different models. Having a dropper post would be advantageous.

Note: Comparison of the 2020 Turbo Levo with the 2020 Turbo Levo Comp proves that the only significant difference is the 700 Wh battery on the Comp (500 Wh on the regular Levo). The price of the Levo is US$5100 while the Levo Comp is US$6550. I could buy a spare 500 Wh battery for the Levo and still save some money.

Could anyone answer? What model and MY is your Levo, @Oberst?

Now, try also to convince me to another brand. No Haibike, sorry Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Scott, Canyon as well as several other known brands have representation in Poland. Moustache Bikes... er... well... no. YT have no dealer. Very important criterion is he bike should look extremely sexy

Share your thoughts!

 

[Oberst]

The Shopping for a Specialized Turbo Levo Has Just Begun
I need your advice (not willing to create a separate thread).

I'd like to have a Levo. There are no significant hills in my area; I might want to drive to our Polish or to Czech mountains for some holidays yet. There are many woods and forests in my area, and I might want to travel to ride in more remote wild nature areas. No technical trail riding involved whatsoever.

Why the Turbo Levo? Because I've been watching Electric Mountain Bike Network videos and just started dreaming of that e-bike, practical use or just enjoying the bike. No need to derestrict it either: I've already got enough fast e-bikes in my stable

Specialized have made many models in different model years and it is quite confusing. Please help understand and give your advice:

1. Levo or Levo Comp or Levo Comp Carbon? Depending on the model year, the battery is either 460, 500 or 700 Wh;
2. MY 2019 or 2020? Only Levo Comp 2020 and higher models have the 700 Wh battery;
3. In what terms would be the carbon fibre frame better? I am afraid the carbon fiber is brittle and am afraid to destroy it;
4. Is is smarter to buy a Levo with a small battery and buy a spare large battery? Are the batteries compatible? How hard is to remove the battery?
5. The different components in different models. Having a dropper post would be advantageous.

Note: Comparison of the 2020 Turbo Levo with the 2020 Turbo Levo Comp proves that the only significant difference is the 700 Wh battery on the Comp (500 Wh on the regular Levo). The price of the Levo is US$5100 while the Levo Comp is US$6550. I could buy a spare 500 Wh battery for the Levo and still save some money.

Could anyone answer? What model and MY is your Levo, @Oberst?

Now, try also to convince me to another brand. No Haibike, sorry Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Scott, Canyon as well as several other known brands have representation in Poland. Moustache Bikes... er... well... no. YT have no dealer. Very important criterion is he bike should look extremely sexy

Share your thoughts!

Happy hunting! Mine is the 2020 Levo Comp so it has the 700 wh battery. I have never removed it but it is very different in that you remove a bolt on the bottom and slide it down and out. The batteries are a lot longer than the Vado so a spare might be a challenge.

 

[byunbee]

If it has been stored at 50-60% charge state, it should be fine.
A new one is 6-grand plus.
If the bike was really nice otherwise, I might offer a couple thousand.

Decide if you would own it at any price. If so, then what price would make you go 'hell yeah', and offer that.
If that price is a lot lower than the seller is asking, just put it out there as an option for him if he can't sell it otherwise. That way you won't be sorry either which way.

You could always negotiate an extended trial - charge it fully, ride it ten miles, and see how the range is looking, and confirm that it performs properly.

$1800 to $2000 is what pops in my head. I have four grand in my Trance, and doubtful it's twice as good.

Hey @Browneye. From all your forum posting, you seem to have a lot of knowledge and experience testing riding various brands. I've read threads where you call you call out Turbo Levos as one of the best you can buy. Given that new Turbo Levo FSR can easily run over $6k, I'm wondering what the reasoning is behind your lukewarm price assessment of the 2017 Turbo Levo FSR I was inquiring about. I'm not challenging your opinion. Rather, I wanted to better understand the reasoning. Thanks.

 

[bob armani]

Specialized Turbo Connect Display (TCD)

The Turbo Connect Display (TCD) puts all of your key ride and bike data in one convenient location on the handlebars. Some of these metrics include: Spe...

www.specialized.com

Yeah, I love this TCD! I did not know these were available. I rode two Levos with no displays at the time. The only option was the MCA with your smart phone. I was never a big fan of using that as my bike interface. Kudos to Specialized for this offering.

 

[Browneye]

Hey @Browneye. From all your forum posting, you seem to have a lot of knowledge and experience testing riding various brands. I've read threads where you call you call out Turbo Levos as one of the best you can buy. Given that new Turbo Levo FSR can easily run over $6k, I'm wondering what the reasoning is behind your lukewarm price assessment of the 2017 Turbo Levo FSR I was inquiring about. I'm not challenging your opinion. Rather, I wanted to better understand the reasoning. Thanks.

Cuz a used bike doesn’t have the same value as a new one. Simple as that. And a couple of model-years makes a difference too.
Why I claim obsolescence in 5-7. It’s just reality.

 

[Browneye]

While I liked the SL well enough, the regular comp was the one for me. Nice integration of a more compact assist on the SL though, and super light.

PDoz said I didn't need CF, and they're generally a lot more $$. I'm just not a competitive rider, more casual trail rider.

You will be happy with a comp model with the big pack. I think I would wear out before the battery did.

 

[BillH]

The Shopping for a Specialized Turbo Levo Has Just Begun
I need your advice (not willing to create a separate thread).

I'd like to have a Levo. There are no significant hills in my area; I might want to drive to our Polish or to Czech mountains for some holidays yet. There are many woods and forests in my area, and I might want to travel to ride in more remote wild nature areas. No technical trail riding involved whatsoever.

Why the Turbo Levo? Because I've been watching Electric Mountain Bike Network videos and just started dreaming of that e-bike, practical use or just enjoying the bike. No need to derestrict it either: I've already got enough fast e-bikes in my stable

Specialized have made many models in different model years and it is quite confusing. Please help understand and give your advice:

1. Levo or Levo Comp or Levo Comp Carbon? Depending on the model year, the battery is either 460, 500 or 700 Wh;
2. MY 2019 or 2020? Only Levo Comp 2020 and higher models have the 700 Wh battery;
3. In what terms would be the carbon fibre frame better? I am afraid the carbon fiber is brittle and am afraid to destroy it;
4. Is is smarter to buy a Levo with a small battery and buy a spare large battery? Are the batteries compatible? How hard is to remove the battery?
5. The different components in different models. Having a dropper post would be advantageous.

Note: Comparison of the 2020 Turbo Levo with the 2020 Turbo Levo Comp proves that the only significant difference is the 700 Wh battery on the Comp (500 Wh on the regular Levo). The price of the Levo is US$5100 while the Levo Comp is US$6550. I could buy a spare 500 Wh battery for the Levo and still save some money.

Could anyone answer? What model and MY is your Levo, @Oberst?

Now, try also to convince me to another brand. No Haibike, sorry Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Scott, Canyon as well as several other known brands have representation in Poland. Moustache Bikes... er... well... no. YT have no dealer. Very important criterion is he bike should look extremely sexy

Share your thoughts!

Have you looked at the Bulls Adventure Evo TR45 or the Adventure EVO AM 27.5?