I’m looking for an ebike and found two that are in the same price range, have features that I think are similar, and wanted feedback on those that have same bike or have knowledge of them. I live in hilly country and can’t climb my own street. Specialized turbo levo fsr 6 or the Trek Powerfly fs 5 (2018/2019). I would appreciate comments from people who actually have experience with these bikes. Thanks in advance.
Narrowed it down to two.
- Thread starter Westr70
- Start date
Have no luck finding a place that even has the Specialized. My favorite bike shop has the trek in stock. I'm going there on Thursday for a ride.
It would appear so but for that kind of money I'm taking my time. So far...
ebikemom
Well-Known Member
Enjoy the test ride! Great that the Trek would be supported by your favorite bike shop! Tell us how you like the bike. @slomoshun loves his Trek, and I believe it is his fourth (?) ebike over the decade+ he's been riding ebikes. Maybe he can chime in here?
I was chatting to a mate yesterday who has the trek fs SEVEN ( 2018) , and he was comparing it to our local shops 2018 levo fsr demo bike, Nb these are australian spec bikes so speed limitted to 25 k , and they are being ridden by hard core mtb riders
He commented that the specialized seemed to accelerate out of corners better, felt more " punchy" ,, and able to maintain better speeds when ridden above the speed where the motor cuts out- but it's hard to know how much of this relates to his modifications to the trek ( 160 mm fork, higher bars - ie modified for better downhill performance)
Specialized was also slightly quieter, but " not that much better that I'd change"
So I'd be very surprised if a trek FIVE compares favourably to the specialized , but if you never ride the specialized is that really a problem? ( aka, a supportive local shop is a valuable asset)
bob armani
Well-Known Member
Yes I agree, take your time and do as many test rides as possible before purchase. If you have a Trek dealer nearby, perhaps you can get rides on some of the others in that class. Not having another LBS nearby, I would also stay with buying as close to home as possible. If you are fully able to do most of your own E-bike maintenance, that then opens the door wide open for more choices. Happy shopping.
No worries.
I'd also suggest you have a good, long think about the lack of dropper seat post and if the frnt forks are going to be good enough. Both of these are things you can upgrade later, but they're not cheap upgrades and you get a lot more for your $ if you purchase a higher spec bike originally.
I think my norco oldbike has the same forks as the trek 5 and I don't personally think they'd be good enough for ebike weight / speeds. They feel noticeably more flexible and less compliant that the fox 34's in my giant full e+1 pro , and that's in a non ebike. All our local trek SEVEN riders upgraded the stock forks to 160 mm yaris , and the 7 has higher spec forks than the 5 . Again, these are hard core mtb riders, but even I would feel nervous on the recons with an emtb.
So forks cost about $1k, another $250 for a dropper post - I suspect that if you looked in that higher price bracket you'd be finding bikes with 11 speed gears, 4 piston brakes and yari or fox 34/36 forks?
Btw - the specialised is an absolute pita to carry a spare battery for - too long for most of the hydration packs designed to carry ebike batteries. Sure, you can modify the bags, but keep this in mind if you intend to do huge rides
I'd also suggest you have a good, long think about the lack of dropper seat post and if the frnt forks are going to be good enough. Both of these are things you can upgrade later, but they're not cheap upgrades and you get a lot more for your $ if you purchase a higher spec bike originally.
I think my norco oldbike has the same forks as the trek 5 and I don't personally think they'd be good enough for ebike weight / speeds. They feel noticeably more flexible and less compliant that the fox 34's in my giant full e+1 pro , and that's in a non ebike. All our local trek SEVEN riders upgraded the stock forks to 160 mm yaris , and the 7 has higher spec forks than the 5 . Again, these are hard core mtb riders, but even I would feel nervous on the recons with an emtb.
So forks cost about $1k, another $250 for a dropper post - I suspect that if you looked in that higher price bracket you'd be finding bikes with 11 speed gears, 4 piston brakes and yari or fox 34/36 forks?
Btw - the specialised is an absolute pita to carry a spare battery for - too long for most of the hydration packs designed to carry ebike batteries. Sure, you can modify the bags, but keep this in mind if you intend to do huge rides
I had my ride today on the Trek FS 5 and it was great. It had a lot of zip in it, and I could easily see myself going up the climbs that are currently challenging me now. This one had a drop post in it and that worked great. I went ahead and ordered the LT 7 and it will be here by early September. this is going to be fun. Thank you all for your help and especially PDoz.
bob armani
Well-Known Member
Congrats! This is an awesome ride paired with very nice components! Enjoy
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