That said, I suspect that Fazua will have the updated 480 batteries available and who knows, maybe some motor updates, that will drop in to an already perfectly dialed chassis.
Not a rumor but question for you guys. I got a frameworks enduro ordered cause i like the geo of it. Any ebikes you'd recommend with a pretty long chain stay and long dropper insertion? Around 450-460mm reach
Now I am under strict instructions that I cannot give away too much! Anyone that knows me will know that I’ve always loved an ebike. I love an ebike as much as I love an uplift… and having spent 10 years guiding in the Alps - I really do love an uplift. I was once riding in the South of France and the Frenchman sitting next to me in the UPLIFT van commented on the ebikes PEDALLING uphill that we were overtaking, “lazy bastards” he said, “I hate ebikes”. Not a hint of sarcasm or irony!
I share no such view. I love riding my bike and I view ebikes as a force multiplier, not a compensator. The climbs that become climbable on a full power ebike, I would go so far to say are all but impossible by anyone on a conventional bike, with the possible exception of an XC racing champion on a steep long stemmed race bike which you certainly wouldn't want to go down the other side.
Even if my attitude to an ebike is that they are force multipliers - who am I to judge if someone who wants to buy an ebike as a compensator and gets joy from riding their bike? I’ve never ridden my bike to be better than anyone else (apart from Chris Deverson, my co-founder, I’m always competing with him), but I ride my bike for the joy of riding and for me the ebike doesn’t diminish that.
I hope that the initial hate has disappeared and its last redoubt is the bottom of the latest Pinkbike comment section. Let's be honest anyway - the haters turn into lovers very quickly when they actually bother to ride a modern ebike!
Saying that, the rise of the ebike certainly doesn’t mean there is not a place for analogue bikes. Hop aboard our Claymore or Highlander II, and you get a nimbleness and connection to the trail that only an analogue bike can give you. If, like me, the idea of shouldering your bike for an hour doesn’t bother you and is often the only way to access some trails, then ebikes are still a bit heavy for that to be a fun experience. I firmly believe some rides suit ebikes and some rides suit analogue bikes and my point is - both electric bikes and analogue bikes have their place and if you prefer one or the other comes down to you and what you are looking for. So, are Deviate going to release an ebike? Absolutely! It’s coming next summer.
We’ve actually got plans for a range of ebikes, but the first one coming is a full power, full-fat enduro beast - designed to be a bit like an electric version of the Claymore. It’s what I selfishly want in an ebike because where I live, I want something with a big battery and big power to smash up those fireroad climbs to get to the fun stuff. A big day in the mountains - I’ll take my Highlander II, or for uplift assisted riding in the Alps - I’ll borrow a Claymore!
I can tell you it has a high pivot point, slack geometry, it is mullet for maximum fun and uses the very latest Bosch powertrain system. I can’t really say much more than that at this stage - but we are riding one fresh out of the mould and I can tell you that it rides like a Deviate and looks great!
We are not allowed to sell ebikes as frame only due to regulations so they will only be available as complete builds and again I cannot say too much about the components we’ve picked for quite a while due to 3rd party embargoes - but what I will say is that the components that are hanging off them are nearly as exciting as the platform itself!
Due to regulations, initial batches are focused on the UK, EU and Australia but there will be an option to register interest for other markets further down the line.
As a small company facing challenging market conditions, we can only bring in a limited number of e-bikes for 2025, so we want to be transparent about availability. On November 5th, we’re giving our Clan members the first chance to secure a bike from this limited initial batch, allowing us to gauge interest for future production before opening up to the wider market.
I hope that sounds fair!
Keep an eye out for the email on the 5th and as usual - any questions, do get in touch!
deviate ebike update from their newsletter-------------------The Deviate E-Bike UpdateNow I am under strict instructions that I cannot give away too much! Anyone that knows me...
deviate ebike update from their newsletter
-------------------
The Deviate E-Bike Update
Now I am under strict instructions that I cannot give away too much! Anyone that knows me will know that I’ve always loved an ebike. I love an ebike as much as I love an uplift… and having spent 10 years guiding in the Alps - I really do love an uplift. I was once riding in the South of France and the Frenchman sitting next to me in the UPLIFT van commented on the ebikes PEDALLING uphill that we were overtaking, “lazy bastards” he said, “I hate ebikes”. Not a hint of sarcasm or irony!
I share no such view. I love riding my bike and I view ebikes as a force multiplier, not a compensator. The climbs that become climbable on a full power ebike, I would go so far to say are all but impossible by anyone on a conventional bike, with the possible exception of an XC racing champion on a steep long stemmed race bike which you certainly wouldn't want to go down the other side.
Even if my attitude to an ebike is that they are force multipliers - who am I to judge if someone who wants to buy an ebike as a compensator and gets joy from riding their bike? I’ve never ridden my bike to be better than anyone else (apart from Chris Deverson, my co-founder, I’m always competing with him), but I ride my bike for the joy of riding and for me the ebike doesn’t diminish that.
I hope that the initial hate has disappeared and its last redoubt is the bottom of the latest Pinkbike comment section. Let's be honest anyway - the haters turn into lovers very quickly when they actually bother to ride a modern ebike!
Saying that, the rise of the ebike certainly doesn’t mean there is not a place for analogue bikes. Hop aboard our Claymore or Highlander II, and you get a nimbleness and connection to the trail that only an analogue bike can give you. If, like me, the idea of shouldering your bike for an hour doesn’t bother you and is often the only way to access some trails, then ebikes are still a bit heavy for that to be a fun experience. I firmly believe some rides suit ebikes and some rides suit analogue bikes and my point is - both electric bikes and analogue bikes have their place and if you prefer one or the other comes down to you and what you are looking for. So, are Deviate going to release an ebike? Absolutely! It’s coming next summer.
We’ve actually got plans for a range of ebikes, but the first one coming is a full power, full-fat enduro beast - designed to be a bit like an electric version of the Claymore. It’s what I selfishly want in an ebike because where I live, I want something with a big battery and big power to smash up those fireroad climbs to get to the fun stuff. A big day in the mountains - I’ll take my Highlander II, or for uplift assisted riding in the Alps - I’ll borrow a Claymore!
I can tell you it has a high pivot point, slack geometry, it is mullet for maximum fun and uses the very latest Bosch powertrain system. I can’t really say much more than that at this stage - but we are riding one fresh out of the mould and I can tell you that it rides like a Deviate and looks great!
We are not allowed to sell ebikes as frame only due to regulations so they will only be available as complete builds and again I cannot say too much about the components we’ve picked for quite a while due to 3rd party embargoes - but what I will say is that the components that are hanging off them are nearly as exciting as the platform itself!
Due to regulations, initial batches are focused on the UK, EU and Australia but there will be an option to register interest for other markets further down the line.
As a small company facing challenging market conditions, we can only bring in a limited number of e-bikes for 2025, so we want to be transparent about availability. On November 5th, we’re giving our Clan members the first chance to secure a bike from this limited initial batch, allowing us to gauge interest for future production before opening up to the wider market.
I hope that sounds fair!
Keep an eye out for the email on the 5th and as usual - any questions, do get in touch!
We’re talking about bikes here, people. If you want to talk linguistics or politics, there are plenty of other places on the internet for that. Let’s keep this a safe haven of pure e-fun. Moving on.
Not a rumor but question for you guys. I got a frameworks enduro ordered cause i like the geo of it. Any ebikes you'd recommend with...
Not a rumor but question for you guys. I got a frameworks enduro ordered cause i like the geo of it. Any ebikes you'd recommend with a pretty long chain stay and long dropper insertion? Around 450-460mm reach
Scott Ransom has long chainstays. Dunno about dropper insertion though.
Not a rumor but question for you guys. I got a frameworks enduro ordered cause i like the geo of it. Any ebikes you'd recommend with...
Not a rumor but question for you guys. I got a frameworks enduro ordered cause i like the geo of it. Any ebikes you'd recommend with a pretty long chain stay and long dropper insertion? Around 450-460mm reach
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
I think if i had pivot $ i'd get a crestline with the gen 5 motor. So many options with a crestline and i think it would have the handlung youre looking for. There are some nice improvements on the gen 5. Quiet, cooler running temp, smoother, lighter and theres a rumour it may eventually have an update for added power
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
Out of curiosity, how much does your Levo actually weigh in it's current form?
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
Not much you can do. I had the carbon version and I felt like the design was such that you could either set it up / tune it to be a bit poppier at the expense of support & comfort on chunk, or turn it into a plow that is a bitch to get into the air or throw around. If you want to make it into a monster truck, then 170mm 38mm fork (head cup neutral, flip chip high), Cascade link, and a large volume air shock (Vivid or X2), alu DH wheels, and DH tires.
I went to a midpower ebike (Heckler SL) and like it better in all aspects except doing huge amounts of vert in turbo (I get about 30% less range and it has 30% less power).
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive with the new Gen 5 Bosch stuff. Obviously the Amflow changed that but you have to keep in mind that the Amflow has a fixed battery.
The Carbon would have been lighter too. If you have the 700 battery you could change to the 500 and it would be like 800g lighter.
Many shimano bikes are in fact lighter but unfortunately the motor rattles.
The kinematics on the levo are plus. So maybe a cascade link would help with your problem by adding more compression.
It could also be down to the parts like heavy wheels, tires, fork that make it feel sluggish...
Plus you can play around with the geo settings and make it steeper with a higher headangle if you like it more playful. Also if the frame is too long for you it could be detrimetal to the handling. The longer slacker trend led to many people ride bikes that are too long. Shorter bikes can be more fun to flick around.
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive...
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive with the new Gen 5 Bosch stuff. Obviously the Amflow changed that but you have to keep in mind that the Amflow has a fixed battery.
The Carbon would have been lighter too. If you have the 700 battery you could change to the 500 and it would be like 800g lighter.
Many shimano bikes are in fact lighter but unfortunately the motor rattles.
The kinematics on the levo are plus. So maybe a cascade link would help with your problem by adding more compression.
It could also be down to the parts like heavy wheels, tires, fork that make it feel sluggish...
Plus you can play around with the geo settings and make it steeper with a higher headangle if you like it more playful. Also if the frame is too long for you it could be detrimetal to the handling. The longer slacker trend led to many people ride bikes that are too long. Shorter bikes can be more fun to flick around.
So yes I'm running cushcore front and rear, with DHR DD casing on the rear, Assegai exo+ up front ( wondering if that's overkill and could drop a few grams). Zeb ultimate, feels a beefy fork, its a 500W battery with alloy frame and unfortunately its the version of the Alloy which doesn't allow the headset adjust cups to be used ( annoying that they changed up the frames at some point and removed that feature ). Running super deluxe with one up carbon bar, sram XO drive train ( not transmission ) , TRP DHR Evo brakes, rest of the bike is essentially stock, i did put a 35MM ( shorter ) stem on with 10MM rise ( Funn equalizer ) to get the front end up a bit.. In many ways its the same build spec as the LTD levo they released not that long ago with similar specs. Bike size is an S4. I'm 181cm, i rode a Medium Pivot and have a 2023 M/L Trek Slash. So all similar(ish) size. biggest different was full 29er vs 29/27 on the levo but then my understanding is the mullet set up gives more "playful" rides.
wondering if there is an aftermarket head set adjust what would work on the frame.
Cascade link i would try however i don't know if that will change the ride to feel more nimble, less plow ?? and ideally i wouldn't want to change the rear shock again just due to cost and the cascade link ( not the long link ) has a rider weight limit of 90kg ( 200lbs ) which rules me out as im 100 - 105.
i keep asking myself why the pivot just feels like you can move it around, responsive, fun, is it weight is it geo ( on paper they are very very similar ). is it my set up, is it the DW link vs the levo shock style.. struggling with this one. thanks for all the thoughts
If you're a big boy, it's not the bike weight. I'm 25+ lbs / 18 kg lighter than you, and in terms of bike:rider weight ratio, a 44 lb ebike for me is the same roughly as a 52 lb ebike to a 200 lb rider.
So one of the things that I liked about running the 170mm fork on the Levo was that it brought the BB up to a reasonable height. The stock BB height is really low, which makes it harder to tip the bike into corners. Bringing it up made it feel like when you shove the bars over, the bike would tip into the lean more readily. Plus less pedal strikes. You can run a 170 fork even if you don't run a Cascade link.
Other than that, try running ~26% sag on the shock. That's what Specialized suggests, I'm guessing because it's so linear. That'll shift a bit of the suspension balance forward onto the fork then, so you'll also have to add a little bit of pressure to the fork to keep it balanced. After that, you can open the rebound on both fork and shock 1 click at a time to make the suspension poppier.
If you're a big boy, it's not the bike weight. I'm 25+ lbs / 18 kg lighter than you, and in terms of bike:rider weight ratio...
If you're a big boy, it's not the bike weight. I'm 25+ lbs / 18 kg lighter than you, and in terms of bike:rider weight ratio, a 44 lb ebike for me is the same roughly as a 52 lb ebike to a 200 lb rider.
So one of the things that I liked about running the 170mm fork on the Levo was that it brought the BB up to a reasonable height. The stock BB height is really low, which makes it harder to tip the bike into corners. Bringing it up made it feel like when you shove the bars over, the bike would tip into the lean more readily. Plus less pedal strikes. You can run a 170 fork even if you don't run a Cascade link.
Other than that, try running ~26% sag on the shock. That's what Specialized suggests, I'm guessing because it's so linear. That'll shift a bit of the suspension balance forward onto the fork then, so you'll also have to add a little bit of pressure to the fork to keep it balanced. After that, you can open the rebound on both fork and shock 1 click at a time to make the suspension poppier.
Thanks for that.. i WAS going to go 170mm form, do you know if that has any issues with specialized and warranty? they seem to be pretty hard nosed on the 160MM max fork?
If you're a big boy, it's not the bike weight. I'm 25+ lbs / 18 kg lighter than you, and in terms of bike:rider weight ratio...
If you're a big boy, it's not the bike weight. I'm 25+ lbs / 18 kg lighter than you, and in terms of bike:rider weight ratio, a 44 lb ebike for me is the same roughly as a 52 lb ebike to a 200 lb rider.
So one of the things that I liked about running the 170mm fork on the Levo was that it brought the BB up to a reasonable height. The stock BB height is really low, which makes it harder to tip the bike into corners. Bringing it up made it feel like when you shove the bars over, the bike would tip into the lean more readily. Plus less pedal strikes. You can run a 170 fork even if you don't run a Cascade link.
Other than that, try running ~26% sag on the shock. That's what Specialized suggests, I'm guessing because it's so linear. That'll shift a bit of the suspension balance forward onto the fork then, so you'll also have to add a little bit of pressure to the fork to keep it balanced. After that, you can open the rebound on both fork and shock 1 click at a time to make the suspension poppier.
Thanks for that.. i WAS going to go 170mm form, do you know if that has any issues with specialized and warranty? they seem to be...
Thanks for that.. i WAS going to go 170mm form, do you know if that has any issues with specialized and warranty? they seem to be pretty hard nosed on the 160MM max fork?
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive...
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive with the new Gen 5 Bosch stuff. Obviously the Amflow changed that but you have to keep in mind that the Amflow has a fixed battery.
The Carbon would have been lighter too. If you have the 700 battery you could change to the 500 and it would be like 800g lighter.
Many shimano bikes are in fact lighter but unfortunately the motor rattles.
The kinematics on the levo are plus. So maybe a cascade link would help with your problem by adding more compression.
It could also be down to the parts like heavy wheels, tires, fork that make it feel sluggish...
Plus you can play around with the geo settings and make it steeper with a higher headangle if you like it more playful. Also if the frame is too long for you it could be detrimetal to the handling. The longer slacker trend led to many people ride bikes that are too long. Shorter bikes can be more fun to flick around.
So yes I'm running cushcore front and rear, with DHR DD casing on the rear, Assegai exo+ up front ( wondering if that's overkill and could...
So yes I'm running cushcore front and rear, with DHR DD casing on the rear, Assegai exo+ up front ( wondering if that's overkill and could drop a few grams). Zeb ultimate, feels a beefy fork, its a 500W battery with alloy frame and unfortunately its the version of the Alloy which doesn't allow the headset adjust cups to be used ( annoying that they changed up the frames at some point and removed that feature ). Running super deluxe with one up carbon bar, sram XO drive train ( not transmission ) , TRP DHR Evo brakes, rest of the bike is essentially stock, i did put a 35MM ( shorter ) stem on with 10MM rise ( Funn equalizer ) to get the front end up a bit.. In many ways its the same build spec as the LTD levo they released not that long ago with similar specs. Bike size is an S4. I'm 181cm, i rode a Medium Pivot and have a 2023 M/L Trek Slash. So all similar(ish) size. biggest different was full 29er vs 29/27 on the levo but then my understanding is the mullet set up gives more "playful" rides.
wondering if there is an aftermarket head set adjust what would work on the frame.
Cascade link i would try however i don't know if that will change the ride to feel more nimble, less plow ?? and ideally i wouldn't want to change the rear shock again just due to cost and the cascade link ( not the long link ) has a rider weight limit of 90kg ( 200lbs ) which rules me out as im 100 - 105.
i keep asking myself why the pivot just feels like you can move it around, responsive, fun, is it weight is it geo ( on paper they are very very similar ). is it my set up, is it the DW link vs the levo shock style.. struggling with this one. thanks for all the thoughts
I mean yeah then its a bit clearer. The shuttle am is way lighter than your levo. It would be more comparable to a levo carbon with 500wh battery and no inserts.
You're way heavier than me so its hard to give you advice. I can't tell if you need the inserts or not. You might get away with not running one in the front with maybe a beefier casing but I'm not even sure if that would save that much weight.
Removing both and instead switching to beefier casings probably would save some and make the bike a bit more nimble.
And yeah the ideas from the other poster make sense aswell. Suspension setup will have a huge influence on how the bike feels.
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive...
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive with the new Gen 5 Bosch stuff. Obviously the Amflow changed that but you have to keep in mind that the Amflow has a fixed battery.
The Carbon would have been lighter too. If you have the 700 battery you could change to the 500 and it would be like 800g lighter.
Many shimano bikes are in fact lighter but unfortunately the motor rattles.
The kinematics on the levo are plus. So maybe a cascade link would help with your problem by adding more compression.
It could also be down to the parts like heavy wheels, tires, fork that make it feel sluggish...
Plus you can play around with the geo settings and make it steeper with a higher headangle if you like it more playful. Also if the frame is too long for you it could be detrimetal to the handling. The longer slacker trend led to many people ride bikes that are too long. Shorter bikes can be more fun to flick around.
So yes I'm running cushcore front and rear, with DHR DD casing on the rear, Assegai exo+ up front ( wondering if that's overkill and could...
So yes I'm running cushcore front and rear, with DHR DD casing on the rear, Assegai exo+ up front ( wondering if that's overkill and could drop a few grams). Zeb ultimate, feels a beefy fork, its a 500W battery with alloy frame and unfortunately its the version of the Alloy which doesn't allow the headset adjust cups to be used ( annoying that they changed up the frames at some point and removed that feature ). Running super deluxe with one up carbon bar, sram XO drive train ( not transmission ) , TRP DHR Evo brakes, rest of the bike is essentially stock, i did put a 35MM ( shorter ) stem on with 10MM rise ( Funn equalizer ) to get the front end up a bit.. In many ways its the same build spec as the LTD levo they released not that long ago with similar specs. Bike size is an S4. I'm 181cm, i rode a Medium Pivot and have a 2023 M/L Trek Slash. So all similar(ish) size. biggest different was full 29er vs 29/27 on the levo but then my understanding is the mullet set up gives more "playful" rides.
wondering if there is an aftermarket head set adjust what would work on the frame.
Cascade link i would try however i don't know if that will change the ride to feel more nimble, less plow ?? and ideally i wouldn't want to change the rear shock again just due to cost and the cascade link ( not the long link ) has a rider weight limit of 90kg ( 200lbs ) which rules me out as im 100 - 105.
i keep asking myself why the pivot just feels like you can move it around, responsive, fun, is it weight is it geo ( on paper they are very very similar ). is it my set up, is it the DW link vs the levo shock style.. struggling with this one. thanks for all the thoughts
Works Components likely makes a headset that can make whatever adjustments you desire.
Your bike sounds like a heavy build with a lot of weight in just the wheels, it's not going to feel nimble.
I'm firmly in the mid power bike category and I currently have an XL Relay with dual Avalanche coil suspension. It weighs 45.0#s ready to ride with DH tires, tools and pedals on board. I've only used up 60% of the battery juice a couple of times and a typical ride I use 40% of the battery juice.
Certainly, I'm aware that brands like Amflow and even the Vala has a killer weight and are really blurring the lines between the SLs and the FFs, but honestly my trails just don't warranty full power e-bikes as climbs are janky narrow single track, so why would I carry the extra 7-8#s around once I build a proper enduro style bike? Also, I still ride bikes and it's important to me that I keep the old legs putting out good power (and they really are I'll add).
Although the travel is a bit light, I sure am liking what the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL is all about. It's got class leading power and battery juice with the best feel, it's a mid-high pivot bike that runs a standard crankset as the motor drives off of the high pivot, good adjustability & a competitive weight.
Anyone else seeing the beauty in this new offering?
Both bikes mentioned have a removable battery which is more or less a must for me but only the Rocky Mountain seems to have a range extender which I would need aswell. And I'm not sure if the Rocky motor would be enough for me. The weakest motor I know was the Shimano e8000 and while I never configured it to max power I think the fazua is clearly weaker.
I decided against low power or mid power because of the range, rattle and weakish motor for steep alpine trails. If you don't want a rattling motor the Levo Gen 3 is still really competitivie. Carbon version can be under 23 or even 22 kg with the small battery. I really hope the Gen 4 will retain a removable battery and be a bit lighter with more travel and maybe a modular battery concept. I don't care about power as long as the motor is reliable and doesn't rattle.
As it sits, with 1# of pedals, 1# of tools, rear gravity casing tire, rear DH rim in an XL with dual coil suspension it weighs 45.0#s currently.
It's got an 11-speed drivetrain which knocks off .7# over Transmission, and the front rim is decently light as well, but otherwise it's the usual stuff.
If I were lucky enough to ride steep alpine trails, I'd likely run a full power e-bike as well with a Bosch.
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires...
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
But can you tell us what does the bike actually weigh in it's current form, bro? That will help everyone to determine how much of the sluggish feel is actually due to the poundage, and how much is more due to the subjective traits of the parts and suspension tune.
Looking to get my first emtb. Would love some input on what might be best. It’ll sometimes get used for after work laps, but more often for exploratory missions. I live on the front range so there’s a lot of long, not too steep dirt roads and hiking/moto trails. How much climbing can I expect to do on various size batteries/motors? Can you climb 7000 feet and 30 miles? Does anyone carry a second battery? How far/high can I expect to get with a mid power battery? 600w battery? 750w? Does anyone carry an extra battery?
Never ridden one, not sure how to get the chance to as no one I ride with has one. I don’t really want a 60lb bike, but I also don’t want a 45lb ebike that can’t climb 4000 feet.
Shimano motors are falling out of favor because service is king when it comes to e-bikes and Shimano does a terrible job in this regard.
Furthermore, they are a bit behind the times regarding noise, power, weight, etc.
New heckler SL soon ?
Heckler SL is only 1 years old, I don't think SC are going to refresh it that soon ?
Santa Cruz really need to release a new Bullit with the 800wh, I would bet they're working on that right now.
That makes no sense at all.
That said, I suspect that Fazua will have the updated 480 batteries available and who knows, maybe some motor updates, that will drop in to an already perfectly dialed chassis.
Not a rumor but question for you guys. I got a frameworks enduro ordered cause i like the geo of it. Any ebikes you'd recommend with a pretty long chain stay and long dropper insertion? Around 450-460mm reach
deviate ebike update from their newsletter
-------------------
The Deviate E-Bike Update
Now I am under strict instructions that I cannot give away too much!
Anyone that knows me will know that I’ve always loved an ebike. I love an ebike as much as I love an uplift… and having spent 10 years guiding in the Alps - I really do love an uplift. I was once riding in the South of France and the Frenchman sitting next to me in the UPLIFT van commented on the ebikes PEDALLING uphill that we were overtaking, “lazy bastards” he said, “I hate ebikes”. Not a hint of sarcasm or irony!
I share no such view. I love riding my bike and I view ebikes as a force multiplier, not a compensator. The climbs that become climbable on a full power ebike, I would go so far to say are all but impossible by anyone on a conventional bike, with the possible exception of an XC racing champion on a steep long stemmed race bike which you certainly wouldn't want to go down the other side.
Even if my attitude to an ebike is that they are force multipliers - who am I to judge if someone who wants to buy an ebike as a compensator and gets joy from riding their bike? I’ve never ridden my bike to be better than anyone else (apart from Chris Deverson, my co-founder, I’m always competing with him), but I ride my bike for the joy of riding and for me the ebike doesn’t diminish that.
I hope that the initial hate has disappeared and its last redoubt is the bottom of the latest Pinkbike comment section. Let's be honest anyway - the haters turn into lovers very quickly when they actually bother to ride a modern ebike!
Saying that, the rise of the ebike certainly doesn’t mean there is not a place for analogue bikes. Hop aboard our Claymore or Highlander II, and you get a nimbleness and connection to the trail that only an analogue bike can give you. If, like me, the idea of shouldering your bike for an hour doesn’t bother you and is often the only way to access some trails, then ebikes are still a bit heavy for that to be a fun experience. I firmly believe some rides suit ebikes and some rides suit analogue bikes and my point is - both electric bikes and analogue bikes have their place and if you prefer one or the other comes down to you and what you are looking for.
So, are Deviate going to release an ebike? Absolutely! It’s coming next summer.
We’ve actually got plans for a range of ebikes, but the first one coming is a full power, full-fat enduro beast - designed to be a bit like an electric version of the Claymore. It’s what I selfishly want in an ebike because where I live, I want something with a big battery and big power to smash up those fireroad climbs to get to the fun stuff. A big day in the mountains - I’ll take my Highlander II, or for uplift assisted riding in the Alps - I’ll borrow a Claymore!
I can tell you it has a high pivot point, slack geometry, it is mullet for maximum fun and uses the very latest Bosch powertrain system.
I can’t really say much more than that at this stage - but we are riding one fresh out of the mould and I can tell you that it rides like a Deviate and looks great!
We are not allowed to sell ebikes as frame only due to regulations so they will only be available as complete builds and again I cannot say too much about the components we’ve picked for quite a while due to 3rd party embargoes - but what I will say is that the components that are hanging off them are nearly as exciting as the platform itself!
Due to regulations, initial batches are focused on the UK, EU and Australia but there will be an option to register interest for other markets further down the line.
As a small company facing challenging market conditions, we can only bring in a limited number of e-bikes for 2025, so we want to be transparent about availability. On November 5th, we’re giving our Clan members the first chance to secure a bike from this limited initial batch, allowing us to gauge interest for future production before opening up to the wider market.
I hope that sounds fair!
Keep an eye out for the email on the 5th and as usual - any questions, do get in touch!
Ben Jones
Deviate Co-Owner
Hi Ben, are there any plans for a SL ebike?
Deviate isn’t the only high pivot bike company working on a new ebike
We’re talking about bikes here, people. If you want to talk linguistics or politics, there are plenty of other places on the internet for that. Let’s keep this a safe haven of pure e-fun. Moving on.
Scott Ransom has long chainstays. Dunno about dropper insertion though.
The previous gen Norco Range and Sight VLT also had long stays.
so just looking for some advice, bought a turbo levo, built it up with some sweet components, but im not loving it. its heavy, it requires alot of effort to keep it on track, it lacks the feeling of fun i had hoped for. I did a recent comparison of my levo to the pivot shuttle am, wow the shuttle was fun. it what i wanted my levo to be. Now seeing the new LT with the Race motor, the fact it doesnt have gen 5 ( or BDU38 ) isnt a huge deal to me, but shipping dates for LT in my country is March / April. Find this a bit crazy, i'll be in aussie in dec and they are expecting to have them by then. until then im wondering if anyone has side by side tried the new LT against the shuttle AM. Looking for peoples feedback on the two, i want a light, fun, maneuverable bike, with bosch power ideally, and looking for comparison thoughts. Failing that any tips to get the levo ( alloy model ) less of a boat. Tried shockwiz, didn't really do much.
I think if i had pivot $ i'd get a crestline with the gen 5 motor. So many options with a crestline and i think it would have the handlung youre looking for. There are some nice improvements on the gen 5. Quiet, cooler running temp, smoother, lighter and theres a rumour it may eventually have an update for added power
Out of curiosity, how much does your Levo actually weigh in it's current form?
Not much you can do. I had the carbon version and I felt like the design was such that you could either set it up / tune it to be a bit poppier at the expense of support & comfort on chunk, or turn it into a plow that is a bitch to get into the air or throw around. If you want to make it into a monster truck, then 170mm 38mm fork (head cup neutral, flip chip high), Cascade link, and a large volume air shock (Vivid or X2), alu DH wheels, and DH tires.
I went to a midpower ebike (Heckler SL) and like it better in all aspects except doing huge amounts of vert in turbo (I get about 30% less range and it has 30% less power).
The levo is actually one of the lighter ebikes that don't rattle and have a removable battery. At least for its gen but its still competitive with the new Gen 5 Bosch stuff. Obviously the Amflow changed that but you have to keep in mind that the Amflow has a fixed battery.
The Carbon would have been lighter too. If you have the 700 battery you could change to the 500 and it would be like 800g lighter.
Many shimano bikes are in fact lighter but unfortunately the motor rattles.
The kinematics on the levo are plus. So maybe a cascade link would help with your problem by adding more compression.
It could also be down to the parts like heavy wheels, tires, fork that make it feel sluggish...
Plus you can play around with the geo settings and make it steeper with a higher headangle if you like it more playful. Also if the frame is too long for you it could be detrimetal to the handling. The longer slacker trend led to many people ride bikes that are too long. Shorter bikes can be more fun to flick around.
So yes I'm running cushcore front and rear, with DHR DD casing on the rear, Assegai exo+ up front ( wondering if that's overkill and could drop a few grams). Zeb ultimate, feels a beefy fork, its a 500W battery with alloy frame and unfortunately its the version of the Alloy which doesn't allow the headset adjust cups to be used ( annoying that they changed up the frames at some point and removed that feature ). Running super deluxe with one up carbon bar, sram XO drive train ( not transmission ) , TRP DHR Evo brakes, rest of the bike is essentially stock, i did put a 35MM ( shorter ) stem on with 10MM rise ( Funn equalizer ) to get the front end up a bit.. In many ways its the same build spec as the LTD levo they released not that long ago with similar specs. Bike size is an S4. I'm 181cm, i rode a Medium Pivot and have a 2023 M/L Trek Slash. So all similar(ish) size. biggest different was full 29er vs 29/27 on the levo but then my understanding is the mullet set up gives more "playful" rides.
wondering if there is an aftermarket head set adjust what would work on the frame.
Cascade link i would try however i don't know if that will change the ride to feel more nimble, less plow ?? and ideally i wouldn't want to change the rear shock again just due to cost and the cascade link ( not the long link ) has a rider weight limit of 90kg ( 200lbs ) which rules me out as im 100 - 105.
i keep asking myself why the pivot just feels like you can move it around, responsive, fun, is it weight is it geo ( on paper they are very very similar ). is it my set up, is it the DW link vs the levo shock style.. struggling with this one. thanks for all the thoughts
If you're a big boy, it's not the bike weight. I'm 25+ lbs / 18 kg lighter than you, and in terms of bike:rider weight ratio, a 44 lb ebike for me is the same roughly as a 52 lb ebike to a 200 lb rider.
So one of the things that I liked about running the 170mm fork on the Levo was that it brought the BB up to a reasonable height. The stock BB height is really low, which makes it harder to tip the bike into corners. Bringing it up made it feel like when you shove the bars over, the bike would tip into the lean more readily. Plus less pedal strikes. You can run a 170 fork even if you don't run a Cascade link.
Other than that, try running ~26% sag on the shock. That's what Specialized suggests, I'm guessing because it's so linear. That'll shift a bit of the suspension balance forward onto the fork then, so you'll also have to add a little bit of pressure to the fork to keep it balanced. After that, you can open the rebound on both fork and shock 1 click at a time to make the suspension poppier.
Thanks for that.. i WAS going to go 170mm form, do you know if that has any issues with specialized and warranty? they seem to be pretty hard nosed on the 160MM max fork?
They'll only know if you tell them.
An rumors regarding a Forbidden e-bike? Possibly based off the V2 Dreadnaught?
I mean yeah then its a bit clearer. The shuttle am is way lighter than your levo. It would be more comparable to a levo carbon with 500wh battery and no inserts.
You're way heavier than me so its hard to give you advice. I can't tell if you need the inserts or not. You might get away with not running one in the front with maybe a beefier casing but I'm not even sure if that would save that much weight.
Removing both and instead switching to beefier casings probably would save some and make the bike a bit more nimble.
And yeah the ideas from the other poster make sense aswell. Suspension setup will have a huge influence on how the bike feels.
Works Components likely makes a headset that can make whatever adjustments you desire.
Your bike sounds like a heavy build with a lot of weight in just the wheels, it's not going to feel nimble.
I'm firmly in the mid power bike category and I currently have an XL Relay with dual Avalanche coil suspension. It weighs 45.0#s ready to ride with DH tires, tools and pedals on board. I've only used up 60% of the battery juice a couple of times and a typical ride I use 40% of the battery juice.
Certainly, I'm aware that brands like Amflow and even the Vala has a killer weight and are really blurring the lines between the SLs and the FFs, but honestly my trails just don't warranty full power e-bikes as climbs are janky narrow single track, so why would I carry the extra 7-8#s around once I build a proper enduro style bike? Also, I still ride bikes and it's important to me that I keep the old legs putting out good power (and they really are I'll add).
Although the travel is a bit light, I sure am liking what the Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL is all about. It's got class leading power and battery juice with the best feel, it's a mid-high pivot bike that runs a standard crankset as the motor drives off of the high pivot, good adjustability & a competitive weight.
Anyone else seeing the beauty in this new offering?
Instinct Powerplay SL Carbon 90
Both bikes mentioned have a removable battery which is more or less a must for me but only the Rocky Mountain seems to have a range extender which I would need aswell. And I'm not sure if the Rocky motor would be enough for me. The weakest motor I know was the Shimano e8000 and while I never configured it to max power I think the fazua is clearly weaker.
Also your weight for your bike sounds a bit optimistic considering this bulid here weighs 20,7 kg in L without pedals: https://ebike-mtb.com/transition-relay-carbon-pnw-x0-axs-test/
I decided against low power or mid power because of the range, rattle and weakish motor for steep alpine trails. If you don't want a rattling motor the Levo Gen 3 is still really competitivie. Carbon version can be under 23 or even 22 kg with the small battery. I really hope the Gen 4 will retain a removable battery and be a bit lighter with more travel and maybe a modular battery concept. I don't care about power as long as the motor is reliable and doesn't rattle.
It's been weighed on proper scales, a few times.
As it sits, with 1# of pedals, 1# of tools, rear gravity casing tire, rear DH rim in an XL with dual coil suspension it weighs 45.0#s currently.
It's got an 11-speed drivetrain which knocks off .7# over Transmission, and the front rim is decently light as well, but otherwise it's the usual stuff.
If I were lucky enough to ride steep alpine trails, I'd likely run a full power e-bike as well with a Bosch.
Canyon's "mandatory battery check and safety notice" link - https://www.canyon.com/en-de/customer-service/repair-spares-warranty/spectral-on-and-torque-on.html - for Spectral:ON CF, CFR and Torque:ON CF
But can you tell us what does the bike actually weigh in it's current form, bro? That will help everyone to determine how much of the sluggish feel is actually due to the poundage, and how much is more due to the subjective traits of the parts and suspension tune.
Well I'll be taking mine to my local Canyon dealer, thank you very much.
Looking to get my first emtb. Would love some input on what might be best.
It’ll sometimes get used for after work laps, but more often for exploratory missions. I live on the front range so there’s a lot of long, not too steep dirt roads and hiking/moto trails. How much climbing can I expect to do on various size batteries/motors? Can you climb 7000 feet and 30 miles? Does anyone carry a second battery? How far/high can I expect to get with a mid power battery? 600w battery? 750w? Does anyone carry an extra battery?
Never ridden one, not sure how to get the chance to as no one I ride with has one. I don’t really want a 60lb bike, but I also don’t want a 45lb ebike that can’t climb 4000 feet.
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