Caught this review just after purchase. Thanks for validating everything I was looking for in my first eMTB. Today MSRP is 7,000 USD, currently on sale for about 5,200 USD (possibly they're preparing for a new model?). I'm pleased this is very near your 'value proposition' price. I don't ride with eBikes so I'll be the black sheep. I was looking for the 'sleeper' eMTB and I think I've got it here. Thanks for the video.
Bike com Excelente pilotagem, muito sútil e eficiente na sua assistência. Se assemelha a uma bike normal, e quando precisar da sistêmica ele está ali a disposição.
rode a full powered e bike for 5 years even de restricted, so fast and here i am riding a gravel bike with my e bike untouched in 9 months, i guess i just miss that slog and the feeling ive been out riding, i do like thee idea very much of sl e bikes and that feeling of been out riding that was something i felt i was missing from riding a full powered e bike as riding it was just easy
Great review mate . Got same bike and definitely right that it hard to be content when riding with full power ebikes and your fatigue skyrockets trying to keep up. For commuting it’s phenomenal for range and easy to pedal on smart assist
The engine is X_35 Mahle however they do not state this directly, but this 'fits' the X-35 moved from originally 'hub' style to the center. Yes, I have exact same model. Using conversion CAD to PLN, I paid 7800 CAD for it. I do not agree that this is 'like full' power e-bike, this is most natural e-bike there exist. I've reached 61km on 320Wh battery only, but on flats. This is great, really filling the 'gap' bike.
I have a Turbo Levo Comp Carbon and I love it but it's heavy. Specialized has on sale many of the older bikes. I am picking up a 2021 Comp Carbon SL for 6,300 US
That’s an okay deal. I think they are clearing out for a redesigned 23 SL model. I’d expect it to have a bigger battery, slightly more power and be lighter than the current SL.
When you say it's not an enduro bike what do you mean? What do you say is enduro riding? Longer hours in the saddle on and off road on a mix of terrain or something different. Asking because I ride for about 2 hours each time and combine a mix of all manner of stuff but I don't do fast trail downhill lunacy or grindingly long uphill rides either.
How much does this help on climbs? I'm in S. FL and don't ride real climbs much, just returned from NC where 1.3 mile climb kicked my hiney, but the 2 mile down hill was spectacular, I only wish my body had the gas to do the climb again multiple times. You guys used to the altitude and hills are probably laughing at me, but is the assist on this SL enough to really help with climbs?
The Levo SL is a great e-bike. I've owned the Turbo Levo SL since Aug-2021. I ride with guys that are much stronger than I am and this bike allows me keep pace with them. I ride quite a bit with no motor, when I do use the assist it's about 60% In Eco mode 38% in Trail mode and 2% in Turbo mod. I would agree with how they describe the bike as a 2X leg power. As for your question does it help on climbs,,, absolutely, it works great for me. My average 2-3 hr ride 13-20 miles technical trails, my battery has around 60-70% charge left,,, so I use about 30-40% on my typical ride. the most I've ever used was ~45% on a 20 mile very technical ride.
Thx for this Mark. I just purchased same in the 2022 model size large and it seems there are zero changes that I can see. I also did manage to buy it for the web posted price of $9450 tho I was told that price was wrong but was honored by the dealer and Specialized Canada. I live in Toronto and we have the Don river valley which is up 80' and down 80' endless number of times. I couldn't keep up with my faster buddies and now I can, which is great. How much do you think the bike is worth slightly used in this market? I may sell in the spring while it's still fresh. Cheers
Specialized just raised the price again to $10,200.00 in Canada. I am thinking that they will up it to $11,000 by spring. I got $8500 out of mine here at the end of the season which had 1400km on it but was in perfect cosemetic condition. I would expect to get $9000 out of one in the spring. You will want to clear it out before august though as I suspect they will release an updated model for 23. Also, these bikes aren't worth this much and I suspect the bike bubble will start to pop at the mid/end of next season.
@@Mark-gq5vl Thx Mark. I really had no idea what I was getting into but decided to buy it cuz it was in stock and I'm riding much more. Where do you ride?
@@ebarr9476 It is really great for pushing you to ride more. I do a mix of local valley trails and the Rockies. Enjoy your bike! PS I am selling my range extender if you are interested.
"Better & bigger" forks add weight. Ugh. Bigger battery / motor adds lots of weight, handling suffers. Ugh. I am 70 and can pick up my Levo SL and place it onto my bike carrier. Try that with a standard Levo or other higher power e-bikes. Ugh. The Specialized Turbo Connect handlebar display is a low cost, user/bike info center (of course no GPS, I use my smartphone for that). The Specialized Mission Control phone app is excellent, you will learn through experimentation, that you can fine tune your 3 power levels to Exactly what you want for your riding style and desired battery efficiency. You can then save several different sets of these custom settings (mountains, off-road only, cross-country, etc) and can switch from one to another easily. Also Specialized Fast Trak tires (used by factory Enduro racers) are much faster on tarmac and still pretty decent off road - great for cross country, mixed surface riding. Add a lightweight 34T Wolftooth front sprocket and you are all set to keep up with most typical riders on Sunday group rides through the countryside (road, gravel or off-road). The Levo SL has amazing versatility and is super comfortable to ride for hours on end. I put 2850 miles on mine in the first year!
The turbo Levo non SL has about twice the power (500watts peak), is a lot quieter due to a belt drive, the belt drive has been known to fail a lot more than the geared unit on the SL models, spec wise the comp Levo is way better for 2021 it comes with a 36 fork, better brakes and drivetrain. For me it is a no brainer to get the normal one over the SL unit. You could use it at level 2 and go twice as far as the SL.
why did you get the SL version of it s a no brainer to get the normal version? sorry English is not my mother tongue. not sure what you mean, thinking of getting the SL version
@@flightfred I like trying new tech/bikes and thought I would give it a try. For me the non SL verison is the way to go after riding this one for an extended amount of time.
thanks for your Sharing your opinion... I never had an ebike before and was looking for a compromise between a full ebike and a classic bike. I'll dig more into the classic Levo
Hard to say which is better as it comes down to personal preference. Some love the Levo, and some love the Levo SL. There are many riders who have ridden both but prefer the Levo SL. Fitter riders would say it’s a no brainer to get the Levo SL lol. I love riding my lightweight single speed hardtail so I appreciate the lighter Levo SL!
You looked at this bike in a wrong way from my taste, I think you expected it to be full ebike and that is why you are now going back to full ebike so this review is a bit problematic. Need to check the issue with the power drop cause I did not feel that (do not have extender)
I think I was fair for the bike giving it's MSRP. Specialized is charging more for less, if the bike was $2000-$1500 less than a full fat levo I would have been much kinder to it. The power drop on low battery is well documented, Specialized even states in their university videos online. Seems like the Orbera Rise is a much better execution of this 'lightweight' category (Full power motor, 500Wh (on alloy model), far better spec). I did really enjoy the bike though.
@@Mark-gq5vl I say that your point of view is wrong. You look from ebike point of view and not regular bike. From my point of view, not climbing my heavy enduro bike, and using the ECO mode is amazing. I have fox 36 in front and dpx2 back...and the bike is just amazing, can't have enough of it.
@@AvnerFironMTBGuide the bike does ride great and I would recommend it if the spec was better for the price. All things considered in my market this bike is overpriced for the spec. As I mention if this bike was $6000 Canadian it would be excellent. I compare it to the full fat Levo just for the value not ride quality. It doesn’t make sense to me that they charge more money for a smaller battery and less powerful drive unit. There is no justification for the extra cost like different materials, advance functions, better spec, etc. I do like the concept of lightweight ebikes and that is why I bought it. Looking forward to Gen 2 and what spesh does in the future.
I’m currently trying to decide between the Rise and the Levo SL. Can’t get past a few things on the Rise though: lack of proper battery meter and that noise during coasting. The Levo SL looks better to me, and my local bike shop is offering a 25% off sale on it…
@@leefunkera 25% discount in current conditions is really good. Factor in a range extender and cable for a comparisons to the 540wh orbea. I prefer shimano builds so I lean towards orbea
@@Mark-gq5vl thanks for sharing your thoughts. It looks like the Levo SL is the better bike for fit riders. It can offer significantly more range than the Rise because of the way Specialized’s software manages power and its efficiency at higher cadence. I just came across this post by user Borut on the emtbforums: “So im new SL ovner , and i owned orbea Rise with 2800km on it. Rise is a beautiful bike. But SL is a.....cherry on the top of a cream, why? Range? Sl range...is much higher if u are fit, why ? Cause at rise lower then 20% doesnt go, and u do 72km 1600m altitude with 47% battery left AMAZING. With SL u do same route with 87% baterry left and in eco settings 25/25 EVEN MORE AMAZING THEN RISE. Levo SL for me while in 190cm is a maybach regarding comfort. Noise? Thats also a myth...levo SL is as much as noiser in eco as RISE....nothing more nothing less. Orbea warranty BIG PROBLEM, when u go to claim warranty at different dealer from purchase. Specialized warranty everywhere no problem. So...choice is obvious ...if u are fit, if u wanna do something for your body, and if u wanna have calm nerves when it comes to a problem. If warranty claims would be easy at orbea...those bikes would be very close, but they are very very far from each other” Also, according to range tests conducted by Flow MTB, the Levo lasted almost identically against the Rise on climbs when both when motor assistance was set to maximum setting (Turbo 100/100) on both bikes. I sometimes enjoy riding my single speed hardtail on my local trail so the decision is clear for me now!
@@leefunkera If you are riding one of these SL bikes at less than 20% assit level you may as well ride acoustic IMO. The aluminum rise models have 540wh battery which is a game changer for this ultralight category. The levo is not more effiecent, it is just providing less assitance over a longer time, you could tune the levo to 10% assit and go forever... but what is the point. Can't speak to the orbea warranty but Shimano is pretty good at warranty on the drive units. Depends on your goals, mine is to get more laps in the same amount of time so I will take a full power levo any day of the week as I can do 2x the downhill and in my same 2hr ride time, levo SL or rise I could only do 1.5x.
Caught this review just after purchase. Thanks for validating everything I was looking for in my first eMTB. Today MSRP is 7,000 USD, currently on sale for about 5,200 USD (possibly they're preparing for a new model?). I'm pleased this is very near your 'value proposition' price. I don't ride with eBikes so I'll be the black sheep. I was looking for the 'sleeper' eMTB and I think I've got it here.
Thanks for the video.
More like a loud snoring sleeper I guess 😃
I have the bike. Paid 5900 US. Used. Great review. You pretty much nailed it. I really like it.
Right now it's on sale for 4500 usd or about 6k cad. Do you think it's a good buy, even though it's a little old?
I would get a Non SL instead. They are on clearance too right now
Bike com Excelente pilotagem, muito sútil e eficiente na sua assistência. Se assemelha a uma bike normal, e quando precisar da sistêmica ele está ali a disposição.
I wish all bike reviews would be like this one!
Doing a bunch of upgrades on my Carbon Comp model, first thing is getting rid of those guide brakes
Just got mine brand new from specialized uk for £4490. Very happy.
rode a full powered e bike for 5 years even de restricted, so fast and here i am riding a gravel bike with my e bike untouched in 9 months, i guess i just miss that slog and the feeling ive been out riding, i do like thee idea very much of sl e bikes and that feeling of been out riding that was something i felt i was missing from riding a full powered e bike as riding it was just easy
Great review mate . Got same bike and definitely right that it hard to be content when riding with full power ebikes and your fatigue skyrockets trying to keep up. For commuting it’s phenomenal for range and easy to pedal on smart assist
The bikes do go on sale, thats the only time you get a good value.
The engine is X_35 Mahle however they do not state this directly, but this 'fits' the X-35 moved from originally 'hub' style to the center. Yes, I have exact same model. Using conversion CAD to PLN, I paid 7800 CAD for it. I do not agree that this is 'like full' power e-bike, this is most natural e-bike there exist. I've reached 61km on 320Wh battery only, but on flats. This is great, really filling the 'gap' bike.
I did 62km on tarmac smart assist still 67% remaining
I've seen one used in carbon for 2k. Was on the fence, but even that cheap, I don't think it's worth it. I'll go full fat
I have a Turbo Levo Comp Carbon and I love it but it's heavy. Specialized has on sale many of the older bikes. I am picking up a 2021 Comp Carbon SL for 6,300 US
That’s an okay deal. I think they are clearing out for a redesigned 23 SL model. I’d expect it to have a bigger battery, slightly more power and be lighter than the current SL.
@@Mark-gq5vl Turbo Levo SL Comp Carbon
$6,374.99 as of the last few weeks at least. Way better deal that MSRP. All Levo's are way discounted
When you say it's not an enduro bike what do you mean? What do you say is enduro riding? Longer hours in the saddle on and off road on a mix of terrain or something different. Asking because I ride for about 2 hours each time and combine a mix of all manner of stuff but I don't do fast trail downhill lunacy or grindingly long uphill rides either.
How much does this help on climbs? I'm in S. FL and don't ride real climbs much, just returned from NC where 1.3 mile climb kicked my hiney, but the 2 mile down hill was spectacular, I only wish my body had the gas to do the climb again multiple times. You guys used to the altitude and hills are probably laughing at me, but is the assist on this SL enough to really help with climbs?
The Levo SL is a great e-bike. I've owned the Turbo Levo SL since Aug-2021. I ride with guys that are much stronger than I am and this bike allows me keep pace with them. I ride quite a bit with no motor, when I do use the assist it's about 60% In Eco mode 38% in Trail mode and 2% in Turbo mod. I would agree with how they describe the bike as a 2X leg power. As for your question does it help on climbs,,, absolutely, it works great for me. My average 2-3 hr ride 13-20 miles technical trails, my battery has around 60-70% charge left,,, so I use about 30-40% on my typical ride. the most I've ever used was ~45% on a 20 mile very technical ride.
Hi. Where did you pick up the front fender? Thanks
Thx for this Mark. I just purchased same in the 2022 model size large and it seems there are zero changes that I can see. I also did manage to buy it for the web posted price of $9450 tho I was told that price was wrong but was honored by the dealer and Specialized Canada. I live in Toronto and we have the Don river valley which is up 80' and down 80' endless number of times. I couldn't keep up with my faster buddies and now I can, which is great. How much do you think the bike is worth slightly used in this market? I may sell in the spring while it's still fresh. Cheers
Specialized just raised the price again to $10,200.00 in Canada. I am thinking that they will up it to $11,000 by spring. I got $8500 out of mine here at the end of the season which had 1400km on it but was in perfect cosemetic condition. I would expect to get $9000 out of one in the spring. You will want to clear it out before august though as I suspect they will release an updated model for 23. Also, these bikes aren't worth this much and I suspect the bike bubble will start to pop at the mid/end of next season.
@@Mark-gq5vl Thx Mark. I really had no idea what I was getting into but decided to buy it cuz it was in stock and I'm riding much more. Where do you ride?
@@ebarr9476 It is really great for pushing you to ride more. I do a mix of local valley trails and the Rockies. Enjoy your bike! PS I am selling my range extender if you are interested.
@@Mark-gq5vl Hi Mark. Yes, re extender. How does one manage a DM here?
@@ebarr9476 Don't know lol. You can text me 4033089538
What front mud guard di you have?? this
the battery is charging on the go?
"Better & bigger" forks add weight. Ugh. Bigger battery / motor adds lots of weight, handling suffers. Ugh. I am 70 and can pick up my Levo SL and place it onto my bike carrier. Try that with a standard Levo or other higher power e-bikes. Ugh. The Specialized Turbo Connect handlebar display is a low cost, user/bike info center (of course no GPS, I use my smartphone for that). The Specialized Mission Control phone app is excellent, you will learn through experimentation, that you can fine tune your 3 power levels to Exactly what you want for your riding style and desired battery efficiency. You can then save several different sets of these custom settings (mountains, off-road only, cross-country, etc) and can switch from one to another easily. Also Specialized Fast Trak tires (used by factory Enduro racers) are much faster on tarmac and still pretty decent off road - great for cross country, mixed surface riding. Add a lightweight 34T Wolftooth front sprocket and you are all set to keep up with most typical riders on Sunday group rides through the countryside (road, gravel or off-road). The Levo SL has amazing versatility and is super comfortable to ride for hours on end. I put 2850 miles on mine in the first year!
How many miles do you get from your Levo SL?
how tall are you? comments on the fit of a large?
5'10" 32" inseam Large is a perfect fit
Great video - thanks man.
Would getting one for $4300 with battery extender be a good deal?
Grab it!
Great deal if in okay condition
How do you compare it to the turbo Levo
The turbo Levo non SL has about twice the power (500watts peak), is a lot quieter due to a belt drive, the belt drive has been known to fail a lot more than the geared unit on the SL models, spec wise the comp Levo is way better for 2021 it comes with a 36 fork, better brakes and drivetrain.
For me it is a no brainer to get the normal one over the SL unit. You could use it at level 2 and go twice as far as the SL.
why did you get the SL version of it s a no brainer to get the normal version? sorry English is not my mother tongue. not sure what you mean, thinking of getting the SL version
@@flightfred I like trying new tech/bikes and thought I would give it a try. For me the non SL verison is the way to go after riding this one for an extended amount of time.
thanks for your Sharing your opinion... I never had an ebike before and was looking for a compromise between a full ebike and a classic bike. I'll dig more into the classic Levo
Hard to say which is better as it comes down to personal preference. Some love the Levo, and some love the Levo SL. There are many riders who have ridden both but prefer the Levo SL. Fitter riders would say it’s a no brainer to get the Levo SL lol.
I love riding my lightweight single speed hardtail so I appreciate the lighter Levo SL!
Thank you 😊
You looked at this bike in a wrong way from my taste, I think you expected it to be full ebike and that is why you are now going back to full ebike so this review is a bit problematic. Need to check the issue with the power drop cause I did not feel that (do not have extender)
I think I was fair for the bike giving it's MSRP. Specialized is charging more for less, if the bike was $2000-$1500 less than a full fat levo I would have been much kinder to it. The power drop on low battery is well documented, Specialized even states in their university videos online. Seems like the Orbera Rise is a much better execution of this 'lightweight' category (Full power motor, 500Wh (on alloy model), far better spec). I did really enjoy the bike though.
@@Mark-gq5vl I say that your point of view is wrong. You look from ebike point of view and not regular bike. From my point of view, not climbing my heavy enduro bike, and using the ECO mode is amazing. I have fox 36 in front and dpx2 back...and the bike is just amazing, can't have enough of it.
@@AvnerFironMTBGuide the bike does ride great and I would recommend it if the spec was better for the price. All things considered in my market this bike is overpriced for the spec. As I mention if this bike was $6000 Canadian it would be excellent. I compare it to the full fat Levo just for the value not ride quality. It doesn’t make sense to me that they charge more money for a smaller battery and less powerful drive unit. There is no justification for the extra cost like different materials, advance functions, better spec, etc.
I do like the concept of lightweight ebikes and that is why I bought it. Looking forward to Gen 2 and what spesh does in the future.
It's a fast little bike
Orbea Rise h10 & h15 is way better😁
Agree 100%. Spesh still has a way better app/controller though.
I’m currently trying to decide between the Rise and the Levo SL. Can’t get past a few things on the Rise though: lack of proper battery meter and that noise during coasting. The Levo SL looks better to me, and my local bike shop is offering a 25% off sale on it…
@@leefunkera 25% discount in current conditions is really good. Factor in a range extender and cable for a comparisons to the 540wh orbea. I prefer shimano builds so I lean towards orbea
@@Mark-gq5vl thanks for sharing your thoughts. It looks like the Levo SL is the better bike for fit riders. It can offer significantly more range than the Rise because of the way Specialized’s software manages power and its efficiency at higher cadence.
I just came across this post by user Borut on the emtbforums:
“So im new SL ovner , and i owned orbea Rise with 2800km on it.
Rise is a beautiful bike. But SL is a.....cherry on the top of a cream, why?
Range? Sl range...is much higher if u are fit, why ? Cause at rise lower then 20% doesnt go, and u do 72km 1600m altitude with 47% battery left AMAZING.
With SL u do same route with 87% baterry left and in eco settings 25/25 EVEN MORE AMAZING THEN RISE.
Levo SL for me while in 190cm is a maybach regarding comfort.
Noise? Thats also a myth...levo SL is as much as noiser in eco as RISE....nothing more nothing less.
Orbea warranty BIG PROBLEM, when u go to claim warranty at different dealer from purchase.
Specialized warranty everywhere no problem.
So...choice is obvious ...if u are fit, if u wanna do something for your body, and if u wanna have calm nerves when it comes to a problem.
If warranty claims would be easy at orbea...those bikes would be very close, but they are very very far from each other”
Also, according to range tests conducted by Flow MTB, the Levo lasted almost identically against the Rise on climbs when both when motor assistance was set to maximum setting (Turbo 100/100) on both bikes.
I sometimes enjoy riding my single speed hardtail on my local trail so the decision is clear for me now!
@@leefunkera If you are riding one of these SL bikes at less than 20% assit level you may as well ride acoustic IMO.
The aluminum rise models have 540wh battery which is a game changer for this ultralight category.
The levo is not more effiecent, it is just providing less assitance over a longer time, you could tune the levo to 10% assit and go forever... but what is the point.
Can't speak to the orbea warranty but Shimano is pretty good at warranty on the drive units.
Depends on your goals, mine is to get more laps in the same amount of time so I will take a full power levo any day of the week as I can do 2x the downhill and in my same 2hr ride time, levo SL or rise I could only do 1.5x.