[francois]

Really appreciate your transparency and what the manufacturer are doing/not doing. Is the reason why we like mtbr’s review.

Yeah man. I'm an independent right now with E-mtb Review. Soooo, full transparency... #dontgiveashit #notscared at least for now.

 

[Suns_PSD]

I wonder if I could save any real weight moving to the Rotor cranks on my Relay? Real weight would be anything over 100 grams, I guess.

 

[Ob917]

I wonder if I could save any real weight moving to the Rotor cranks on my Relay? Real weight would be anything over 100 grams, I guess.

I plan on the 5dev 160mm cranks with an e13 sprocket carrier and an aluminum sprocket for mine. I’m not a fan of the Praxis and Fazua drivetrain stuff. My bike is currently 43lb ready to ride PNW 170mm with heavy tires and a coil.

 

[Suns_PSD]

I plan on the 5dev 160mm cranks with an e13 sprocket carrier and an aluminum sprocket for mine. I’m not a fan of the Praxis and Fazua drivetrain stuff. My bike is currently 43lb ready to ride with heavy tires and a coil.

Be sure and report back on the weights please.

I'm an XL, dual Avy coil suspension, dual inserts, heavy tires, a DH rear rim, with a tool bag and of course pedals on board and I'm at 45.1#s. I do run an 11 speed which saves some weight.

I'm going to play with a bit lighter tires on the next set, which won't be long from now and that would get me to an easy 44#ss which would be as low as it would ever go.

 

[boubla]

Yeah man. I'm an independent right now with E-mtb Review. Soooo, full transparency... #dontgiveashit #notscared at least for now.

I don't always agree with your reviews (who does anyway.. itd be boring but absolutely respect the fact that you really interact with your reader/viewers. All/most channels just put "likes" and "haha yes thanks" type replies to increase traffic and engagement, which feels disingenuous because it is.

Actually responding and participating in some (no one can answer all) discussions takes balls and leads to improvements, shows your thoughts are your own and not "to get views", super appreciated.

 

[pinoymamba]

Good review as always. Were you able to dial in the suspension and contact points to your liking? Were they all speced similarly? There is so much overlap with certain models- I think people need to pick the one they think looks the coolest, appropriate for their terrain and the price they are willing to pay.As for light/mid powered bikes, I think they are a miss or at least the technology isn't quite there yet. I feel you need a lot of time at your disposal or a massive w/kg to take advantage of the weight savings. I started to MTB a few months ago and already ditched my non ebike for an ebike. If I need base or anaerobic work- I'll hop on my road bike and stare at my 3 sec power for hours.... For now I just want to practice going downhill and attempting features so give me a full fat. Photo below was the first time I almost killed the battery and I still had energy left in the tank. Time to start saving for a second battery...

 

[RM Rilke]

Right on. I appreciate your first-hand experience and comments very much. Bikes like the Scott Lumen will speak to some people and deliver a compelling solution. Not many though and more of a niche. And usually very expensive.

How is the pedaling when the motor is off? I find that to be a TQ Motor problem as i can feel the drag.

I've had a 33 lb. Gen2 Levo SL so I'm familiar with the category. I even went nutz on it and turned it into a sub-30 lb bike

I watched that video. I watch a lot of your stuff. You do great work! You seem like a genuinely lovely person. The TQ does have some drag. Less if you turn the bike off. There is some magnetic resistance when it is on, even if the power setting is off. The Lumen was the cheaper alternative for me. I found an entry level one (still nice spec) on a decent sale and upgraded to ENVE bar and stem, XTR cassette and chain, the factory 34, and some trail carbon wheels I already had. I’m in it less than 8K after upgrades. Solid build. It is still cheaper all in than the Trek Fuel EX-e XT build. Same battery. I was interested in the Trek at first, but four pounds is four pounds. I’d rather have the significantly better climbing undulating trail liveliness, and more than good enough descending than the bigger heavier bike with only 10mm more travel. I live in Utah. The bike rips desert and mountains. To each their own. Keep the content coming!

 

[francois]

I watched that video. I watch a lot of your stuff. You do great work! You seem like a genuinely lovely person. The TQ does have some drag. Less if you turn the bike off. There is some magnetic resistance when it is on, even if the power setting is off. The Lumen was the cheaper alternative for me. I found an entry level one (still nice spec) on a decent sale and upgraded to ENVE bar and stem, XTR cassette and chain, the factory 34, and some trail carbon wheels I already had. I’m in it less than 8K after upgrades. Solid build. It is still cheaper all in than the Trek Fuel EX-e XT build. Same battery. I was interested in the Trek at first, but four pounds is four pounds. I’d rather have the significantly better climbing undulating trail liveliness, and more than good enough descending than the bigger heavier bike with only 10mm more travel. I live in Utah. The bike rips desert and mountains. To each their own. Keep the content coming!

Right on. You've done well with your choices.

I always say... buy the cheaper model and upgrade or use the cool parts in the garage! The motor/electronics/frame are usually the same anyway. And when it comes time to sell the bike and upgrade, it is WAY EASIER to sell a $5k used bike rather than $15k. Especially ebikes!

 

[francois]

Good review as always. Were you able to dial in the suspension and contact points to your liking? Were they all speced similarly? There is so much overlap with certain models- I think people need to pick the one they think looks the coolest, appropriate for their terrain and the price they are willing to pay.As for light/mid powered bikes, I think they are a miss or at least the technology isn't quite there yet. I feel you need a lot of time at your disposal or a massive w/kg to take advantage of the weight savings. I started to MTB a few months ago and already ditched my non ebike for an ebike. If I need base or anaerobic work- I'll hop on my road bike and stare at my 3 sec power for hours.... For now I just want to practice going downhill and attempting features so give me a full fat. Photo below was the first time I almost killed the battery and I still had energy left in the tank. Time to start saving for a second battery...

What's up, man? Are you local to the Bay Area? You sound like a new bike addict who is going all in! You'll totally get along with my crews.

Yes, all the bikes are set up for me in terms of reach, contact points, and suspension adjustment. 90% of the bikes I get for review are very high-end (unfortunately) since manufacturers want to put their 'best foot forward,' even though the high-end bikes have limited reach. I get to get to keep them for 3 months typically.

Sucks cause even when I want to buy the used review bike at a good discount, i still can't afford it.

 

[TJONE12345]

Thank You Francis for a great review.

I own the Turbo Levo SL2 and awaits a "higher" watt range extender with at least 240 W for longer trips. I use it a semi-analoge and it is great but range is not 2024 standards. They could and should fix this.

For my enduro riding I have the Orbea Wild M10 2023 that is more or less same as Pivot Shuttle AM. Think its perfect for all mountain.

 

[jupitersending]

I think the removeable battery thing is a must on these SL small battery bikes. So many weekends last summer I was swapping battery on my fuel exe at lunch time so I could ride for another 3-4 hours. It's perfect for those places where you can place your battery at the bottom of the mountain and when you are having a break during runs you can make the swap. Less perfect for all day epics where you cover a lot of ground. That's when you need that big battery. I don't do those rides though, so for me it's much nicer to have a light bike since there are no downsides.

 

[pinoymamba]

What's up, man? Are you local to the Bay Area? You sound like a new bike addict who is going all in! You'll totally get along with my crews.

Yes, all the bikes are set up for me in terms of reach, contact points, and suspension adjustment. 90% of the bikes I get for review are very high-end (unfortunately) since manufacturers want to put their 'best foot forward,' even though the high-end bikes have limited reach. I get to get to keep them for 3 months typically.

Sucks cause even when I want to buy the used review bike at a good discount, i still can't afford it.

I am local - grew up in the Japan Town Area of San Jose. I am an old bike addict - coming from the fixie scene, I transitioned to snobby road cycling and racing at Hellyer. My buddy convinced me to get a MTB. Picked one up and he took me to UCSC for my first ride... I walked everything and that made me upset so now here I am. We exchanged a few words the other week. We'll get some rides in soon! I look at it like this, my nanay didn't work hard to get us into this country for me to ride peasant bikes

 

[bouncy_rig]

2023 was a busy year with many mid-powered emtb introductions. We've done many individual reviews and videos on these bikes so we've taken this opportunity to round up all these bikes and compare them to each other.

The bikes we have for this comparison are:

• Trek Fuel EXe
• Specialized Levo SL (gen 2)
• Santa Cruz Heckler SL
• Transition Relay
• Orbea Rise
• Pivot Shuttle SL

We've broken up the video comparison into two parts, where we tackle the climbing, speed, power, noise, and range of each bike.

In the second part of the video, we go beyond the assisted living prowess of each bike and analyze them in the following areas:

• Descending ability - handling, cornering, jumping, technical terrain
• Appearance and stealth - integration of motor/battery and noise levels
• Extender battery availability, controls, and app
• Dealer support, sizing, entry price range

Please comment on the video or this article and share your thoughts with us. Do you own a full-powered ebike or a mid-powered one? We'll answer any questions to the best of our ability.

Great coverage of why a Mid range E-bike is bought. Orbea is my personal brand and the price point is amazing compared to the others in this range. I agree on the dealer support. It is a very nice handling bike. I might need to look hard at the Santa Cruz for the next upgrade.

 

[gonzdj]

2023 was a busy year with many mid-powered emtb introductions. We've done many individual reviews and videos on these bikes so we've taken this opportunity to round up all these bikes and compare them to each other. The bikes we have for this comparison are:

• Trek Fuel EXe
• Specialized Levo SL (gen 2)
• Santa Cruz Heckler SL
• Transition Relay
• Orbea Rise
• Pivot Shuttle SL

We've broken up the video comparison into two parts, where we tackle the climbing, speed, power, noise, and range of each bike.

In the second part of the video, we go beyond the assisted living prowess of each bike and analyze them in the following areas:

• Descending ability - handling, cornering, jumping, technical terrain
• Appearance and stealth - integration of motor/battery and noise levels
• Extender battery availability, controls, and app
• Dealer support, sizing, entry price range

Please comment on the video or this article and share your thoughts with us. Do you own a full-powered ebike or a mid-powered one? We'll answer any questions to the best of our ability.

Bought this Gen 2 . Had and loved the Gen 1. Hate the mullet. Switched to 29, added fox fork and electronic transmission (xx1). Love these videos my filipino brother!! Thanks

 

[francois]

Bought this Gen 2 . Had and loved the Gen 1. Hate the mullet. Switched to 29, added fox fork and electronic transmission (xx1). Love these videos my filipino brother!! Thanks

Mabuhay! Very cool to hear your experience and the at new Levo SL is the king of versatility.

 

[bikedrd]

I just read this whole string and watched videos. This is a great bunch of information. I’m really here to see if the Fazua is improved over old reports full of negativity. It sounds like it is I improved. I’m eager to try a mid powered bike for jump trails and the like. I just ordered the YT Decoy SN to supplement my HD6 and Oso. That new YT has the Fazua. Hope it’s great and look forward to Francis reviewing it.