Specialized’s New Electric Mountain Bike Just Might Be the Best One Yet

If you’ve been following the electric mountain bike scene the past few years, you’re probably aware that Specialized has been crushing it.

We chose one of the brand’s E-MTBs as the 2019’s best outdoor product and documented additional innovations last summer, which draw from some of the breakthroughs Specialized has made with e-bikes in general. Recently, the pace of progress seems to have only picked up.

The latest evidence of Specialized’s success? The new Levo, which just might be the best E-MTB yet. Here are just a few of the details that jump out about this just-launched bike.

This Specialized is Optimized (and Mullet-ized) to Rip

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We’ve been seeing this set-up on more and more mountain bikes lately: a 27.5-inch wheel in back and a 29-er up front. The smaller rear wheel allows for shorter chainstays, keeping the bike feisty and fun — and proving mullets are here to stay.

The Levo’s geometry has also been tweaked with an eye toward control. It packs a steeper seat tube for easier climbing, longer front end for better traction and cornering, relaxed headtube angle aimed at stability when terrain gets fast and furious. The geometry is adjustable, too, with six settings enabling you to match it to your mountain.

As you might expect, the suspension is next-level, too. We’re talking 150mm of rear travel (nearly six inches) and 160mm (6.3 inches) up front, specifically tuned to respond accordingly to small bumps and big hits. The Levo actually borrows its progressive leverage rate from the award-winning Stumpjumper EVO — but tweaked to accommodate an E-MTB, of course.

The New Levo Is Loaded with Low-Profile Power

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A 565-watt motor supplies 90 Nm of torque. If that means very little to you, just know that it can basically quadruple your own input. But unlike some earlier generation E-MTBs, it spools out the assistance gradually, responding to the pace of your pedaling to ease the big hills to make you feel super-powered but still in control.

Weight? The Levo tips the scales at just under 50 pounds. Not exactly a feather but not an anvil either.

This E-Bike Is Ready to Ride All Afternoon

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No, you can’t ride this thing all day like some electric roadies, but it’s definitely got as much juice as you do. The key to the extended life is 700-watt-hour battery with a computer designed to maximize efficiency. Of course, it also pairs with the brand’s Mission Control app to keep you aware of key data about your bike and your ride.

But how much battery life are we talking? Specialized says five hours, which translates to a projected 40 miles of range. If you’ve got the energy to ride more than that on mountain bike trails, well, you probably don’t need an electric mountain bike.

The latest Levo comes in two trim levels, both of which do cost a pretty penny. The Turbo Levo Pro (shown in red above) clocks in at $13,000 while the top-of-the-line S-Works Turbo Levo (shown in white above) is $15,000. A more affordable Expert-level edition should be dropping later this year.

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