Mulleted Levo – best for riding, not looking at…
Just updated my (mostly) commuter bike for my new steeper bermier jumpier commute, with a 27.5” rear courtesy of a heavily discounted Hope Pro5 ebike hub and EX471 rim, and stepped up to a Grid Gravity Eliminator T7/T9 2.4” tyre.
The stock build (it’s a Gen 2 base model Levo) is 150mm fork, 52.5mm stroke for 150mm rear travel, full 29”. This had a 160mm Lyrik RC2 from day one (Nov 2018), and I extended the shock stroke to 55mm at the first service for 157mm rear travel. Used to run it at about 20% fork, 35% shock sag (more shock sag to lower and slacken it).
It’s now 170mm Fox 38 Grip 2 up front, still the same Deluxe RL 55mm shock, flip chip now in high, 20% fork sag, 30% shock sag. Measured the static head angle and it’s sitting at 65 deg or a fraction less, so a degree slacker than stock.
I’ve now done a few runs down the trails to work and it felt really good. I don’t think it’s placebo effect – when it was dry it carved the berms better than I normally manage, now it’s gone wet and greasy the rear is doing that nice progressive drifting and catching when I want. T9 Hillbilly up front because I like it for everything.
I don’t know how much of this is the smaller rear wheel because the new Eliminator is more like a DHR2 and replaced a Butcher (more like a DHF) and I think those paddle knobs that brake so well also let go more gently in turns before the side knobs grip. I’m also running a 25mm rim instead of 30 on the back to make the tyre rounder. And now dual compound there too.
Being able to run the shock firmer and not have the BB feel too high is helping in the berms and on the jumps, feeling more balanced front to back so I’m loading it with more confidence (always the weakest part of my riding!)
I really like this bike but it does not photograph well! (I have a much prettier hardtail I use for most of my riding but the Levo is great for rare trips to gnarlier trails and as someone who’s perennially late the motor plus some hard pedalling reduces that issue on the commute…)
by barefaced_audio