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The Vital MTB Crew
I think everyone is overreacting. I have a Bafang Special ebike thats set to a 28 mph limit. On actual trails you never reach the 20mph limit, let alone the 28mph limit. I have yet to hear of a single real case where class 3 ebikes are somehow limiting access.
This new drive needs to be compared side to side with the Avinox. Specialized claims to have more torque, and in PB's review he hinted that it was climbing faster, but then never fully committed to reporting on how much.
We also need a better way to test range, apples for apples. From my ebike motor testing (between SL and full powered ones) Orbea's approach is the best- underpowered motors hot-rodded to have more watts/torque get worse efficiency than a larger, heavier motor thats detuned. So much so that for a given range and given weight, it actually makes more sense to put a full size motor and smaller battery, rather than a lighter motor that is required to run in a much less efficient power setting and requires a larger battery to compensate. My point is that the sweet spot for full powered bikes is probably an overpowered motor like the Specialized or DJI, but running at the more "normal" 85nm level.
Can’t class 3 ebikes legally have a throttle up to 20mph?
It’s not so much the 28mph that’s the issue, it’s the can of worms you open by legalizing class 3 ebike use.
The "innovation" here is that they cut out the sketchy fly by night middle man and allow users to make their bikes illegal for trail use in many markets off the shop floor.
At least in British Columbia*, the very fact users can (maybe, if the feature is allowed in Canada; and lets be real dealers can probably unlock it in software) adjust the top speed means that the new Levo is a Motor Vehicle under the Motor Vehicle Act and ceases to meet the definition of a Motor Assisted Cycle - so it isn't legal to use on most public trails and highways (almost every road).
*for those curious, BC only has two classes of ebike, ebike and light ebike: https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/laws/regu/bc-reg-64-2024/latest/bc-reg-64-2024.html?resultId=354f694d35524481b20ab10442bea583&searchId=2025-04-08T09:14:09:068/fcf1b6c63bd94d89b2505a1f4050fb63
How's the adjustable chainstay lengths work with UDH/transmission? Genuinely curious from a function standpoint.
New Commencal Meta HT. Kinda boring in comparison to all the Levo attention, but looks like new brake rotors from sram?
They can have a throttle, but can only go 20mph on throttle (vs 28 via pedal assist). What Are Ebike ‘Classes’ and What Do They Mean? | WIRED
It is making the distinction between bicycle classes difficult. Unless someone comes up with a standardized way of identifying them (like a giant sticker/panel in an obvious place) that could make things difficult to manage aside from an outright e-bike (or bike) ban.
The chainstay length adjust is at the chainstay pivot, and not the dropout
god this is such a "forum post" of a post
Pretty sure those are class 2, class 2 ebikes have the throttles, 3 are pedal assist up to 28 mph
Me to forbidden after owning a druid 2 and they embraced the crab link convo from vital forums:
Carcinisation comes for all. It's like how all mass-transit eventually ends up as trains.
I think we have to call it "Vital's Law" now...
with how powerful these new motors are, these newer full-power eebs already felt like the throttle was moved from the grip to the pedals (at least in turbo.). class 1 ebikes were already blowing our doors off on climbing trails, so even if class three ebikes show up with throttles, my experience as an analog rider won't be all that different. we already have throttle MTBs hitting the market/youtube so lets not pretend that speci putting out a class 3 mtb is really the worst thing we are dealing with right now lol. also, for the record, they have had a class three MTB for years and none of you were bitching then.
What specialized e mtb Was a class 3?
Seems no one is paying attention to what is being sold right now. This new Specialized is tame by comparison.
https://optibike.com/optibike-elite-series/
Are ebike classes relevant anywhere outside the us? I’ve never heard them discussed here in Canada
Looooool! I saw one of those IRL and the dude paid to shuttle it to the top of Mt. Hough (CA) to ride it down a green flow trail... 🤑
The shuttle driver was rolling his eyes so hard they almost fell out of his head...
You'd have to be extra dumb for mistaking these for pedal assist bikes.
i think you mean "Vital's Claw"
All the info on @CascadeComponents new link/yoke combo and high-pivot conversion for the SJ15 🤤- https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/cascade-components-releases-linkage-and-high-pivot-conversion-specialized-stumpjumper-15
These are the comments that keep me coming back 🦀
This is great since there's a shocking number of people in my riding circles being seduced by the SJ15 for some odd reason and I've been trying to talk them off the ledge due to the lack of progression. (among other things touched on here...) On the last gen Evo the Cascade link was optional if you were someone who liked linear bikes, now on the SJ15 I feel like it's almost mandatory (like the gen 1 Sentinel). Hope @CascadeComponents sells a ton of these!
This is so sick. Love what Cascade Components are doing.
I know there's a shit ton wrong with that bike, but I can't help but notice that the seat tube angle looks to be approximately 56°
I think they used this for inspiration...
That doesn't solve the problem since every frame size has the same preset options for chainstay lengths of 435mm vs 444 mm. Specialized isn't preserving the front-center to rear-center ratio through the frame sizes, e.g. selecting 444mm on an S1 is a completely different bike than selecting 444mm on an S6...
@CascadeComponents that SJ HP Conversion is nuts, chapeau to your engineers for pushing the envelope on what can be done.
Holy #$@^ the cascade products for the SJ15 are so fricken cool. @CascadeComponents is this compatible with both the alloy and carbon versions? Getting an alloy sj15 @ 2k + 2k for this setup at 4k is a way cooler bike then a SJ Carbon at 3,500. Either way, what a cool thing for consumers for this platform.
The standard link and yoke are. Haven't gotten a chance to test fit the high pivot kit on an aluminum frame yet though. I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. If anyone in the greater Seattle area has an aluminum frame and wants to find out, swing by and we can throw it on.
I think it would be fun to have a 75 pound Surron. Only thing is, what rear tire options are out there? The largest mountain bike tire I can find thats appropriate is like a Minion 2.8