“LOVES BACK WHEEL "IS THE MOTTO OF THE 50T001 CREW AND THIS MONTH I' VE BEEN EMULATING THEIR STYLE A LITTLE TOO CLOSELY THIS MONTH CREW AND OF THE 50 TO 01 E IRS TY LEA U LATIN G TH I ’ VE BE EN EM PAGE 124 CLOSELY LITTLE TOO

Snow was no problem for the motor-assisted Spesh

Last issue I said that the Levo had made winter riding far more bearable. While I was hoping for warmer days in March, a few feet of drifting snow wasn’t going to stop it either. No mods were made to transform it into a snow bike. The conditions just confirmed what an efficient combination it is having a 29in wheel up front – with a narrower tyre that can cut through snow or mud – and wider 650b+ rubber out back.

It was intuition (having ridden several thousand miles on e-MTBs), backed up by a conversation with uber-tester Guy Kesteven (who reckoned it was “worth a try”), that led me to trial the front wheel swap, in a bid to maximise grip and improve handling. Canyon have just announced their entry into the world of e-bikes with just this set-up. So, I’ll be taking a few seconds to feel smug. And the invoice is in the post…

Specialized promote the fact that this bike, thanks to its carbon construction, is stiffer than previous models. It isn’t possible for me to make a direct comparison, but the frame and the custom motor options do combine to provide a responsiveness that makes you feel more ‘at one’ with the bike.

That’s been evident over the past few weeks, because, snow-day fun aside, the Levo has been my workhorse. It’s helped make light work of Big Ride shoots, where the poor photographer has to ride the route, carry the gear, take the pics and somehow still not hold everyone up.

For all the comfort and smoothness of the ride, I have made one further change. Extra fun miles on top of work miles were giving me sore hands, so I’ve swapped the bar for an SQlab 30X. With its 16-degree sweep, it’s a distinctive bar, but it suits my riding style and my position feels more relaxed. Now, where’s the warm weather? www.specialized.com