Max's MTB Reviews

This week I'm reviewing the 2022 Specialized Turbo Levo Comp Alloy!  My friend Mr. BiltyGoatSquadMTB left his ebike here over the weekend and I stole a ride on it.  This bike is a size 5 (one larger than my Stumpjumper Evo) and is customized with One Up carbon handlebar, Cush Core tire inserts front & rear, and big 'ol Sensus Meaty Paw grips.   The Specialized Turbo Levo Spec's and Value I know Specialized as a high performance and high value bike company, the Turbo Levo is no different.  This bike's MSRP is $7,500 which is a lot for a bike equipped with SRAM GX drivetrain and Code brakes, until we factor in the big "E".  In this case we have a motor delivering 90Nm of torque fueled by a 700Wh battery which Specialized advertises as a combo good for 5 hours.  This bests the Yeti 160e rated for 85Nm of torque and 630Wh of battery capacity!  If none of that made sense, know that the Specialized Turbo Levo packs a lot of power. Turbo motor contro...

Hi everyone, today I'll be reviewing my Troy Lee Design A1 helmet.  This is a "half-lid" helmet offering basic all around protection at a good price.  I bought this helmet after I cracked my Leatt helmet on the over-under feature at the Fantasy Island trails in Tucson. My A1 helmet with rear facing blinker (not included) What I like about the helmet I like the fitment of the A1 helmet.  I tried on the A1, A2, and A3 helmets at REI and the A1 had the most natural fit.  This fit can get better with the BOA adjustment feature on the back allowing for the perfect fit around my head.  Comfortable all around The A1 is MIPS rated, a common safety feature in helmets these days which makes me feel a little bit better should I ever need the helmet to protect me.  MIPS stans for Multi-directional Impact Protection System is mean to reduce the rotation forces from impact.  The graphics are simple yet cool.  The black and white color scheme is simple and doesn...

There are a few pieces of bike stuff common across my fleet of bicycles.  Those are a helmet, clipless pedals, and oval chainrings.  Today I'll be writing about my experience with oval chainrings.   My anodized red Absolute Black chainring matched beautifully with my Industry Nine hubs on this custom build (photo credit; Tucson Bicycle Service ) Specifically oval chainrings from Absolute Black (AB) and here is their website, https://absoluteblack.cc/ .  I first tried an oval chainring on my custom Ellsworth Rogue 60 as the oval chainrings were becoming popular around Tucson and I wanted to give it a try.  Even more so when I learned they had a variety of colors, sizes, and were compatible with just about every crankset on the market.   The Tech Behind the Oval Conventional round chainring on top of the Absolute Black oval chainring The big idea behind oval chainrings is they provide a large chainring on the pedal downstroke (the power zone) and a ...

  Hi readers!  In this blog I will review the new Yeti 160e with the T1 build in the classic turquoise paint job.  I took this bike for a spin from Yeti's demo team when they stopped in at Bicycle Experience , in Colorado Springs.  This is one of two Yeti dealers in the Springs.  My friend and I took these bikes out for a mega two hour adventure and we covered a lot of ground! The  Yeti 160e , photo credit Yeti Cycles Spec's and Value Yeti Cycles are known as a premium mountain bike made for dentists and other high earners.  The 160e is no exception as it is beautiful, well spec'd with premium components, and provided an incredible mountain bike experience with that motor.  The T1 Turq is equipped with a Fox Factory 38 fork and X2 shock, Sram Code RSC brakes (220/200mm rotors), DT Swiss HX1700 wheelset, Shimano XT drivetrain, and the star of the show Shimano EP800 motor.  Shimano is my favorite drivetrain and the latest offering was fantastic...

  Hi readers!  In this blog I will review the new Yeti SB160 with the T3 build, in a new color "Cobalt, and answer the question, "could I be a dentist"?  I rented this bike from Yeti's Corporate Office in Golden, CO for a mere $40!  Btw, the crew there were super rad and kind.  One of them even made me an espresso after I mentioned I was exhausted and had a long drive ahead of them, very kind folks! The Yeti SB160 , photo credit Yeti Cycles While you're up there check out the mini-museum they've created in the lobby.  It was pretty sweet.   Spec's and Value Yeti Cycles are known as a premium mountain bike afforded by those with fat wallets, hence the "could I be a dentist" joke/reference.  Without a doubt their bikes are beautiful, high performance, and well spec'd.  The cheapest complete SB160 one can buy is $6,700 in with Shimano SLX components, DT Swiss 1900 wheels, Yeti cockpit, with Fox 38 and Float X Performance.  The frame on...

Hi everyone!  This blog will be about my 2016 Ellsworth Epiphany Carbon 29.  I bought this bike second hand in November of 2020 from a guy off Craigslist. The Ellsworth Epiphany , page 5 Spec's and Value The Ellsworth Epiphany came from the factory with a full Shimano XT suite and Fox Factory suspension in a brilliant candy-apple red paint scheme.  The Shimano XT specs included dual piston brakes with 180/160mm rotors and 11 speed drivetrain (11-42 cassette), add in my XT SPD pedals and I'm fully Shimano-ed out!  Suspension was handled by Fox with the Factory 34 (130mm) up front and the DPS out back (120mm).  The cockpit was full Thompson components. I bought this bike second hand, which means the bang-for-the-buck is through the roof and there will be wear/tear, but I will write the rest of the post as if I paid MSRP.  When new this bike retailed for $6,500 which I think is a great price for a high end bike.  These bikes had many build kits available ...

Hi everyone!  This blog will be about my custom 2018 Ellsworth Rogue 60.  I bought this bike in November of 2018 from Tucson Bicycle Service ! The Ellsworth Rogue 60   Spec's and Value This was a custom build that has gone through a few iterations.  Ellsworth offered me an excellent deal on the frame so I figured I would treat myself.  I wanted a high performance bike without qualifying as a dentist, so the initial build was spec'd with Fox Factory 36 (160mm) and X2 suspension, Shimano XT 11spd drivetrain and brakes (dual piston, dual 180mm rotors), custom Industry Nine Torch hubs to 27.5" Stans Flow rims, Fox Transfer dropper, and Race Face cockpit. Custom color matched because why not The final iteration now has a Fox Factory 36 (170mm) and DPX2, Sram X01 12spd drivetrain, larger 203mm rotor up front, Industry Nine Hydra hubs to 27.5" NOX Farlow carbon rim, and Deity carbon bars.  This bike weighs in right at 31 pounds making it a breeze to pedal and mane...