"The first time you ride of these bikes, you're just blown away", says Specialized Mountain brand manager Sam Benedict. "You shouldn't be this fast, is what you're thinking. It just puts a big smile on your face. It's just like riding your first bike"
You'd expect him to be effusive, of course: that's his job after all. But the riding does look like a lot of fun, not least because the picturesque town of Finale Ligure, in North-Western Italy, has it all going on with a huge network of trails straight out of the back of the town. We're waiting for our invite. Check out the video for some amazing scenery.
The Turbo Levo bikes look interesting too. Specialized have got behind the 27.5+ wheel format for the FSR; they call these bikes 'fatties' but they're not fat bikes, instead using the wider rims and 3" tyres of the 27.5+ format that allows you to keep to standard wheel widths but run bigger rubber. It's a standard that works really well on electric mountain bikes. The bigger tyres give good comfort and traction but the bike still feels and handles like a trail machine. The extra weight is easily compensated for by the fact that you're getting 250W of help.
The custom-tuned Brose motor and the 460Wh battery are fully integrated into the frame, with a button on the down tube switching between assistance modes. The overall look is very slick; it takes a second look to realise it's an e-bike at all. Prices start at £2,800 for the 29" hardtail bikes and top out at £7,000 for the S-Works FSR model.
For more information on the Turbo range, visit the Specialized website.
