Shallow Thoughts : tags : ebike

Akkana's Musings on Open Source Computing and Technology, Science, and Nature.

Wed, 18 Jun 2025

Review of the Specialized Turbo Levo SL Kids Ebike (for an Adult)

[Specialized Turbo Levo SL Kids mountain bike, dark green, standing amid rocks at the edge of a cliff; in the canyon below you can see a river and some nice yellow fall color]

We had a lovely ebike trail ride this morning, getting out early to beat the heat, and it reminded me that I've had a partially written review of my current ebike that I needed to finish.

I've written about my first ebike, the Lectric XP. Not only was it fun to ride and practical for errand-running, but it also got Dave and me back into regular cycling after we'd fallen out of the habit.

Ironically, that's the reason I found myself riding the Lectric less and less: as I got back into better shape, I wanted to spend more time on the lighter and more nimble "acoustic" bike and do more of my own pedaling. At 65 lbs, the Lectric felt heavy and klunky compared to the regular bike, and it wasn't as much fun off-road. After four years with the Lectric, I found myself wishing for something lighter.

Dave, who's always keeping an eye on the e-bike market, had been pondering an unusual choice: the Specialized Turbo Levo SL Kids. Yes, kids: this is an ebike made for kids,

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[ 13:49 Jun 18, 2025    More bike | permalink to this entry | ]

Sat, 02 Nov 2024

Decoding Specialized FIT files (30 Day Map Challenge Day 2, Lines)

[Screenshot from Specialized bike Android app] I have a new eBike! I'll write about it more before long, but for now, what's relevant to the 30 Day Map Challenge is that it's from Specialized, and if you use the Specialized phone app, it can record all sorts of fun statistics for rides, including GPS coordinates.

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[ 13:54 Nov 02, 2024    More mapping | permalink to this entry | ]

Tue, 08 Nov 2022

Fun With Little Bikes

[Jackrabbit ebike at White Rock Canyon]

I wrote in midsummer about the fun Dave and I were having on our Lectric ebikes. We've been riding the Lectrics most days for errand running and jaunts across town, and it's gotten us back into pedalling our regular mountain bikes again, too.

But then one day a big box showed up on the doorstep. Dave had been lusting after a different sort of ebike: a Jackrabbit.

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[ 20:01 Nov 08, 2022    More bike | permalink to this entry | ]

Mon, 26 Jul 2021

E-Biking Fun with the Lectric XP

[Lectric XP above White Rock Canyon] Ever since a friend let us test-ride her electric bike at PEEC's annual Electric Vehicle Show two years ago, Dave's been stewing over the idea of getting an e-bike.

Why an e-bike?

One goal was to help us get into the back country. There are several remote places -- most notably, in Canyonlands' Needles and Maze districts -- that can only be accessed through trails that are beyond our Rav4's ability. Or at least beyond our risk tolerance.

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[ 16:49 Jul 26, 2021    More bike | permalink to this entry | ]