New perspectives have opened up since Pinion presented its C-Class. The compact and 250 gram lighter gearbox with 12 gears has what it takes to be a long runner in the upper middle class. The Levante from Böttcher comes from Wesseln, a small town in North Frisian Holstein. The traditional manufacturer has been building bicycles there for over 100 years. The frame and forks are developed in-house and can be customised to a large extent. Nevertheless, there are standard models that can also be purchased from dealers in exactly the same way. As a Pinion touring bike, the Levante is one of the top models: its frame/fork set consists of high-quality, butted aluminium tubes and is neatly finished. The chassis looks and rides solid, although you would wish for a little more compliance on rough surfaces. The top tube is very long for all frame sizes (614 millimetres in this case), so you sit on the bike with a strong forward lean, which is aerodynamically favourable. This is complemented by a very long stem of 125 millimetres (usually around 85 to 100 millimetres), which compensates for the backward bend of the Moon handlebars. This wide forward shift of the centre of gravity means that the front wheel tends to understeer when cornering. With very heavy luggage (test load 22 kilos), the front end also swings up relatively strongly for this reason.
Favourable entry into the Pinion class
Böttcher only uses quality components as add-on parts: On the cockpit from Humpert and Ergon, racks from Racktime, SKS plates, belts from Gates, lighting from Busch & Müller, parking support and belt guards from Hebie. There is nothing to criticise here. The pedals were too long, however: The soles of the shoes have no grip on them and constantly slip off. A practical detail, on the other hand, are the Allen locking axles: this keeps the wheels safe from thieves when parked in public. The 12 Pinion gears are sufficient for almost all riding situations and allow horse and rider to move forward quickly and effortlessly. The long wheelbase and seating position create a smooth, stable ride, while the supple Supreme tyres roll easily, quickly and quietly. The Levante is at home on long, flat stretches of good tarmac. This may have something to do with the fact that the highest point in the Dithmarschen district is 79 metres above sea level.
The complete article "Top bikes 2017" was published in Trekkingbike issue 1/2017.
