MTB Direct is bringing its biggest build yet to Sea Otter Australia, with the finished bike on display at the MTB Direct booth throughout the event.

What happens when you give mountain bike riders a say in how a dream bike is built?

That’s the idea behind Built Not Bought, a MTB Direct series giving riders the opportunity to choose the components that go onto a seriously wild, Specialized Levo R.

MTB Direct has teamed up with some of the biggest names in mountain biking, including Specialized, Shimano, Fox Suspension, Race Face, Title, Maxxis and Joe’s, to create a Rally Inspired Levo R build to push the boundaries of what an eMTB can do.

But this isn’t simply a bike build.

Throughout the Built Not Bought series, MTB Direct puts the component choices in the hands of its audience. Riders get to have their say on what makes the final build, before MTB Direct brings all those choices together to create the finished bike.

The result will be unveiled at Sea Otter Australia, where visitors can get up close to the completed Specialized Levo R and check out the build in person at the MTB Direct booth.

And there’s a very good reason to take a close look.

One lucky rider will win the finished Built Not Bought bike.

The competition will remain open following Sea Otter, with the winner drawn in the first week of November 2026.

Built Not Bought is about giving mountain bikers a genuine say in the bikes they ride, bringing together some of the industry’s leading brands to create something that is built by the community, not simply bought off the showroom floor.

Come and see the finished bike at Sea Otter Australia and get your final entry’s in for your chance to take it home.

You choose the parts. We build the bike. Someone gets to ride it.

Where: MTB Direct booth, Sea Otter Australia
What: Built Not Bought Specialized Levo R
Winner drawn: First week of November 2026