Submitted by
fruitafrank
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Junction,Colo, US
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2012
Strengths: climbing ,smooth pedaling, traction both climbing and descending , quality construction, finish. The evolution steers and corners like my 26" bike. The pedaling is firmer than my Epiphany and it accelerates better . The steering is light and quick not typical of a 29. The bike will climb up rocky/rooty, ledgy trails extremely well. The rougher the trail the better this bike performs. The sus. is active and descending rough trails the tires stick to the ground. The bike feels smooth and you don't realize how fast your going untill you compare it to others. The bike likes a smooth spin stroke which should be typical of long travel 29' bikes. The bike is a no drama ride ,smooth and efficient, with minimal effort. Great for long or all day rides. If you have ridden their 26" bikes , the Truth or Epiphany, this bike is similar only more efficient. Very predictable handling. Its made in the US.
Weaknesses: High BB takes getting used to but lack of pedal strikes is a plus.
Bottom Line:
This is the easiest bike to ride rough trails with I have ridden. Smooth pedaling , efficient climbing, quick steering. This bike will out climb my TallBoy on rocky/rooty trails. The TB is slightly lighter and faster but requires much more effort to ride than the Evolution. On rides over 2hrs. the Evolution is def. the bike to ride. Its smooth , fast and efficient, on climbs and descents. Very high quality construction. My previous Epiphany went for 8 years with no problems, no bearing issues, nothing. The Evolution should do the same. If you ride smoother trails their are a few faster bikes or just ride a hardtail 29, If you ride rocky rough trails this bike is one of the best.
Similar Products Used: Pivot 429, Specialized Epic, TallBoy, Rocky Mtn. 29, Gary Fisher Superfly, Many 26" bikes.
Bike Setup: Large Evolution, XTR Kit, Easton wheels, Thompson stem +seatpost, Haven bar, candy pedals, Fox suspension, Chris King headset+BB
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
wemtb
a All Mountain Rider
from Punta Gorda, FL USA
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2012
Strengths: All moutain bike, attention to detail, surprisingly agile and fast, fast, fast!!!! This bike, plain and simple, brought the joy back to riding (mountain biking). I drool just thinking about riding this thing!
Weaknesses: I feel all the high-end bikes are over priced but after riding the demo, my wife and I both knew we would have to beg, borrow or steal to have one of these! (this is the only reason I am giving the value 4 chilis...Ellsworth knows that once you ride this bike they got you by the **lls). Not sure if this is a weakness but the down hills don't last long anymore...this bike eats up everything we can throw at them!
Bottom Line:
True all moutain bike. Love it! Coming from a 24 lb. hard tail, it was hard to justify going to a bike with 120mm of suspensoin and a 29er on top of that. Debated with the lead mechanic at the shop that we wanted to stick with the 26er because we ride lots of technical trail..."do we really need 120mm of travel and can we do everything we can on our hard tails?" ...."just demo and then make up you minds". All I can say is after the demo....sold! Felt as though we were riding more upright and seated high like on a on a moto bike but we found ourselves making stuff we couldn't clean on our 26ers within a few minutes on the demo. After nearly four months on these bikes we have found no reason to ever ride our 26ers agian. I will play on it trials-like but I fear my ole 26er will NEVER see the trail again. We would NEVER consider a 26" bike again...dinosaurs ...a thing of the past and simply not "real" mountain bikes anymore. If you have a 26" bike, sell it now or you will have to give it away soon. We find ourselves not wanting to ride with folks on the 26ers...not that we're snobs but most of them are just not in the same league anymore. Sorry.
Definite learning curve to transition from hard-tail to full. Much less fatigue. Rides that were once epic are merely warm-ups now. This bike is a rocket ship in the saddle but no slouch when standing either and it's an absolutely "sick" climber! Even though the bike feels slightly flexy riding skinnys it is awesome with slow speed maneuvering and we can easily do sationary, no-handed, seated track "stands" on these bikes...very stable and nimble. The Evolution has great stand-over height and with 29ers, it rolls over everything! I'm 5' 10" and 140 lbs. The medium is comfortable but a bit tight for me. I tend to like bikes on the smaller-side so I can throw them around easier.
I'm not completely sold on XO SRAM but slowly warming to it...just liked my XTR stuff so much. We will be upgrading to Chris King hubs with a little heavier spoke for stiffness (instead of the Stan's) beacause it's just one of those things.....once you've ridden them you can't go back.
Give the guys at The Bike Shop in Winter Haven a call (863) 299-9907 and ask for Ed or Dave. I believe they are one of he largest sellers of Ellsworth bikes in the US...who would have thought...being located in Florida :-)
Favorite Trail: Jimmie Cotton's, Alafia and all technical trails
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$6000.00
Purchased At: The Bike Shop Winter
Similar Products Used: Purchased Oct 28, 2011.
Bike Setup: Nickel finish (medium) with red rocker and bling. XO build with the Stan's no-tube (no charge for the upgrade) wheels. Also did away with the big ring and installed a red Race Face bash-ring. Exchaged the long cage derailleur for a medium to reduce chain slap (the 29ers have some long chain stays) and we didn't use the big ring on our 26" bikes.... gives us more clearance for logs and rocks. The Bike Shop in Winter Haven, Fl took care of us and blinged the bikes out a bit more at no charge. The bike looks sharp! 27 lbs. with some aggressive platform pedals.
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Submitted by
phs4u
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2012
Strengths: Geometry and fit are spot on for this bigger travel bike. This is a very comfortable ride. Descending on the Evolution is a dream! Incredibly responsive descender. Stiff frame. Design feels bombproof.
Weaknesses: Ellsworth wheelset is a bit on the heavy side. Rear has needed re-trueing.
Bottom Line:
You won't go wrong with this bike. When I ride the Evolution, I feel dialed in and the bike feels like it was made for me! Geometry is relaxed and is less of an XC racer, which I prefer. I rode the Evolution on the Crested Butte 100 and came home feeling strong and relaxed, not beat up. The 5" travel is a luxury. This is not the best 29" climber out there, and the suspension definitely feels softer than some of the other bikes I demoed, but what it lacks in climbing efficiency it more than makes up for in overall fun factor. Trails that used to feel like rubble piles (Heil Ranch) now feel buttery smooth. I can't wait for springtime to get back on her.
Weaknesses: No product manuals come with frame or shocks. 2-year warranty is a bit short for a frameset of this cost, however the Ellsworth staff will work with you.
Bottom Line:
It's Christmas Day, but every day feels like Christmas on this bike. I find myself mowing down sections of trail that I'd walked in the past. The ride is very plush and I'm not fatigued, even after epic adventures. It's not the best climber, but not bad as long as you maintain a steady pace and stay in the saddle.
Ellsworth has made some noticable improvements to the construction of their frames to address some weaknesses inherent in their earlier design. My Ephiphany frame cracked at a weld just below the main pivot so I asked them to replace it with the Evolution frame, which they obliged. They gave me a good deal, including disounts on the fork and headset, but I still needed to pony up a considerable amount of cash. The Evolution frame has shaped tubing and considerably less welds which I would assume translates into better strength and durability. Only time will tell.
Bottom line - if I could only have one MTB in the arsenal, this would be it!
