Submitted by
Ben1
a Weekend Warrior
from Devon, UK
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2009
Strengths: Ride and feel (steel goodness), geometry, stiff where it counts, incredibly versatile
Weaknesses: UK RRP is offputtingly steep, but as soon as you ride one you realise it's worth it!
Bottom Line:
Seriously impressed, nicest feeling frame I've ever ridden. Responsive and absorbant steel feel but with perfect amount of stiffness.
As per everyone else's reviews, geometry/versatility is awsome. This bike is used for everything, and it's bareable to ride to work on or XC with the seat up. Surprisingly light as well for such a strong frame.
Relatively rare in the UK which is nice, but probably due to the £450 RRP. In reality, when you've ridden one for a while you won't begrudge this at all.
Grats to Evil, hope to see a new hardtail of the same calibre as this undwr their new ownership.
Favorite Trail: Loads of good brilliant trails in Devon!
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At: eBay...
Similar Products Used: Nothing that's similar to this
Bike Setup: DOC, long in black, Pike 454 Coils, XT F&R (2X9 with bash), XT shifters, Hope Tech M4s (200/180 floating), Singletracks on Pro IIs with 2.35" Panaracer rampages F&R, Easton bars, RaceFace stem and post
I wrote one of the early reviews for this frame and am writing again now out of a sense of obligation.
After riding this bike for several years (since the first moment it was made available) I have come to apprieciate it to an extent that defies my ability to express with words. It is a fine, versatile frame. It is lively, quick and forgiving. I have had a deranged amount of fun riding street on this bike. I also used it as a trail bike for several months.
I now have a 6in trail bike made by a small American manufacturer - I love it, it cost 10 times as much money as my Evil, and yet when I get on my D.O.C., I feel like I'm home. If you ride street or dirt, you will be so happy you got this bike. Just do it.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Chase, John Cowan's signature frame
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
mike
a Weekend Warrior
from atlanta, ga
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2006
Strengths: versatile, beautiful
Weaknesses: no ISCG mount
Bottom Line:
Added a hardtail because the BigHit was too much for just riding around. Short chainstays make it easy to manual. I set the height of the manitou at 130 and it gives a nice stable head angle. Brakes are weak. Handles well and very versatile from jumping to urban to trail riding thanks to the long seat tube. Gets attention anywhere you go. Really happy with it. Paint chips but is very good looking deep gloss like a car almost.
Strengths: Not a heavy frame, but not super light either. Nice springy feel to the ride coming from aluminum hardtails. Very easy to go singlespeed. Handling is stable and suits switching between DH and street bikes.
Weaknesses: Lovely red paint chips much too easily, especially around the bolts connecting the adjustable dropouts to the frame. No IFGS mounts for a chain guide on the frame. Burr inside seat tube has scratched up my seatpost already!
Bottom Line:
I like this frame better than I like most people. Handles just the way I like it, very versatile (can do XC with seat up, trials and street with it down) and looks hot.
Similar Products Used: Craftworks Rail, various Giant hardtails.
Bike Setup: Mavic 721, DT butted spokes, Hope Bulb hubs, Thompson stem and seatpost, SDG saddle, Atomlab pedals, Saint cranks, Dura ace derailleur and road cluster, Saint brakes, EA70 monkeybar.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jane blane
a Weekend Warrior
from canada
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2006
Strengths: cheap
Weaknesses: everything
Bottom Line:
this frame was so badly beat up when i bought it that i could barely put it together. the paint was so bad. it aws chipping like a mofo and there wasent a spot on it wheerre it dident flake. i had to hammer the fork in cause the headtube was so badly bent. the i was looking at my back wheel the whole time while riding caues the frame was bent in half. first day i hit a jump on er and the the frame hit the ground cause it bent so much when i landed.... and i hads landed butter! i ended ut cutting my leg off cause i couldent fit the seat post in so the tube sliced er right off. i AM VERY UPSET BY I FORGIVE EVIL CAUSE THEY SENT ME A NEW BETTER FRASME and a prostetic leg but buy the bike( if your dont mind wasting money that is)
Strengths: Great geo. even better price,it's an evil, rides smooth, I use for urban/street rides and I won't ever use another frame for that application , strong as hell
Weaknesses: i find none, some cry about the weight but who cares
Bottom Line:
for the price you can't beat it a great bike made by a even better company. I have yet to bring it off road but as far as street,park,urban goes it's one of the best frames
Strengths: decently priced, cant remeber exatly how much it was because of the conversion over the boader, but i think it was around 400 us. it looks great, comes from a well respected company, made from a great material (reynolds steel)
Weaknesses: geometry doesn't work well with what the bike is "meant" to do
Bottom Line:
I was really excited to get this bike, it looked amazing, the reviews i had read were all good, the price was nice considering what i thought i was getting, and the metal used in the frame was reynolds!!!
I later found out that only part of the bike was actually reynolds steel, the rest was just plain jane 4130. i also found that the reason it was priced so well is that because i was made over seas, the paint was crap and chipped and flacked like as if they didnt even prime the frame. this was all found out while putting the bike together. once it was built i stayed 100% open minded about the frame, so i rode it for the season, now i can say that i have no idea what chris was thinking when he designed this frame, the Topetube is way way too long for street riding, the seat tube is also way too long, i cant get my seat low enough for good park use, also the head angle is Weird, its a 69 with a 3 inch fork, so if ur a guy planning on running a 5inch stroke, ur head angle will be a 67, in the end, this bike is just not a good urban or street bike, i cant see in what situation you would want geo like this, This was my dream bike and it turned out to be a total let down
overall is a 3 because 3 = good on their rating scale (and im being generous)
Strengths: PRICE!! looks killer, its smooth responsive and tough as nails.
Weaknesses: paint flakes off rather easily, no guide mounts,too slack of a headtube for what its meant for, and also i find the Top tube really long even with the regular size...
Bottom Line:
PRICE, its good that its cheaper but this causes more people to buy it, i now think that this isnt a true EVIL bike just because there are so many out there that i see and all the little groms who have them
But ya great bike for the price the only bike thats around the same level of quality would be my old 243 frame.
but hey if u want an agile but rather long and slack angled street bike, this is the one for you.
Bike Setup: stnace static 80 mm. 24's. 7 inch rotor.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Joseph Stewart
a Downhiller
from San Diego, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2005
Strengths: Adjustable chainstays are great for street. Super balanced(with 80mm fork). Can run 24"s. STEEL!, light, attractive. It's a sick bike. Very "flickable".
Weaknesses: Although paint/clear coat are attractive. The paint all around the dropouts starting chipping from the get-go. You can't even adjust the dropouts without scratching the paint off. No big deal...that 's what nail polish is for!
Bottom Line:
I set mine up single speed with 24's and it feels awesome. It's helping me rapidly improve my street riding. I'm still kinda getting used to the feel, so I can't run my mouth too much about it. I did a lot of reasearch before investing in this bike...so I knew it would be sweet.
Similar Products Used: 2001 Specialized P.3, Giant STP, Avent Jibster
Bike Setup: Red, regular size, 24" wheels w/Hookworms, single speed w/tensioner, chainstays adjusted all the way in. Saint, King, Hadley, Trailpimps, the whole nine.
Bike Setup: sherman firefly, diabolus cranks mag 30 wheels hayes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
D-Rock
a Downhiller
from Chilliwack,BC,Canada
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2005
Strengths: very easy to ride..incredbily smooth and responsive
Weaknesses: the little screws that adjust the chainstay length loosen after downhilling sometimes(loctite)
Bottom Line:
very nice bike. props to Chris D..very solid feel to it, and very flickable. you can pop soo high on this bike..and it spins very easily..buy it if you are on a tight budget, but you still want the bvest for your money
Strengths: concept, geometry, versitility, strength (to be verified, but I'll bet on it now)
Weaknesses: a bit heavy, rough finish at drive-side BB and bottom of headset, busy graphics
Bottom Line:
I've had it two weeks and will write again in a few months (sooner if it breaks).
I recommend this frame highly and without reservation. I've ridden it street and trail and have been very favorably impressed by its handling. The concept is on target. It is very responsive. It makes you feel at home. I am quite sure that it would be very hard to break.
The versatility of the seat tube length is a very good thing.
The sliding drop-outs seem like they ought to become industry standard on freeride hardtails. It is just a very good idea. (I've not found the tourque specs on the sliding dropouts, but it seems they want to be very tight.)
The super short chainstay for street set up improved my riding right away.
Very much of a bargain. Hats off to Chris Donahue and Evil Bikes.
Strengths: Steel is real baby! Build quality and paint are very good on first impressions. Adjustability of dropouts is key for me, I will hit street, trails, and trials with this bike!
Weaknesses: one dropout was sent untapped- easy fix but a QC issue
Bottom Line:
Solid bike, reasonable weight, highly adjustable, good price for what you get. We will see how durability haods up over time, but I must say I am impressed with the initial impressions!
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Hey All,
The Issaquah Parks Board is holding a second (and likely - [I]hopefully[/I] - final) meeting on the Issaquah Mountain Bike Task Force proposal.
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here is a fun doc i just watched about a stage race in Margret River WA.
thought i wud share it as i enjoyed it
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