2020 Evil Wreckoning SRAM X01 I9 Hydra Bike

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Back in January, Vital had a chance to hang with Graham Agassiz and snap some photos of a new Evil bike he had just built up prior to Dark Fest. At the time, Agassiz couldn't share much on the details but we shot and shared away for Vital readers to speculate. While Aggy had what is now known as the new Wreckoning built with a Boxxer and 27.5-inch wheels, the frame looked pretty much production. For detail photos of the frame and new cable routing, definitely head to that linked feature. Now that the Wrecker is out of the cage, dig into the official details below.

The Wreckoning has returned, redesigned from the rubber up and ready to rumble. Featuring a fresh look and a lil’ bit more travel—5 millimeters more—this uphill-happy, DH-destroying 166mm, 29er annihilates imitators and inspires manic grins. From Aggy to all-day. From Rampage to Enduro. Up, down, and upside-down, the Wreckoning doesn’t care which way it’s going. It just gets there fast in classic, low-down dirty Evil style.

Build the Wreckoning

The Wreckoning is Evil’s big-wheeled, ride-anything, pedal-assisted DH rig. Since launching in 2016, it’s been called a traction factory and a game changer, but we can’t settle for good enough. We always aim for awesome’er. So, with more travel and further refinement of the details that make the Wreckoning rad, this bike confirms its role alongside the fear-seeking anti-hero who yearns for a comfy ride up and an uncomfortably fast down. In other words, it’s only a trail bike until gravity is applied. Then it resonates on an ungodly frequency.

Shake the Forest

Be the one-demon Wreckoning crew you always wanted to be. Redesigned from scratch and showing off a fresh look, we set our sights on improving our 29’er 166mm steed capable of spinning long days in the saddle but still ready to smash Strava a new one. Yes, it Enduros. It also rampages like Aggy, gets Fest-ive like Sorge, and wrecks cocky KOM overachievers on the daily. The Wreckoning decimates tired billy goat clichés and elevates regular riders to God-like status on everything from manicured bike park berms to imaginary freeride dream lines. How did we do it? Let us walk you through how the Wreckoning got better’er…yet again.

Maybe what’s most exciting is the bike’s sheer mind-expanding spectrum of options—customization runs thick in the Wreckoning’s bloodstream. Want steep aggressive angles on a burly trail bike? Set the Flip Chip to the “LOW” position and run a 160mm fork. Looking for a do-everything, one-bike quiver? Go with a 170mm fork and the bike climbs as well as it descends on all terrain. Ready to channel your inner Aggy and throw a freeride rampage? Run a 190mm fork and double down with our stock RockShox Super Deluxe coil rear suspension. Short chain stays keep every rider manualing regardless of the setup. Through any number of Flip Chip positions and choice of fork, the geometry gets dialed into your style of riding, by the bike, the day…even by the trail. This is your bike. Make it work for you.

Evil engineering genius Dave Weagle also improved on the Wreckoning by borrowing the pedal-friendly pop of the Following and Offering, and then dialing it in with a legacy downhill heritage only he can lay claim to. To achieve a complementary climbing ability for this leg-powered DH bike, the leverage curve has been revised, starting with the high-end leverage to maintain that supple, smooth pedaling feel we all love so much. As the leverage decreases slowly through the mid stroke, it provides a ton of efficient support to push against while the end stroke sees the lowest leverage. What this means for you is a 166mm bike that feels like 200mm. An extra 5 millimeters never made such a difference.

Soft and plush is all good, but anyone who’s been halfway through a rowdy, rock-strewn chute knows the value of stiffness too. The Wreckoning utilizes 157 Super Boost, the new standard of rear axle spacing for any rider who takes shred seriously. Add in the unified rear triangle and you’re ensured a firm AF frame when the going gets capital “G” good gawd gnarly.

The remaining details include all the goodness every bike worth its salty sass should have: full internal cable routing, integrated chain guide, and rubber sound-cancelling chain stay protectors we like to call Sound Mounds. All of this to simply say, The Wreckoning has arrived…again. And it’s more evil than ever. Bow down.

The Dark Matters

• Pedal Forward Geometry - Steeper 77° seat tube angle. Longer reach. Designed for a 44mm offset fork with 170mm travel.
• Longer. Slacker. Fast AF. - Longer reach. Faster heats. Head tube angle of 65.2°. Stretch out, son.
• Wheelie short chain stays - Make Bikes Shred Again. Short 430mm chain stays mean wheelies for days and manuals for months.
• Longer Travel - 166mm of Metric Trunnion travel. For, like, crushing trail and stuff.
• Fully Internal Cable Routing - Guided internal tubes for a clean look, easy setup and even easier maintenance.
• Super BOOST Spacing - Stiffer in all the right places. 157mm rear axle spacing. Unified one-piece rear triangle.
• Wider main pivot. Larger hardware. - Increased stiffness and strength so you can flex on your riding partners instead of your bike.
• Stay quiet. Stay deadly. - Stealth rubber with Sound Mounds, rubber sound-cancelling chainstay protectors.
• DT Rubber - An internal impact foam in an internal cavity provides more protection against impact.
• Direct Injection Chain Guide - An integrated chain guide indexed for 30/32/34/36 chainrings features built-in silencing rubber.
• Silence of the Linkage - Sealed dual row angular contact bearings with Klüberplex grease means bearings that last even longer.
• Trunnion Mounts Actuated via custom dual row angular contact bearings, the Trunnion mounted shock feels buttery smooth off the top.
• Slimmer Seatpost - Updated 30.9 seatpost.

As always, the Wreckoning is available as a frame only, and in a spectrum of models. View them at Evil-Bikes.com.

View full specs, compare, and rate the Evil Wreckoning bikes in the Vital MTB Product Guide.