Evil Insurgent (2016) Frame

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Let's be honest. Just from looking at it, this is the bike you want. It’s slimeball yellow is eye catching and will attract the parking lot lizards like teenage girls to a boyband concert.

I’ll start with the obvious, it's a slack ( 65.6 in Low and 64.8 in X-low ) with a 160mm fork, I mean why would you run it with less? Drunk, maybe? The flip chip takes 10 minutes or so to change and it's a simple process.  The chainstays are a short 432mm and with that, it loves the body english.  Evil has thought of the everyday rider by including a 73mm threaded bottom bracket shell, easy cable routing and FSA headset included.  Rounding out the frame, you get a 12x142mm bolt on axle, seat clamp and stunning looks that will drop panties for the boys and girls.

Setup

I purchased the frame separate as I had the parts to build it up.

I chose the small frame as I am 5’ 6” and 145-150lbs with gear.  The sizing fit great.  The reach feels comfortable with a 40mm Renthal Apex stem and the low placement of the Rockshox Monarch RC3 Debonair with DELTA link makes the bike feel planted.

Currently I am running 200 psi in the rear shock with the stock 2 bands in the rear.  55 psi in my Pike with no tokens.  Yes, 200 psi, as per Evils advice this puts my weight at 30% sag.  Oh I forgot to mention they have a built in sag meter which is cool.

Moving the bike is the Shimano XT M8000 drivetrain, minus the crankset.  I decided to skip the crank because I live in crank-and-pedal-eating Phoenix, Arizona.  I already had the older style XT crankset at 170mm that worked just fine.  With a 30 Tooth One UP Chainring up front and a 11-42 cassette, I felt it was plenty for everyday riding. The new XT M8000 Drivetrain preformed amazingly for the price point. Shifts where crisp, fast and smooth. I am really pleased with the XT M8000 drivetrain seeing as I got it for a little over $200 minus chain. I picked up an X1 for cheaper.

Check out more specs at www.evil-bikes.com

Climbing.

I am going to be real with you.  I climb/hike.  If I see a tough uphill climb section (aka Waterfall on South Mountain ) I'll get off the bike and hike.  Sure I’ve tried and failed, as miserably as the next, but climbing is only a means to an end.

Climbing with the Evil felt fairly the same as most bikes I’d owned in similar range (i.e. Mach 6, Enduro 26”); but that doesn’t mean under someone more capable, this bike will wallow about.  It trucks up the climbs as any long-travel bike would.  Got the legs and the lungs?  Then you're golden!  If you're seriously thinking about buying the Insurgent, climbing will take a backseat to its other great features.

Descending.

Rock Smashing, Berm Toasting, Hip Popping goodness!  That's the Insurgent when pointed downhill.  I ride in the Low setting as most of the trails here in Phoenix do not get steep for long.  It eats up the rocks and tracks like a champ in the rough.  It pops over pesky rocks and loves to slide into corners.  Its size and weight make it easy for me to maneuver and definitely saves my poor excuse for riding when things get wild (there have been plenty would be crashes).

I did have a chance to ride it in Laguna Beach on Telonics.  I did a few runs in the Low Setting 65.6 then I did a few runs in the X-Low 64.8.  For those that aren’t familiar, Telonics is a rough, fast, braking bump ladened, steep DH trail that will test your bike and skill.  I could notice the difference in each setting right away.  The X-Low setting kept the bike low allowing me to track and ride the steep and rough with more confidence.  That’s not to say the Low setting wouldn’t work, as it still inspires confidence to charge.

When the ruts get deep and the rocks get gnarly, the Insurgent does have an increased chance of pedal strikes due to its naturally low bottom bracket height.  170mm crankset where hitting rocks on steep-ish uphill climbs as well.  I have yet to try 165mm cranks but I am going to in the long term.

Cons

Setting up the Insurgent cable routing was a breeze.  It wasn’t until I got to the dropper seatpost height adjustment that I had issues with the frame.  Having a 125mm Stealth Reverb I figure I could set the post all the way into the frame.  The dropper seatpost only goes so far before the wires prevent the seatpost from going any further.  This may be an issue for those that like to drop there seatpost all the way down.  I can’t speak for bigger size frames but it's something to think about if your going with a 150mm dropper.

The chain height from the chainstay.  Its close.  Running a 30t (the smallest you can run) chainring up front puts the chain maybe 3-4mm above the chainstay when in the smallest cassette cog.  #thechainslapisreal

No water bottle mount.  Never thought I’d say that, but really this bike was made for shredding gnar not spandex Strava chasing.  Water bottle mount be damned, bring on the bike park laps!

Conclusion

I am far from pro, I make tons of mistakes, grab more brake then I should but the Insurgent allows me to make mistakes. You’ll see me with a huge grin from ear to ear because the Insurgent has unleashed my inner fat kid where it counts the most, on the downhills.  With that said, if you withstand the climbs so you can feed your gravity addiction, the Insurgent is definitely worth checking out.  It ticks all the right boxes for the gravity junky and still can be ridden for all day epics or in the bike park.  Minus the chain slap noise which can get loud here in Phoenix, the Insurgent can be forgiven because of its playful manner.

All photos: Miranda Song