2015 Evil Following Review
Monday, June 8, 2015 at 8:59AM Permalink
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Evil The Following Profile
Evil Bikes had a rough start with their initial production run. They learned from their mistakes and have since been making carbon bikes that are aggressive in nature with a suspension platform that is very efficient. The brand originated making the first Chain Guide that actually worked for Downhill racing. It was a small start but soon the brand found it chain retention system on a majority of bikes out there. This lead to them creating some DH and Street hardtail bikes that would eventually prove to become collectable and the thing of legend.
Evil The Following Head Tube
Evil The Following Drive Side BB, Linkage
Evil as we know it today is owned by Kevin Walsh. He purchased the brand from Dave Weagle back in 2008. Since buying Evil they had some problems on the manufacturing side with their first few runs of the Downhill bikes. With manufacturing happening in big quantities it took things awhile to get sorted out. Once production issues where sorted the guys at Evil took care of customers that had problems. Their carbon trail and downhill bike have been very successful and they have just made the jump into the Wagon Wheel segment with a bike called The Following. Evil bikes is now using the same factory as Santa Cruz bikes for the production of the full carbon Evil Following and with SC's experience in building carbon bikes it sounds like a good choice.
Evil The Following Linkage
Evil The Following Press Fit BB
With most of the industry pushing towards 650B it was somewhat of a shock to see Evil come out with a short travel, low and slack 29" bike. The difference between a 26" and a 650b is pretty small and really has very little effect on how the bike rides. Wagon Wheels on the other hand are very noticeable. They keep momentum up better, roll over stuff easier, cover more ground and provide more traction. Along with the positives there are some negatives the wheels themselves are less strong, flex more and the bikes are typically slower to accelerate out of corners.
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Evil The Following Complete Build
"Monster truck wheels with a sports car feel.We really wanted to create a FUN,versatile, yet aggressive short travel, big wheel trail bike with progressive geometry that could be at home on all day adventures, slashing trails or riding jump lines."
"Evil has officially entered the market of 29" bikes - to some this may come as a surprise. Don't let Evil's background fool you though, it's their heritage that makes The Following one of the most exciting bikes that we will see in 2015. If you've ridden an Evil in the past, you likely know the fun-factor is tough to beat. Simply put, an Evil bike is an absolute blast on the trail. The Following marks Evil's third full suspension bike in their lineup, offering up 120mm rear travel and wildly aggressive geometry for a 29'er. In recent years, we've come to find that it's not necessarily the amount of travel a bike has, it's the geometry that plays the most significant role in ride characteristics. So in short, if you're a go-get'er trail rider, don't let the 120mm travel and 29" scare you away, this bike will impress even the most aggressive riders out there.
At the heart of The Following is a revamped version of Evil's DELTA suspension system, designed and tested closely with Dave Weagle. DELTA System is a modified single pivot design that provides a dual-leverage rate curve. In layman's terms, this gives The Following a very supple feel at the very beginning of it's travel, then ramps up in the mid-stroke for for pedaling performance. The latter half of the suspension travel is fairly linear, with just enough progression to prevent against harsh bottom-outs. The Following's DELTA System has been refined to provide improved lateral stiffness and easier maintenance. Evil designed the DELTA System and suspension kinematics around the Rock Shox Monarch RT3 Debonair rear shock, which is what comes stock on the frame. Thorough testing across several rear shock options proved that the Monarch RT3 offered the best performance. Piggyback shocks are not compatible with this frame, nor is the Cane Creek DB Inline.
Sticking true to Evil's roots, The Following provides adjustable geometry that will suit a wide variety of rider preferences. As with the rest of Evil's full suspension bikes, geometry is adjusted by flipping the left and right dog bone links in the DELTA System. In the low setting, the head angle is 67.2° with a 12.8" BB height and 17" chainstay length. In the high setting, the head angle is 67.8° with a 13.1" BB height and 16.9" chainstay. Fairly aggressive numbers for a 29'er no doubt, but trust us, the geometry plays a huge role in the fun-factor of this bike. These numbers are all based around a 120mm suspension fork. Evil recommends using either a 120mm or 130mm travel fork with a 51mm offset. A 130mm fork will slacken the head angles listed above by about 1°. You can theoretically use a 140mm fork on The Following, but it will result in a very slack head angle, and may adversely affect the handling of the bike.
As with the rest of Evil's full suspension bikes, The Following is built from uni-directional carbon with a one-piece molded construction at one of the most reputable carbon bike factories in the world (VIP for those who are curious). Take one look at the frame, and it's clear that Evil did not skimp on construction. The Following is built tough, but it's not overly heavy. We verified the medium frame weight at 6.5 lbs with rear shock and rear axle. Complete builds should come in at 27 lbs without excessive damage to the wallet.
The Following features internal cable routing for dropper posts as well as front derailleurs. The rear brake line is cleanly routed externally under the top tube, and on the top side of the seatstay. The rear derailleur line is routed next to the brake line on the top tube, then internally through the seatstay. Another nice detail is a crafty built-in sag meter, located on the non-driveside Delta Link. Just sit on your bike, and the dial will show you when you've reached the target 30% sag.
Although the new 12x148mm rear axle standard seems to coming, Evil opted to stick with the tried-and-true 12x142mm - a good move in our book. The Following is designed to utilize either 1X or 2X drivetrains, with a max 34T on a 1X, and a max 38T on a 2X. A direct mount front derailleur tab is fitted for those running a 2X drivetrain.
The Following frame comes stock with a Rock Shox Monarch RT3 rear shock, FSA sealed bearing headset, 12x142mm axle, and rubber downtube/chainstay protectors. The frame is backed up by Evil's three year warranty. Evil bikes and frames may only be shipped within the United States."
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Evil The Following Rear Stays
Evil The Following Axle
We recently finished testing the Niner WFO. This is a long travel 29r geared more towards the gravity side of the Enduro market. That bike was not as low as the Evil. Overall the Evil sits atop the short travel, low, long, slack 29" wheeled bike segment. Many people claim the ability of a larger wheel to roll over obstacles makes up for the lack of travel. When it comes down to it and you are pounding rocks at high speed nothing is gonna help you more than a solid suspension platform with a good leverage curve and copious amounts of travel. The geometry of this bike will for sure assist it in the steep and fast sections.
Overall the build quality of the Evil Following looks outstanding. The finish is clean and all the parts went into the frame without issue. Is uses a tapered head tube that Evil provides a FSA headset for and they also offer a CCDB headset for those that want a slacker 29" bike. The Following has a standard 142mm by 12mm rear axle and uses a 30.9 seat post. The parts choice we used was geared towards the gravity side with Race Face SIXC, Specialized GRID tires and 14 gauge spokes laced to Stans ZTR Flow EX rims by Gravey himself! The frame we tested is a size LG with the shock on it weighed in a 6.1LBS. Our complete build was 30.19LBS see the parts list below.
Build Kit
- Evil Following LG
- DVO Diamond
- Race Face SIXC 35mm Bars
- Ritchey WCS Stem 60mm
- Chromag Grips
- Hope E3 Tech 4 Brakes Braided Lines 203/183mm
- Thomson Dropper Post
- Fabric Carbon Saddle
- Race Face SIXC 170mm Cranks
- 32 Toth Race Face DM Chainring
- SRAM XO Shifter
- SRAM XO 11 SPD Derailure
- SRAM XO 11 SPD Casette
- Profile Elite Hubs
- Stans ZTR Flow EX Rims
- Specialized Grid Bliss Two Butcher
- Specialized Grid Bliss Two Slaughter
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Evil The Following Downtube Guard
The Delta Suspension System
"(Dave’s Extra Legitimate Travel Apparatus ) Despite Delta representing Dave Weagle’s 3rd cycling specific suspension system, we thought a super tech acronym would be much more appropriate. Well, if we had our way we would say it bends in the middle, stops and goes. But let’s be realistic, we can’t get away with that simple of an explanation. As much as we would like to think that everyone will have the opportunity to test ride an Evil, the reality is most of You will buy based on reviews, friends or Weagle’s past successes.
So the following is straight from the horses mouth ( Dave Weagle being the horse ). The DELTA system was conceived to, among other things, achieve very complex leverage rate curves that can be used to tune for varying track conditions, spring, and damper parameters. The dual progressive leverage rate curve was developed for coil sprung downhill applications to take advantage of the speed sensitive shocks on the market. Mechanically, the system uses very compact links that can achieve a lot of angle and velocity change through the travel. We can tailor the leverage rate curve to really take advantage of the shock’s valving and the way that a speed sensitive damper is designed to work. Ultimately the design achieves a high degree of suppleness early in the travel, with a very predictable high traction stage through the middle and a bottomless ramp at the end of the travel.
The whole suspension system, every attribute, is developed concurrently with each other, with the shock absorber, and with the bike’s intended use and geometry in mind. Main pivot location was carefully chosen to give the best balance of acceleration and braking performance. This careful positioning lets the bike accelerate without the need for excess damping, which in turn helps us push the limits of shock setup as far as possible to achieve ideal damper setup for any World Cup track. One of the biggest advantages of the system is its ability to let riders and mechanics adjust frame geometry without changing leverage rate and wheel rate at all.
Additionally, different link kits can be used to make drastic changes in the bike’s feel. These link kits are something that Evil’s World Cup athletes will take advantage of to fine tune for the drastically different race courses that they compete on over a race season. There is no bad option.It all comes down to personal preference. If you like to run air shocks and a position sensitive damper, we can develop that tune. If you like yourframe geometry low in the BB and slack in the head angle, or vice versa and anywhere in between, it’s covered. Upgradeability, tuneability, and personalization is what it’s all about, finding that combination that’s perfect for you and no one else."
The Evil Following Features
Evil The Following Features
The Evil Following Geometry
Evil The Following Geometry
Shock Set Up
"Rock Shox Monarch RT3 Debonair: Prior to performing shock adjustments, determine riding weight ( fully geared up ). Push the shock O-ring against the wiper seal and push the sag adjuster on the non drive side of the Delta Link forward. Lean up against a sturdy wall, friend, or telephone pole and sit on the bike. Being careful not to tip over, dismount the bike and check the SAG indicator. The SAG indicator should barely cover the 30% mark and the O-ring should measure between 10-13mm from the shock body for ideal setup. The Following uses a high volume air canister which compliments the progressive spring curve of the Delta System Suspension, if a less progressive feel is desired then experiment with different air volume spacers. We also found that the Following performs great in the “Descend” position for most riding conditions, however, for sufferfest climbs and high speed trail riding the “Pedal” position also works well.
NOTE* These are just guidelines to start you on your suspension tuning journey. Its very important to tune your front and rear suspension together to get the best set up possible. Play around and find that special tune, then write it down so you don’t forget! NOTE* The dual progressive leverage rate curve might make some spring rates seem stiff, we encourage you to try different rates that will allow you to sit deeper into the suspension travel and find that perfect set up."
The Following proved to be a very capable trail bike. It had the ability to climb well and descend with the best of them. In fact of the five trails normally being ridden the Evil was able to match or beat times on its maiden voyage. The Following doesn't really feel fast per say, buts it's times prove that it is a KOM capturing machine if that is your thing! The bike offers gobs of traction and the somewhat low BB helps to keep the bike planted in the turns.
The DELTA suspension is very supple at the very beginning of its travel. Once the bike's suspension seems to cycle well and offers traction by the boatload. Dave Weagel initially designed The Delta linkage for the Evil Undead and the high shaft speeds sometimes encountered during Downhill Racing. The Following offers two settings through the chips either High or Low. While Low mode lengthens the WB, CS and also lowers the BB. For a majority of the test we ran The Following in the Low setting. Another thing worth noting is that we had The DVO Diamond and it was set as low as possible at 140mm. Technically the frame is designed for a 120-130mm fork. So our bike was a tad slacker and taller than it would have been with a 130mm fork on the front.
Ian Wilkinson
Evil seems to have succeeded in creating a very capable, and nimble 29" trail bike. Overall the bike was very light on its feet with the ability to change lanes and cut through corners faster than Sonic! The Evil Following proved to be a very capable trail/enduro bike. With how agile this bike is and having the ability to be built up below the 28lbs mark this bike would be a very good choice for the XC rider looking to get a more aggressive bike. On the flip side a bike with such aggressive angles and great suspension can also make for a great trail bike for the DH racer as well.
The initial part of the travel is very sensitive and follows the terrain very well. The bike seemed to be very linear. We ended up running 3 volume reducer rings in the Rock Shox Monarch to keep the bike from bottoming to easily. The frame came with no reducers installed and even on very mellow smooth "flow" trails it was using full travel. Once we added reducers it became a bit harder to use all the travel.
Overall the Following proved to be a very fast bike. The first time out on it I set a few records and came close on a few other segments. This was after a two month wait to get the Following frame! Evil cannot keep these things in stock. So if you want one make sure to place an order early or check out some of the retail shops that carry Evil such as Fanatik.
The first trail I took it on was a 900 foot climb. The bike climbs well and offers good traction over loose rock. I used the shock in full open the first ride. It had very little bob while putting the power down. The trail has some rocks at the start and the suspension tracked well over the fast rocky sections. Then it turns into a turn filled smooth trail with a few climbs. I learned the hard way that this bike turns quick towards the bottom of the hill on a sharp right hander that is almost 120 degree and I cut about 20 degrees to sharp in the apex! After that I used much less body english while turning. My time down was 5 seconds off my best and I made some mistakes so that was shocking. It didn't feel like I was going fast so The Following is good at masking the speed you are carrying.
Many people are huge fans of short chain stays The Evil delivers on this front. The rear of the frame being so short allows for quick turns in tight trails. It moves quick when you lean or turn the bars. Coming off the last bike we had with it's massive wheelbase I almost blew through the sides of a few corners the first time out on The Following. I did notice that having a short CS the 29" Evil had a wheelbase that was almost a full three inches shorter than the Megatrail we tested last. This showed in fast, steep terrain. The Following even though it has bigger wheels was just not as stable. But having bigger wheels allowed the bike to carry speed over rocks and along the trail very well. It covers ground quick and when you do bottom the bike the only way you will know is by looking at the o-ring on the shock. It does feel almost bottomless.
The next trail is just above the first and is much rockier for the first 300 yards or so. The climb was a bit longer so I used pedal mode. The bike is stiffer with this setting. So once I reached the top I went back to open on the shock. The following showed its larger wheel benefit by riding over the soccer ball sized rocks at a good rate of speed. It handled the rocks well and it was easy to change lines and hop over rocks when the need arose. Once out of the rock garden the speeds increase and you enter trees with turns carving their way down the hill. In the twisty stuff the Evil does a great job of offering copious amounts of traction and carrying speeds through turns. Once I got to the bottom I was within 10 seconds of my fastest time and knew I could have pushed it harder!
Once we got the chance to head up to Northstar we loaded up and hit the road. Along with the Following we also brought a few Downhill bikes and another "Enduro" bike. Their lifts run fairly fast and we hopped on and headed for the jump filled trail Live Wire. This is a flow trail loaded with many tabletop jumps and corners for the 2 mile run. Overall the Evil Following carried great speed and was very easy to jump and proved to be easy to maneuver when in flight. Having the 29" wheels helped on the breaking bumps and covering ground on the flatter sections of trail.
The next trail was Flameout which is on the left side of the mountain. This is a chunkier trail that has a few jumps. The trail has a bit more loose dirt around the rocks so line choice here can be a bit more difficult. The Following did well in the chunkier stuff here. It made up for some bad line choices on my part and the suspension never seemed overwhelmed by the repeated high speed rock hits. There are a few sections to climb on the trail and using the shock in full open had no effect on its ability to climb.
Gypsy trail is on the right side of the hill. This is a mellower trail that has some rocks, jumps and wood features in it. The Evil did well here and felt fine hitting the wood wall rides at speed. I was a bit concerned that the taller wheels would feel weird leaned over on the walls but this turned out to be a non issue.
Mineshaft is a trail that takes you from the halfway point back down to the lodge. It has some jumps a bunch of tall bermed corners and some rocks scattered here or there. This trail can literally be pumped the entire way down and you will be able to clear the jumps. The Following was moving through here it seems to be one of the best bikes I have ever ridden at pumping speed off features and terrain of the trail!
I ended up using pedal mode a fair amount to help since it took so long for the frame to arrive. This works well even on rocky terrain If the trail is very chunky I would suggest running it open versus pedal. But if the trail is flowyand has a serious climb or two the pedal mode will help get you up the hill some and make the bike a tad more lively when popping off of features. At Northstar we ran it open since there was almost no climbing being done!
There was a few areas I thought Evil could improve on The Following. The first is its rear tire clearance. This is very tight. We ran a Specialized Butch on the back in 2.3 Grid variant and it was very snug. Another place the frame had very tight clearance was around the shock. Luckily we ran a Rock Shox and they have minimal adjustments to be made to them. It would be nice if all air shocks could fit into the frame. The slackness of the seat post may be a bother to some it wasn't to any of our riders but maybe making it a bit steeper would help some people out.
The Evil Following's ability to carry speed, playfulness, pedaling efficiency and geometry made for an awesome trail bike (Enduro bike). I can see this being used as a Enduro racer, a weekend trail bike or a do it all bike. The travel is on the shorter side to be at a lift assisted resort all day but the bike could manage it on all but the really chunky trails. This bike is pretty awesome and it's suspension platform is every bit as impressive as one would expect it to be coming from Mr. Weagle and it seems to offer great mid stroke support while ramping up rather well towards the end.
Conclusion
Overall we where very impressed by The Evil Following. The 29" wheels unlike the more popular 650B option actually help the rider out. They cover more ground, roll over chunkier terrain, and provide a noticeable amount of more traction. This makes for a bike that is easier to ride in most instances for all but the shortest of riders.
Combining wagon wheels with a very aggressive geometry makes the Following a joy to ride for all including those geared more towards the gravity side of the sport. It is low but not overly so and in fact we could even see it maybe coming down a bit more in the BB area. Overall the bike was decent in size. The TT did feel a bit short after coming off a bike with a 26" TT but we quickly adapted to The Following's slightly shorter geometry. If I was buying the bike personally I would get the XL and run a 35mm stem on it. I am 6' 2" with shoes one BTW.
The frame went together well and seems pretty stiff. We had pretty heavy wheels built up. We used 14 straight-gauge spokes laced up to Stans ZTR FLOW rims by legendary wheelbuilder Gravey up in Marin county. The wheels where stiff and gave no real sign of flex. At this point on when building a 29" wheel we know where we are sending them to get done. Our total weight for the wheels was 2150 grams with the Profile Elite hubs. We gained wheel weight but never worried about a failure in any manner.
As far as pedaling goes The Following does a wonderful job at climbing. It provides traction and plenty of it. While at the same time there is very little bob while putting down the power. We ran the shock open and in pedal mode. Pedal mode is very firm, sure if you are spinning 10 miles of flat ground to get to the trail use it. Once on the dirt it would have to be a very long climb to warrant using the shocks Pedal Mode or lock out.
We began getting close to our record times straight off the bat with the bike. This has as much to do with geometry as it does suspension design and tire size. All three of these work in harmony on The Evil Following. The bike just feels right and although we may feels as if you are going slow once you see the times you are clocking on this bike it will become apparent you are aboard something special.
The last five months has been an adventure for us aboard an aggressive short travel 29" bike. This was one of the funnest bikes we have probably ever ridden! It is fast as hell, carves on a dime and climbs with the best of them. Evil has produced a 29" bike that can handle most trails from gravity based trails to XC loops. This is what impressed us most how useable the bike was. Many people are building these up around the 26lbs mark ours came in a 30lbs with a gravity based build on it.
The Following is surely a bike we would suggest to a friend. It ticks all the boxes that most trail/enduro riders might want. There are a few thing we think could make it better. The first would be the ability for another water bottle cage. The second would be more clearance in the rear stays for tires, it was pretty snug with the 2.3 Specialized tires we had on it. Also a threaded BB would be rad Evil did this with The Insurgent so it wouldn't be hard to get on into future Following's. Finally although it wasn't an issue for us there have been some people wanting a less slack seat post angle. I am 6' 1" with a 36" inseam the post angle was a non issue for me or the other two that rode the bike.
We sold The Following to purchase our next review bike. This was a sad day for us as it was a pure joy to ride this bike. Luckily the person that bought it is a local from town and actually works at a bike shop that just happens to sell Specialized and Santa Cruz bikes to name just a few....
Evil The Following Score Card
