Evil Sovereign Availabilty?

Here's a crappy shot-will get a better one up soon. Doesn't really do the bike justice.



Long frame. I'm using it as my trail ride, not as a street or trials bike. It's built up LIGHT, but tough enough for me...TALAS fork, oldschool XTR cranks/BB, Thomson stem/post, light saddle, Mavic x3.1 rims with Micchie DH tires run UST. Will be replacing them with the DH rims when/if they die. Running 36/22 gearing on a DRS guide.

Also will be putting 8" rotors on when I get a front IS adapter; I know this will call my hardcore-hardtail-ness and skill into question (just like the DH tires), but after riding long downhills on multi-use trails where you have to keep your speed down, the arm pump was getting to me. I'm a hack and proud of it, and I like to be able to stop with less effort and ride over/jump into pointy rocks without worrying about pinches or punctures.

I'd like to change the fork at some point, too...I like the TALAS, but something stiffer with a 20mm axle might be nice. Fox 36 would be primo, but thinking about a Pike, too, given the cost difference and actual lighter weight of the Pike.

Ridden it 3x so far, on shuttled trailrides that all involved lots of climbing along the way with very technical, rocky descents and a few smooth bermy switchbacky sections. As it's longer than my old Nicolai, it doesn't have the same whippy feel on the switchbacks, even with a 16" chainstay setting, but it's far, far more comfortable and climbable. I *wanted* a longer bike so I could have something closer to a real trailbike, and that's exactly what I got...it's just the tradeoff you have to make. It really shines in the rocky technical stuff, but as far as the 'feel of steel,' well, I've never noticed it on anything other than a roadbike. But I like a stiff ride and am notoriously oblivious to some of the subtleties of performance, so take that with a grain of salt.

Looking forward to using it on both true XC rides (as XC as I get, anyhow, but non-shuttled at least) and more big-moves freeridey type stuff (maybe once I've got a different fork and rims).

Geometry, like I said, is long and low...but 'long' only in respect to the type of bike this is. I'd actually consider the long to be more of an average length for me, a 5'11" rider with a long torso. If I was riding street, slalom, or trials (sorry, I have to giggle at the thought of me doing any of that kind of riding competently), the regular would be the ticket (I've ridden a regular DOC, so that's my basis for comparison), but it'd be much too short for the way I'm riding it now. Fit feels good with a 70mm stem, and I'd go 50mm if I was doing exclusively shuttles. Head angle with the 135mm travel TALAS is around 69-69.5 in my best estimation...I miss the super-slack HA of the Nicolai on the descents, but it's better all-around for the trails and climbs. A slightly longer fork would give me some more rake, and I think the BB height would remain acceptable, esp. with one of the adjustable models I'm considering.

Build notes...seattube required a hefty amount of reaming around the pierced/welded TT area-intially couldn't get the post past that point at all-but it was otherwise nice and easy. Drops were easy to adjust and align, and I like the anti-forward-slippage adjuster screws.

And the color absolutely rocks. Bike has drawn lots of attention wherever it's gone, from the new school and the old-school alike, and it's been fun riding it far out in front of people on dual-sussers.

So yeah, I'm really happy with the purchase and looking forward to riding the bike for a long time. It may see several reincarnations as, perhaps, a rigid singlespeed, depending on where my (still anticipated) new job sends me in the world. In my view, it's kind of the modern incarnation of the classic hardtail I've always dreamed of but came to biking too late to own...the Eastern Woods Research bikes.

I'm really glad John P. kept me in the queue for one of the bikes while I was in New Zealand. Thanks, Evil...love the bike.

MD

Geo #s for those who care:

42.5" wheelbase on the long frame at 16" chainstay setting
Just over 13" BB height with the 135mm Fox TALAS at full extension, 12 5/8" at 90mm travel

23" horizontally from top cap (I cut the steertube down; the tall spacers in the pic are gone) to center of seatpost

Guessing 68.5-69 HA with fork fully extended, 70-70.5 at minimum

Jeezus, you can feel a 1/8" difference in your chainstays? I dunno, I just set them at around 16" for the back dropout and tightened the bolts... didn't care enough to ensure it was exact. End of the tape floats in the dropout, so it might have been a little fore or aft of the exact axle position.

I'll measure again...I'm going down to the garage to true my wheels. (Perhaps these X3.1s aren't long for the world after all!)

MD

MikeD said:

OK, so I decided to go for one after all. Green long. Should be a nice trailbike companion to my green DH bike. Considering that my new job (cross my fingers; should be in training for it in July) will be dragging me all over the States and the world, I think a long-lasting, versatile (and re-incarnatable) hardtail will be a good investment. Could see duty from heavy-duty trailbike to rigid singlespeed...

Very psyched!

MD

Click to expand...

And wow, I still have it, and have ridden it in two African countries and in India, geared, dinglespeed, singlespeed, rigid, suspended...

(Just was searching for an old post regarding the seatpost shim size and came across this...)

Avalanche may sell a damper kit for that fork...Check their site.

( www.avalanchedownhillracing.com )