I’ve talked about this a number of instances earlier than, however Evil’s alternative to provide the Epocalypse a 65.3° head angle (adjustable to 64.6°) actually me, particularly for the reason that non-motorized parallel wreckoning sits at 64.6° in its impartial place and is adjustable as much as 63.9°. Nonetheless, even when driving the Epocalypse in its steeper setting, the entrance finish by no means felt sketchy because the bike felt regularly planted and steady thanks partially to the load of the motor and battery, and the rear is brief sufficient to maintain the bike from feeling unbalanced.
Even with out extreme size, it feels higher at excessive speeds, cruising by means of uneven traces versus slicing by means of know-how at low speeds. Though he may do very properly within the slower, twisty locations, he did not really feel as comfy there and simply took some effort to trip – as you’d anticipate from an e -170 mm crusher.
Regardless of the freight prepare really feel of many eMTBs, it cornered surprisingly shortly, seemingly because of a mixture of the brief rear finish, average head angle and well-supported however responsive rear suspension.
It appears oxymoronic to name the administration of the Epocalypse “aggressively impartial”, however that is type of the way it feels. The bike is prepared for almost any path, however does not lean too arduous in any path. It feels properly pumped by means of compressions and pushed at increased speeds, it has nice traction with out feeling useless, it carries momentum and holds off-camber traces simply, and the size is medium sufficient to maintain the enjoyable twisty sections.
It is the identical story within the air: the bike stays steady and can proceed just about the place it is pointed. He is obtained sufficient vitality to pop lips and facet kicks, however he is a quiet sufficient handler to remain predictable.
The Shimano EP8 motor, like all EP8 motors earlier than it, did vibrate a bit at instances, but it surely appears to be like like the businesses are lastly determining methods to match it into their bikes in a quieter manner, and the noise degree was really a lot decrease than on some comparable bikes. on troublesome descents.
How does it examine?
In comparison with our present benchmark for eMTBs – the Specialised Turbo Levo – the Evil Epocalypse has 166mm rear journey in comparison with the Levo’s 150mm, a 630Wh battery to the Levo’s 700, and sporty 29er twin wheels in comparison with the mule configuration. The Levo’s motor is noticeably quieter, and the in-frame show is rather more helpful than the Shimano EP8 show. Turbo Levo helps give it extra gravity-oriented geometry than Evil.
For nearer comparisons by way of journey, Epocalypse finds its place amongst different long-travel auto-shuttle platforms in the present day:
The Santa Cruz Bullit sports activities 170mm of journey entrance and rear and rolls on a blended wheel setup, however measures longer and slacker than the Epocalypse – even within the chainstays regardless of the smaller rear wheel – making it a set aggressive however much less maneuverable than Epocalypse’s neutral-handling.
The Specialised Kenevo SL additionally has 170mm of journey entrance and rear, however in a a lot lighter and fewer highly effective bundle with about half the torque and battery capability of the Epocalypse. Extra according to a traditional mountain bike, the Specialised is longer and slacker than the Evil, though its low weight helps preserve maneuverability.
The Yeti 160E could be one of many Epocalypse’s most direct rivals, an all-rounder with the identical Shimano setup and comparable focus and specs. The 160E additionally incorporates a barely slacker entrance finish and a barely longer rear finish, and most notably the next price ticket of round $1000 for a reasonably comparable XT model.
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