The Epic Evo 7… What a bike :)
I’ve made a few (subtle) tweaks to mine, but have had the exact opposite reaction to \[most of\] the changes. I much prefer the bike now over the stock version. I think more of my changes have been upgrades to mid-tier components, so keep that in mind.
Context: I live in a very rocky area with lots of 200-300ft ups and downs. I liked the stock bike, but the ground control front tire had a frightening tendency to wash out in loose corners when speeds picked up. So I went for an Eliminator T7 and it’s a lot better in the corners and under hard breaking, without sacrificing much weight (and just a little bit of speed) … It’s not the tire I’d run for an XC race, but it’s a better fit for where and how I ride.
The stock RockShox Deluxe shock was overly harsh in my \[very\] rocky terrain, so I changed to a 190x42.5 DB Inline.
With just a touch more travel, it still feels very efficient, and the comfort is much improved. It’s very adjustable, and I’ve put time in to tune it to my liking. The bike has better traction than it did with the stock shock on tech climbs, feels a bit more comfortable in rough terrain, but still provides a responsive pedaling platform. I’m besting times I got with the stock setup, so I’m not convinced I’ve lost any efficiency. (Perhaps if my trails were smoother?)
Next I ditched the SID select fork \[because it was frankly the worst feeling fork I’ve owned in a long time, even after a rebuild\]. I put a Fox34 Fit4 in its place… same weight, much better feel. Right now it’s set to 130mm, and I agree, this is the one place where I think I’m noticing a compromise. It plan to pick up a 120mm air spring… I notice the higher BB and I don’t often use the last 10mm of travel. I’m glad I tried 130mm… there are places where it’s better. But I think I agree that the bike just feels best with 120mm up front.
_
My goal with all of these changes was to create a bike that could better handle ‘trail’ riding, while still being lighter and more efficient than something like a Tallboy. I agree there is an inherent XC quality to the frame, and going too far into the trail realm would not be aligned with the design intent. But for now I’m really happy with my slightly altered Evo… It’s a better all around tool for the terrain I’m riding, and has an urgency and responsiveness that my previous 120 bike \[TB4\] could never match. On the other hand, the TB4 was head and shoulders better on the descents.
March 22, 2024, 6:23 a.m. - Vincent Edwards
The Epic Evo 7… What a bike :) I’ve made a few (subtle) tweaks to mine, but have had the exact opposite reaction to \[most of\] the changes. I much prefer the bike now over the stock version. I think more of my changes have been upgrades to mid-tier components, so keep that in mind. Context: I live in a very rocky area with lots of 200-300ft ups and downs. I liked the stock bike, but the ground control front tire had a frightening tendency to wash out in loose corners when speeds picked up. So I went for an Eliminator T7 and it’s a lot better in the corners and under hard breaking, without sacrificing much weight (and just a little bit of speed) … It’s not the tire I’d run for an XC race, but it’s a better fit for where and how I ride. The stock RockShox Deluxe shock was overly harsh in my \[very\] rocky terrain, so I changed to a 190x42.5 DB Inline. With just a touch more travel, it still feels very efficient, and the comfort is much improved. It’s very adjustable, and I’ve put time in to tune it to my liking. The bike has better traction than it did with the stock shock on tech climbs, feels a bit more comfortable in rough terrain, but still provides a responsive pedaling platform. I’m besting times I got with the stock setup, so I’m not convinced I’ve lost any efficiency. (Perhaps if my trails were smoother?) Next I ditched the SID select fork \[because it was frankly the worst feeling fork I’ve owned in a long time, even after a rebuild\]. I put a Fox34 Fit4 in its place… same weight, much better feel. Right now it’s set to 130mm, and I agree, this is the one place where I think I’m noticing a compromise. It plan to pick up a 120mm air spring… I notice the higher BB and I don’t often use the last 10mm of travel. I’m glad I tried 130mm… there are places where it’s better. But I think I agree that the bike just feels best with 120mm up front. _ My goal with all of these changes was to create a bike that could better handle ‘trail’ riding, while still being lighter and more efficient than something like a Tallboy. I agree there is an inherent XC quality to the frame, and going too far into the trail realm would not be aligned with the design intent. But for now I’m really happy with my slightly altered Evo… It’s a better all around tool for the terrain I’m riding, and has an urgency and responsiveness that my previous 120 bike \[TB4\] could never match. On the other hand, the TB4 was head and shoulders better on the descents.