LUKE’S EVIL INSURGENT £3,799 (FRAME ONLY)

For tech writer Luke, the Evil is good

I’ve been fortunate enough to test a few high-end bikes lately. Some have been better-specced than the Evil – although that’s hard to achieve – but they still haven’t given me the same feeling of confidence I get when I throw a leg over the Insurgent. With its 453mm reach, snappy 432mm chainstays and slack 63.5-degree head angle, it’s a playful-feeling bike that thrives on being thrown around. I’ve been trying to figure out whether it’s the sizing and geometry, the spec or the small details that give the Evil its edge. Perhaps it’s just a better bike. Whatever the reasons, the Insurgent delivers loads of fun and confidence.

We all know tyres can make or break a bike, and I’m lucky to have brilliant rubber – a Schwalbe Magic Mary SuperGravity ADDIX UltraSoft front tyre and a Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra DoubleDown at the rear. However, most bikes these days come with capable tyres, so I believe that some of the extra confidence I’m currently feeling may be down to the inserts I run (RimPact Pros), my OChain Active Spider and my OneUp carbon bar, which all help reduce buzz and keep the ride calm and composed. These aren’t parts most bikes come with and aren’t cheap, but I’d happily bolt them onto any enduro machine.

While the trails are dry, the Evil is running well and I’m not in a rush to change anything on it, I need to make more time to get out and make the most of summer. It’s definitely time for a big trip to test the bike on trails that aren’t so familiar. www.evil-bikes.com