1ST IMPRESSION
fork) on the size M ARC8 makes it equivalent to or longer than most other brand’s size L XC race bikes.
And it’s worth pointing out that the bike is designed around a 120mm fork, then you have the option to go down in travel if you want more traditional XC geometry. You get a slack 65° head angle with the 120/110mm build and just over 1° steeper if you bump the travel down to 100/100mm, which also lowers the BB height by 8mm. The bridgeless seatstay design allows for short 430mm stays, but the rear end is not so short as to cause the bike to loop out on the steepest climbs. Something that’s mitigated in large part by the steep 77.1° effective seat angle. So the only limiting factor here is that ARC8 only offers the frame in two sizes: M and L.
HOW IT RIDES
As I set off on my first and only ride on the ARC8 I was instantly getting mixed messages. The stubby Faserwerk Baslerstab one-piece bar/ stem combo is more akin to those found on high-end e-bikes, and the bike pedalled with such ease that you could be forgiven for thinking that there was some hidden assistance inside the frame.
Get out of the saddle to sprint and it was the Fox 34 fork that seemed most active, the rear suspension absolutely steadfast. It was at that moment that a nagging doubt entered my head. If the ARC8 Evolve FS feels so similar to hardtail on the way up, is it going to feel the same on the return leg of my journey?
Thankfully that wasn’t the case. Granted the rear suspension wasn’t super fluid, so you couldn’t really use the rebound of the shock to unweight the bike. Not that I had any issues getting this sub-10kg machine off the ground. Also on bigger hits the back end took everything in its stride so I had absolute confidence in the suspension capabilities.
I was probably most impressed though, with how solid the bike felt. Diving into switchbacks there was none of the usual waywardness you get with ultra-light race bikes. Proof, if it were needed, that ARC8 has got the stiffness to weight ratio of the Evolve FS absolutely spot on. Combine that with the modern geometry and stiffer Fox 34 fork and you have the confidence to charge harder on the descents than the travel and tyres should really allow you to on a sub-10kg bike.
When I finished my ride I mentioned to Jonas Mueller that the shock felt a little dead and he was quick to point out that due to supply chain issues they had to use a shock from a higher leverage ratio design to get the bike ready for the media launch, and as such it was a little overdamped for the 110mm travel Evolve FS. Hopefully I get to ride, or even test a full production version at some point soon, as ARC8 Evolve FS has brought something exciting to the somewhat traditional world of XC racing.
HIGHS
Stiff and light XC bike with modern geometry and big ambitions. Short seat tubes and dropper posts as standard. Double bottle mounts.
LOWS
Only two frame sizes. The demo bike had an overdamped shock.
BB height Chainstay Front centre Wheelbase Down tube Seat tube Top tube Reach