If you are looking for an incredibly fast cross country machine…take the Evolve for a test ride. You will not be disappointed. This bike performs flawlessly for what it was designed for…fast, hammering xc singletrack. I had some friends throw a leg over the ride during this test session and on our local trails…the Evolve was hard to beat.
The momentum that 29ers create is well documented. On my local trails, the larger diameter wheels are incredible. Locally, almost everything is typical rolling cross country loops with rocks and roots, but there are no major drops or typical “all mountain” riding. The low top tube of the Evolve really gives the bike a lower center of gravity causing you to feel in-between the wheels instead of on top of them.
It was Saturday morning. I headed down to Blankets Creek to get in an early morning ride to beat the heat. Just like I expected, I was one of 3 cars in the parking lot this early. Usually, this parking lot is filled with over 40 cars on a weekend. The morning fog hadn’t even lifted off the lake yet and I started to get ready for my ride.
As many of you already know, I am in the process of reviewing the Project Pink Ellsworth Evolve. Before I get to the overall bike review (pretty much frame only review), I want to touch on a couple of the components as I go along. This bike came spec’ed with the WTB LaserDisc Trail 29er wheels.
On Friday, I received my package from out west. The content of this large box contained everything needed to build the Ellsworth Evolve (Ellsworth’s 4″ full suspension 29er frame) for a long term review. To my surprise, I opened the box at T2 Bikes and inside was a bright pink Evolve!