Evil Wreckoning Test

Evil Bikes had a rough start with their initial production run. They learned from their mistakes and have since been making carbon bikes that are aggressive in nature with a suspension platform that is very efficient.  The brand originated making the first Chain Guide that actually worked for Downhill racing. It was a small start but soon the brand found it chain retention system on a majority of bikes out there. This lead to them creating some DH and Street hard tail bikes that would eventually prove to become collectable and the thing of legend.

Evil as we know it today is owned by Kevin Walsh. He purchased the brand from Dave Weagle back in 2008. Since buying Evil they had some problems on the manufacturing side with their first few runs of the Downhill bikes. With manufacturing happening in big quantities it took things awhile to get sorted out. Once production issues where sorted the guys at Evil took care of customers that had problems. Their carbon trail and downhill bike have been very successful. Last year Evil made the jump into the short travel Wagon Wheel segment with a bike called The Following that by many testers standards was considered The Holy Grail. Shortly after the launched The Insurgent a 650b trail slay machine offering 151mm of rear travel. Now Evil has launched the 161mm travel 29" wheeled rock crusher called The Wreckoning! Evil bikes is now using the same factory as Santa Cruz bikes for the production of the full carbon Evil bikes and with SC's experience in building carbon bikes it sounds like a good choice.

Build Kit 

• Evil Wreckoning XL
• DVO Diamond 160mm
• Enve DH Bars 800mm
• Hope 35mm Stem
• Chromag Grips
• Hope Tech 3 V4 Brakes 203mm F/R
• Rock Shox 170mm Dropper
• Fabric Carbon Saddle
• Hope 170mm Cranks
• Hope 32 Tooth Chainring
• Gamut Podium Pedals
• SRAM XO Shifter
• SRAM XO 11 SPD Derailure
• SRAM XO 11 SPD Casette
• Industry Nine 29" Enduro  Wheels

A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

With the Following, Evil Bikes gave the world a taste of what a 29'er was capable of when developed by a small company whose agenda was to have fun on bikes. This was soon followed by the Insurgent, a 27.5” machine that is aimed more at the clientele that Evil originally became popular with - a crowd who won’t shy away from pedaling to the top of the mountain, but who really come alive on the way down. It would be trivial to say that the Wreckoning is the love child of these two bikes, because it is certainly more than that. The madmen over at Evil have once again scrutinized the boundaries of mountain biking today and decided they could simply roll right over them, on stiff new 29” wheels powered by Boost 148, and 161mm of DELTA suspension.

Features

• Wheel Size: 29"
• Frame Material: Carbon
• Rear Shock: Rock Shox Monarch RC3+ Debonair
• Rear Susp. Travel: 161mm
• Rear Shock Size: 216x63mm (8.5 x 2.5")
• Rear Axle Standard: 12x148mm Boost
• ISCG Tabs: Custom
• BB Standard: 73mm BSA
• Seat Post Dia: 34.9mm
• Seat Clamp Dia: 39mm
• Headset Standard : ZS44/ZS62mm
• Intended Use: AM/Enduro/FR
• Warranty: 3 Years

Fanatik Bike's Take

"With the Following, Evil Bikes gave the world a taste of what a 29er was capable of when developed by a small company whose agenda was to have fun on bikes. This was soon followed by the Insurgent, a 27.5” machine that is aimed more at the clientele that Evil originally became popular with - a crowd who won’t shy away from pedaling to the top of the mountain, but who really come alive on the way down. It would be trivial to say that the Wreckoning is the love child of these two bikes, because it is certainly more than that. The madmen over at Evil have once again scrutinized the boundaries of mountain biking today and decided they could simply roll right over them, on stiff new 29” wheels powered by Boost 148, and 161mm of DELTA suspension.

Where other companies have been timidly approaching the sorts of numbers that many of us now feel make for the ultimate all mountain ride, Evil pounced on them. The Insurgent’s long top tube, reach, and wheelbase have translated almost exactly over to the Wreckoning, while minor tweaks have been made to accommodate taller riders. The seat tube angle has been steepened up to 74.8 degrees in the high setting (when running a 160mm fork) and 73.9 degrees in the low setting. This seat angle is in the same range that many of the most capable enduro style bikes sit, and quite a bit steeper than that of the Insurgent. It allows for taller riders to comfortably fit this bike without shifting their weight too far back. Which brings up a point of curiosity: where is the size small Wreckoning? Evil has determined that packing everything into a small-sized Wreckoning package would simply result in a bike that doesn’t ride how they intended. For smaller riders looking for a DELTA-equipped, root-eating shred rig, the Insurgent is still the way to go. For the average trail, the Wreckoning is most at home running a 160mm fork, but for those looking for a 29” downhill monster truck, this bike has been tested with forks running all the way up to 180mm. Be forewarned, going this route will push the Wreckoning into downhill bike territory. Granted, it can still be pedaled up the hill, but it will require a bit of extra effort.

Evil scored a homerun with Dave’s Extra Legitimate Travel Apparatus (D.E.L.T.A.), and it has been scaled/tuned up for the Wreckoning. This frame sports a 8.5”x2.5” (length x stroke) Monarch Plus RC3+ Debonair, versus the 7.875”x2.25” version found on the 10mm shorter travel Insurgent. For those heavy hitting riders out there, the Wreckoning is available with a Rock Shox Vivid Air RC2 for an added $225. While slightly heavier, the added plushness of this beefier shock is definitely welcome during a day of pounding brake bumps at your favorite lift-accessed bike park. If you are primarily pedaling to the top of the hill to enjoy the descent, the Monarch is more than enough shock. While we’ve found that we tend to leave the compression switch in the open position on D.E.L.T.A. equipped bikes, it can be nice to have for extended pushes up fire roads.

The newest crop of full suspension bikes from Evil Bikes are all built using a unidirectional carbon layup with a one-piece molded construction at one of the most reputable carbon bike factories in the world, VIP Composites. Stiffness and durability are backbones of Evil’s commitment to quality, and after riding the Insurgent for six months and putting the Wreckoning through it’s paces, we can attest to that. Having sold a record number of Followings and Insurgents, we can speak to the high standard of QC that these bikes adhere to. The single pivot frame design is intrinsically stiff, stable, and reliable, and we have had virtually no warranty issues with Evil’s other current models. We expect the same to be true with the Wreckoning.

In the past, bike companies have often struggled with frame stiffness on 29’ers. With the advent of Boost 148, it is now possible to make a 29” wheel that approximates the similar strength and stiffness to it’s smaller siblings. This bike does not compromise when it comes to straight line speed, and this is largely due to the roll-over capabilities of the large wheel paired with increased stiffness resulting from this new hub standard, the beefy single pivot swingarm, and carbon fiber construction. Other features carry over from the Insurgent, such as the integrated carbon chainguide, the built in sag indicator, a threaded BB, and the option to run Evil’s own custom E13 lower guide/bash guard.

The Wreckoning features internal cable routing for the dropper post, and external routing for the rear shifter and rear brake lines. The rear derailleur line is routed next to the brake line underneath the top tube, then internally through the seatstay.

The Wreckoning frame comes stock with a Rock Shox Monarch RC3+ Debonair rear shock (with the Vivid Air RC2 available as an upgrade), FSA sealed bearing headset, a Boost 148 (12x148mm) axle, and rubber downtube/chainstay/seatstay protectors. The frame is backed up by Evil's three year warranty. Evil bikes and frames may only be shipped within the United States."

 

The Delta Suspension System

"(Dave’s Extra Legitimate Travel Apparatus ) Despite Delta representing Dave Weagle’s 3rd cycling specific suspension system, we thought a super tech acronym would be much more appropriate. Well, if we had our way we would say it bends in the middle, stops and goes. But let’s be realistic, we can’t get away with that simple of an explanation. As much as we would like to think that everyone will have the opportunity to test ride an Evil, the reality is most of You will buy based on reviews, friends or Weagle’s past successes.

So the following is straight from the horses mouth ( Dave Weagle being the horse ). The DELTA system was conceived to, among other things, achieve very complex leverage rate curves that can be used to tune for varying track conditions, spring, and damper parameters. The dual progressive leverage rate curve was developed for coil sprung downhill applications to take advantage of the speed sensitive shocks on the market. Mechanically, the system uses very compact links that can achieve a lot of angle and velocity change through the travel. We can tailor the leverage rate curve to really take advantage of the shock’s valving and the way that a speed sensitive damper is designed to work. Ultimately the design achieves a high degree of suppleness early in the travel, with a very predictable high traction stage through the middle and a bottomless ramp at the end of the travel.

The whole suspension system, every attribute, is developed concurrently with each other, with the shock absorber, and with the bike’s intended use and geometry in mind. Main pivot location was carefully chosen to give the best balance of acceleration and braking performance. This careful positioning lets the bike accelerate without the need for excess damping, which in turn helps us push the limits of shock setup as far as possible to achieve ideal damper setup for any World Cup track. One of the biggest advantages of the system is its ability to let riders and mechanics adjust frame geometry without changing leverage rate and wheel rate at all.

Additionally, different link kits can be used to make drastic changes in the bike’s feel. These link kits are something that Evil’s World Cup athletes will take advantage of to fine tune for the drastically different race courses that they compete on over a race season. There is no bad option.It all comes down to personal preference. If you like to run air shocks and a position sensitive damper, we can develop that tune. If you like yourframe geometry low in the BB and slack in the head angle, or vice versa and anywhere in between, it’s covered. Upgradeability, tuneability, and personalization is what it’s all about, finding that combination that’s perfect for you and no one else."

Looking at The Evil Wreckoning geometry numbers below it becomes apparent that they went for a slacker and somewhat longer frame than many companies making 29" Enduro bikes. The HA and BB numbers are adjustable via The Flip Chips. We opted to run the bike in the LOW setting most of the time. Running it in X-LOW (64.8 degrees HA) with a 35mm stem made climbing some of the steep stuff around here a bit challenging. Keep in mind we tested The Niner WFO and it has what many considered at its launch very aggressive numbers for a 29" bike with 150mm of travel. The Evil is very slack for a wagon wheel bike we ran it in the 66.1 HA setting and that proved more than capable for most trails. Some people are concerned about crank clearance, but it wasn't much of an issue for us and the 170mm cranks. Our frame was an XL and I am 6' 2" tall.

 

Evil Wreckoning Geometry 

Evil Wreckoning Features 

The Wreckoning proved to be a very capable Enduro/Trail Bike. It had the ability to climb well and descend chunky terrain at alarming rates of speed. It took a little while to get used to the bikes copious amounts of travel and what the larger wheels will allow you to mow over. The Wreckoning doesn't really feel fast per say, but it's times prove that it can be a KOM capturing machine if that is your thing! The bike offers gobs of traction, aggressive geometry, great suspension platform and wagon wheels.

The D.E.L.T.A. suspension is very supple at the very beginning of its travel. Once the bike's suspension seems to cycle well and offers traction by the boatload. Dave Weagel initially designed The Delta linkage for the Evil Undead and the high shaft speeds sometimes encountered during Downhill Racing. The Wreckoning offers two settings through the chips either Low or X-Low. The X-Low mode lengthens the WB, CS and also lowers the BB. For a majority of the test we ran The Wreckoning in the Low setting which gave us a 66.1 degree HA. This is plenty slack on a 29" bike for most applications. With this setting the bike had no issues wandering on the uphill.

Ian Wilkinson

Evil seems to have created a 29" bike that can be used on trails and also taken to the park and resorts when open. While The Wreckoning probably isn't going to win a Pro Downhill race on rock filled trails like Tahoe has but it can for sure handle some rough terrain. Although the bike has a bunch of traction it is also pretty nimble. We had no issues moving it around on the trail. It wasn't as poppy or easy to move as The Following but the extra 40mm of travel is a fair trade off in the grand scheme of things. 

The D.E.L.T.A. suspension on The Evil Wreckoning is very supple to start. You can run it pretty firm and it will cycle into the travel without any noticeable drag. A coil shock on the bike would be even more impressive and from the sounds of it the Push 11-6 is a dream on the frame. With our Following we needed to add bands into the shock to make it more progressive to help prevent bottoming. This doesn't seem to be the case with The Wreckoning. So far we typically use about 75-80% of the travel and a fast run on most of the local trails. While testing The Evil Insurgent we also had to add in air volume spacers because we chose to run The Rock Shox Vivid Air on the frame. 

The first trail I took The Wreckoning on was a 900 foot climb. Our build came in at 33lbs but it still climbs well and offers good traction over loose rock.  We opted to use the Rock Shox Monarch Plus RC3+ Debonair on this long travel 29r to help get to the top of the hills. Having the ability to adjust the compression with a flip switch is nice but 3 options just is not enough. I would much rather have LSC, HSC and a lock out feature but it worked well. This trail has some rocks at the start and the suspension tracked well over the fast rocky sections. Then it changes into a turn filled smooth trail (flow) with a few small climbs. There are a few tight turns on this trail and The Wreckoning can get away with less front end weighing than smaller wheeled Enduro bikes to get around corners. My record time on this trail was set aboard The Following almost one year earlier. I eventually bested that time by almost 9 seconds with this longer travel bike and this trail is fairly smooth and almost 5 minutes in length.

Many people are huge fans of short chain stays The Wreckoning is not super short but close. It moves quick when you lean on the bars. I did notice that the big travel Evil had a wheelbase that was almost a full three inches longer than The Following we tested. This showed in fast, steep terrain add the extra travel and it can handle a much rougher trail. The Following and Insurgent where just not as stable and smooth on rowdier trails. The Wreckoning's rear suspension does feel almost bottomless. Riding it hard over rocky terrain you cannot tell when the shock is bottoming out which is very nice.

Above the previous trail is one that has close to 200 yards of rocks that range in size from golf ball to knee high. Faster riders can hit almost 20 mph going through this rough section. Typically I hover around the mid teens in this section. This is a good section to see how a bike tracks, rolls over terrain, eats square edge bumps and maintains its composure. The Wreckoning has a wheelbase that is 3 inches longer than The Following we tested last year. Both are 29' bikes but the travel, HA and WB differences become apparent when the trail becomes steeper and or rougher. Riding this trail on The Wreckoning showed how the extra travel and longer WB can help to smooth out a trail. It made the trail feel much smoother even when running over some bigger rocks while attempting hasty line changes at speed. The lower part of the trail is a bit more twisty but speeds increase here. Speed is what The Wreckoning is all about it just felt planted and wanted more. Riding the 29" wheels for sure gives a traction and roll over advantage compared to smaller wheels. The damn bikes just roll along faster as well and cover more ground. "Bigger wheels, bigger momentum- it is as simple as that. More momentum will allow you to roll through technical sections with a smaller chance of getting hung up on obstacles."

I commuted into work a number of time on The Wreckoning. This is a 25 mile ride on the pavement and a bit longer if you take the dirt once you hit the top of the freeway climb. The bike is big I am using heavy tires it weighed in at 33lbs completes in a size XL. With all those things considered it wasn't bad riding a longer pedal, spin fest aboard The Evil. The D.E.L.T.A. link does a good job at keeping bob in check. I ran the Rock Shox Monarch in firm mode to help even more. People have complained about the seat angle of the new Evil bikes and I would say this one gave me no issues at all and in fact was probably the better of the three that we have tested in that regard.

Conclusion

Overall we liked The Wreckoning. It has a great suspension system that works as DW designed it. The platform allows riders to put power down, climb, handle chunky terrain and provides good mid stroke support. The bike has a longish wheel base and slack head angle making it stable at speed. Combine that with a stiff frame and the wagon wheels and you have a great option for the more aggressive Enduro racer. We would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend looking for an aggressive Enduro bike or an All Mountain bike that could handle park trips fairly well.

Evil came at the long travel 29" market in a similar fashion as they did with the short travel 29" market. They created a slack, low, long bike with a suspension system that provides abundant traction, pedals well and essentially feels almost bottomless. Our Wreckoning was built to cater more to the gravity rider. Those looking for a more trail friendly version can easily shave 2 lbs off our build to keep it close to the 30lbs mark.

There are a few things Evil could do to improve The Wreckoning and both are small changes. The first would be to add a water bottle cage mount just above the shock. Again we had to fabricate our own sing a strap and rubber to hold a cage onto the frame. Next they should look at giving just a bit more tire clearance in the rear stays and while at it throw in some rubber protection to keep rocks from chipping the paint or carbon.

We have tested all three of Evil's trail bike offerings. If pressed to pick one it would probably be The Wreckoning or Following. There is a noticeable difference with the 29" wheels. Where we live is pretty rocky so roll over ability is huge. Wagon Wheeled bikes just roll faster and cover more ground. I would say The Wreckoning frame is stiffer than The Following was and this is in large part due to them using a beefed up chassis and possibly from using a Boost rear on the bike. All three of Evil's trail bikes are good. With The Wreckoning you have a 161mm, 65.5 HA 29" trail bike that can flatten some fairly rowdy terrain. It is pretty close to a do it all bike. Riders can do 40 mile excursions with it or take it to the bike park and it will do both without asking to much form you. Riders that are stuck on the short travel trip once faced with rockier and heavier load trails will soon find themselves have reliability issues with their lighter weight bikes. With The Wreckoning the rider can hammer some hard terrain and not have to worry so much about it developing stress fractures and the rear end of the bike packing up under high speeds over rough terrain.

2016 Guerrilla Gravity Downhill (GG/DH) Test

Guerrilla Gravity is a small mountain bike company located in Denver Colorado. They were sick of frame prices shooting through the roof while production moved overseas with little, if any, performance increase from year to year. All this while many bike companies grew in size and became more distant from their customers and what they really wanted in geometry and suspension designs. Who wants to buy a frame for $3500 and have part of it go to subsidize some road racers salary anyhow?

We tested their Megatrail last year and it proved to be an insane trail rig. Not only was it insane descending,  but when using Trail mode it was one of the best climbing enduro bikes we have ever ridden. The guys at Guerrilla Gravity emailed and asked if we would be interested in testing out their updated 2016 GG/DH frame? Hell yes we would!

Upon receiving the GG/DH we opened up the box and found a clean looking frame with great welding and paint to match. Guerrilla Gravity had four updates that it did wit the 2016 GG/DH frame. The first was to remove the shock mount eccentrics for BB height/HA adjust and replaced it by adding two holes for Park Mode and Race Mode geometry adjustments. Just like the Megatrail uses. They also increased tire clearance and optimized the frame for 650b wheels. The last update was to the rear axle and was aimed to improve it's function.

2016 GGDH Build Kits

The guys at GG sent us the bike with a blend of the two kits. It had the Boxxer WC, Atlas controls, Zee shifting and the nicer wheels. It had the Kage RC shock on it as well. Our medium GG/DH with Hope flat pedals came in at 37.5 LBS. Overall the build kit is decent the one thing we would swap out is probably the rear shock. It would be nice to have separate HSC and LSC adjustments to fine tune the bikes ride with. After riding trail bikes for so long with air shocks it is a surprise to see how much traction this bike gives even on the steepest and loosest of trails. Maybe there really is something to coil shocks......

I am 6' 1" tall and the MD fit me okay. I think I would buy the LG as a personal bike and run a shorter stem possibly. I am right between sizes so that always makes it tricky. Andrew is 5' 9" and said it felt great. Having a TT of 24.6" on a MD makes it close to 1" longer than many companies MD offerings and it is the same size as the large Specialized Demo.

"The GG/DH is a refined machine built for riders that like goin' fast.

With a suspension platform that is progressive and a frame that is laterally stiff, the GG/DH is designed to carry speed and pop off bonus lines at will. The enclosed rear triangle provides snappy cornering and rails lines better than John Belushi.

The frame design eliminates all unnecessary complication, creating the bike for those that like to get out and ride day in and day out, for riders that want something that's high performance, yet easy to maintain. By eliminating the need for additional pivot hardware, you are left with one pivot that utilizes long-lasting Enduro bearings. Limit your time inside doing maintenance and go ride.

The ride characteristics provide a lively, nimble platform that pedals extremely well for its downhill capabilities. The geometry is low, slack, and adjustable. Choose between Park Mode and Race Mode via the rear shock mount adjustment that are easy and quick to change."

Forward Geometry Benefits

• Security in steep areas

  The front axle is more advanced than in a conventional geometry making it almost impossible to go over the bars in steep sections. It feels more secure and confident due to a slacker angle perception.

• Confidence at high speed

  The longer wheelbase makes the bike much more stable over any terrain.

• Direct steering

  The really short 10 mm, 30 mm or 50 mm stems mean much less handlebar movement to get the same front wheel angle, thus improving steering precision and making the bike extremely reactive.

• Uphill precision

  The front wheel keeps the contact on the ground avoiding wheelies due the longer front-center length.

• Stability on rough sections

  The FG defends a new weight balance between front and rear wheels making possible to load the front wheel a lot more than with a classic geometry. This possibility changes your handling as it allows for more grip in cornering and better control.

GGDH Features 

• 203 mm (8") rear travel
• Dual modes adjusted via shock mount
  
  • Race Mode
  • Park Mode
• Threaded bottom bracket, greatly reduces creaking and loosening (vs press fit)
• Massive 25mm pivot axle
• Zero Free Play pivot and axle interfaces
• Premium Enduro dual-lip sealed cartridge bearings
• 7.9 lbs. (3,583g) frame with hardware (size Medium, no shock)

GGDH Specs

• 30.9 mm seatpost (34.9 mm clamp)
• 1.5" head tube (49 SHIS - compatible with all steerer tubes and the Cane Creek Angleset)
• ISCG05 chainguide mount
• 148 mm rear wheel spacing
• 83 mm bottom bracket spacing
• 240x76 mm shock
• Max tire size: 27.5 x 2.5

GGDH Geometry

 

Similiar to the Megatrail the GG/DH offers two travel/geo options. One is Park and the other is Race. While riding the Mega we noticed a huge difference in the two settings and we where wondering if the same would hold true for their downhill bike.

GGDH Owner Information

Proper suspension set-up is critical for optimum performance. Due to variance in shock pump readings, we suggest using a ruler and a friend to help set sag.

Recommended front fork sag is 15%. Recommended shock sag is 18-20 mm. 

To set sag:

• Step 1: Compress the suspension several times to break the seal and get oil flowing
• Step 2: Have a friend hold the bike while you stand in the attack position, both feet on the pedals
• Step 3: Have said friend take the eye-to-eye measurement of the rear shock in millimeters. Subtract this number from 76 mm. You now have your sag
• Step 4: If you're using an air shock adjust the air pressure using your shock pump to achieve the recommended sag setting (listed above). It may take a few times.

Shock specific setup info:

• Cane Creek DBcoil: Cane Creek shocks purchased with a frame come preset with the base tune--you just need to set sag and tweak the damping settings to your weight, with gear weight taken into account. The base tune is dialed in for a rider weight of 175 lbs. Adjust +/- 2 clicks of low speed settings and 1/4 turn of high speed settings for every 20 lb increment of rider weight difference from 175 lbs. Email us to talk further about shock settings for your unique riding style and terrain.
• Cane Creek DBair: Cane Creek shocks purchased with a frame come preset with the base tune--you just need to set sag and tweak the damping settings to your weight, with gear weight taken into account. The base tune is dialed in for a rider weight of 175 lbs. Adjust +/- 2 clicks of low speed settings and 1/4 turn of high speed settings for every 20 lb increment of rider weight difference from 175 lbs. Email us to talk further about shock settings for your unique riding style and terrain.

Ian W

The first trail I took the GG/DH out on was one that I have not ridden in almost three years! This trail is steep, rocky, loose and nasty. It drops 1350 feet in 3/4 of a mile. It is littered with sharp embedded rocks and has a heavy layer of loose shale in sections. There are very tight turns in some sections and a few high speed steeps that have some soil. Overall it is a great trail to test a bikes GEO and suspension out on. I was in a bit over my head trying to ride this trail after so long. You drop into the trail and it enters a high speed section that is littered with good size rocks. The GG/DH did a good job at absorbing the harsh high speed impacts. There is a small uphill then the trail turns downhill in a very steep fashion for about 100 yards. This section was covered in loose shale and hard embedded rock. I went in slow and used front and back brakes. What shocked me most was the traction! Holy hell the rear tire just kept gripping the whole way down. Overall the bike felt great on the steep chunky terrain it reminded me of the Bruce Lee quote “Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it." Riding down this chunky trail I was reminded how easy it is to adjust most single pivot bikes. Everything felt good from small bump, bottom out and the GG/DH offered stability in spades. 

San Luis Obispo offers rocks and lots of them. There is a trail in town that is 1000 feet and has baby head boulder most of the way down the trail. It isn't very steep so a burly trail bike has some overall speed advantage but riding a DH bike on it reminds you how much better they are at eating up rough terrain compared to Enduro bikes. Riding behind a 150mm bike while on a big bike you can watch the rider moving around to help absorb the trail while you sit back and move only if needed. Again I noticed the rear offering good traction when needed. I was actually suprised by The Boxxer WC it felt very good. Super supple and offered decent mid stroke support. Matt at GG said the leverage curve is what gave the bike such confidence inspiring grip. Another thing of note was how easy it was to change lines with the bike. I could hop it over and off rocks easily even in Race Mode.

The bike was very playful in both modes. Using it in Park Mode it is a bit more poppy and easy to move around but it is not as huge of a job as we noticed while testing The Megatrail last year. I am not sure I would run it in that setting a whole bunch unless the terrain you where riding was loaded with jumps the whole way down.

Conclusion

After ridng the Megatrail and being so impressed with it we really where not surprised to find the Guerrilla Gravity downhill bike to be so dialed. The geometry isn't super aggressive either with BB height or head angle but the frame is long. I was a bit nervous getting the medium frame but it turns out their sizing recommendations for the GG/DH are pretty spot on. We have had a YT Tues for almost 8 months now and it is a size large. The GG/DH in a size MD feels the same or maybe a tad longer in the reach department and on paper it is.

Overall we where very impressed with the GG/DH. It's strong point would be it's forward geometry and stiff frame. Point the bike along boulder edges and it will try its hardest to hold onto them. Come into a corner to hot and have to break the rear end loose to make the turn no problem. Guerrilla Gravity did a good job building a stiff chassis by using a huge 25mm pivot axle and oversized tubing. We noted how stiff the Megatrail chassis was and I would say the GG/DH is one of the stiffer DH frames we have ridden. 

Traction is something this bike offers by the truckload. I was blown away going down the steep shale trail with brakes on hard that it was sliding all over the hill. This is somewhat due to its coil spring but also its very supple suspension curve. A nice thing about Single Pivot bikes and their suspension curve is how easy they are to set up. Typically we run a bit more LSC with them and since they are somewhat linear feeling we can add more HSC or bands into an air shock to resist bottoming while still keeping a bunch of traction. The frame we tested was a MD GG/DH and it fit me well. I am six foot one inch and I could probably ride the LG as well with a shorter stem on it. Again the GG MD is the same size as The Specialized Demo.

It is for sure a bike we would reccomend to a friend and it being made here in the sates is a nice added touch that is getting harder to find by the year. 

Guerrilla Gravity Downhill Questions

1. So how did Guerrilla Gravity begin?

It began with the idea to create a different type of mountain bike manufacturing company, one that is driven by the community, and at the end of the day serves to make mountain biking more awesome.

2. Did you guys have a lot of experience in the bike industry before you starting making GG Bikes?  

Very little. We’ve all been avid riders for most of our lives, but I was the only one (of the three founders) that had experience, and that is from just one summer spent working in a bike shop.

3. Break down your team for us and what they do?  

Matt Giaraffa, founder & chief engineer: Mechanical engineer with experience in auto racing, aerospace, and consumer product testing. He’s headed up bike design, as well as manufacturing design—from jigs and tooling to our processes… Kristy Anderson, founder & chief BAMF: Kristy has a career in medical sales and helps with events, marketing, and getting the word out… Theron Tate, shop manager and chief bike builder… Sutherland Detweiler, pre-weld fabricator… Shaun Braap, post-weld fabricator… Kevin Witte, badass welder… Myself (Will Montague), founder and chief bike slinger: I’ve always played in the startup world, doing sales and marketing for four startups. I handle most of the business management components—sales, marketing, strategy, etc.

4. How did the idea for the GG/DH begin?  

The original idea was that downhill bikes were getting too expensive and too complicated without any performance benefit.  Focus has been over-emphasized on marketing terms and what descriptor to use with how the suspension parts are bolted together.  Without being married to any one setup, the design was made for maximum performance without any unnecessary complications or undue costs to the rider.

5. What where some of the main features you guys wanted in the GG/DH when you were laying it out on paper (computer)?

• Geometry built for speed
• Predictable suspension performance with high traction and support
• Stiff & strong frame
• Versatility for a more poppy Park setup or a more plowy Race setup

6. How was reception been on the GG/DH so far?

About the same as when Hugh Hefner shows up to your house party with his harem.

 

7. Do you weep when you see guys that are 6' 4” and above on a “XL” bike and they look like Spud Webb on a 16” BMX bike?  

It’s certainly a little painful to see, haha.

8. Are you going to be doing an XL frame soon?

Via special order, it is available now.

9. Any updates you guys are looking to do to the GGDH in the near future?  

Smash many rocks with it; the new Race Mode and Park Mode features, along with more tire clearance are new for this year already.

10. Care to elaborate on Geometry used on the GG/DH?

Sometimes the “internet riders” seem to think our cockpit geometry is way too long, but literally every rider to throw a leg over a Megatrail feels comfortable instantly. By utilizing a roomier cockpit with a shorter stem you have a better, more stable center of balance and room to freely use body English. It’s also preferable for getting rowdy on the downhills, as your weight is more centered and not as far forward, over the bars.

11. Rocks or jumps? How about jumps in rocks?

My favorite type of riding is what I call “flow tech,” which is when you can find flow in a semi-technical mid-speed trail, trails where you can make your own natural doubles out of rocks and roots. Schleyer and Fatrobat in Whistler are great examples of my favorite type of trail (minus the long skinny at the end of Fatrobat).

12. Who is the best Mountain Biker ever?

Any of your riding buddies. Mountain bike rides with your amigos are what mountain biking the best “sport” ever. There’s no such thing as rock stars.

13. What do you think about all the new standards that have popped up in the last 3 years?  

I think they’re unfortunate for the riders. Mountain biking has a lot of barriers to entry (namely cost) and little has been done to do anything about this. New standards prevent manufacturers from accessing economies of scale, which would bring down the cost of bikes. Is there some merit behind each new standard? Sure, a little. Do they make mountain biking better as whole better? No… but they do help companies sell more shit. The marketing machines at the big companies are impressive.

14. What would make the bike industry better?  

More mountain bikers, more places to mountain bike. We get more mountain bikers into the sport by doing what we can to lower the cost of entry, creating bikes that are straight forward to use (and understand)--obviously our bikes are still expensive, but working on reducing the cost is a key goal of ours. Building the community also helps get new riders into the sport. Riders are more likely to ride when they have friends to ride with. And focusing on creating and supporting the organizations that build and maintain our trails is vital to the long-term health of the sport. Without trails the sport is nothing but fancy roof ornaments.

15. Anything else you want to get across to the readers?

Let’s go ride.

Guerrilla Gravity DH Owner's Manual

Hope Crankset Test

Hope Technology has been around for almost 40 years now. They began making their first disc brakes in the late 1980's. Over the years they have expanded their production to include hubs, stems, pedals, headsets, cranks, BB's, chain rings and a cassette is now in the works. They pride themselves with making all their parts in their home country of England.

Over the years we have owned many Hope products personally. Including Bulb and Big Un hubs, Mono 4, Moto V4 and and the newer Tech V4 brakes. All of their products worked well and their brakes in the past where nothing short of amazing. We decided to get the Hope Cranks to test out on the "enduro" bike and see how these machined works of art performed going "full enduro".

"Hope Technology began life in the late 1980’s as a subcontract machining business making tools and fixtures for the many local aerospace companies. In 1989 they began making disc brakes for the newly developed mountain bikes. Initially for the personal use of the owners Ian Weatherill and Simon Sharp but they quickly realised these brakes could be sold as a product in their own right.

Since disc brakes were such a novel idea on a bicycle they decided to begin manufacturing other more common bicycle products, the first of these being a front hub. These began selling through retailers in the UK and interest was also shown in many countries around the world.
Over the subsequent years many more products were added to the range and in 2000 the decision was made to stop all subcontract work and concentrate purely on bicycle products.

Hope now manufactures almost every part for a bicycle including hubs, brakes, headset, stems, bottom brackets and lights. The only major part left to develop is the actual frame, which may be happening in the not too distant future. All parts are proudly manufactured in Hope’s Barnoldswick factory which is a true state of the art facility. They have almost 100 staff operating the factory 24-7, running the 55 CNC machines, anodising the individual components and hand assembling the finished parts. Manufacturing all products on site gives Hope total control on quality and delivery schedules.

Hope exports around 50% of its production to over 40 countries. They deal directly with retailers in the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands (employing French and German speaking staff), then have distributors in many other countries. Their components have an excellent international reputation for both quality and reliability. They are generally fitted by enthusiasts looking to upgrade their bikes to the highest levels and are supplied through specialist retailers."

Hope History

  

We took our time installing the Hope Cranks into our Evil Insurgent frame. It went in easily and we applied ample grease to the threads in the BB. Once you install the cranks having to take them apart to clean or grease them will take no longer than a traditional crank set would. I am not sure if the expanding spline arm interface is a better way to hold the cranks together or just being done for difference sake. They certainly stayed tight and squeak free for the 5 months we rode them.

Hope Crankset Features

• Forged and CNC machined 7075 series aluminium alloy crank arms
• Unique expanding spline/arm interface (patent pending)
• Versatile Spline mount for chainring/spider
• 165, 170 and 175mm length
• 30mm oversized axle
• Arms available in black, blue, red, silver, purple and orange
• Different axle length options available to accommodate most bikes from XC, DH and FAT bikes
• Weight: 641g (arms, axle and 34 tooth spiderless ring)

Hope Crankset Tech Specs

• Developed over many years the Hope crank has been designed using the latest FEA (Finite Element Analysis) tools and extensive multi discipline field testing.

• The cranks feature a unique expanding spline axle/arm interface (pat pending) and incredibly versatile spline mounted spider/chainring system.

• Our expanded range of bottom brackets ensure compatibility with most bottom bracket systems (See hope cranks compatibility chart)

• Q­‐Factor & Chainline- see "crankset fit and chainline" document.

• Several spindle length options available to accommodate most bikes (from XC to DH, including FAT bikes) "see Hope cranks BB compatibility chart".

• Chainring mounting:9, 10 and 11 speed compatible

• Spiderless Retainer chainrings 26T to 36T

• Spider Single 104BCD and Double 64/104BCD (with provisional room for a bashguard on all spiders)

Hope 30mm BB Compatibility

Hope packages the cranks in a clean looking box with foam holding everything secure. Opening the box we found beautiful looking cranks. Hope has been producing high end Mountain Bike components for close to 30 years. Their fit and finish are top notch. Hope includes instructions with the cranks. Make sure you read these as you install the cranks onto the bike. We took our time and everything went together as it should. Their suggested BB spacing was also correct BTW.

Hope Cranks Exploded View

The Hope cranks are a bit heavier than some of their carbon counterparts. The nice thing is that aluminum cranks can take some serious rock strikes without worrying about any possible cracking issues like a carbon crank. If you look at other aluminum cranks they are right there in that 600 gram range. Another thing to think about is labor standards, pollution, and how renewable a material is.

Ian W

The Hope cranks proved to be a reliable and silent operator. We checked them every once in a while and they never needed to be tightened. Hope's spline interface is unique and seems to do a good job at holding the cranks together.

We had ample time aboard the cranks. They never loosened up made a noise or needed any service in the 5 months we rode them. We have used numerous Carbon cranks over the last 3 years. Going carbon could save 200-300 grams in the crank arms but being able to smash crank arms into rocks at close to 30 MPH and not worry is priceless. 

Hope products all have some of the best fit and finish in the business. Their cranks are no exception they seem to bleed quality. We put a fair number of miles on these cranks with no issues. During our testing period they never made a noise and only once after the first few rides did they need to be tightened up some. 

Conclusion

Overall we where very impressed with The Hope Cranks. They are a quality piece of kit that can be bought for half the price of their carbon counterparts and will not crack under hard strikes. Their craftsmanship is beautiful and the design functional.

Having some many choices in cranks to choose from is a good thing for the consumer. Suggesting The Hope Cranks to a friend would be a no brainer. The price, build quality and weight are all great.

When looking for your next set of cranks check out what Hope has to offer. Using forged and CNC machined 7075 series aluminium alloy crank arms along with a 30mm axle stiffness will not be a concern. I did notice their thin profile gave me a bit more room to place my feet on the flat pedals. Some of the carbon cranks we have been using are noticeably thicker. Hope offers their cranks in a wide assortment of lengths and colors.

A short video showing the fitting and removal of Hope Cranks.

Hope Crank Set Q n A

1.      What was Hope's primary goal in creating and designing the cranks?
As with all our products, we're making a part we needed for our own bikes.

2.      Can you please explain the axle interface being used on your cranks?
We use an expanding spline. This means that even after the cranks have been removed several times, they can still be refitted as securely as the first time, without creaking! Many cranks relying on tapered splines become worn and don't offer this reliability.
 
3.      Was weight or stiffness of more importance?
Weight is never our primary goal. All our products must perform first, then we look at the weight. As it turned out though, with using a forged crank arm we've managed to produce a stiff crank, at the lower end of the weight range. So they're still light enough for an XC bike, yet stiff enough for DH

4.      Is it hard building cranks with all the different standards and Q Factors being used these days?
Not with the modular crank system we've created. All the crank arms are the same, but you simply fit different axles for different width frames. We can also accommodate boost simply by swapping the spider/direct mount chainring.

5.      Any tips for installing The Hope Cranks?
Yes – make sure you read the instructions. Sounds obvious but our cranks look similar to some other brands, but they are pulled onto the splines differently.

6.      What is the most popular crank arm length would you say?
Has to be 175mm

7.      Hope has been around a very long time can you give us a brief overview of the company?
Hope was started in the late 80's by friends Ian Weatherill and Simon Sharp. They were toolmakers and left Rolls Royce to setup their own tool making business. Coming from a motorcycle trials background they weren't happy with the brakes on their bikes so along with one of the guys working for them they designed a bicycle disc brake. They began selling them along with hubs, but initially it was the hubs that really took off. This idea of making parts for ourselves has continued through to the present day. We're probably one of the first 'rider owned' companies in mountain biking, with Ian and Simon still having complete ownership of the company and coming into the factory everyday.

8.      What do you think were the top 3 advancements in MTB technology in the last 20 years?
Disc brakes (little bias), suspension and the dropper seat post.

9.      Climbs or descents?
Descents every time- it’s what makes the climbs worth it!
 
10.  Rocks or jumps? Rocks
 
11.  What do you think the future holds for the industry as a whole?
The worry is that this explosion of wheel sizes could put off riders from continuing with mountain biking as a sport. They will think it's simply too confusing.

12.  Would you rather have the skills of Nico or Ricky Carmichael in their primes? Nico
13.  Is it hard for you guys to keep production in England and still keep you prices close to competitors that have moved production to Asia?
Not really since we're in the upper end of the market. We can't make the true mass production parts of the lower end, but if it's high end performance parts then it's achievable.

13.  You have been teasing some carbon bars, and bike frames recently are you going to see these soon?
Watch this space….

Mavic Crossmax XL Pro Limited Wheel Test

Mavic has been around since the late 1800's. They first began getting into cycling making spare parts for bikes. Their first major bicycle breakthrough came in the early 1930's when they created the first metal bicycle wheel and tested it at The Tour. This was the beginning for Mavic and the wins at major road racing events help them create cutting edge technologies while proving their effectiveness out on the track.

Today Mavic makes wheels, pedals, apparel, tires, helmets and shoes. One big advantage to making tires and wheels is having the ability to sell them as a kit. This is exactly what Mavic does with many of their wheels. We received our Mavic Crossmax XL Pro Limited Wheels and XD driver shortly after placing the order. We opened the box and found the tires already mounted. They where not inflated so we where not sure if they would seal up properly. As it turns out using the air compressor and adding 40PSI of air to the tires was all we needed to do. They made the loud pop and we spun them around a bunch before mounting them onto our Evil Insurgent.

"Riding up the mountains and ripping back down, for racing or just for fun, all-mountain is the essence of mountain biking. In those conditions you need to have full trust in your equipment. Crossmax XL Pro Ltd WTS is there to ensure the perfect match between the bike and the ground no matter how steep or how technical it is.

This wheelset was built with toughness and dynamics in mind, a 23mm wide internal rim (27mm external) has been specially made to be more impact resistant and features ISM (Inter Spoke Milling) machining to reduce weight and inertia. This wheelset is more playful, easier to handle, and helps save energy both going up and slowing down. 24 lightweight alloy spokes (Zicral) front and rear ensure stiffness and strength. The rear wheel must transfer all your energy to the ground and features radial lacing on the drive side (Isopulse) which also helps improve lateral stiffness by moving the spokes further outwards.

With different functions, front and rear wheels also need different tyres to be able to reach the high level of performance that Enduro racing/riding requires. An aggressive profile with large and high knobs, excellent mud clearing capacities, and a soft compound (SCC - Super Contact Compound) for unrivalled grip describe the front specific Crossmax Charge XL, and to transfer all of your energy into speed, Crossmax Quest XL takes care of the rear. A shallower profile, smaller with more knobs and a new dual compound (X-mix) provide fast rolling performance, traction and confident cornering. Both tyres use a dual ply casing (Guard 2) to offer maximum durability at a competitive weight.

To make the most of the tubeless benefits (UST wheel, UST Tubeless Ready tyres), Crossmax XL Pro Ltd come with two bottles of sealant and all accessories required. Delivered in 15x100/12x142 axle configuration, they’re available with either a HG or XD driver body, 27,5 only."

Installation was a snap and they offer a wide variety of adapter to make the rear hub fit 135-142mm spaced hubs. The finish on the wheels is very good. I have seen and photographed many wheels over the course of my career and Mavic makes some of the best mass produced wheels around. Their spoke tension is tight, they color schemes legit and rarely will you spot a Mavic with a factory blemish. It almost seems as if some companies have monkeys running their QC center. Typically our wheels are custom made with Gravey doing the wheel builds. So our expectations are through the roof.

Features

Weight

• Pair 27.5": 1,710 grams
• Front 27.5": 815 grams
• Rear 27.5": 895 grams

Rims

• Material: Maxtal
• Joint: SUP
• Drilling: Fore
• Disc brake specific profile
• Weight reduction: ISM
• Valve hole diameter: 6.5 mm
• Tire: UST Tubeless and tubetype
• Internal width: 23 mm
• ETRTO size 29": 622x23C
• Recommended tire sizes: 2.0 to 2.5

Hubs

• Front and rear bodies: aluminum
• Axle material: aluminum
• Rotor mount: 6 bolt
• Adjustable sealed cartridge bearings
• Freewheel: ITS-4 alloy
• Shimano 11 speeds compatible
• XD Compatible (XX1-X01) with optional kit

Spokes

• Material: Zicral
• Shape: straight pull, round
• Nipples: Fore integrated aluminum
• Count: 24 front and rear
• Lacing: front crossed 2, rear Isopulse

Tire

• Crossmax Charge XL Front/ Crossmax Quest XL Rear
• Type: UST Tubeless Ready
• Front and Rear Tread: Single Compound
• Casing: 66 TPI
• Dimension 2.75" x 2.40”

Includes

• UST valve and accessories
• Front 15 mm adapters
• Rear QR adapters
• Rear 12x142mm adapters
• Specific disc bolts
• Computer magnet (front wheel)
• Multifunction adjustment wrench
• User guide

Ian W

When spinning The Mavic Crossmax XL Pro Limited Wheels they spin freely and have good engagement. Once we got them onto the bike we did some parking lot laps to get an idea of how stiff the wheels may be. Leaning the bike over hard and twisting around in the air with it the Mavic Crossmax XL wheels seem to be stiff. I weigh 215lbs and we ride pretty rocky terrain in the area so wheel flex is something that is noticed pretty quick.

Climbing with the Mavic Crossmax XL Pro Limited Wheels is easy to do. They accelerate well and the hub provides enough engagement to allow the clearing of technical climbs. Mavic did a good job keeping the weight down they are just under 1500 grams for the pair without tires. This weight is pretty impressive our custom built carbon wheels we tested last year weigh 1800 grams. The lower weight of the Mavic Crossmax XL Pro Limited Wheels will help your bike accelerate, decelerate, and make the suspension more active.

We where a bit worried about the spokes or lack there of. It turned out to be a non issue. Although they use less spokes than a conventional 32 spoke wheel, Mavic uses 24 Zicral spokes front and rear, with Isopulse lacing on rear to help keep the wheels stiff, light and strong. Mavic calls their lacing method ISOPULSE claiming it offers Optimum energy transfer. The spokes are laced radially on the drive side and crossed 2 on the non drive side to maximize drive side dish, thus providing a better spoke tension balance between left and right flanges.

Conclusion

The Mavic Crossmax XL Pro LTD wheels proved to be a lightweight and durable wheel option. We rode the wheels for almost 5 months with no issues at all. They held spoke tension and only got one noticeable dent in them over that period of time. The complete wheel set including tires for $1000 isn't cheap but it is compared to most carbon options.

Overall we would have no problem suggesting the Mavic Crossmax XL Pro LTD Wheels to a friend. They spin fast, stay true, appear strong and are lightweight. Basically everything the Enduro rider is after when they are looking for wheels. There was one thing we would like to see down to the wheels. Having a 23mm internal rim width is for sure on the more narrow side. Mavic is looking at wider options but are concerned about the current tires on the market not working well with a wider rim. Good thing they can make their own tires since this wheel with a 37-30mm internal width would be awesome!

If you get the chance check these wheels out. Mavic has been around forever and during that time they have learned plenty about making quality wheels. Just pick up a set of Mavic Crossmax XL Pro LTD Wheels and see for yourself. Is Mavic going to make a plastic option anytime soon? Sounds like currently they believe the cost difference is not worth the small weight savings and stiffness associated with a carbon rim.

Looking at our grade card on The Mavic Crossmax XL Pro you will see we docked it on rim, hub and stiffness. These are all things that could be improves the first is the internal rim width adding 5-7mm on the rim could be a benefit. Hub engagement is a personal thing we have been riding hubs with 200+ points for a number of years now. Most will be satisfied with how quick the Mavic Hubs actually are. Stiffness is sometimes hard to gauge. We recently tested 40mm wide carbon hoops laced with heavy spokes. Those wheels where stiff maybe too stiff. The Crossmax XL felt very stiff over rough terrain and while shopping through tight turns. They just where not the stiffest we have ridden.

WTB Vigilante Tire Test

WTB Vigilante

Wilderness Trail Bikes has been around a long time. They came to creation in Marin county what many consider to be the possible birthplace of Mountain Biking. The scene in the late 1970's and early 1980's was much different in Marin. The times have changed and WTB has evolved and is now making tires, saddles, grips and their own rims. We gave them a call to get a set of Vigilante tires to test out. Our terrain is about 85% rock with spattering sections of soil the dusty kind with no traction and marbled out high speed loose trails with no berms. It takes a hell of a tire to perform well in San Luis Obispo.

"WTB was founded in Marin County, California in 1982, fueled by the need to create durable and reliable mountain bike-specific equipment. Back then mountain biking was a new and burgeoning sport, and mountain bikes weren’t much more than cobbled-together oddities. The original WTB crew was captivated by the experience of riding bikes on dirt trails, and they started creating more durable and functional components for their own bikes. Soon, local frame builders sought to outfit their bikes with WTB’s high-end components. WTB was able to turn our passion for bikes into a successful business.

Today WTB is a global enterprise; our innovative components are used for trail riding, transportation, recreation and elite racing across the globe. After 30 years things have changed a bit here at WTB–our little garage has morphed into a real office and the bikes we ride and the components we make have evolved to meet the needs of today’s riders, racers, and commuters. What hasn’t changed is our passion for cycling and our commitment to providing the cycling community with durable, reliable, high-performance components."

We contacted WTB to get ahold of some of their latest tire offerings. A week later we had a box with Vigilante, Riddler and Breakout tires to test out. We are running The Vigilante tire as a front tire with The Riddler as the rear tire. Many riders in our area have been raving about The Vigilante since it first came out. Our terrain is very rocky, dry and loose. Basically for ten months out of the year you are riding on marbles.

"Born from the need to race in European enduro events, the Vigilante is our premier aggressive All Mountain tire, and first choice for Team WTB’s Mark Weir.  The square-lugged, open-tread pattern offers stability in loose or wet terrain, while the stiff outside knobs grip at lean angles like nobody’s business.  With Dual DNA (TCS) and Gravity DNA (Team Issue) rubber, this is the tire to ride when you are giving it your all."

Mounting the WTB Vigilante was a snap. We did it with a floor pump and without using soap mounting them to 30mm rims!The Easton ARC did ever so slightly flatten out the Vigilante's tread profile BTW. We had the 27.5 2.3 TCS Tough Fast Roll casing our tire weighed 1055 grams. That is a bit more than advertised but we have seen DH tires vary by 200 grams! If you are that worried weigh each tire in the store before making a purchase.

WTB Vigilante Fast Rolling Features 

• Available in 26", 27.5"/650b, and 29" sizes
• Actual Weights: 
  • 27.5x2.3 TCS Light Fast Roll - 837 grams
  • 27.5x2.3 TCS Tough Fast Roll - 1014 grams
• Actual Widths: 
  • Casing: 27.5x2.3 - 2.25"
  • Tread: 27.5x2.3 - 2.26"

• Aramid Bead
• 60 tpi
• TCS - Tubeless Compatible System - Uses sealant to seal inside of tire, will NOT hold air without sealant
• Open tread blocks roll fast
• Reinforced cornering knobs grip predictabily in a wide variety of trail conditions
• Enduro casing: Dual layer (TCS Tough)
• Lightweight casing: Supple and conforming (TCS Light)
• Fast Roll: 60a durometer compound
• High Grip: 45a durometer compound
• Made in Taiwan
• Two Year Warranty

Our first ride on the Vigilante was on a trail that we ride every week. It is about 700 feet to the top and getting back down it takes around 4 minutes. There had been a good deal of rain the last few weeks so our soil that usually feels like you are riding on ice was actually providing decent traction. Entering the first few turns I was shocked how much bite the tire was offering both in braking and while being leaned over. The fourth turn on this trail is a severe off-camber left hander that is very sharp about 120 degrees the front of the bike offered copious amounts of grip and i just got the rear to brake loose with a dab of the brakes.

The next trail is about 900 feet to the top. Fast times going down are about 2:30 or so. This trail has a rock garden that is about 300 yards in length. After that you enter the trees and begin riding on a hard pack dirt. This section is very fast and filled with fast gradual turns. I was running 25 PSI on the front tire and just below 30 on the rear. Even though we had the fast roll version the front tire still offered very good traction in the baby heads. Lower down the trail the Vigilante did well in the high speed hard pack.

San Luis Obispo is know for having fast loose and rocky trail. That was what the next trail is know for. I can do it in 9 minutes the record is in the low 7 minute range. On this trail you can easily get up to 30 mph on the top section. It is fire road width and filled with good size embedded rocks (the kind that pinch flat) and for good measure these are coated with smaller loose rocks to make it extra slippery! I pinged my rim a few times hard and the tires had no issue. There are a few corners that are long and off camber and when riding an aggressive trail bike you need to be pressing the front end down. WTB seemed to have done a good job with The Vigilante they offered great traction on the loose rocks. I know the sticky version would have been even better!

There is a trail in town that is short and pretty rocky. Not exactly Santa Barbara rocky but has some good size rocks in it. The rocks here range from golf ball up to beach ball in size. They are almost all round so it can be fun to bounce through them. Tires that are super sticky will allow a rider to cut edges off of these rocks easily. The WTB Vigilante was almost able to do this. It slid off of some of the smooth rounded rocks and others it held enough traction to let me glide over an edge. I think the tacky version would have been incredible here. Overall the tire did very well and in fact I got one of my fastest times down this trail and I had not ridden it in almost 6 months!

Being close to the ocean provides us with trails that are more sand based. These are great to ride post rain or even during the rain. I went out here and made my way up the hill it is about 800 feet to the top. fast riders can get down in under 8 minutes it usually takes me 9 minutes. This trail is very fast to start then you drop down into a valley and it is filled with turns and rocks. Lower down you are floating on top of a fine sand layer and things can get twitchy at speed. The WTB Vigilante did well on this sand filled trail. The tire held traction in the turns and had no issues crushing over the rocks. Lower down it floated its way over the sand without issue. I went and road this during a heavy downpour and the tires worked incredible in these lower sandy turns BTW.

WTB Vigilante

Conclusion

Overall I was very impressed with The WTB Vigilante tire. It worked very well as a front tire on our traction deprived trails. They did a good job making a tough casing that will tolerate low PSI and not tear of flat easily. The tire did well in rock, hard pack and sandy trails. I also did some riding when it was pretty wet out and it did decent in light mud as well. 

This isn't the lightest tire out there Maxxis has some around the 900 gram mark that work well. They do make a lighter version if weight is a big concern for you. Having a tire that sticks in varying types of terrain is great. This is a tire I would highly recommend to a friend and will for sure be buying to mount onto personal bikes down the road. 

Q & A With WTB

1.     Give us a “quick” history of WTB.

Started early with the idea of doing what was not already done. Making parts to provide for complete bikes led to surplus production and bike shop sales. Maturing markets took WTB from designing for others to promoting the WTB brand and production in Asia for OE and replacement parts. The soul has never been lost though the price point pressure is high.

2.     What goals or concerns did you have when designing the Vigilante?

Deep digging in softer terrain with enough block mass for precision tracking on hard ground. We designed the open tread pattern to shed, as well as spike, the turf when soft enough. Paired with outer edges positioned to pick up maximum lean angle and spaced to conform to irregularities so as not to bounce off as denser outer spaced tires do.

3.     Was weight, reliability or traction the biggest concern?

Traction was the biggest concern. Reliability is usually about rider finesse and whatever terrain comes along. Weight is always a concern, but making tire casings tougher for more extreme use is always a possibility. In the lightest embodiment, Vigilante is reasonably tough.

4.     Who created the tread design?

WTB has a variety of people that have an influence on how the various tread patterns produced get done. Drawings that are submitted to mold makers are a culmination of design input.

5.     Are you guys going to come up with a 2.5 version of the tire?

We’re always working towards meeting the needs of riders and developing new tires according. Something to consider…mounting the 2.3 on a wider rim would get towards a 2.5 width. This is based on10mm of inner rim width equating to about 4mm of tire section width.

6.     What about a tire with multiple durometers? (60/42)

Currently, all our TCS tires utilize two compounds of different durometer ratings to keep the tire fast and durable where needed, as well as soft and tacky where needed. Regarding a Vigilante with a 60/42 durometer, the standard answer is that WTB does what we can based upon sales volume. However, the passion for better product is where we started and what drives us. So, based on what we hear, and what we surmise relative to testing ourselves, WTB will produce the best product possible. Durometer measurements can be subjective, but 60/42 sounds like a good one to try.

7.     When will a fat bike win an EWS race?

When it all freezes over and flotation is the only way to make time and speed.

8.     What would help the bike industry the most? ($, lowering cost, more trail access)

More people on more bikes more often in more places. If the bike industry makes more money, it will most likely put it into product technology and marketing. Most companies won’t spend a large part of the profit on advocacy, as WTB does. We spend so much on bike advocacy that it actually harms our business at times. Lowering cost is a human rights issue. We don’t support low quality of life for the people who make bike parts and nor should anybody else. Lack of trail access can make it hard, or impossible, to ride mountain bikes in an efficient manner. You see this in areas where the only way to get in a good ride is to jump in the car and drive hours. You basically have to take a half, or whole, day to go on a decent ride when driving is involved. Easy access to trails for everyone will allow bike sales to flourish.

9.     Who is the better rider Nico, Tomac or ACC?

If you ain’t first, you’re last! Let the results do the talking. We are not fit to judge. Better yet, ask each of them about the other.

10.  How is the hiker/biker conflict in Marin these days?

Cooled out for the most part. The best interaction is none at all. In the last couple of years we’ve seen a lot more public discussion between both parties on the issue of trail access, and how to best share the open space that we all enjoy. Facilities like the Stafford Lake Bike Park opening up provide great opportunities to showcase our cycling community, as well as teach up-and-comers bike skills and trail etiquette. We think things will only improve given the amount of cyclists in Marin, it just takes time and careful planning.

12.  What is with all the new “standards” the last 5 years?

Improving the breed requires vigilance. Standards do not become “standard” unless they are worthwhile. And just like science they are only as good as the current best effort and knowledge.

13.  Can America make a race organization that will surpass the UCI? Like real payouts and corporate sponsorship?

That is doubtful, for now. Mountain bike riding is increasing in the states, mostly due to NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association), which is getting the next generation of riders on bikes. In turn, more parents and family members of these youth are getting on bikes as well. This builds fans of the sport, and fans of racing, which will ultimately feed America’s hunger to have more high-level races on our home turf and increase support for the organization of a solid cycling federation. Surpassing the UCI is a hefty goal, but thinking bigger is how we get outside the box.

14.  Anything you want our readers to know about the Vigilante?

That it is designed to be the go-to tread for all-round use. That there are other choices for harder ground and longer tire life. That it is not the fastest rolling tire WTB offers but it should keep riders happy that want to ride in all conditions.