Evil Insurgent X01 Ltd Ed first ride review
Boutique carbon enduro shredder
GBP £6,499.00 RRP | AUD $10,995.00 | USD $6,699.00 Skip to view dealsPublished:
We’ve nothing but love for Evil’s big-wheeled, short-travel The Following, so couldn’t wait to get a ride on the longer travel, smaller wheeled Insurgent, which Evil refers to as “the two-wheeled death machine”.
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Evil Insurgent X01 Ltd Ed spec overview
- Frame: Carbon fibre, 151mm (5.9in) travel
- Fork: RockShox Pike RCT Solo Air 160mm (6.3in) travel
- Shock: RockShox Monarch Plus RC3
- Drivetrain: SRAM X01 with e*thirteen TRSr carbon cranks (1×11)
- Wheelset: e*thirteen TRSr carbon wheels, e*thirteen TRSr 27.5×2.35in tyres
- Brakes: SRAM Guide RSC
- Bar/stem: Race Face Atlas 35, 800mm / Race Face Atlas 35, 50mm
- Seatpost/saddle: RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper / WTB Silverado Team
- Weight: 12.76kg (28.15lb), medium size without pedals
Evil Insurgent X01 Ltd Ed frame and equipment
While the Insurgent delivers 151mm of rear wheel travel via Dave Weagle’s DELTA System, Evil is keen to point out that it can be paired with a 150mm, 160mm or 170mm fork to suit your riding and trails. With a 160mm fork and the frame in its lowest and slackest ‘X-Low’ setting, our test bike had a 64.6-degree head angle and the bottom bracket (BB) was a corner-railing 334mm off the ground. Switching to the ‘Low’ setting steepens the head and seat angles by close to a degree and lifts the BB by 12mm.There’s no shortage of details, with the most notable being the slick, fully integrated upper chain guide, rubber protectors at critical areas on the full-carbon frame and a neat little sag indicator to help with suspension set-up.
That eye-watering price does mean you get some of the best kit out there, and there’s certainly no shortage of carbon on this limited edition build. E*thirteen supplies its TRSr carbon wheels and carbon cranks, along with grippy 2.35in TRSr tyres. SRAM’s impressively powerful Guide RSC brakes and X01 transmission deal with stop and go duties.
Evil Insurgent X01 Ltd Ed ride impression
Winching back up the climbs isn’t exactly a chore either thanks to the low 12.76kg weight, though with a 160mm fork in place and in the X-Low setting, the Insurgent’s 73.4-degree seat angle isn’t the steepest. Still, we only really noticed that on the steepest rocky climbs, and with this build, the Evil’s real strength and primary focus was always going to be going downhill fast.
It holds speed well too, which is impressive considering that the e*thirteen tyres aren’t exactly fast-rolling. We found ourselves overshooting jumps and squashing, rather than popping, some of the lengthier gaps that one of our regular downhill trails is littered with. If you’re after a flat-out fun corner ripper, the Insurgent is certainly worth taking a look at.
Evil Insurgent X01 Ltd Ed early verdict
Expensive, but the lively ride, great spec and sheer amount of fun on offer are hard to ignore.
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Product Specifications
Product
| Name | Name, 0, 10, Name, Insurgent X01 Ltd Ed |
| Brand | Brand, 0, 20, Brand, Evil Bikes |
| Available Sizes | Available Sizes, 2, 0, Available Sizes, S M L XL |
| Brakes | Brakes, 2, 0, Brakes, SRAM Guide RSC |
| Cranks | Cranks, 2, 0, Cranks, e*thirteen TRSr carbon 32T, 170 mm |
| Fork | Fork, 2, 0, Fork, RockShox Pike RCT3 Solo Air, 160mm (6.3in) travel |
| Frame Material | Frame Material, 2, 0, Frame Material, Carbon fibre |
| Front Tyre | Front Tyre, 2, 0, Front Tyre, e*thirteen TRSr 27.5x2.35in |
| Handlebar | Handlebar, 2, 0, Handlebar, Race Face Atlas 35, 800mm |
| Head Angle | Head Angle, 2, 0, Head Angle, 64.6 |
| Rear Derailleur | Rear Derailleur, 2, 0, Rear Derailleur, Sram X01 |
| Rear Shock | Rear Shock, 2, 0, Rear Shock, RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 |
| Rear Tyre | Rear Tyre, 2, 0, Rear Tyre, e*thirteen TRSr 27.5x2.35in |
| Saddle | Saddle, 2, 0, Saddle, WTB Silverado Team |
| Seat Angle | Seat Angle, 2, 0, Seat Angle, 73.4 |
| Seatpost | Seatpost, 2, 0, Seatpost, RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper |
| Shifters | Shifters, 2, 0, Shifters, Sram X01 |
| Stem | Stem, 2, 0, Stem, Race Face Atlas 35, 50mm |
| Weight (kg) | Weight (kg), 2, 0, Weight (kg), 12.76 |
| Wheelset | Wheelset, 2, 0, Wheelset, e*thirteen TRSr carbon wheels |
| Bottom Bracket Height (in) | Bottom Bracket Height (in), 2, 0, Bottom Bracket Height (in), 13.15 |
| Chainstays (in) | Chainstays (in), 2, 0, Chainstays (in), 17 |
| Seat Tube (in) | Seat Tube (in), 2, 0, Seat Tube (in), 16.7 |
| Standover Height (in) | Standover Height (in), 2, 0, Standover Height (in), 26.8 |
| Top Tube (in) | Top Tube (in), 2, 0, Top Tube (in), 24.37 |
| Wheelbase (in) | Wheelbase (in), 2, 0, Wheelbase (in), 46.3 |
| Frame size tested | Frame size tested, 2, 0, Frame size tested, M |
Authors
Rob Weaver is BikeRadar's technical editor-in-chief. Rob manages all of the testing here at BikeRadar and across our magazines, Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus. Rob first graced the pages of MBUK back in 2001 when working as a freelance writer and went on to start testing bikes for the title in 2007. In 2010 he joined the team full-time and has been keeping a close eye on all things test-related ever since. Rob’s expansive knowledge of bikes comes courtesy of his passion for racing. He cut his teeth racing cross-country mountain bikes in the early 90s before finding his feet in downhill. After many years competing on the UK national circuit (including a year attempting to race UCI DH World Cups), Rob realised his know-how and passion for bike setup, tech and writing clearly outweighed his racing ability. A degree in sports technology and decades of riding experience all help to give Rob a thorough understanding of what’s needed to create a great bike or product. While Rob’s a mountain biker at heart and never happier than when he’s sliding down a Welsh hillside, he’s more than happy to put the miles in on the road or gravel bike, too.
