Evil The Offering Review (Long Term Review by Two Very Different Riders) [Video]

Overview

Only a few months ago, Evil bikes introduced, dare we say, a perfect mid-travel 29-inch bike that delivers! The Offering is a 140mm rear travel 29-inch bike that will certainly encourage you to punch above the travel numbers. Utilizing the D.E.L.T.A. (Dave’s Extra Legitimate Travel Apparatus) suspension linkage designed by the man Dave Weagle himself, you are able to take full advantage of all 140mm of progressive rear wheel travel. Pairing the bike with a recommended 140mm or 150mm travel fork, this puts the bike perfectly in the mid-travel category as well as right in the middle of Evil’s current 29” wheeled bikes.

The Offering makes use of Evil’s “flip chip” links that allow the bike to sit in “LOW” and “XTRA LOW”, which not only drops the BB height, but also slacks out the head tube angle. With the Offering in the “LOW” position and rocking a 140mm fork, the head tube angle is a very evil 66.6 degrees. Flipping the chip to “XTRA LOW” changes the head tube angle .6 degrees. You can put up to a 160mm fork on this bike, making the head tube angle 65.8/65.2 degrees. There are two other major updates to the bike’s geometry that separates it from the other bikes in their lineup: longer reach and a steeper seat tube angle. These are huge improvements over the Following or the Wreckoning, the other two 29” Evil bikes.

Liam’s Ride Review:

As soon as you get on the Offering, you can tell it carries that distinct Evil character. With a short 430mm rear end and a progressive suspension design, Evil bikes really like to take the fun route. While it has a much longer reach than other Evil bikes, it doesn't feel extremely long, wearing its reach well with the steeper seat tube angle. The steeper seat tube angle, while not as steep as some similar bikes, puts you in a very comfortable and neutral climbing position. This makes the hour-long fire road climb a little more tolerable, or getting up the single track climbing puzzle a little more enjoyable. I found the Offering is a good enough climber for a bike in this category. I'm not left slogging up the hill, but it still isn’t a mountain goat.

Once you get this bike to the top is where the Offering is in its element. I rode both the stock RockShox Super Deluxe and a Push 11.6 shock on the bike. Both shocks ride amazing but are incredibly different. The Super Deluxe really encourages the playfulness of this bike; it has lots of pop with amazing ramp up that you would expect from a great air shock. The Push 11.6 strikes the balance between plush and playful. Yes, plush and playful. The small bump compliance of the 11.6 is really hard to beat while the DELTA linkage helps support you in the mid and end stroke. I never felt like I was using too much travel as the bike holds up until you need all the squish. The 11.6 proves how much the DELTA linkage really works without the need of an air shock.

Most of the time I was riding the bike with a 150mm fork and in the “LOW” position. I felt this gave the bike the best all-around setup, with a 66.2-degree head tube angle and 76-degree effective seat tube angle. The bike handled all the trails and jumps I was able to throw at it. Punching well above its 140mm rear travel, there were few times I got the Offering in over its head. While its 161mm bigger brother the Wreckoning is made for chunk, the Offering rides like the little brother trying to imitate his serious older brother while still having fun.

Keeping traction is also no issue on the Offering. The new, longer reach helps put the rider’s weight between both wheels, hitting a nice balance point. Wheel pop and trail manuals are done with ease. I would say the Offering holds manuals better than any trail bike I have ever ridden. The bike also clears 2.5 tires easily, making it capable of running your favorite DH tread or big and fun tires like the Maxxis Rekon.

For myself, the Offering really checks the boxes on geometry, kinematics, and overall use of the bikes mid-travel platform. I have done five hour days on the bike as well as DH shuttle laps. One thing I love about this bike is that while it does use modern progressive geometry and has a long reach at 477mm (size large) with a 150mm fork, it didn't ride like a limo. In fact, I felt like the bike rode very balanced and I was able to turn and change directions very easily. I think this has a lot to do with the short 430mm chainstays.

Troydon’s Ride Review:

Landing right between the Evil Following and Wreckoning, the Evil Offering’s 140mm of travel fits me like a glove. Even more important to me is that Evil finally updated their sizing and geometry on this bike. I’ve been waiting to try an Evil for a while now, but all their other models just had way too much stack and not nearly enough reach for my height and personal preference. I am 6ft 3in, so the new geo is extremely refreshing to see. With a reach number of 497mm on the XL frame running a 150mm fork, Evil has made it possible to over-fork this frame and still have the reach to play with. I’m currently running a 160mm Rockshox Lyrik on my bike and the sizing feels great. I am lucky enough to have a Push 11.6 shock that has been custom tuned by Push Industries for my frame, 210lb riding weight, and aggressive riding style. This shock coupled with the Evil’s D.E.L.T.A. suspension design is hard to fault. The bike is amazingly plush for a 140mm bike but still has a really playful feel about it. 

The wheelbase on the bike is not as long as my last frame (a Mondraker Foxy Carbon 29), which is refreshing because it feels great in switchbacks and turns like it's on rails, yet still remains surprisingly stable at speed. I must point out that I am running a 46mm offset fork which is smack in between what Evil recommends (51mm) and the new style (42mm) offset forks that have come out, which may contribute to how my bike feels in tight corners. The seat tube is nice and steep and the pedal position is comfortable although it's not the best climbing bike I’ve ever ridden. Yeti still holds that spot for me but I’m not racing up the hill, so as long as I’m comfy on the bike, that's all I’m really worried about. Evil definitely took care of that on this frame design.

I have also taken it for a few rips at a gnarly local trail I ride every now and then to scare myself a bit. The trail has some fairly legit jumps and drops and right out of the gate I felt super comfortable riding the Offering on all of the features. I did bottom it out once or twice and if I rode there all the time I’d probably want a bit more travel or I’d need to add some compression to my shock setup. But for a visit on the odd occasion the bike worked really well. The Offering has an adjustable flip-chip, just like the rest of Evil's bikes. The options are “LOW” and “XTRA LOW”. That being said, the Offering isn't quite as "low" as some of the other Evil bikes in their lineup. While many of their BB heights are right around the 330mm - 338mm range (depending on flip chip setting), the Offering sits at 338mm in the XTRA LOW setting and 346mm in the LOW setting. You can add a few mm to those numbers if you are running a longer travel fork like I am. I have been running the bike in LOW for most of our local trails, but recently visited some steep DH style single track and switched it to XTRA LOW. The bike handled extremely well for a DH trail that World Cup racers test on. Set up like this, it might be a bit too low and slack for everyday riding, but if the terrain is steep and chunky enough, the XTRA LOW helps the bike make it through with ease.

I really feel like Evil is smack on the money with their numbers on this XL frame. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants one bike that will comfortably get you to the top and is a blast on the way down no matter what the trail throws at you.

Liam’s PROS:

Steep seat tube angle, neutral climbing position

Suspension design and short rear end
Not extremely long, great all arounder

Troydon’s PROS:

Better sizing for larger riders
Steep seat angle
Progressive kinematics
Stiff rear end and frame design

Liam’s CONS:

Not extremely efficient uphill

Troydon’s CONS:

Doesn't pedal like a Yeti
No place for extra storage on frame
Little heavier

Final Thoughts:

Is the new Evil the Offering a good bike for you? It has all the 29” modern geometry touches it needs, it can be ridden fast like a race bike (something that Troydon likes to do) and can also be a fun go to bike for all types trails (something that Liam likes to do). With a longer reach, steeper seat tube angle, and D.E.L.T.A suspension linkage, the Offering was built to take a beating. Also covering a wide range of adjustability, from a 140mm fork to 160mm fork, and “LOW” and “XTRA LOW” geometry settings, you can adapt this bike to any riding style and terrain. Slotting in between two other amazing bikes from Evil, not only does the Offering make for a great fit in their lineup, but also fits perfectly into the aggressive trail bike category. And let's face it, that is all the bike most of us really need.