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Click to email a link to a friend with two distinct iterations sharing the same frame. Both are more capable than their predecessors despite being lighter and more fully featured, and the suspension is beyond impressive.and the EVO Pro model with extra travel. Having gotten bonus miles on local trails with the EVO, and riding both at the same trails in Chile at the launch, here are my impressions and notes on their performance.
That said, Flight Attendant is no crutch. It’s not a Band-Aid covering any weakness. The Epic’s suspension works just fine on its own. For racers who can afford it, Flight Attendant is wildly effective and efficient, like the sprinkles on the cake’s already delicious icing. One ride is enough to know it’s fast as hell, but not enough to become one with it, so I skipped a few of the larger drops on this test circuit that I easily cleared the next day on the EVO. Plenty of other riders hit everything, though, showing the bike was more than up to it.
If you’re a racer, but in the market for something without Flight Attendant, keep reading, because my thoughts on the EVO will answer more questions about how good this suspension is…This seaside cliff had a truly steep, sketchy trail that rewarded riders with a gorgeous view. Even without that Magic Middle setting, I was able to leave the Fox shock in “open” all the time. It’s still custom tuned for this bike, and Epic 8’s kinematics are very good. Never once while spinning up climbs did I feel anything lost to pedal bob. The bike just climbs really, really well.
I had a few extra rides on the EVO on local trails in Greensboro and Roanoke . On my local XC stuff, the extra tire tread made its weight known, but these are also the trails where I’d have preferred the race model. The downside is that a small gap forms when the suspension compresses, which allows small things like grass or pine needs get pinched in there. They never caused a problem, but it’s something to keep an eye on and clear out between rides.
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