We had a chance to pedal the Evil Insurgent LB in Greece a few years back, and it’s finally time to take this bike for a full spin. The Insurgent comes in 27.5″ or mixed-wheel versions, and the fork drops from 180mm to 170mm for the 29″ front wheel. Both bikes have 168mm of travel out back, managed by the brand’s well-known DELTA single-pivot platform that resembles some pull-shock designs. Evil says that the 27.5″ bike is for full-on park days, and the mixed wheels are well suited to full sendy speed on rough tracks.
Geometry
| MEASUREMENT | SMALL | MEDIUM | LARGE | EXTRA LARGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Tube Angle – LOW | 64.2° | 64.2° | 64.2° | 64.2° |
| Head Tube Angle – X-LOW | 63.5° | 63.5° | 63.5° | 63.5° |
| Seat Tube Angle – LOW | 76.9° | 76.9° | 76.9° | 76.9° |
| Seat Tube Angle – X-LOW | 76.2° | 76.2° | 76.2° | 76.2° |
| Virtual Top Tube Length | 595mm | 23.44″ | 612mm | 24.09″ | 633mm | 24.92″ | 654mm | 25.76″ |
| Virtual Top Tube Length – X-LOW | 598mm | 23.55″ | 615mm | 24.21″ | 636mm | 25.03″ | 657mm | 25.86″ |
| Seat Tube Length | 390mm | 15.35″ | 425mm | 16.73″ | 460mm | 18.11″ | 495mm | 19.49″ |
| Bottom Bracket Height – LOW | 358mm | 14.09″ | 358mm | 14.09″ | 358mm | 14.09″ | 358mm | 14.09″ |
| Bottom Bracket Height – X-LOW | 349mm | 13.75″ | 349mm | 13.75″ | 349mm | 13.75″ | 349mm | 13.75″ |
| Bottom Bracket Drop – LOW | 1mm | 0.04″ | 1mm | 0.04″ | 1mm | 0.04″ | 1mm | 0.04″ |
| Bottom Bracket Drop – X-LOW | 8mm | 0.30″ | 8mm | 0.30″ | 8mm | 0.30″ | 8mm | 0.30″ |
| Head Tube Length | 104mm | 4.09″ | 114mm | 4.49″ | 127mm | 5.00″ | 139mm | 5.47″ |
| Chain Stay Length – LOW | 430mm | 16.93″ | 430mmn | 16.93″ | 430mmn | 16.93″ | 430mmn | 16.93″ |
| Chain Stay Length – X-LOW | 432mm | 17.01mm | 432mm | 17.01mm | 432mm | 17.01mm | 432mm | 17.01mm |
| Wheel Base – LOW | 1215mm | 47.84″ | 1236mm | 48.68″ | 1262mm | 49.68″ | 1287mm | 50.69″ |
| Wheel Base – X-LOW | 1217mm | 47.92″ | 1238mm | 48.74″ | 1264mm | 49.77″ | 1289mm | 50.75″ |
| Axle to Crown | 586mm | 23.07″ | 586mm | 23.07″ | 586mm | 23.07″ | 586mm | 23.07″ |
| Offset | 44mm | 1.73″ | 44mm | 1.73″ | 44mm | 1.73″ | 44mm | 1.73″ |
| Front to Center – LOW | 785mm | 31.91″ | 806mm | 31.74″ | 832mm | 32.75″ | 857mm | 33.74″ |
| Front to Center -X-LOW | 785mm | 31.91″ | 806mm | 31.74″ | 832mm | 32.75″ | 857mm | 33.74″ |
| Trail – LOW | 131mm | 5.18″ | 131mm | 5.18″ | 131mm | 5.18″ | 131mm | 5.18″ |
| Trail – X-LOW | 136mm | 5.36″ | 136mm | 5.36″ | 136mm | 5.36″ | 136mm | 5.36″ |
| Stack – LOW | 621mm | 24.44″ | 630mm | 24.80″ | 642mm | 25.26″ | 652mm | 25.69″ |
| Stack – X-LOW | 626mm | 24.63″ | 635mm | 24.99″ | 647mm | 25.46″ | 658mm | 25.89″ |
| Reach – LOW | 443mm | 17.19″ | 460mm | 18.12″ | 480mm | 18.91″ | 500mm | 19.69″ |
| Reach – X-LOW | 437mm | 17.45″ | 453mm | 17.85″ | 473mm | 18.64″ | 493mm | 19.42″ |
| Standover – LOW | 705mm | 27.76″ | 716mm | 28.17″ | 724mm | 28.50″ | 736mm | 28.99″ |
| Standover – X-LOW | 699mm | 27.54″ | 709mm | 27.93″ | 718mm | 28.25″ | 718mm | 28.25″ |
Geometry numbers for this Insurgent MX steed are roughly what you would expect when it’s in the “X-LOW” position, with a 473mm reach on this size large that’s followed by whippy 432mm chainstays. The head tube angle leans to 63.5° and the seat tube angle moves the rider forward with a nice 76.2° tilt. The bottom bracket sits 349mm above the trail, and the seat tube above it stretches 460mm for a large. I’m between sizes and had to swap the stock 185mm dropper post for a 160mm option to make the larger frame work. This same move has never not been worth it in the past.
Frame features
The Insurgent uses Superboost rear axle spacing, making room for short chainstays and max tire clearance combined. The rear triangle is wide enough that there could be some interference with shoes for us duckfooted dorks. We’ll report on that in the full review. There is a large gap between the front and rear triangles that looks like a good spot for sticks and stones to stay. Again, more on that in the coming article and video.
Ahead of those broad stays, the frame has guided internal cable routing that exits briefly between the front and rear triangles, with a cable port for a shock lockout lever if desired. The chainstay and downtube protection seem sufficient, and folks can add a clear frame protection kit for an additional $50 upon purchase. Protection kits are a massive pain in the ass to install, and I’d say that price is well worth it.
Build
The build on this bike is almost 100% appropriate for its steep and deep intentions. The hefty RockShox ZEB fork and Super Deluxe Ultimate coil shock keep it smooth while the SRAM G2 RS brakes keep the sled under control. This build has a full SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain and Bike Yoke dropper for the go-fast and the get-down. A sweet set of I9 Hydra hubs and alloy rims are wrapped in the only senseless component: Maxxis Minion DHF tires with EXO casings and MaxxTerra tread. I’m not sure what cross-country race the product managers felt this gravity machine would suit when they chose these tires, but I won’t be taking the risk of frozen hands to pedal this thin rubber. The bike already weighs 36.26lb with pedals, so there’s little excuse to save a few grams in a place as important as tires. This GX build is the least expensive of the Insurgent builds, priced at $6,599.
⭐️ The Evil Insurgent is sold at Worldwide Cyclery and other online retailers.
