Evil Undead - Pinkbike's Exclusive First Look
Evil launched its Revolt DH bike with huge fanfare in 2009 and while it was a promising performer, the aluminum framed racer had reliability issues from the outset. Kevin Walsh and the Evil crew faced a two-sided battle as they fought with the factory to address faulty construction, and tried in vain to fulfill customer warranty issues with replacement parts that simply didn't exist. That which doesn't kill you, certainly makes you stronger and to their credit, Evil rebounded with a new factory and a ground-up redesign - a mind-blowing carbon fiber frame aptly named: "the Undead." We caught up with Kevin and got the exclusive story on Evil's carbon reincarnation.
Kevin, it's been 2 years since the Revolt. Tell us about Evil's turnaround and the development of this new rig?
Well it's been 18 long shitty months, battling a factory, misalignments, crap welding, delivery problems, warranties, personnel changes, insomnia, ulcers, rumours and a few catastrophes. We thought this day would never come, it almost didn't, but we wrestled Fedex into submission and Luke Strobel and I picked it up at the airport and ripped it out of the box like kids on Christmas morning. It may not have been the Millenium Falcon, but it was certainly a space ship of sorts. The Fedex staff was laughing at us, we must have looked crazy shredding this box to pieces, but they could tell by the look on all of our faces that it was something special, even though they had no idea what this carbon fiber space ship looking thing was. We packed up into Luke's truck and headed back to the office to measure things up and assemble it with the help of our good friend Zeb from Big Tree Bikes so we could inaugurate it at the TMC trails over the next few days. It was hard to believe it was here and we would be riding it in just a few hours. Excitement got the best of us. The inauguration began prematurely on the staircase at the office and was followed with some late-night cutty's on the streets of downtown Seattle.
It must have felt like some sort of baptism by fire - to be riding an all-new carbon design after suffering in aluminum factory hell?
All of us were freaking out, as it had been a long time since we had seen an Evil frame, not to mention a carbon one that was straight and actually assembled with little to no effort. This really marked the start of Evil 2.0 and We are proud to finally show you a small glimpse of the future with our full-carbon Undead DH frame. This will be the first of many full suspension carbon offerings over the coming months, it replaces the recent Revolt and has been renamed the Undead for obvious reasons...
Did you take the opportunity to make any significant changes in the suspension or geometry?
We decided to go back to our original non-floating shock design and lower the center of mass by flipping the shock orientation. We also upgraded the Delta System linkage to a double-shear arrangement with a high-load spherical bearing developed by Enduro, which replaces the composite bushing system found on the Revolt. We spent the last year working closely with Hodaka's engineering team to develop this frame. This is the first of many prototypes that we will be testing in preparation for the 2011 Worldcup season.
Why carbon vs aluminum, especially in light of past aluminum build history? How long has this been in development?
In 2008 we had originally planned to start with a carbon Revolt, but it seemed too far out of reach and we didn't have a relationship with a reputable carbon vendor at the time. When we began working with Hodaka last summer, it made perfect sense - and the timing was right, as we had been working on the design since early 2010.
For us carbon makes a lot of sense, the nature of of the Delta System puts the shock with an offset to the non drive side presenting some interesting clearance challenges, as the linkage is quite compact and in close proximity to the down tube and shock. We really liked the control and consistency that you can achieve with carbon, and it allows us to fine tune flex and stiffness in specific areas of our frames to get the perfect ride. The other reasons are obvious, weight, strength, and you can make really cool shapes.
What is the expected production?
Hodaka mfg will be handling our production and we couldn't be in better hands. During our first visit to the factory I was reassured that we could truly continue the Evil business. After touring several of their facilities I was amazed at their attention to detail and the quality they consistantly produce. I knew we had aligned ourselves with the best possible partner to produce these frames.
Pricing and frame weight?
Pricing will be similar to what the Revolt was. With regard to weight, the first test bikes have been almost too light, we will release formal weights in the next installment when we have done further testing and have a clear picture of what the production weight will be. You will just have to speculate until then...
Can we get some details about the warranty that comes with the Undead?
It comes with our standard 2-year warranty, unlike the past this will include actually being able to get a warranty frame in the event you might need one. Current Evil customers with pending Revolt warranty cases will be issued Undead frames as warranties for their Revolts when production is ready.
Aluminum for Carbon? Very big move. When should customers expect to be able to take advantage?
We're hoping to start with replacements come summer 2011. And all warranty issues can go through the LBS or Evil directly.
Who can we expect to see on the Undead this year?
Cam Zink and the MS/Evil Worldcup team Brook Macdonald, Luke Strobel, Filip Polc, Wyn Masters and Markus Pekol, in addition Markus Stockl will be attempting to break his speed record again.
Info about geometry adjustments?
Geometry adjustments are made simple via our Flipchip and adjustable head tube systems. A redesigned Delta linkage makes for quick and easy geometry adjustments as well as simple maintenance. Additional linkage kits will be available changing the travel from 205mm to 216mm with an extra progressive suspension curve.
Steep F/Steep R - HA-64.5 BB- 14.1/358.5mm WB -45.71/1161.2 mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
Steep F/Slack R - HA-64.0 BB-13.83/351.5mm WB- 45.81/1163.7mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
Slack F/Steep R - HA-63.5 BB- 13.9/ 355.2mm WB- 46.31/1176.3mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
Slack F/Slack R - HA-62.9 BB- 13.7/348.2mm WB- 46.40/1178.7mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
SM: Reach: 363mm Stack: 600mm TT 22.63"/22.75"/575/578mm FC 27.70"/703.73mm
MD: Reach: 383mm Stack: 600mm TT 23.42"/23.54"/595/598mm FC 28.49"/723.72mm
LG: Reach: 403mm Stack: 600mm TT 24.01"/24.13"/610/613mm FC 29.08"/738.72mm
XL: Reach: 418mm Stack: 600mm TT 24.80"/24.92"/630/633mm FC 29.87"/758.71mm
Feature breakdown?
• Full carbon front/rear triangle
• Redesigned 7075 double shear Delta linkage with Enduro Spherical bearings
• Integrated fork bumper and cable guide
• IS brake standard
• Removable ISCG05 tab
• Integrated headset ( no headset tools here, just drop the bearings in and go! )
• Internal headset adjustment via eccentric cups
• Integrated removable carbon fender
• Integrated removable Downtube protector
• Integrated removable Downtube shuttle guard
• Rubber chainstay protector not shown
Look for the full exclusive Pinkbike story on Evil's return from hell.
All photos by Colin Meagher - check him out here.
NOTE: Pinkbike will be getting their hands on the first Evil Undead, and rest assured that we will put it through our hellish testing. Stay Tuned. What are your thoughts on this beast?
 |
 Nigel Quarless and Kevin Walsh collab for the MS/Evil 2011 World Cup graphics |
Kevin, it's been 2 years since the Revolt. Tell us about Evil's turnaround and the development of this new rig?Well it's been 18 long shitty months, battling a factory, misalignments, crap welding, delivery problems, warranties, personnel changes, insomnia, ulcers, rumours and a few catastrophes. We thought this day would never come, it almost didn't, but we wrestled Fedex into submission and Luke Strobel and I picked it up at the airport and ripped it out of the box like kids on Christmas morning. It may not have been the Millenium Falcon, but it was certainly a space ship of sorts. The Fedex staff was laughing at us, we must have looked crazy shredding this box to pieces, but they could tell by the look on all of our faces that it was something special, even though they had no idea what this carbon fiber space ship looking thing was. We packed up into Luke's truck and headed back to the office to measure things up and assemble it with the help of our good friend Zeb from Big Tree Bikes so we could inaugurate it at the TMC trails over the next few days. It was hard to believe it was here and we would be riding it in just a few hours. Excitement got the best of us. The inauguration began prematurely on the staircase at the office and was followed with some late-night cutty's on the streets of downtown Seattle.
 |
It must have felt like some sort of baptism by fire - to be riding an all-new carbon design after suffering in aluminum factory hell?All of us were freaking out, as it had been a long time since we had seen an Evil frame, not to mention a carbon one that was straight and actually assembled with little to no effort. This really marked the start of Evil 2.0 and We are proud to finally show you a small glimpse of the future with our full-carbon Undead DH frame. This will be the first of many full suspension carbon offerings over the coming months, it replaces the recent Revolt and has been renamed the Undead for obvious reasons...
 |
| Moulded under intense pressure, raw unidirectional composite fibers can look a bit weird when not covered. A thick clear coat ensures you see a ton of lay-up detail. |
Did you take the opportunity to make any significant changes in the suspension or geometry?We decided to go back to our original non-floating shock design and lower the center of mass by flipping the shock orientation. We also upgraded the Delta System linkage to a double-shear arrangement with a high-load spherical bearing developed by Enduro, which replaces the composite bushing system found on the Revolt. We spent the last year working closely with Hodaka's engineering team to develop this frame. This is the first of many prototypes that we will be testing in preparation for the 2011 Worldcup season.
 |
Why carbon vs aluminum, especially in light of past aluminum build history? How long has this been in development?In 2008 we had originally planned to start with a carbon Revolt, but it seemed too far out of reach and we didn't have a relationship with a reputable carbon vendor at the time. When we began working with Hodaka last summer, it made perfect sense - and the timing was right, as we had been working on the design since early 2010.
For us carbon makes a lot of sense, the nature of of the Delta System puts the shock with an offset to the non drive side presenting some interesting clearance challenges, as the linkage is quite compact and in close proximity to the down tube and shock. We really liked the control and consistency that you can achieve with carbon, and it allows us to fine tune flex and stiffness in specific areas of our frames to get the perfect ride. The other reasons are obvious, weight, strength, and you can make really cool shapes.
 |
What is the expected production?Hodaka mfg will be handling our production and we couldn't be in better hands. During our first visit to the factory I was reassured that we could truly continue the Evil business. After touring several of their facilities I was amazed at their attention to detail and the quality they consistantly produce. I knew we had aligned ourselves with the best possible partner to produce these frames.
Pricing and frame weight?Pricing will be similar to what the Revolt was. With regard to weight, the first test bikes have been almost too light, we will release formal weights in the next installment when we have done further testing and have a clear picture of what the production weight will be. You will just have to speculate until then...
 |
Can we get some details about the warranty that comes with the Undead?It comes with our standard 2-year warranty, unlike the past this will include actually being able to get a warranty frame in the event you might need one. Current Evil customers with pending Revolt warranty cases will be issued Undead frames as warranties for their Revolts when production is ready.
 |
Aluminum for Carbon? Very big move. When should customers expect to be able to take advantage?We're hoping to start with replacements come summer 2011. And all warranty issues can go through the LBS or Evil directly.
 |
Who can we expect to see on the Undead this year?Cam Zink and the MS/Evil Worldcup team Brook Macdonald, Luke Strobel, Filip Polc, Wyn Masters and Markus Pekol, in addition Markus Stockl will be attempting to break his speed record again.
 |
Info about geometry adjustments?Geometry adjustments are made simple via our Flipchip and adjustable head tube systems. A redesigned Delta linkage makes for quick and easy geometry adjustments as well as simple maintenance. Additional linkage kits will be available changing the travel from 205mm to 216mm with an extra progressive suspension curve.
Steep F/Steep R - HA-64.5 BB- 14.1/358.5mm WB -45.71/1161.2 mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
Steep F/Slack R - HA-64.0 BB-13.83/351.5mm WB- 45.81/1163.7mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
Slack F/Steep R - HA-63.5 BB- 13.9/ 355.2mm WB- 46.31/1176.3mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
Slack F/Slack R - HA-62.9 BB- 13.7/348.2mm WB- 46.40/1178.7mm CS - 438mm/17.2" 440mm/17.3" SA 63.5/62.9 HT height - 125mm
SM: Reach: 363mm Stack: 600mm TT 22.63"/22.75"/575/578mm FC 27.70"/703.73mm
MD: Reach: 383mm Stack: 600mm TT 23.42"/23.54"/595/598mm FC 28.49"/723.72mm
LG: Reach: 403mm Stack: 600mm TT 24.01"/24.13"/610/613mm FC 29.08"/738.72mm
XL: Reach: 418mm Stack: 600mm TT 24.80"/24.92"/630/633mm FC 29.87"/758.71mm
 |
Feature breakdown?• Full carbon front/rear triangle
• Redesigned 7075 double shear Delta linkage with Enduro Spherical bearings
• Integrated fork bumper and cable guide
• IS brake standard
• Removable ISCG05 tab
• Integrated headset ( no headset tools here, just drop the bearings in and go! )
• Internal headset adjustment via eccentric cups
• Integrated removable carbon fender
• Integrated removable Downtube protector
• Integrated removable Downtube shuttle guard
• Rubber chainstay protector not shown
 |
| Luke Strobel taking the Undead's virginity |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Look for the full exclusive Pinkbike story on Evil's return from hell.
All photos by Colin Meagher - check him out here.
NOTE: Pinkbike will be getting their hands on the first Evil Undead, and rest assured that we will put it through our hellish testing. Stay Tuned. What are your thoughts on this beast?
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Member since Aug 9, 2010
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:P
And more importantly, it makes sexy looking bikes.
We laugh at golfers or sailors "you have to be dressed in a special way to be a member of the club you know, v-neck pullovers, hehe" - MTB gets even worse! race pyjamas, huge sunglasses, bikes for prices you can buy a house in Costa Rica, from materials you can either kill half of Great Reef or build a rocket to the moon... 3d GoPRo - make an even bigger facebook pimp prick out of yourself... this gets out of control.
I would say: you like exclusive luxury toys - buy them ASAP... they will get even more expensive especially as we burn bridges behind us...
Sweet bike, Evil! I hope there will be one at the GRT this weekend!
sorry I'm of a weak faith and I think very little of certain riders, and yes I'm sure they woud stop riding if "sport becomes irrelevant". Hard to impress with something irrelevant. Precisly kind of people I would rather not meet on trails
will become irrelevant - bueheheh, squeeze the arsehole of the hype long enough and the crap will start coming out buehehe
Oh, and is the Sect ever going into production?
And in general I just enjoy polluting the neoliberal way of thinking
After reading Jerry Manger, "In the Absence of the Sacred", technology feels... different
Thanks
Great job, always glad to see real engineering and passion in bikes! Keep this up and you could rival santa cruz.
Buy a bike, and ride it.
But who knows? We'll see!
I agree. +1 good sir.
Although the same story could have happened if their product would have been made domestically, I would bet that a US manufacturer would have gladly worked with the company to remedy the Revolt problem. Not to mention, you could have actually been there during production to know that frame 1 of 300 was mis-aligned and not created so much industrial waste. Accidents happen, and somebody lost a lot of money over it. Glad to see that Evil can continue.
Santa Cruz proved that carbon dh bikes can exist, but with as much crash and shuttle damage is involved in DH riding, I will be thoroughly impressed if anyone can actually keep a carbon frame going past it's 2 year warranty expiration. A minor scuff could turn into catastrophic failure pretty quickly. Not that aluminum is any kind of super material in itself due to the finite fatigue life. At least steel and titanium frames can be repaired if they break, but these days people consider everything to be disposable anyways so who really cares?
On the other hand it really surprises me how many people have these preconceived notions on the strength of carbon used in downhill applications. I can say with strong assurance that the majority of people commenting on the fact that carbon downhill bikes can have "catostrophic failiures pretty quickly" have never seen, much less ridden a carbon DH bike in real life. It's all internet speculation. One of the great things about carbon is that you can layer and weave it differently to achieve a desired weight or strength. An example would be the thin carbon lays used on lightweight roadbikes to achieve a lightweight and strong frame. Carbon used in DH applications is layered much more heavily due the the fact that there is not a tight weight constraint (given that you obviously aren't going to layer it far beyond the necessary amount calculated through computer stress test programs). The companies manufacturing carbon DH bikes are not dumb, nor are they naive to the abuse that these bikes will be enduring. They take this into account when engineering the bikes and have strong certainty as to what they can hold up to. There is a reason carbon DH bikes are starting to pop up and that is because it is in fact a great material to incorporate into the downhill market. Until you all have support behind your speculation on "how weak carbon is" I suggest you stop dumping your ignorant comments onto bike forums.
Vanderham and Smith onboard
True say tho, needed to be expressed!
I know a lot of local factory riders that will be thrilled to hear this/see this. We where all a little worried here in WA about what was gonna happen to Evil. Terrible luck with the factory, thats total BS. Massive kudos for standing by your customers and offering them this new frame to replace their old ones!!!
I didn't think that I would ever consider buying another bike as I love my revolt BUT this changes everything. If it tracks and rides anywhere close to the Revolt it s going to be a winner for sure.
more tension in the lines paired with well-proportioned tubes and it's a sexy beast..
Oh, and can you guys make a nice new trail ripper named the Boomstick? Train of though after seeing the Undead was Evil Dead, Bruce Campbell, Boomstick... For the naming suggestion, I'll let you guys give me a prototype
Bike companies need materials experts so they stop treating CF like black aluminum. You want to make a CF DH bike? Fine. But alu principals don't apply. Hopefully they figure this out before someone gets hurt.
Will the graphics be below the clear coat on the final version of the Undead frame?
Is this revised shock linkage still the delta system?
Are there any advantages to the new linkage in comparison to the old one on the revolt?
Will there be laser etched deltasystem logos on the pivot caps and on the linkage hardware like it was on the ones of the revolt frame?
Will you be able to turn the shock an run the piggyback on top like it was on the revolt?
Oh by the way, I think it's really cool that you take the time to speak to potential customers on pinkbike etc
This one looks like a cool bike..It also looks like my hockey stick haha
Will the graphics be below the clear coat on the final version of the Undead frame?
Is this revised shock linkage still the delta system?
Are there any advantages to the new linkage in comparison to the old one on the revolt?
Will there be laser etched deltasystem logos on the pivot caps and on the linkage hardware like it was on the ones of the revolt frame?
Will you be able to turn the shock an run the piggyback on top like it was on the revolt?
I want to rock the Undead and go kick it up Scotland and around soon see.
Money waiting ;d
Regards
Tim.
Has there been any news on the EVIL Order bike? Will it be released?
Bike looks nice
I have been very good boy...............................
short travel version maybe?
So all this companies are basically lowering their productions costs by a ton and the price remains the same or it even gets higher a bit like marzocchi, before they were made in italy now in china or taiwan but price is the same or higher.
By this process anyone could make a killer frame, just take a suspension design that isn't patented or even pay for the patents and ask a Taiwanese company to build it for you, wtf is this?
For god sake look at the website of the company that makes evil bikes, they even sell their own bikes (Fastrax)
Its sad to have all these greed companies profiting out of the ignorance of their clients, a few years ago it wasn't like this but as every market when it gets big, the sharks come and people don't even realize that they're being eaten.
And if you think its that hard to make a good suspension design just get the software linkage which is the basic and you will see that it isn't that hard if you got a basic knowledge on how suspension works.
Why don't you find some patent and send it to your own shop to build for your own use? Do you think that is really plausible or do you think someone might have to actually do some engineering before it gets sent to the shop? Whether Evil buys the mfg drawings from a third party and sends to a shop or they do it in house doesn't matter you are still paying for engineering and R&D.
I'm not against globalization nor against companies that make their bikes in Taiwan BUT if you lower all the costs in the making of a frame why not lower the price?
"but if you ride mountain bikes I doubt you are not contributing. "
Sorry but i don't think you could say that cause i currently ride a Nicolai ION ST which is handmade in Germany and also had a bunch of other bikes handmade in their original countries and i make the most to buy stuff made in "decent" countries.
Chinese and taiwanese companies have "default" designs which you can choose and if you think carefully many bikes out there are almost the same cause their built in the same factory.
Why have different brands if they're going to be produced in the same place with the same quality and same everything, only thing changing is design and sometimes not even that?
How can Evil call themselves a bicycle company like Nicolai, Devinci etc? They are just distributors, THEY DON'T MAKE BIKES.
Would you call a supermarket a factory a farm or whatever? NO, cause they only distribute the products and sometimes they even put the supermarket brand on it however unlike these bike companies they don't say their a farm or a factory their supermarkets, distributors like EVIl and many other bike companies.
If you had any knowledge about true economics you wouldn't be saying that.
That's the same shit as buying a 20k Louis Vuitton when it costs 30 bucks to make one, in that case you're being a retard sorry but its the truth, brand can matter at some level but can't count 95 % of the product price and they just keep doing that cause people like you buy they're shit, otherwise they would be honest and wouldn't try to rip off people cause that's what they do.
Consumers nowadays are just a bunch of brand whores.
But its your choice, be happy paying 3 grand for a frame that costs 200 bucks to be made.
There are certainly some catalog bikes out there re-badged as well known brands, this however, is not one of them.
You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.
1st thing i was giving an example, never said EVIL was a catalog bike, i said some companies are.
2nd Never said it was a bad design nor said it was a Taiwanese design.
3rd If the frames were faulty, its their responsibility, feeling pity for companies is sad.
4th I like my Nicolai much better than that evil and i think the ION ST is one of the best bikes i have ridden, so how you reached the conclusion that you would be faster than me is a mystery to mankind.
5th DHshredder5, seriously? How many top end frames made in the USA and Europe are the same price as the EVIL?
If people thought/read before writing/speaking there wouldn't be any confusion about what i wrote.
For me a bike company is only a bike company when they make their own frames, i couldn't care less on where they make them however not the case of EVIL which basically orders their frames from a factory that makes bikes for many other brands.
I guess then that kellog'ss and other big companies got it all wrong " Kellogg's doesn't make cereal for anyone else"(kellog's website)
That's a Cereal producer, if someone bought cereals from them even if with a different taste that person would just basically be a distributor.
But i'm putting a stop on this, i do not have the time nor patience to get into this childish games, i made a comment to the "article" not to any of your comments so if you don't like just neg prop me i wouldn't care less. Everybody got an opinion, you have yours, i have mine, lets stay with that.
on a more serious note, evil DESIGNS their frames, then pays factories in taiwan to build the frame, in this case most likely meaning custom drawn tubing (for the revolt) and new molds (for the undead)
you're saying that nike doesn't make shoes, the ipod isn't an actual apple product, the computer you're typing on was made by intel/nvidia rather than the company who's name is on the side
I love my canfield, but I'd never pay MSRP for it, because it was made in the United States, its insanely expensive, especially for what is essentially a straight gauge tube frame, as far as I can tell nicolai is similar
look at bmx companies, the same factory produces fly, sunday, and I believe wethepeople frames, all three are considered to be the among best in the industry and they all have unique features and technologies that they would not be able to have done had they produced their frames in the country that they design them
When I look at bikes, where it is made doesn't factor into my decision. I've seen plenty of american made frames that ended up being horrible, and plenty of foreign manufactured made frames that are amazing.
I quote from your original post.
"Evil bikes as many others aren't even real companies, they're just a bunch of distributors a bit like those supermarket brands that get all the stuff from the same place but just change the name of the product."
You literally said that Evil was a catalog company and that they weren't even a real bike company. If you were in fact not accusing Evil of being a catalog company, why would you even post such a lengthy comment about this article?
By your definition, Specialized, Trek, and Giant are not "real" bike companies either. All of these companies create, design, and engineer their own bikes around a proprietary or licensed suspension platform. They all also source the manufacturing of their bike from factories that have the capabilities and expertise to produce them at a high level of quality and volume.
I myself ride a "Handmade in the USA" Intense 951 as well as a "Designed and Engineered in the USA but manufactured in Taiwan" Specialized Enduro.
I do not own an Evil, don't plan on buying one, but your incoherent rant and subsequent denial that you actually slandered Evil required something to be said.
Best of luck in life, you will obviously need it.
I said they were distributors, just that.
Supply focuses on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including how, when, and from what location.
Manufacturing focuses on converting these raw materials into finished products.
Distribution focuses on ensuring these products reach the consumers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses, and retailers.
www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-supply-chain.htm
Intel and those big companies HAVE their factories overseas, they don't ask for someone build it for them.
End of discussion
Intel's 2010 net revenue was over $43 billion. Their operating income alone was over $15 billion.
I obviously don't know how much money Evil made (or lost) last year, but I can't imagine a small boutique bike company can afford to build, operate and maintain their own manufacturing facilities.
Comparing a boutique mountain bike company to the largest micro-chip and processor manufacturer in the world simply demonstrates your lack of perspective and general knowledge of how the world works. The mountain bike industry in general, especially high-end downhill and free-ride bikes is an extremely boutique, niche industry and market.
Why does a aluminum framed downhill bike cost as much as a 125cc dirt bike? It's called an economy of scale. The larger the market and the more you can sell, the lower you can manufacture and sell each unit for. The overall size of the market for high end mountain bikes is extremely small compared to that of other manufactured goods such as motorcycles, atv's cars, etc.
The fact that a company like Evil can design and engineer a bike in house and find a manufacturing facility with expertise in carbon fiber production is a testament to the ingenuity and ability of the global market place that we all benefit from.
These are US made bikes
Black Market (some), Brooklyn Machine Works,Devinci,Dobermann,Ellsworth,Foes,Gary Fisher(some),Independent Fabracation,Intense,Knolly,Moots,One Ghost,Industries,Rotec,Sinister,Soul Cylces,Spooky,Titus,Tonic Fab,Trek (some),Turner,Xprezo taken from a pinkbike thread
Europe made bikes, Nicolai and many others.
So how can you say that a small boutique bike company can't afford to build their own bikes?
Of course the larger the market the lower the price, i didn't even went that way nor made any affirmation that it should cost less than a 125cc bike.
I didn't wanted to bash evil so hard, i like the design and i think its a good looking bike but still they aren't a bicycle producer they're just a distributor with a brand.
And i don't get why you are so offend by that statement which as i demonstrate is true.
There is a big difference between "Built In" and "Made In". I can "Build" a bike in my basement, but that doesn't mean it was "Made" in my basement.
It's not worth arguing over where every piece of every bike is made, but I can assure you, a good number of the bikes you think are "Made" in the U.S are really only "built" in the U.S. Even most of the frames that are welded in the U.S. use materials and tubing that comes from Asia.
I assume you would be hard pressed to argue that Specialized and Trek are not "bicycle producers" as you call them. Would it be hard for you to believe that a good majority of Specialized and Trek bikes were made in factories owned and operated by Giant? (A Taiwanese based company.) Specialized own FSR suspension design was created by Horst Leitner of AMP Research and bought by Specialized to use on their bikes. They now license the design to more companies than I can even name.
It's a widely held belief and fact proven every day by the people riding and racing bikes made in Taiwan, that the skill level and ability to reproduce quality of Taiwanese welders and manufacturers is equal if not better than that of any U.S. facility.
Lastly, you are absolutely incorrect that Evil, "...aren't a bicycle producer they're just a distributor with a brand."
They designed and engineered a bike that is unique from anything else on the market. The process that Evil goes through to produce a bike is identical to that of Specialized, Trek, etc. They are simply a beneficiary of the headway those companies made in Taiwanese manufacturing.
Its why CF is so tunable, if you made the same frame, one from 3k, one from 12k and one from UD cloth, they would all have very different feels to them, and you can use different cloths in different areas to make different bits flex more/less or stronger/lighter.
Sometimes the bike might have a final layer of very light 3k just for the looks, which is fine, but what goes underneath the skin is usually far from "just for looks" and could be a total mash up of weaves