This Evil Offering review looks at the bike the way I would if I were spending my own money on it: ride feel, fit, price, and the small details that matter once the trail turns ugly. The current Offering is not a polite trail bike, and that is exactly why it is interesting. I’m focusing on what it actually delivers on the trail, where it makes sense for UK riders, and where the compromises sit.
Key points to know before buying the current Offering
- 151mm of rear travel, a 160mm target fork, and 29-inch wheels put it firmly in aggressive trail territory.
- The current frame uses Boost 148, a UDH, a threaded BSA 73mm bottom bracket, and a 30.9mm seatpost, so it is much easier to live with than older SuperBoost-era Evil bikes.
- Geometry is the real story: the bike is set up for speed and grip, not just shallow trail-centre laps.
- Builds are expensive, starting at $6,699 and rising to $10,799, with a $3,999 frame-only option.
- The bike suits riders who want traction, stability, and a playful chassis, but it will feel like overkill if your rides are mostly mellow or weight-sensitive.
- If you are buying from the UK, budget for import reality as well as the sticker price.
What the current Offering actually is
The current Offering is best understood as a hard-pushing 29er with serious descending intent. It is built around 151mm of rear wheel travel and is designed for a 160mm fork, although Evil says 150mm to 170mm forks are acceptable without wrecking the bike’s basic character. That already tells you a lot: this is not an XC bike with a long name, and it is not a park bike pretending to be subtle.
What I like about the modern version is that the ownership details are much saner than they used to be. You get Boost 148x12 rear spacing, a SRAM UDH, a threaded BSA 73mm bottom bracket, a 30.9mm seatpost, and a 34.9mm clamp. The frame is also set up for a 205x60mm trunnion shock, 44mm fork offset, and 29 x 2.6in tyres. In plain English, it is still a premium bike, but it is no longer locked into the sort of niche compatibility that makes spares annoying to source five years down the line.
There is also practical trail-day stuff that matters more than most spec sheets admit. The frame has in-frame storage, lower ISCG05 tabs for a chain guide or bash guard, and Evil’s Rip Chip adjustability for geometry tuning. For UK riding, where wet roots and awkward climbs are normal, that mix of storage, adjustability, and modern standards makes more sense than a bike that is only impressive on a showroom stand. From here, the real question is how all that translates on the trail.
How it rides when the trail gets rough
The Offering’s personality is about grip first, then speed, then fun. Evil’s DELTA layout is a linkage-driven single-pivot design, and that matters because the bike feels supportive without losing the planted traction you want when the trail is loose, steep, or broken up. I would describe it as calm under load, but not dead. It wants to keep the tyre glued to the ground, and it does a good job of staying composed when the trail starts to punish mistakes.
That said, there is a trade-off, and I would rather be honest about it than pretend otherwise. The bike can squat quite a bit under hard braking, which makes the rear end feel more settled and sticky, but also a little more defensive if you are grabbing the brakes late and often. That is not a deal-breaker; it is the kind of behaviour you learn to ride around. If you stay centred and let the bike work, it rewards you. If you ride it like a light trail bike, it can feel like it is asking for a firmer hand.
On climbs, the steep seat angle is doing real work. It helps keep your weight in a sensible place, which is one reason the bike feels more efficient than its travel number suggests. I would not call it a sprightly climber, but it is far from a dead weight on the way up. The best use case is obvious to me: fast, rough descents, long technical climbs, wet root webs, and that slightly messy kind of trail where line choice matters more than pure fitness.
That feel is why the bike is interesting in the first place. It is not chasing lightness for its own sake, and it is not trying to be a mini-enduro compromise. It is trying to feel secure, fast, and a little mischievous when the trail gets steep enough to wake it up. The geometry explains a lot of that, so that is the next place to look.
Geometry and fit are the real story
The current geometry update is not subtle, and that is a good thing. In the High position, the head angle sits at 64.7 degrees and the seat angle at 79 degrees. Flip it to Low and you get a slightly slacker 64.2-degree head angle, a 78.5-degree seat angle, and an 8mm drop in bottom bracket height, from 24mm to 32mm of BB drop. The chainstay stays at 435mm across all four sizes, and the front centre grows by 20mm compared with the previous generation.
| Rip Chip position | Head angle | Seat angle | BB drop | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 64.7° | 79° | 24mm | Slightly more clearance and a touch more agility |
| Low | 64.2° | 78.5° | 32mm | More planted and better suited to steeper descents |
The fit numbers are just as telling. Evil lists four sizes, and the frame’s maximum seatpost insertion depths are 225mm on Small, 240mm on Medium, 260mm on Large, and 295mm on X-Large. Minimum steerer lengths, assuming a 40mm stack stem and no headset spacers, are 145mm, 155mm, 164mm, and 180mm respectively. That is useful because it shows the frame can handle long droppers without turning into a compromise puzzle.
In practice, I would call the fit strategy sensible rather than wild. The bike is still long and aggressive, but the geometry is now modern enough that it should feel stable instead of merely compact and twitchy. If you like to stay centred, load the bike hard, and push it into rough terrain, the numbers support that riding style. If you want the shortest, easiest bike to throw around in a tight woodland loop, the current Offering is probably more chassis than you need. From there, the spec and pricing tell you whether the ride quality is worth paying for.
The spec list tells you this is not a budget bike
Evil is not pretending this is an affordable trail rig. The current build range sits roughly between $6,699 and $10,799, and the frame-only option is $3,999. That is a serious buy-in, especially once you translate it into a UK landing cost with shipping and tax in the mix. If you are shopping from Britain, the real question is not just whether the bike is good, but whether the final number still makes sense once it arrives at your door.
The upside is that the spec is almost entirely high-end. The current builds are centred on SRAM T-Type drivetrains, RockShox Ultimate-level suspension, Maven Silver brakes, and wheel options from Industry Nine, with carbon upgrades available. Pinkbike’s launch coverage also flagged two top complete builds at around 33.4lb / 15.1kg and 34.4lb / 15.6kg, depending on whether you choose the lighter Lyrik/Super Deluxe package or the burlier Zeb/Vivid package. That is a good showing for a carbon 151mm bike, but it is still not light enough to pretend it belongs in an XC conversation.
That price structure tells me exactly who Evil is aiming at: riders who would rather pay once for a well-specced bike than buy a cheaper frame and start upgrading immediately. The current lineup also only gives you so much freedom, which is fine if you like Evil’s chosen parts, less ideal if you want to build something custom from the ground up. The next question is how this new Offering differs from the older bikes many people still have in mind.
Why used Offering LS bikes are different
If you are looking at a used Offering LS, treat it as a different bike family, not just an older paint job. The previous generation ran 140mm rear travel and SuperBoost 157 spacing, and it had a more compact, old-school Evil character. The new bike moves to Boost 148, adds more rear travel, and lands in a much more mainstream compatibility zone. That matters for wheels, hubs, and long-term parts sourcing.
| Version | Rear travel | Rear spacing | Main feel | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Offering V4 | 151mm | Boost 148 | More modern, more stable, better aligned with current parts standards | Hard-charging trail riders and steep terrain |
| Older Offering LS / V2 | 140mm | SuperBoost 157 | More compact and a bit more old-school Evil in the rear end | Used-bike buyers who want the classic character |
Bike Perfect’s earlier V2 test is still useful context because it captures the old bike’s personality well. The short version is that the previous Offering had excellent traction, a very controlled suspension feel, and confident handling, but it was also expensive and more effective than lively when you pedalled it on flatter ground. That is a fair description of the family as a whole, even if the new bike has moved the balance point toward more modern stability and compatibility. If you are buying used, that older feel can still be appealing, but you should buy it deliberately rather than by accident.
For me, this comparison is the most important one because it stops the current bike from being judged by outdated expectations. The current Offering is not just the old frame with a different shock bolted in. It is a proper reset, and it is aimed at a rider who wants a more stable, more forgiving, more current version of the Evil idea. That makes the final buying decision much easier to frame.
Who I would recommend it to and who should pass
I would recommend the current Offering to riders who spend real time on steep, rough, and unpredictable trails. If your home terrain includes wet roots, awkward compressions, braking bumps, fast natural descents, and a lot of terrain that rewards a planted rear wheel, this bike makes sense. It should also suit riders who like a bike with a bit of personality, not just one that feels clinically balanced.
I would pass on it if your riding is mostly mellow trail centre loops, long all-day pedalling where every gram matters, or mixed riding where you want a lighter and cheaper bike to do everything. I would also think twice if you want a wide-open parts ecosystem, because the current Offering is still a premium, tightly curated build story rather than a DIY bargain.
For UK buyers specifically, I would be cautious about letting the spec sheet make the whole decision for you. A direct-import carbon bike with premium parts can look sensible in USD and feel much less sensible once shipping, taxes, and support logistics are added. If you have a local dealer path or a clear service plan, that removes a lot of the friction. If you do not, I would build that into the decision from the start. That brings me to the simplest verdict I can give on the bike.
The verdict I would give after looking past the hype
The current Offering is a genuinely strong update, because the changes are not cosmetic. The bike now has the geometry, compatibility, and travel numbers to match what aggressive trail riders actually ask for in 2026, and it keeps the distinctive Evil ride character that made the older models memorable. It is supportive, composed, and fast when the trail gets rough, yet it still has enough agility to avoid feeling like a blunt instrument.
If I were choosing a build for most riders, I would start with the 160mm fork setup and the High chip, then move to Low only if the terrain is consistently steep and fast. I would also view the pricier builds as the real bikes in the range, because the current value proposition is about getting a complete, sorted package rather than shopping for a bargain frame.
For riders in the UK, the decision is even simpler: buy it only if you want this kind of bike and are comfortable paying for it properly. If you do, the Offering looks like a serious, capable trail machine with real character. If you want a lighter, cheaper, more everyday trail bike, this is more bike than you need.
