Evil Bikes

The Following Mountain Bike Frame

Anyone who says you need a lot of travel to have a lot of fun has yet to ride the Following. As a genre-defying 29er since its inception, this diabolical shredder can do so much more than its 4.7-inches of rear travel would have you think, punching way above its weight class and giving bigger bikes a serious run for their money. This latest version takes the Following to a new level, while maintaining the aspects we’ve come to know and love. While each iteration of bikes tends to get longer and slacker, Evil didn’t go too far off the deep end, lengthening the reach by a respectable 30mm (on a size large). To keep the efficient pedaling platform, a steeper seat tube, at 77-degrees, puts your weight in position to transfer power to the pedals. Evil also moved to an inline shock, with a redesigned linkage and rear triangle to get the shock as low as possible for the most pop on the descents.The Following exemplifies that sometimes, less is more, especially when it comes to having more fun, logging more miles and sending more lines.

The frame's linkage includes flip-chips that alter both the bottom bracket height and the head and seat tube angles. With a 130mm fork and dropped to the x-low setting, the bottom bracket is a berm slashing 12.82in from terra firma. The head tube has the ability to slacken out to 66.4 degrees with a 130mm fork also in the same x-low setting. Geometry this aggressive was unheard of on a 29er when the original Following launched 3 years ago and was reserved for 27.5in enduro machines. The bike eggs you on to push the pace and get out of your comfort zone. In further revisions, Evil designed the new Following around a SuperBoost+ rear spacing. At a whopping 157mm, the rear hub not only allows greater room for wider tires, but perhaps more importantly, provides a stiffer back end for better and more lively pedaling. The wider spacing also allows Evil to maintain the 430mm chainstays for a nimble ride.

The rear linkage is designed around an inline shock--this frame spec’d with Rockshox’s Deluxe Ultimate RCT Debonair, though there is enough room in the back end for a piggyback shock should you decide that’s more your speed down the line. Evil maintains the Trunnion design from the Following MB, for a single pivot configuration, using short links between the swingarm and the shock so a dual leverage rate curve can be achieved. The Dave Weagle-designed suspension system, DELTA, returns. This superior suspension design allows the Following to be the capable and versatile machine we love.

DELTA suspension isn't the only star of the show here. The carbon fiber and special construction methods allowing Evil to craft the Following to such exacting tolerances deserve a mention. The Following’s frame shaping sees a redesign based off the move to SuperBoost, with cleaner more angular shaping that plays off the curves of the mountains in those first ride photos to post. Fully internal cable routing keeps lines clean and optional ports allow for routing brakes moto style as well as a rear shock remote lock-out, if desired.