A love letter to the undead
First, let's get one thing straight. I am a bike nerd. I like the way they look, I like putting them together, and I like riding them. Like many of you reading this, I was that kid in the neighborhood with a plywood ramp that never grew up.
When I think of iconic downhill bikes, models like the Honda RN01, Iron Horse Sunday, Yeti 303 DH, and the Intense M1 immediately come to mind (I could go on, but we would be here all day). These bikes paired unique engineering with captivating design, and would still punch above their weight today.
For me, there's one bike that stands above the rest. Maybe it's because it shoehorned me into a decade of good times at Evil Bikes. Maybe it’s the fond memories of smashing DH laps with Walsh and Strobel in Evil’s early days. Either way, the most iconic downhill bike of all time (at least in my book) is the Evil Undead. More specifically, the World Cup Team issue that sported Yellow Deemax wheels and Evil's signature zombie apocalypse livery.
I happened to ride a civilian Undead back in those days. That thing looked fast standing still and rode like a bat out of hell. Design & ride characteristics that remain driving forces today.
An Iconic Wheelset
I’ve wanted to build a modern take on that look for years, although considering its been some time since we last saw yellow Deemax’s, that presented a bit of a challenge. I surely wasn’t about to bust out the yellow Krylon on a modern 29” wheelset.
Then last year, Mavic surprised everyone with a limited run of 29” Deemax wheels in their classic yellow colorway. The stars aligned. I immediately grabbed a set and began amassing parts for what has been a decade-long dream build.
Offering 151: A Strong Foundation
The chassis is the best damn bike I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding: the all-new Evil Offering. The Offering has been my daily driver since its debut in 2018 and that is for good reason - there’s nothing this bike can’t do and the latest iteration is on another level entirely.
FOX Factory Suspension
Keeping with the aesthetic, Fox suspension was a must. Fox released their “Podium” inverted fork late last year. Considering I am a full-fledged bike nerd and upside down forks are just cool, I couldn't say no. With the Podium up front, and a Float X2 in the rear, this bike floats comfortably on a cloud of Kashima.
SRAM X0 AXS TRANSMISSION
Shifting and dropper duties are handled by SRAM. AXS is the shit. Batteries are the future. Your digital overlords command you - join now or perish in an onslaught of frayed cables and barrel adjusters.
Magura MT7 Stoppers
Stopping power comes courtesy of Magura with a conveniently matching pair of MT7’s. This is my first go with Magura and I am eager to put these through their paces. One ride in the books and I’m already impressed.
Cane Creek Reliability
Up front, a Cane Creek 110 Series headset keeps the steering smooth. I believe this headset is on it's third bike now. These things last forever and the lifetime bearing warranty doesn't hurt.
OneUp Riser Bars
A OneUp V2 Carbon bar with 50mm rise because I like tall bars and Pinkbike told me so with graphs and numbers. I am a big fan of OneUp.
Burgtec Bargain
Burgtec’s Enduro stem does exactly what I need it to; hold my bars on and look good doing it. If you were wondering, yes, that is the one Jenson was selling for $20. I don’t sleep on a good deal.
RevGrips Comfort
If you haven't already, give Revgrips a try. I know, I know – they're a bit pricier than your average grip, but I I promise, your hands and wrists will thank you. And no, you don’t “feel” the rotation while riding.
A head-turning Livery
Finally, my good friend (and Evil design wizard) Kole Wetherell adapted these legacy Undead decals to fit a modern frame, and our friends at Ground Keeper Custom were eager to lend a hand with production. Huge thanks to Ground Keeper for this one - the decals look incredible and this build just wouldn’t be complete without them.
So here it is: the coolest bike I’ve ever seen, dressed head-to-toe in the finest garb from present day. The reigning mini-DH champion of my heart, the Evil Offering Undead.
FEELING INSPIRED?
Craft your own custom Offering or roll away on one of our top notch build kits...
Read these too
看全部
