Cait’s Evil Offering V2 Build

FRAME

Material: Carbon
Size: Small (440 reach)
Weight: 15kg
Geo Setting: X-Low
Chainstay: 430mm
Suspension Platform: Delta Link

I remember being extremely stoked when Evil dropped that silhouette image of the Offering on their Instagram page. My partner Michael had been riding a 2017 Insurgent LB, and I was jealous of the way his bike rode compared to the 27.5” wheeled 2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7 I was riding at the time. Upgrading to a bike that fitted me was key, and I thought it was only time to give 29 inch wheels a go as up until this point I had shied away from them due to my height.

I had been looking at boutique bikes for a while, but nothing caught my eye as much as Evil bikes did. From having a shot of an older model and trying out Michaels Wreckoning V3, I knew that I was drawn to the way their bikes rode, full of poppiness and playfulness, and I fell in love with the plush feeling of their bikes thanks to the impressive DELTA link.  I decided to go for the size small, which turned out to be a good call.

From reading reviews, I realized people were talking about how the V2 is much different in geo to the V1, and noted that the reach numbers had gone up across the board from the V1 and that the seat tube angles were up one full degree. To me, I liked the idea of a spacious cockpit and more efficient upright climbing position, because I am not a strong climber. Because the Offering is reasonably efficient at climbing, I was able to keep up with my friends both up and down, and I really fell in love with biking again. Where I live we have some grueling climbs, or some climbs that feel like they go up and onwards for miles, so for me the efficiency was much appreciated from this bike.

As the middle-child in the Evil range, with all-around intentions, the 65.8-degree head angle in the X-Low setting keeps the Offering well balanced between nimbleness and stability. I have the flip chips in the X-Low configuration primarily for the decreased stand over height and slacker head angle. Overall I just prefer it in party mode. The Offering is yet to show me something it cannot do; it is a trail slayer there is no denying that. We typically have granite rock at the core of our trails, so they’re often grippy, rocky and steep. I am regularly surprised just how well the Offering can handle it. Singletrack is probably where the Offering belongs the most, but in the beautiful berms and steeper trails in some ancient woodland nearby is the environment where I think the Offering shines its brightest.

The design of the DELTA link achieves a high degree of suppleness early in the travel, with a very predictable high traction stage through the middle and a bottomless ramp at the end of the travel. I certainly noticed a difference in plushness and progression from the rear suspension in comparison to my old 2020 Trek Fuel EX, therefore the Evil gives me more support and confidence on the chunk. Evil’s bikes really do shine everywhere. I haven’t found a trail yet where I thought the bike was going to give up on me, it takes and takes and excels beyond my ability sometimes. It’s a demon for those single tracks and as soon as you point it down the way, that spirit is released. I often find myself pulling the brakes due to the sheer speed it wants to go – maybe this is a sign for me to trust the speed! I’ll work on it.

SUSPENSION:

Fork: DVO Onyx Sc1 | 160mm
Shock: DVO Jade X | 140mm

When I was building the Offering V2, I decided that I would take a stab at DVO Suspension after reading some seriously awesome reviews at the time. The hype of the new Onyx fork seemed like a great idea. Sadly after quite some time trying to make them work for me, I’ve had to accept that these DVO products don’t particularly work for me.

Originally the DVO Onyx was travel reduced to 150mm and had the pressures set correctly for me. One day my bike felt like it was unbalanced, and at first I swore it was my riding style, but a couple OTBs later I realized that it was my fork playing games with me.  My 150mm fork had sucked itself down to 120mm – I was hella sad. It turns out this was caused by the OTT system used in DVO’s air springs, which wasn’t working as intended due to my lower weight and lower air pressure in the fork. The load applied by the OTT (Off The Top) spring was greater than the pressure in the air shaft, making the fork suck itself inwards. The only way we could have made it work was to up the pressure in the air shaft, which ended up being too firm for me to ride comfortably.

We thought that upping the suspension to 160mm could provide some relief, in hope that it would reduce the issue. Following a rebuild the issue had gone for months, and the DVO floated lovely over the terrain – it felt like a pillow up front. Recently however it’s begun to get ever so slightly sucked back in, leaving the front end feeling unbalanced once again.

The DELTA link on its own is plush, so I felt that the open damping of the Jade X made the bike lose its efficiency. It was so open on the descents that I worried about my frame too. I loved the zero packing over chatter, and it made descending on technical terrain buttery smooth, which initially made me fall in love with the Jade X. I also loved the three-way switch giving me closed, pedal/trail and open modes to quickly flip between. However I often found that there was still some bob creeping into the Delta link rear end whilst in pedal mode, making the Offering lose its efficiency slightly. I think when DVO works, it works extremely well and delivers a beautiful buttery smooth feeling to your bike with the option to ramp up at any point. Even working with a suspension tech though we really couldn’t get it to work for me, so unfortunately the DVO has got to go.

I have reverted to my stock Rockshox Super Deluxe Ultimate air shock, which I thought launched me forward a lot, but maybe this was due to my OTT issue up front. I am planning to test it with a Rockshox Lyrik up front, and maybe get a MegNeg air can if I still feel like there’s some plushness to be gained.

DRIVETRAIN

Shimano XT Derailleur
Shimano XT Cassette
Shimano XT Chain
Shimano XT BB
MW Bash guard – prototype
Works Components Oval Chainring

If I told you that my XT derailleur was in top notch condition currently, I would be completely lying to you. The clutch has gone, and it sounds like an old man getting out of bed. To be fair, this has been going for miles since the start of 2022, so I am due a replacement. I can compliment the shifting of the Shimano 12 speed drivetrains; it hasn’t let me down and I haven’t experienced any dropped chains or decreased pedalling efficiency due to drivetrain wear. I did expect my derailleur to last for longer, but this could be due to the wet climate that I live in. Overall this Shimano XT setup was a solid buy for me.

Works Components create beautiful chain rings and when I saw that they made one in turquoise, I just had to put it into my basket. As I said previously, I am not a strong climber – I usually blame my height and the fact that I am asthmatic for this, but actually I think I am just a bit lazy –  and as of fitting the new oval chainring, I noticed that I was not stomping my feet quite so much whilst climbing, and felt to be exerting myself a little less when trying to catch up with the group. I actually enjoyed pedalling again, whether it be giving me legitimate gains or just placebo. I think that is the most important thing…plus it looks sick, I can’t deny that.

I also have an old prototype bash guard from MWalker Designs – a project by my partner Michael. It is finished in raw 7075 aluminium, and we wanted to see if I could break it. So far, I’ve only dented it slightly, which is pretty sweet!

BRAKES

Hope Tech 3 E4
Hope 180mm rotors in blue

These Hope Tech 3 E4 brakes are probably my favourite brakes I have owned to date. I love the customizability of them, the colourways are fun, and I like how you can adjust the levers to fit your personal touch. I have adjusted mine so I’m less inclined to pull my brakes all the time, and have forced myself to let go more due to this. The way the brakes feather is lovely, as I do not like brakes which are “on-off” in their feeling. I also admire that they avoid getting too hot on uplift days too. I have reduced my brake rotor diameter down to 180mm from 200mm as they were too powerful for me and took too long to heat up. 180mm feels like a sweet spot for me.

COCKPIT

One Up Components Carbon Bars – 780mm – 35mm clamp, 30mm rise.
MW Better Late Than Never (BLTN) Stem in Turquoise
PNW Components Loam Lever in sea foam teal
PNW Components Loam Grips in sea foam teal
One Up Components EDC Lite in teal

The first thing I am going to talk about is my favourite part of my bike, my turquoise stem. I’d say this stem is special to me because it is an MWalker Designs project. Of only 5 that have been made so far, I have the only turquoise one. I’ve been with Michael all the way through his creation of this stem from initial prototype to having it in my hands, and to have a part like this on my bike made by my partner is hella cool! The stem is milled from a single block of 7075 T6 aluminium; features a 35mm clamp diameter along with a 40mm length, and is then finished off with titanium hardware. I think it looks sick! I also like to brag about the fact my boyfriend is making cool things, and I think that’s one of the coolest things you can do as a partner.

My favourite grips and dropper lever for the last five years have been the PNW Components Loam range. I really like the grip from the Loam Grips as they are comfortable on my small hands – they have great grip in the wet and during the hot summers. I am on my second Loam Lever as my original V1 lost the rubber cap on it, but the second lever has got a much firmer and interactive push to it which I like. Plus, it matches all the other PNW Seafoam Teal components. Winner! Thanks to TrailDogz for helping me get stock of the new lever when my V1 lost its cap.

The One Up EDC Lite is on review, so you will see more on that soon.

The One Up Components bars are new on my bike, so I’ve not had the chance to properly try them out for the long term. So far though, I have noticed decreased strain on my wrists which I have struggled with in the past from an old injury, so there’s something good there. I plan to cut them shorter than 780mm as I think it might be too long for my small stature, but I won’t make the mistake of cutting to 745mm ever again – measure twice, cut once!

DROPPER | SADDLE

PNW Components Loam Dropper -150mm
SDG Radar Ti Alloy Rail Saddle – Bear graphics

The bear design was too cool not to buy from SDG, and with the 29-inch wheel at the back I needed something to prevent tire buzz with my slammed saddle height. The SDG Radar saddle features a rear buzz cut out, which works well. It also features a hidden undercut and peri-canal which both combined to give a lot of relief from tip to tail. As a lady, it’s difficult to find a seat which is comfortable. For me though this seat is seriously rad and comfortable – I can’t complain.

The Loam Dropper is great, but from being used to a One Up Dropper prior, I do miss that slightly lower standover. PNW have made the Loam Dropper fun by adding an additional rubber ring to the post collar so you can match your other components – obviously I bought the seafoam teal ring. The overall insertion is 240mm, which is compact in comparison to many on the market. My favorite feature is the on-the-go travel adjuster by 5mm increments. This was especially good when I first got my bike and could try out seat height at any point on the go to get the best saddle height with it still slammed in the frame. Super!

WHEELS | TIRES

DT Swiss EX481
Industry Nine Hydra hubs in teal
WTB tyres
Peatys valves

I have had zero flaws or issues with my DT Swiss EX481 rims, they are lightweight and strong. I’ve not dented them or buckled them, which is pretty good in my book, as I’ve certainly tried!

My i9 Hydra hubs have me 50/50 on them. First, the engagement from the rear hub makes a big difference to climbing and descending, and the sound of the hub is addictive. I genuinely love hearing it when you get to a fast section of trail – my friends and I have a joke that I am the angry bee because of the sound! However, I have found the lifespan of the stock enduro bearings to be poor, having worn through two pairs front and rear in a relatively short space of time. Since then I’ve replaced them with SKF bearings which have held up better so far, but time will tell!

I am a weird one for tires because I was riding the super draggy Michelin Wild Enduro for years and never changed away from them. However, at one point I spoke to Evil and they recommended me a Minion DHF 2.4 up front and an Aggressor 2.35 at the rear, which made the bike very fun (and scary) in the Innerleithen summer dust. One day Michael convinced me to try the WTB’s he had been riding, and I think they are maybe my favorite to date. I have a Vigilante 2.4 at the front and a Judge 2.4 on the rear. This combo really complements each other: the Vigilante is a fairly fast-rolling tire which penetrates well in softer soils, whilst the Judge really helps to stabilize the bike when things get sketchy. The Judge had good mud clearing too, which I like. Although I have been riding mountain bikes for five and a half years, I still haven’t found my go-to bike tires, and whilst I think the expensive experiments in tires are worth it, keeping the same combo for a while is favorable to me.

The Peaty’s teal valves are there for style points, but I like the handy spoke key cap.

OTHER

Custom stickers that I made myself.
Custom Evil teal stickers
Custom DVO teal stickers
76 Projects cable tidies
Invisiframe kit

The first thing I did with my frame was Invisiframe it. I did not trust myself to not chip the paint or scratch it. You could say that it is a mountain bike and is going to get scratched, but I didn’t want to risk it because I am clumsy. The Invisiframe is great and has done its job, especially at preventing annoying cable rub from causing damage.

Keeping my cables under control is a pair of 76 Projects cable bobbins. These additively manufactured treats do a fantastic job of keeping my hoses and gear cables looking neat and running quietly.

All my decals on my fork and frame are custom, and obviously in the color teal!

I cut my own vinyl at my work: there is a featured local bike shop – Twenty20 (currently missing the t) and at the time I wanted my favorite band (Periphery) logo on the bike. I also have a MWalker Designs logo on my top tube, cause why not represent the boyfriend… Although I have not cut myself a Caitographs sticker yet, maybe that’s something I should do.