The EVO is a short travel trail bike. There is not much “XC” in a 12.5kg bike so a head to head comparison makes little sense. Maybe a comparison against Transition Spur or Rocky Mountain Element would be more informative?
Sure there is, 12.5 kg is alright for most wallets and cross country isn’t just racing; it’s trail riding, xc, novices often using one bike for everything. Switch out a couple tyres and that weight is going to be acceptable for any non-pro, esp. mid to low pack. It’s certainly not going to determine podium or not. What makes little sense is all these sworks epic 8 reviews basically turning into flight attendant reviews. What I want to know is how the comp/expert/pro ride as the sworks is 1) way out of average riders budget 2) way more tech and price for the capability of the average rider/racer. There’s a reason the comp and expert are called that. And the pro. If you’re not racing XCO world cups, not working for a shop with insane trade discount, or not old to be financially stable enough that you’re realistically past the age of racer this is designed for…really use it to win a living off it… I’d love more of the affordable, and I mean “affordable” in a good way not as cheap or bad.
Agreed. Was chatting with an industry insider last week about local pricing. Everyone misses the R10 to the USD of 2014. At that exchange, this new S-Works would be a somewhat more palatable R170k as opposed to R295k. Either way I agree, it's still a ton of loot for anyone. The top spec is a dream to ride and wasn't made as a value model. It's an F1 level performance bike.
Just seeing this now. Great comparison. A third option could be a FA'ed Epic EVO. I just did this on my '23 Epic EVO and am quite pleased with the results. Best of both worlds!
Nice review! Do you think the Epic EVO can handle smaller jumps and drops or should I go for Stumpy? I would prefer efficient and playful bike for trips but I still want to enjoy some bike park fun without worries that I will damage the frame or suspension.
Nice review! You have tested size L frames, could you tell me how tall are you? I am 5’10 and I found myself in between M and L on previous gen Epic Evo. I am looking at Epic 8 (non-Evo) now and I wonder if the sizeing is similiar
