[Closed] Evil Sovereign - Yay or nay?

Dont have one myself, but I know 2 folk who do, and they love them to bits. Everything from trail centres to downhill. And they look mint.

I had an original 853 in long and it was bloody fantastic. It is easily the best HT I have ridden so far, surprisingly comfortable despite the big thick chain/seat stays. Hopefully I will be riding a better handling bike in a few days or so.

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/29930426@N04/4518311522/ ]DSC_0006[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/29930426@N04/ ]i_ache[/url], on Flickr

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I Ache, what you getting?

Andy

Got rid of mine for a BFe 😀

Snakebite damn you!

Thats the problem, Bfe or Sovereign?

God, its like being on Jeremy Kyle...

It's a great bike, particularly when running it with the super short chainstays. It becomes a massively playful and fun bike to ride.

Yay

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I bought one and built it up with 130mm forks (probably too short) as i'd always thought they looked amazing. Rode it once, hated it. Really uncomfortably stiff at the back and scared the life out of me (longer forks to slacken it out might have helped).

To be honest I think it was just far too much bike for me and not suited to how I ride.

Every now and then I have to stop myself buying another just coz they look cool 🙂

Had one for a couple of years, recently sold it.

Rock solid bike that you can probably take anywhere.
Rides really nicely and can be set up in a few different ways. I went from 3x9 with 140 floats to 1x9 with lyriks which I liked.Even rode SS over the winter.

No complaints at all. The frame is a bit heavy but it never bothered me. Liked the fact that you could ride whatever you came across in a day. If I had unlimited space would have kept it. Wanted to try FS so moved on to a Devinci Hectik which is also a very nice bike..

Tough choice.... love my Sov and would love it in your neck of the woods even more.

It's out of the saddle attacking that it really shines, I run my chainstays about midway mostly.

Very playful bike and bombproof with the hammerschmidt.... put it together for winter and now lack thed motivation to rebuild mt FS....

By the way how do I put pictures up??

WhatafackinLiberty - Member
I Ache, what you getting?

I should be getting a new BFe through the door on Friday. I sold the Sov a while ago so its not like I am swapping. I think the BFe will be more of an all round bike than the Sov, I have high hopes but wont be disappointed if the BFe isn't quite as good. I will let you know in a week.

I've never owned one but I've ridden a couple of the older ones- 853 model? And TBH couldn't see what the hype is all about. Really good handling, nice and agile, but very stiff and dead feeling. I'd choose a BFe even if they didn't cost half as much, I think (how do you sell a cromo frame for £600?)

Or, tbh, for what you describe a Soul. The Sov is stronger than a strong thing but will that matter to you?

The 'dead' feeling is just the product of having heavier gauge tubing for strength, which is what he BFe also has. People I know who own BFes also say that they can be uncomfortable on longer rides.

There's not going to be much between the Sov and BFe really. The main point of difference is that the Sovereign allows you to adjust the chainstays. When set up with super short chain stays the Sovereign is a hoot, but it's not the easiest of animals to tame. It requires a certain approach to riding it.

I had one and used it for pretty much exactly the riding you are describing. I did Selkirk crc Marathon, Tour de BenNevis on it etc.

Was a really nice bike, but it is heavy, good fun on the downs and singletrack but i would say overall not as great as the hype would have you believe.

I think my 100mm travel 29er HT does everything better, but then i probably never pushed the Evils limits where as i may on the current bike.

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The original ones were badass, when setup like the one in the photo below. Slammed stays and short forks for a proper fun bike. Then they re-released them and changed them. They now seem to be used by people who run them with the chainstays too long and forks that are far too long. Ruined them. For £600 you could get 2 cotics (which also have nice short stays)

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I love love love mine.

It's been my only bike for 2 years, during which time I've used it for 24 hour XC races, Gravity Enduros, 5 weeks of Alpine destruction, Megavalanche and the Endurance DH at Fort William, as well as all day moorland slogs, big Scottish mountains, trail centres, BMX tracks and lots of steep lovelyness at home in Calderdale.

It is the most versatile, best handling and most all-out grin inducing bike I know of. Bit of a hefty lump, but that doesn't bother me.

140mm forks, 1x10, big brakes, a short stem and wound-in wheelbase for maximum radness.

I'd say it's a bike that rewards steeper terrain and a fairly skilled rider. As others have said it really comes alive when you drop the saddle a bit and get stuck in.

Obligatory low quality kitchen shot of mine;

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Like this mate. MBNuts Sovereign

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I've got an original 853 one too which will be 5 years old this year.

It is, without doubt, the greatest bike EVER made. The new ones don't look as smart but no doubt ride as well- slammed chainstays, relatively steep head angle to keep things lively. As Fortunateson says though, you've got to be good to get the most out of it and if you don't ride lots of properly tech stuff and just mince round trail centres you may as well get something a bit more hom-core like a Soul.

And they feel a lot better with high rise bars and a big fork- 20mm axle big.

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I wanted one a while back..
For the money.. No.
Get a Stanton.

I own one and cannot think of a frame I'd change it for. Yes the bfe is good, but it ain't as good as the sovereign as a mental hardcore hardtail.

In order to get the most of the sovereign it needs to be ridden like you stole it. With short chainstays and an adjustable travel fork it is the cats whiskers. 130mm for trail riding, 150mm for dh, 100mm for dj and bmx tracks.

I can see why some people don't rate it, they are not riding it hard enough 😆 If you have it with long chainstays it takes the fun out of the bike.

If you love jumping, manualling and having the bike drift, you will love it. If you prefer the front and back wheels going in the same direction then you are better of with a bfe 😉

correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't the new ones made from gas pipes and the old ones from 853?

look at a DB Alpine. i use mine for everything from light DH, bike park, trail hacking and with a different set of wheels pootling along with the GF.
climbs well enough. climbs very well with a dropped fork. descends better.

853 tubing, similar geo to Sov and BFe. better value for money.... oh, and i've got one - what better reason is there?

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The Alpine and Sov ride totally differently.

853 tubing, similar geo to Sov and BFe. better value for money.... oh, and i've got one - what better reason is there?

I've owned both and the alpine doesn't come close as an all-rounder.

slammed chainstays, relatively steep head angle to keep things lively

Good man. This is how it should be done.

no? i've no experience of riding either a Sov or a BFe, but always thought all three were similar bikes; hooligan/hardcore/long travel hardtails.

in which way is it different?

Sov is way stiffer and BB is higher than Alpen. TT felt a bit shorter aswell.

Seat tube is also slacker and has shorter chainstays (if you run it how it is designed to be) TT feels about the same to me.

The alpine was great DH, but I felt something was missing when I rode it. I felt the chainstays were too long (for me) and the handling, although stable, didn't have the playfulness of other bikes I had ridden.

Don't get me wrong it is a good frame, but it doesn't have that x factor that certain frames have.

yes it does.... 😉

yes it does....

To you maybe, to me no.

Love mine, it's makes any ride fun.
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and I Ache hates it.

I have one and its immense fun, very stiff and chuckable, but still feels planted on rough stuff and drops. Single chain ring, wide bars and short stem, rag it around and you'll be laughing.

Op, you'll be getting a great bike whichever you choose of all the frames mentioned above: Evil Sov, BeFe, DB Alpine, Stanton...

If you're on a budget, I'd say you'll get the most out of your new bike by putting any extra cash towards an adjustable fork. It'll make more difference to your ride than the differences in the frames.
The handling changes dramatically with the forks,and on the Sov

slammed chainstays, relatively steep head angle to keep things lively

I've not ridden any of the other three, but it looks to me that the Stanton is most similar to that set up.^^^
The DB alpine has been ridden in comparison and described above as

The alpine was great DH, but I felt something was missing when I rode it. I felt the chainstays were too long (for me) and the handling, although stable, didn't have the playfulness of other bikes I had ridden.

The big difference with the Sovereign is you can have both these "set ups" in one bike, with the adjustable drop outs and an adjustable fork.
I reckon if you know what sort of riding you want to do , you can make a great choice with any of the frames. 🙂
But the Sov would be the most versatile. 😉

and I Ache hates it.

Well remembered. There is just too much blue in it. Saying that the BFe that I have ordered is blue, but there will be NO blue anodized bits on that!

To offer more input to my previous post.
I tested a Sov. A Stanton. And an Alpine. ridding myself of a bluepig, I found:

Sov felt great, on par with an alpine, but £550 for 4130 taiwanese nonsense. I'll pass.
The Alpine was fun and kicky.
The Stanton.. Super solid 853. Very squirly. Cheaper than the Evil by a mile.

On all three, you will get the short rearstays. the Alpine and the Stanton have lower BBs.
All three very fun bikes.
It's all about price to quality, I'd say.
One low point to Evil is that it is a one man company leaning more towards bouncy backs.