I felt like my quiver was really settled, and there was basically nothing on my bike wishlist anymore. But then a friend who’d just purchased a Crust Evasion frame set had some unexpected financial and health challenges come up that necessitated selling it, and I got to thinking. I had never considered an Evasion despite being long familiar with the bike, but the more I considered it, the more I realized how well-suited it was to my type of riding: a little bit of everything from pavement to intermediate MTB trails. Disc brakes are something I’ve denied myself on all but my dedicated MTB, which is a bit silly.
Also by purchasing it I was helping out a friend in need which made it a lot easier to justify. I promptly put in some orders for a nice build, helped by a raise I’d just received at work.
My original intent was to build it up 27.5″ with some 2.2″ tires, but several Evasion owners or ex-owners convinced me that the bike works best with the 26+ tires it was originally designed for. While these are overkill for my needs, I went with it.
Sure, 2.8″ tires are overkill, but gosh they are pretty fun too. In larger wheel sizes they feel quite immense, but in 26″ the bike remains nimble as the outside diameter is pretty close to the 27.5 x 2.2 I originally planned.
The dropper post, actuated by an Easton lever that can be actuated both in the hoods and in the drops, is a very welcome addition when the trail gets a little spicy. The limitation for me becomes being able to grip the brake hoods and also operate the brakes while going over bumpy or technical terrain. But it’s not a mountain bike – it can just fool you into thinking it is sometimes!
This inaugural ride was about 36 km and a good test – mostly paved, but there were some trail connections that were at or beyond the limit of what I could ride on my Bombadil, and the Evasion felt great in these spots. The WTB Rangers are remarkably quick on pavement given their size and knobby profile, though obviously they’re not exactly fast. As long as I’m not trying to keep up with speedy friends, it’s fast enough for me.
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