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Mountain Biking

2011 Ellsworth Moment and Evolution 29er Overview

Rocky DerrickBy Rocky DerrickMay 11, 20118 Comments4 Mins Read

Last Fall, I spent a couple of days at the Interbike Outdoor Demo. While there, I stopped in to visit the crew at Ellsworth Bikes. Here’s a quick overview of a couple of great bikes you should look for at your local dealer.

2011 Ellsworth Moment SST.2

The current Ellsworth Moment is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. If you are looking for a true pedal friendly freeride bike that can do it all, then this may be your bike so you better start thinking about which Ellsworth custom frame color you are going to go with. The bike boasts 160 mm of ultra-efficient and smooth ICT travel and aggressive geometry that enables you to handle any DH trail you throw yourself down, yet it climbs like an XC bike.

Let’s be honest, that’s what most of us are looking for, a true do everything bike. Out of Ellsworth’s impressive quiver of bikes, they claim the Moment to be the most versatile full suspension bike in their line-up. If you want to do everything from technical up and back’s to full on DH trails and can only have one bike to do it all then the Moment is hard to beat. If you are like me, then your riding partners consist of everything from single speed hard tail 29ers that are relentless climbers to 50 lb DH hucksters that pride themselves in never pedaling up hill, and everything in between; well this bike can hang with all of them. It’s one of the most versatile 6 and 6 inch freeride bikes on the market.

Changes from 2010 Moment to 2011 model:

The new tapered and machined semi-integrated head tube decreases weight and increases stiffness as well as increases fork clearance and reduces stack heights. The new head tube allows for the use of larger top and down tubes, which increases the frames’ front-end stiffness and reduces weight. In addition, Ellsworth’s new ‘Super-Formed Pivot Integrated’ seat tube is crafted in a heated mold, which gives better control than hydroforming over the material’s flow characteristics, to better align the structure and maintain exact wall thicknesses. We also swage, internally taper and hand form our tubes. These three processes allow Ellsworth complete control over the tubes’ end wall thickness and shape.

Ellsworth Evolution 29er

The 29er 120mm category is quickly becoming one of the most popular bike categories in the industry. There are multiple new companies that have released a 29er 120mm bike. Plain and simple, the Ellsworth Evolution is the best 5.5 inch 29er that I have ever ridden. Its pedals effortlessly and while descending the fully active travel on the sst.2 frame really comes to life. This bike does it all from smashing XC trails to hoofing all day rides across all kinds of terrain. If you are looking for a 120mm 29er this very well may be the one for you. Ellsworth quality and a machine that will handle everything you throw at it.

Changes from the Evolve to the 2011 Evolution:

For 2011 Ellsworth has redesigned the Evolve 100mm travel and introduced the Evolution 120mm travel 29er. The benefits of an easier rolling 29” wheel typically come at the expense of handling with a longer chainstay and comfort with an offset seat tube. The Ellsworth design uses long rockers with the shortest possible chainstay. This keeps handling light and nimble as well as eliminating any brake jack commonly found prevalent on most 29er suspension designs. The 120mm travel on both ends of the Evolution utilizes the latest in suspension technology and is matched and factory tuned by Fox Racing Shocks to optimize ride characteristics. Award Winning Instant Center Tracking that neutralizes pedal input has been designed around the 29” wheel platform as well as 11-36 cogstacks to ease pedaling a larger diameter wheel.

More Info: Visit EllsworthBikes.com

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Rocky Derrick
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Hailing from Salt Lake City, Rocky always has some adventure up his sleeve and a smile on his face. His passions include mountain biking, skiing, road biking and spending time with his family. Just don't ask him where Bullwinkle is.

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8 Comments

  1. Tim on May 13, 2011 8:07 am

    Does the Evolution dethrone the Rip9?

    Reply
    • Rocky Derrick on May 19, 2011 5:44 pm

      Great question Tim. I don’t know that I would be as bold as to say that it dethrone’s the Rip9, but I think it is definately right up there with it. Both stellar bikes and will likely come down to rider preference. Can’t go wrong with either one if you are looking for a solid “do everything” full suspension 29er.

      Reply
  2. jb on May 16, 2011 10:31 am

    how does the ellsworth evolution compare to the pivot mach 429? pros/cons?

    Reply
    • Jason Mitchell on May 16, 2011 9:19 pm

      I haven’t ridden the Evolution or the Mach 429, but I’ve ridden plenty of Ellsworth and Pivot bikes. I can tell you that both of them offer some of the best suspension performance on the market. For my tastes, I would give the nod to the DW-Link suspension as my personal favorite. But, the Mach 429 is a 100mm travel bike that’s more inline with the Evolve. With a 120mm fork, the 429 could be considered comparable to the Evolution, but it is really intended to be ridden as a 100/100 bike.

      Sorry if I didn’t answer your question, but I’m not so sure if Rocky (the author) has ridden the 429 either. If so, I’m sure he’ll chime in. I can tell you this… both will be awesome bikes.

      Reply
      • jb on May 19, 2011 11:16 am

        Jason thank you for your reply. i am a fan of the Pivot 429 and would buy one but the bike is sold out. i will have to give the evolve a spin…

        Reply
        • Rocky Derrick on May 19, 2011 5:51 pm

          As Jason mentioned, I have not had the privilege of riding the 429, but as Jason pointed out the biggest difference is the 100mm vs the 120mm. If you are a fan of the 429 and are not opposed to a little extra suspension then I would definitely take close look at the Evolve. In my opinion, a little extra suspension is usually a good thing! Unless you plan on doing a lot of long full day rides and extensive cross country, I think you will enjoy having the 120mm a travel.

          Reply
  3. professed on September 28, 2011 4:02 am

    “We also swage, internally”…

    Nice ‘cut and paste’ from the Ellsworth press release Rocky.

    Reply
    • Jason Mitchell on September 29, 2011 10:21 am

      Honest mistake, give him a break.

      Reply

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