The Calling is Evil’s new extra rowdy short travel trail sled
Evil describes the Calling as a “bike shaped skateboard.” We call it a great looking 130mm travel 27.5” trail bike.
While we’d categorize the Calling as a short travel trail bike, Evil insists it’s a “bike shaped skateboard.” Essentially, it’s a 130mm travel rig rolling on 27.5” wheels with some incredibly aggressive geometry. Or as Evil puts it, “just enough travel to keep you honest, while encouraging you to irresponsibly hit every extra-credit line on the trail.”
Unlike most premium brands serving this niche, the Calling largely eschews internal cable routing. There is a stealth option for your dropper post, but the brake and derailleur housing are run neatly under the down tube. If you’ve worked on an internally routed frame recently, you’ll appreciate this touch.
The suspension linkage may look complicated, but it’s basically a fancy looking linkage-driven single pivot.
Suspension duties are performed by a Trunnion mounted Super Deluxe shock housed in a web of links, better known as the Delta System (aka Dave’s Extra Legitimate Travel Apparatus). For those unfamiliar with the name, Dave Weagle helped co-found Evil and still develops the suspension kinematics. You may have heard of him from his work on the imaginatively named DW-Link used by brands such as Pivot and Ibis. Weagle also developed Split Pivot, which is licensed by Devinci, Salsa, and others.
For comparison, the Santa Cruz 5010 V2, Transition Scout, and Kona 134 all have 67-degree head angles. This bike toggles between 66.4 and 65.8. Click to enlarge
The system is a basically a fancy looking linkage driven single pivot with adjustability built in. By swapping the links from the low to x-low positions, you can slacken the head angle from 66.4 degrees to 65.8 (with a 140mm fork). The frame is also compatible with an angle adjust headset, so you have another 1 degree to play with. If you’re a serious bike nerd, you may appreciate just how slack that is. For comparison, the Santa Cruz 5010 V2, Transition Scout, and Kona 134 all share a 67 degree head angle. The rest of the new bike’s numbers follow the same trend.
A pictorial overview of the Calling’s many features. Click to enlarge
It’s also worth noting the frame uses boost spacing, has clearance for 2.4” tires (or 26+), features a threaded BB (Hallelujah) and requires a 30t or larger chainring. The frame also includes an integrated carbon chain guide, but if you want to run a lower guide/bash, you’ll have to order a custom E13 unit.
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Retail for the new frames is $2,899. It’s available in two colors: Angry Dolphin and Muddy Waters. Frames are available in four sizes (S, M, L, XL), which should accommodate riders between 5’2” and 6’4”.
For more info, visit www.evil-bikes.com.
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