The Evil Chamois Hagar is the most progressive gravel bike we’ve ever ridden! In our exclusive first ride review, we find out whether you can still corner with a 66.67° head angle and how the Evil compares to a mountain bike.
In the mountain bike scene, Evil Bikes are known for their radical approaches and innovative suspension concepts. When first looking at the brand new Chamois Hagar, it almost seems as if someone accidentally forgot the shock and suspension fork and fitted a drop handlebar instead. It used to be that gravel bikes are built by road bike companies that adapt their frames and designs to suit the requirements of gravel riding with a lot of road bike DNA in them, but now Evil have joined the ranks of mountain bike brands with a gravel bike in their range. Considering the 66.67° head angle, 50 mm stem and 185 mm dropper post, you’d expect this to be a hardcore hardtail. Instead, when you open up the box you’re presented with a 9.15 kg (size L) borderline gravel bike.
The carbon frame with its organic curves is guaranteed to attract attention despite the discreet matt black paint job. Evil have dropped the asymmetrical chainstays to make room for up to 700x50C tires and, according to the manufacturer, for improved handling on gravel roads. If you decide to use a front derailleur or fit mudguards, you’ll still have enough clearance for up to 700x40C tires. For a more road-oriented setup, Evil recommend using 700x34C tires and they generally advise against running a 650x47C setup since the bottom bracket would be too low with its 80 mm drop.
The carbon fork developed for the Chamois Hagar features mounting points for a mudguard as well as bosses for water bottle or cargo cages on either side and comes with a 12×100 mm axle. With a 57 mm offset, 93 mm trail and 428 mm axle-to-crown length and oversized tubes, it makes quite an impression. According to Evil, the frame is designed in such a way that it’s impossible for your feet to eve collide with the front wheel. Toe overlap? Noeverlap!
Evil obviously also felt extremely social when they designed the Chamois Hagar. With seven mounting points (six on the Small) for water bottles or bags, it’ll carry more than five litres of fluids. So, according to the manufacturer, you’ll be able to carry enough tequila to entertain a medium-sized family or one Evil rider.
When it gets wet, the weatherproof frame promises to keep out all water and the frame protector on the down tube, which can be removed for easier cable routing, also provides adequate protection against the elements.
The builds of the Chamois Hagar
The Evil Chamois Hagar is available both as a frameset and in two complete configurations. Thanks to the derailleur mount included in the scope of delivery, you’re free to fit a two-by drivetrain, but Evil rely on one-by groupsets for both of their complete options.
The € 5,999.99 Chamois Hagar AXS comes specced with a 1×12 groupset made up of SRAM AXS X01 Eagle and Force eTap AXS components. Here, the combination of a 38 t chainring and the 10-50 t cassette should ensure effortless climbing and sufficient gear range for flat, high-speed terrain. The AXS Reverb dropper post fits seamlessly into the wireless SRAM ecosystem and can be conveniently operated using the shifter paddles.
For € 4,999.99, the Chamois Hagar GRX features Shimano’s new 1×11 GRX gravel-specific groupset, a 40 t chainring and an 11-46 t cassette. Apart from the 125-185 mm BikeYoke dropper post (depending on size), the GRX model comes with the same Easton cockpit and WTB Proterra Light i23 wheelset as the AXS build. If you don’t mind the additional shifter cables and the slightly lower gear range, this option offers good value for money!
The € 2,999.99 frameset, like the complete bikes, comes in sizes S to XL with a 12×142 mm axle at the rear and 12×100 mm axle at the front. The frameset is compatible with mechanical two-by or electronic Di2 groupsets. Color options? Black, of course.
The geometry
In addition to the extremely slack head angle, the Chamois Hagar is characterised by numerous other geometry tricks that have trickled down from the mountain bike scene that you can’t overlook. The long reach is combined with a 50 mm stem, which should keep the bike very composed with its 430 mm chain stays and extremely long front centre – due to the slack head angle and 57 mm fork offset. A byproduct of this is that the Evil has a wheelbase of 1,126 mm, which makes it a little more difficult to transport. Another geometry aspect worth noting is the very low standover height across all sizes. You will never have felt so far away from the top tube or front tire on a gravel bike. Our size L test bike came fitted with a 460 mm wide handlebar and 172.5 mm cranks, which are appropriate for this concept.
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 450 mm | 470 mm | 490 mm | 510 mm |
| Top tube | 586 mm | 605 mm | 624 mm | 643 mm |
| Head tube | 140 mm | 160 mm | 180 mm | 200 mm |
| Head angle | 66.67° | 66.67° | 66.67° | 66.67° |
| Seat angle | 70.54° | 71.59° | 72.47° | 73.21° |
| Chainstay | 430 mm | 430 mm | 430 mm | 430 mm |
| BB Drop | 80 mm | 80 mm | 80 mm | 80 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,098 mm | 1,126 mm | 1,154 mm | 1,182 mm |
| Reach | 400 mm | 420 mm | 440 mm | 460 mm |
| Stack | 575 mm | 594 mm | 612 mm | 631 mm |
First ride review of the Evil Chamois Hagar
As soon as you get on the pedals, the Evil accelerates willingly. It’s not the most fleet-footed gravel bike that we’ve ever ridden, but it’s a lot of fun to ride and always encourages you to keep on pedalling. The Evil will feel equally at home at a brisk pace on the asphalt road to your local gravel or trail paradise. In climbing mode, the long front end feels wobbly and seems to be waiting for you to get back up to speed. The WTB Proterra Light i23 aluminium wheels and WTB Venture 700x50C TCS tires proved to be a comfortable combination. The tubeless tires perform particularly well on compact and dry surfaces where they are fast-rolling and offer predictable grip, but they quickly become clogged in muddy terrain due to their average mud-shedding properties.
Now to the elephant in the room: the handling of the Evil will initially feel unusual for die-hard roadies. However, if you approach the bike with an open mind or you come from a mountain biking background, it quickly becomes clear how and where the bike performs best. For the Chamois Hagar, the terrain cannot be technical and rough enough. The more demanding the terrain, the more comfortable you feel on the Evil. It masters both wide gravel corners at high speeds, untouched terrain with fist-sized rocks or rough single track covered with roots and remains extremely composed doing so. On the other hand, very tight corners and slow speeds are not its strength since it tends to understeer here. In these situations, you have to actively shift your body and weight the front wheel if you want to get the bike around the corner more quickly. It is important to experiment with different techniques when you first ride the bike. The sheer endless clearance between the pedals at the 3 o’clock position and the front tire is particularly rider-friendly. We can’t imagine a scenario in where you might contact the tire with your toes.
The faster you ride the Evil, the more confident you feel. It’s almost as if you have to break the sound barrier first.
When it comes to comfort, the frame keeps things aggressively stiff. The rear end of our test bike with its BikeYoke dropper post is stiff by design, but the Easton EA70 AX carbon handlebar offers good vibration damping up front. To gain more comfort without negatively affecting performance, it’s crucial to find the optimal tire pressure for you. We explain how to do this here. The bike’s average comfort in regular riding situations isn’t accidental. As soon as you stand up and crank the pedals in rough terrain, the bike unfolds its full potential – too much compliance would make the bike feel noodly in these situations. As Evil would say: “Just like that, shred comes to gravel.”
Tuning tip: slightly longer stem to put more weight on the front wheel. A 70-80 mm stem would have been perfect for us.
How does the Chamois Hagar compare to a mountain bike?
Anyone who has followed our last big comparison tests knows that we are not afraid of comparing mountain bikes and gravel bikes. In contrast to the Evil, for example, the Trek Procaliber 9.9 SL Race Shop Limited shows extremely light-footed sprint behaviour and accelerates at lightning speed. Weighing 9.02 kg in size 18.5”, it is also 130 g lighter than the Evil (size L) and, thanks to its suspension fork and the IsoSpeed system in the rear, it convinces with better overall comfort when cruising or in climbing passages in the saddle. However, when it comes to hauling luggage, choosing from various grip positions or riding on flat surfaces at high speeds for a long period of time, the Evil has the upper hand. When it comes to trail performance, your own preference is paramount. While the Procalbiber does not shy away from nasty root or smaller step downs, the maximum incline of the trail is limited by the relatively steep steering angle. Here the Chamois Hagar shines with its steering angle that even the modern downhill elite would approve. Nevertheless, in bumpy sections, the Evil rider’s wrists must be more tolerable.
Conclusion
With the Chamois Hagar, Evil’s approach to the gravel scene has brought with it a lot of fresh energy and new ideas. Due to its uncompromising concept, it is the perfect bike for progressive gravel disciples, mountain bikers and everyone who wants to ride their home trails on a drop-bar bike. Experienced riders looking to expand their limits are also guaranteed to have fun here! If you’re looking for a moderate all-rounder, you might be better off with a different bike.
Tops
- consistent concept
- composed in demanding situations
- numerous mounting points
Flops
- moderate comfort when cruising
For more information head to evil-bikes.com
If the Evil is not quite your thing, take a look at our current gravel bike group test!
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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl
