Following
vsWreckoning
Same DELTA suspension, opposite ends of the mountain.
The Following is 120 mm of trail bike that rides like a downcountry rocket. The Wreckoning is 166 mm of mini-DH that still likes to jump.
Following
- Deceptive capability — 120 mm that reviewers repeatedly say feels like 140+.
- Efficient climber — steep 76° seat angle and supportive DELTA mid-stroke keep it pedaling crisp.
- Laser-accurate cornering — the 66.6° HTA and stiff rear end reward precise line choice.
- At absolute top speed on the chunkiest terrain, the steeper HTA can feel twitchy versus a slacker bike.
- Starts at $6,199 — no truly entry-level price point on the platform.
Wreckoning
- Mini-DH plowability — 166 mm coil-sprung rear and 170 mm ZEB Ultimate smash through anything.
- Short 430 mm chainstays — keeps a long-travel 29er unusually playful and snappy in corners.
- Top-tier suspension across the range — even the entry build gets ZEB Ultimate and Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate.
- Climbing position in the X-Low flip-chip setting puts your weight a bit too far back on steep pitches.
- Aggressive use chews through coil springs and rear wheels faster than a trail bike would.
Editor’s analysis
Two Evils, one design language, and a 74 mm travel gap that tells you everything about which trails each one was built to eat.
Both bikes share Evil's Dave Weagle-designed DELTA linkage — supple off the top, supportive in the middle, bottomless at the end of stroke. Both run Super Boost 157 mm rear spacing and the same short 430 mm chainstays. Both are hand-laid UD carbon. This is where the common ground ends.
The Following V3 is a 120 mm-rear / 130 mm-front short-travel 29er that every reviewer we've read described as punching above its weight. The 66.6-degree head angle is on the steeper side of modern trail, which is the point: it rewards precision line choice and corners harder than any 120 mm bike has a right to. MBR called it "laser-like accuracy." The downside surfaces only at the very top end — one reviewer flagged a hint of twitchiness past Mach 10, where a slacker bike would still feel planted.
The Wreckoning V3 answers that exact complaint with 46 mm more rear travel, a 65.2-degree head angle, a 170 mm RockShox ZEB up front, and a Super Deluxe coil out back. Stack jumps 17 mm (S vs. M), wheelbase grows, and the whole bike morphs into what BikeRadar openly called a "mini-DH rig." What's surprising is that it keeps the Following's short 430 mm chainstays — so even at 166 mm it still pops off lips and snaps direction in a way long-travel 29ers usually can't.
Put another way: the Following is the bike you ride when you want to feel fast on every climb and every flow section, and still not get spit off when the trail turns rowdy. The Wreckoning is the bike you ride when the trail is always rowdy, and you want to jump things on the way down. Same suspension DNA, wildly different missions.
Where the builds differ.
Comparing our editor's-pick builds side-by-side. Winners highlighted row-by-row — lower price and weight, and the better-spec component, each mark a point.
Build variants & pricing
Same four-build structure on both platforms — GX, Eagle 90, X0, flagship — with identical pricing at every tier except the flagship.
Prices are current US MSRP. The Eagle 90 build on each bike is the sweet spot: same $6,199 price, same T-Type drivetrain, Code RSC brakes, and the same RockShox Ultimate-level suspension as the top builds.
How they fit, how they steer.
Sized for the same rider: Medium on the Following (460 mm reach, 604 mm stack), Small on the Wreckoning (445 mm reach, 621 mm stack). The Wreckoning runs 1.4 degrees slacker (65.2° vs 66.6°) with 17 mm more stack — that's the whole story of its descending bias.
Which size should I buy?
Size recommendations are based on stack, reach, and effective top tube across each range. The Wreckoning's longer-travel geometry means the Small matches what a Medium delivers on the shorter-travel Following.
→These are starting points. Flexibility, riding style, and preferred position all shift the answer — if you’re between sizes, a professional fit beats a chart.
What the magazines said.
Published reviews from trusted cycling outlets. Click through for the full write-up.
Which one should you buy?
If you want one bike that can climb, corner, and still hold its own when things get steep, get the Following. If you want a mini-DH bike that still likes to jump, get the Wreckoning.
Following
If your local loops mix real climbing with technical descents, and you want a bike that feels light on its toes both ways, the Following is the Evil you want. Reviewers consistently call it a favorite — deceptively capable, precise, and efficient enough for all-day rides.
Wreckoning
If you spend most of your time descending steep, rowdy terrain — bike park laps, enduro stages, big-mountain rock — the Wreckoning is the smarter tool. It absorbs massive hits without beating you up, and the short chainstays keep it playful instead of plow-only.
Questions buyers actually ask.
Short answers to the things we get emailed about most often.
01Which climbs better?
The Following, by a meaningful margin. Its 120 mm rear / 130 mm front travel, air-sprung RockShox SID setup, and steep 76° seat angle put it in the running for "best-climbing trail bike" in most reviews — MBR said it "motors right up there" and gets "tons of traction on loose scrambles."
The Wreckoning climbs surprisingly well for a 166 mm coil-sprung enduro — the DELTA anti-squat keeps the rear end from wallowing — but the coil shock, heavier build, and slacker head angle mean you're working harder on every ascent.
02Which is more capable on steep descents?
The Wreckoning, clearly. Its 170 mm RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork, 166 mm coil-sprung rear, 65.2-degree head tube angle, and higher stack are all purpose-built for steep, high-speed, high-impact descents. BikeRadar and MBR both describe it as a "mini-DH rig."
The Following is remarkably capable for 120 mm — reviewers consistently say it descends "far above its weight" — but at a true gravity-trail pace, the Wreckoning's slacker geometry and deeper travel are in a different league.
03They both have 430 mm chainstays — why?
Evil kept both platforms on the same short rear end on purpose. 430 mm is short for a modern 29er at either travel length, and it's the single biggest reason both bikes feel more playful than their specs suggest.
On the Following it amplifies the poppy, snappy trail-bike character. On the Wreckoning it's genuinely unusual — most 160+ mm 29ers stretch the stays out for straight-line stability, but Evil bet on agility, and reviewers unanimously say the bike feels "lively" and "chuckable" because of it.
04How much wider is the Wreckoning's tire clearance?
The Wreckoning officially clears up to a 29x2.6" tire — confirmed tire clearance is 66 mm. Stock it ships with a 2.5" Maxxis Assegai front and 2.4" Dissector rear.
The Following is designed around 2.4–2.5" trail tires; the stock spec is a 2.25" Schwalbe Nobby Nic / Wicked Will combo, which is on the faster-rolling end of what the frame will handle. For Following owners chasing more grip, most reviews report a 2.4" tire fits without issue.
05What does Super Boost 157 rear spacing mean for me?
Both bikes use Super Boost 157 mm rear spacing — wider than the more common 148 mm Boost standard. Evil picked it so they could keep chainstays short (430 mm) while still running a stout rear end with clearance for wide tires.
The tradeoff is wheel compatibility — if you buy a Following or Wreckoning frameset and plan to re-use existing Boost wheels, you're out of luck. Aftermarket wheel options exist but are noticeably narrower than the 148 mm catalog. For complete-bike buyers, it's a non-issue.
06Which has better long-term durability?
Both use the same hand-laid UD carbon frames and carry Evil's lifetime bearing replacement program — a real differentiator versus most brands, since linkage bearings are the most common long-term wear item on a full-suspension bike.
The Wreckoning's intended use (park laps, coil shock, big hits) puts more cumulative stress on wheels, rear tires, and coil springs than the Following's downcountry mission. Long-term reviewers report popping spokes and coil-spring fatigue on the Wreckoning — expected consequences of aggressive use, not frame flaws.
07Can I adjust the geometry on either bike?
Yes — both use Evil's twin flip-chip system with Low and X-Low settings. In X-Low the bottom bracket drops ~9 mm and the head angle slackens about 0.5 degrees.
On the Following, X-Low turns it into a more descending-focused downcountry bike. On the Wreckoning, X-Low is where it unlocks its full "mini-DH" character — though seated climbing gets noticeably harder, so most riders leave it in Low for mixed days and flip to X-Low for gravity laps.
08If I could only own one, which Evil should I buy?
Be honest about your trails. If more than 40% of your riding is climbing, or your descents are flow-heavy rather than gnarly, the Following is the smarter buy — it's faster on a wider range of rides and more reviewers call it their favorite bike, period.
If your riding is shuttle-heavy, lift-serviced, or involves sustained steep-and-rowdy descents where you regularly wish you had more bike, the Wreckoning earns its weight. The Following will get outgunned eventually; the Wreckoning won't.
Similar bikes
If your priorities don’t map cleanly onto either of these, one of these adjacent bikes probably fits better.
Ripley
The direct Following competitor — another poppy, short-travel 29er with a reputation for punching above its weight. Lighter and more XC-leaning, less "punk rock" than the Evil.
Compare →
Offering
The middle sibling — 140 mm of the same DELTA suspension, sitting exactly between Following and Wreckoning. If you want Evil's ride feel but can't decide, this is the obvious compromise.
Compare →Spire
A longer-travel 29er tuned for smashing through everything rather than jibbing over it. Consider it if the Wreckoning's playful, short-chainstay character feels less important than outright straight-line composure.
Compare →