In early 2013, not long after the EVO had been released, this bike was heavily discounted and came with a bottom-of-the-range spec, bringing it within my grasp. I’d just completed a big chunk of freelance work on top of my nine-to-five and splashed it on the one you see here.
I say I bought this bike but almost none of it is original — I never even rode it in its original spec.
Instant upgrade
Always with an eye for a good deal [you’re just tight, Vern — Ed], I took it from its box and immediately swapped the wheels and groupset with my existing bike. The Shimano RS10s (a basic set of hoops) were replaced with far nippier Fulcrum Racing 3s and the SR AM Apex that adorned it was upgraded to SR AM Rival — this was before the days of 11-speed groupsets at lower price points. The saddle was also swapped for a Fizik Antares, which I run across all my bikes, brake pads were changed to my preferred Kool Stop Salmons, and the bars were swapped to a shorter-reach FSA set.
Click to spin
This story is from the April 15, 2021 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.
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This story is from the April 15, 2021 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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