Epic Evo Clone

[JG4700]

Looking for what I need to mount this 2025 Fox Float SL? The bushings that came installed out of the box stick out too much for the shock to even fit inside the linkage as pictured. I've built up a number of frames but haven't dealt with mounting a shock before so I want to make sure I order the correct parts the first time around.

[uberamd]

Looking for what I need to mount this 2025 Fox Float SL? The bushings that came installed out of the box stick out too much for the shock to even fit inside the linkage as pictured. I've built up a number of frames but haven't dealt with mounting a shock before so I want to make sure I order the correct parts the first time around.

I believe the rear shock eyelet requires 14mm hardware because I 3d printed my own offset bushings and thats the length I used. The upper shock eyelet requires ~20mm. Both fit an 8mm bolt through them.







As you see with your shock hardware they always include tiny washers that fit over the insert to stabilize the insert, but with the lower eyelet being only 14mm you're looking at 1mm washers which are hard to find, so I just 3d printed my own (not pictured above, they're installed on the bike right now).

[JG4700]

edit: ordered the RockShox variant 8x14mm

Thanks for the info! Anyone got a source 8x14mm mounting hardware? That seems to be a tough one to come by.

[JG4700]

As a side note, when I ordered I did pay extra for the "frameset+seatpost+shock" thinking that it would include a shock with the frame. Not the best shock but I wanted something on there temporarily. An extra $80. However, it did not come with a shock, only the seatpost. The seller verified that it did not come with the shock so I have chatted with Aliexpress customer service about it and am waiting to hear back. Hopefully a refund for the difference.

[uberamd]

As a side note, when I ordered I did pay extra for the "frameset+seatpost+shock" thinking that it would include a shock with the frame. Not the best shock but I wanted something on there temporarily. An extra $80. However, it did not come with a shock, only the seatpost. The seller verified that it did not come with the shock so I have chatted with Aliexpress customer service about it and am waiting to hear back. Hopefully a refund for the difference.

If its anything like the "with shock" I got, the shock is a pretty crap DNM one but thats expected. The comical part was the hardware they used for the shock might as well have not even been included. It wasn't sized appropriately and there was nothing on either side of the upper shock hardware to prevent the shock from sliding back and forth along the top bolt.

[JG4700]

Build complete. Here's some info I gathered and my thoughts.

Frame ordered on April 21st. Delivered to my home stateside on May 24.

Pic 1: ordering and waiting for parts to come in
Pic 2: there was some discussion on where the frames are made, sticker here says Taiwan
Pic 3&4: hose routing from rear triangle to frame is very tight, save yourself the trouble and detach lower linkage before tackling the job
Pic 5: someone reported tight rotor clearance but I had no issues with this (XT caliper and 160mm rotor)
Pic 6: the included no-star-nut headset was pretty cool and easy to install (maybe slightly heavier?). There is indeed a lack of clearance causing binding as others have mentioned but a 3mm spacer under the cap seemed to resolve this

[JG4700]

Pic 7: front hose routing was tight but manageable
Pic 8: this is where I ran into issues. The stock bushing size for the lower shock mount is much wider than the frame linkage. There is no bushing that exists in production that I'm aware of that is thin enough to fit inside the linkage. It was a pain dealing with this as I ordered different parts trying to figure this out and talking to others to find a solution. Some have 3D printed bushings as a solution. The 8x14 Rockshox kit I ordered for it doesn't come with any bushings, just two washers and the center insert. Finally I just grinded down the bushings so that it would fit. Time will tell how well this holds up. The inner bolt has a little bit of play, I think the tolerances are off. I wrapped some aluminum tape around it while I source a better fitting bolt.
Pic 9-12: the finished product. Full XT with Fox Factory 120mm fork, medium frame.

Some added thoughts: The order process and customer service was not great. I was hoping it would ship before De Minimus changes on May 1st. As that date got closer AWST actually pulled all their product off of Aliexpress, nothing there at all. That scared me so I cancelled the order through Aliexpress but AWST denied the cancellation. I decided to risk it and ultimately I did not pay any extra in duties or tariffs. They also sent me the wrong tracking number which caused some confusion because I was trying to ask FedEx why it was going to a different state.

I ordered the frame and paid extra for the shock included (I was going to use that shock temporarily because the Fox shock I got was originally backordered). It did not come with the shock even though I paid extra for it. AWST confirmed through messaging that it did not come with the shock. There's been a lot of back-and-forth with Aliexpress customer service. They want me to return the entire frame but I just want the extra $60 refunded.

My wife is happy with the bike and with how light it is. No internal cable rattle and paint quality is quite decent so far. Make sure you get a chainstay protector and downtube protection. Seat tube insertion is not very deep at all. A 125mm dropper works for my wife, but it was very close. If she didn't have 165mm cranks then even a 125mm would have been too long.

[Kactusdog]

Just buy the Chisel HT chainstay protector, it fits all EVOs and this frame too.

[ChinaCruz]

In an effort to check the bearings and service them (if needed) I came across this somewhat comical, somewhat sad visual when I removed the shock extension. Look at how poorly aligned the front and rear triangle are when the shock link and extension aren't forcing things into alignment. The gap should be the same between the shock link and rear triangle eyelets but theres virtually no gap on the drive side and a b

Really symbolic of the corners cut when making these things. Explains why the bearings are significantly more worse off on one side of the bike vs the other, and why the finish on the bolts that attaches the upper eyelet in the rear triangle to the shock extenson is very worn on one side while its pristine on the other side.

Maybe. I have big-name USA frames that do the same thing! The bearings are ok though, surprisingly.

[miguel0w]

Now TRIFOX is also selling this bike frame, but I think there's a mistake in their ad. According to their description, the frame weighs 1270g in size 17 and 1330g in size 19. There's also a variation in the rear wheel width of only 2.25g. The official name for the brand's model is TRAIL II PRO.

Will TRIFOX's after-sales service be better than AIRWOLF?

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005009648450462.html?spm=a2g0o.best.0.0.771522ae7lfSn0&afTraceInfo=1005009648450462__pc__pcBestMore2Love__G703WDj__1755614321811&_gl=1

[johnnydamage]

sorry if this has been asked elsewhere, but i couldnt find anything so here we go.

i have a few of these china carbon frames (evo clone and a P9 which is a heavier frame but still exhibits this issue) and i feel like the full-sus versions have more flex at the rear wheel than the name brand frames of a similar type.

the hardtails i have are plenty stiff same as the name brand frames from what i can tell which leads me to believe the increased flex has something to do with the linkages and not the carbon.

is it the bearings? the bearing seats? tolerances somewhere it bolts on?

does this even matter?


thank you.

[darkening]

Hows your Airwolf going? My replacement front triangle cracked in a BB area after about 600km of riding....BB threaded insert got loose.

Got the warranty replacement front triangle from Airwolf today. We communicated through AliExpress.

[FredDias2018]

Now TRIFOX is also selling this bike frame, but I think there's a mistake in their ad. According to their description, the frame weighs 1270g in size 17 and 1330g in size 19. There's also a variation in the rear wheel width of only 2.25g. The official name for the brand's model is TRAIL II PRO.

Will TRIFOX's after-sales service be better than AIRWOLF?

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005009648450462.html?spm=a2g0o.best.0.0.771522ae7lfSn0&afTraceInfo=1005009648450462__pc__pcBestMore2Love__G703WDj__1755614321811&_gl=1

i wouldn't bet on it, their shipping arrangements are sketchy at best and they sometimes ghost you on whatsapp

[JeffersOG]

I purchased this frame from all star bicycle in November of 2022 (with the BRAIN rear triangle) and rode it for a bit in 2022, all 2023 season, and now again in 2024. The bike has been issue free from a ride quality perspective. The BB has remained sound and I've removed and reinstalled BB cups a LOT of times as I've waffled between SRAM DUB and Shimano a few times.

Much like everyone else, I needed a spacer for the top dust cover when preloading the headset to prevent drag, easy fix. I also removed all of the pivot bolts and greased and applied loctite before torquing them exactly as the real Epic Evo manual calls for. I replaced the UDH hanger.

My biggest issue with this frame comes from how the rear triangle interfaces with the front triangle. The rear triangle holes that the brake hose and rear derailleur housing pass through -- the holes that are near the bb -- don't line up with the holes near the bb in the front triangle. They aren't even close. Attempting to assemble the bike in this state required me to remove the lower pivot bolt, swing the rear triangle away, run the hose/housing through the front triangle, and squeeze the two triangles together as hard as i can to even get the rear pivot bolt back in, which completely pinches the brake hose.

Its so bad that I had to take a dremel and sand away carbon to form a channel on the outer edge of the front triangle cable/hose openings near the BB, basically just making the openings wider so they'd align with the holes in the rear triangle. A bit sketchy. But it solved the problem.

Hundreds and hundreds of miles of sketchy singletrack, drops. jumps, and the frame hasn't made any scary noises. There were a few situations where I thought the frame was getting crunchy on me but every time it was just mud getting stuck between the two triangles and grinding on the hoses.

One more thing to mention: the official Epic Evo frame has two small washers that sit between the frame and the bolt heads that keep the top of the shock in place. This frame didn't include them. The washers are obviously useful for getting proper torque applied to those bolts. I was able to source some, but keep that in mind, those bolts aren't supposed to just screw snug directly against the frame.

My build is as follows:

• Rockshox SID Select+ 120mm fork
• Rockshox SIDLuxe rear shock
• Shimano XT Cassette, Cranks, Derailleur, Shifter
• Shimano XT 4 piston brakes
• Hunt XC Wide wheelset
• SRAM AXS 170mm wireless dropper post
• Specialized Zee cages with SWAT XC storage container
• Specialized Fast Trak 2.3" tires

I know I’m late to the game here, but I’m about to buy one of these frames. I’m replying to your post to tell you that anytime I cut carbon fiber parts, or grind or whatever, I use a light application of JB Weld on the cut area to prevent delamination. It dries smooth and has a little bit of flexibility. I’m sure lots of different epoxies could be used, but I would suggest a 2 part for longevity.

[JeffersOG]

I’m looking to build on one of these frames and I’ve done a lot of research. I’m starting to narrow it down to Hongfu, Carbonda and ICAN. Airwolf, BXT, Meinier, ALL-Star all seem to be the exact same frame, while the former three companies frame design is so slightly different, but have much fewer complaints about the bottom brackets falling out or the pivot bolts shearing. They’re twice the price, but I really don’t want to have to worry about definite defects in the frames designs and no recourse should I have major issues. I’m getting the idea that with the latter group of frame sellers, I ought to have an entire set of pivot and linkage bearings on hand to put in before I assemble the damn things. I don’t want to risk cracking carbon or the the paint job by prying out these shitty bearings either.

Am I correct in thinking these three companies with their 7=800 dollar frames are where it’s at? Am I correct in thinking a $500 frame is just going to be a long term headache?