Ancillotti Scarab Evo 29
Mountain Bike Rider|May 2018

The mtb equivalent of Savile Row, Ancillotti takes customisation a step further than most...

Alan Muldoon
Ancillotti Scarab Evo 29

In a world where bikes tend to come from the same source and tick all the same boxes, it’s rare to find a modern enduro race bike with a USP… The Ancillotti Scarab Evo 29 has several.

To begin with, Ancillotti has no desire to be a mainstream brand. Producing between 35 to 40 bikes a year, Tomaso Ancillotti and his father source the raw aluminium tubing from Germany, then the tubes are formed, mitered and welded in Florence, Italy.

Because each frame is made to order, you can choose your preferred geometry and sizing. Need a shorter seat tube to fit a 170mm dropper? Not a problem. Longer chainstays to balance a long front end and slack head angle? That’s possible too. You can have whatever you want.

But rather than just fire off a random set of numbers via email, Tomaso encourages potential customers to visit him at his workshop in Valperga, Turin, in the foothills of the Alps.

You spend a full day riding different bikes, fine-tuning the set-up, and then the discussion begins in earnest to pin down the sizing, geometry and the build kit, if you’re buying a complete bike.

It is not just Ancillotti’s approach to customer service that’s sets it apart either; the bike is unique too. The main departure from convention being that the suspension uses bushings in the pivots rather than cartridge bearings. I’ve been testing bikes for long enough to know that while bushings are a better engineering solution in theory, bearings always win the day because ultimately they reduce friction. Well, the Scarab Evo 29 made me rethink that firmly held belief, because the rear end on the team bike that I rode in Valperga was completely free from stiction.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2018-Ausgabe von Mountain Bike Rider.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2018-Ausgabe von Mountain Bike Rider.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDERAlle anzeigen
Best places to ride with your kids
Mountain Bike Rider

Best places to ride with your kids

Five top venues to keep the nippers entertained this summer

time-read
3 Minuten  |
August 2023
CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2
Mountain Bike Rider

CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2

It’s got more suspension tunes than a Hitchcock movie, but will this Moterra thrill us or chill us?

time-read
5 Minuten  |
September 2023
100% GLENDALE GLASSES
Mountain Bike Rider

100% GLENDALE GLASSES

When it comes to eyewear, having a large lens not only offers a lot more protection from trail splatter, it puts the frames further out from your field of view, allowing you to focus on the terrain in front of you. The Glendale is absolutely vast, and actually has a lens size akin to a full downhill goggle, so you literally can’t see the top or sides of the frame.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2023
DMR STAGE 2 MTB RAIL SADDLE
Mountain Bike Rider

DMR STAGE 2 MTB RAIL SADDLE

DMR's new Stage 2 MTB Rail is one of those new/old products. The shape and construction are identical to the existing Oi Oi saddle, but the company has wrapped it in a new skin and added some harder-wearing reinforcement to the edges. It's also toned down the lairy graphics; this saddle only comes in plain black.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2023
STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN
Mountain Bike Rider

STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN

Has tech taken the hard work and fun out of mountain biking, or should we embrace evolution and roll with it?

time-read
3 Minuten  |
September 2023
STORM FORCE
Mountain Bike Rider

STORM FORCE

Manon Carpenter may have retired from downhill competition, but her new role as a trail advocate is achieving results far beyond the race track

time-read
8 Minuten  |
September 2023
SWEAT AND SLATE
Mountain Bike Rider

SWEAT AND SLATE

We ride 140 miles through Snowdonia on Cycling UK's newest and gnarliest long-distance trail

time-read
9 Minuten  |
September 2023
HEAD SPACE
Mountain Bike Rider

HEAD SPACE

New guidance reveals how to spot concussion, and how best to treat it

time-read
4 Minuten  |
September 2023
LATE SUMMER LOVIN'
Mountain Bike Rider

LATE SUMMER LOVIN'

Classic UK holiday hotspots that really shine when the crowds have gone

time-read
2 Minuten  |
September 2023
HOT STUFF
Mountain Bike Rider

HOT STUFF

WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH

time-read
3 Minuten  |
September 2023