The team here at Singletracks recently outlined our favorite test bikes of 2019, and the frame at the top of my list has yet to receive a proper review — until now. My personal Ancillotti Scarab Evo29 is nicknamed Lo Specchio Sporco (The Dirty Mirror) because its reflective finish is often soiled by the fact that I just rode it. I take it to the trail any time I’m not testing another bike, both because it’s my favorite whip and because I need to test the components that I mount on it. The Scarab is truly a “work bike” in that sense, and it has endured more component swaps than any other bike I have owned.
Now, enough about its work ethic. It’s time to dive into how the bike rides. A while back I wrote a detailed article about Ancillotti’s familial roots, their pro enduro race team, and how and where their bikes and shocks are handmade here in Italy. So for this piece, I will focus solely on my beloved alloy 29″ frame.
The build
Handmade bikes hold the distinct advantage that you can order them with some unique geometry measurements, provided the frame designer approves. Frame builder, Tomaso Ancilloti, and I are very similarly-sized humans, so I decided to go with measurements that almost mirror the master’s bike. The 450mmm reach on my bike is a touch longer, and his next bike may be as well. Combined with the 435mm chainstays, this bike balances stability and agility like a proper enduro race whip should. The headtube angle is adjustable between 64° and 66° by lengthening or shortening a rod at the base of the linkage. This adjustment simultaneously lowers the BB slightly, adding to the “steep and deep” readiness of the frame. I generally keep my frame tuned to a 65° head tube angle, which feels great on steep slopes and keeps my 170mm cranks from smashing too many stones.
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