If you follow World Cup Downhill racing or live in the Pacific Northwest, you are probably pretty familiar with Devinci’s bikes. However, if you live just about anywhere else, they’re likely a rare site. I fall into the latter camp, and my only ride on a Devinci was their downhill bike–the Wilson–at Crankworx a couple years back. That ride piqued my interest in the brand, but finding one to ride has been a bit like hunting unicorns.
Devinci is making a concerted push into the US market, with a larger presence at trade shows here: first at Sea Otter and now at Interbike. Even their current tag line, “The more you know about us, the happier we are,” seems to reflect this effort.
Greg and I went by their booth to check out some of their latest bikes. Greg rode the Hendrix, a 27.5+ full suspension, and I was on their updated-for-2016 Troy.
The Troy is an aggressive trail bike with 150mm of travel up front and 140mm in the rear. Devinci updated the frame for 2016 by lengthening the top tube, making the frame stiffer and stronger, and adding Boost compatibility. They managed to do that without adding any weight to the frame.
At first glance, the Troy looks burly and utilitarian. The lines are clean and sharp but angular. All of the frame’s carbon tubes are big and boxy–not much to call “swoopy” here. Even the seat stays look about two fingers wide. It’s definitely more function over form, which might not be everyone’s bag–but I personally like it.
I rode the Troy Carbon RR which is Devinci’s top-shelf build. SRAM and RockShox cover the vast majority of components including a Pike up front, Monarch shock, Guide RSC brakes, XO1 drivetrain, and a Reverb post. Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires were wrapped around DT Swiss M1700 wheels. In a nod to another Canadian company, Devinci spec’d a bar and stem from Chromag.
The Troy is a sporty-feeling trail bike, especially while climbing. It responds to the smaller rocks and bumps along the way, but doesn’t entirely mute the trail. The bike feels stiff and strong, like it can take on anything. I’ve no doubt that that feeling can be attributed to the massive tubes and bottom bracket junction. The Troy wants to be thrown into the corners, and while it feels capable, it’s not a monster truck. It has a playful character that rewards hopping around the trail.
The Troy Carbon RR retails for $6,600, which, yes, is a lot of money. A whole lot. That said, it looks like a good value when compared to some of it’s competition. Apart from the Devinci grips, there aren’t any “house brand” components on this bike. Everything is top-notch and well-thought-out. Kudos to Devinci’s product manager.
If a $6,600 bike is out of the question, there are much more affordable options in the Troy line. The aluminum-framed RS retails for $2,600 with a RockShox Sektor fork and a Shimano Deore 2×10 drivetrain. For those that like to choose their own adventure parts-wise, the Troy is available as a frame only in aluminum for $1,600 or in carbon for $2,100.
