Devinci Django Carbon 29 X01 - Review

Feb 13, 2017
by Vernon Felton  




The Django has its roots in an entirely different bike—the Troy, which began its life as Devinci’s mid-travel trail bike and quickly morphed into an all-mountain brawler. The Django became Devinci’s jack of all trades, trail machine, debuting first as a nimble like 27.5-wheeled beast. The moment the Django 27.5 hit the streets, however, people began asking: Why wasn’t Devinci releasing a 29er Django instead? This bike is Devinci’s answer. Same travel as its 27.5 sibling. Same mission statement. Bigger hoops.


Django 29 X01 Eagle Details
• Intended use: trail
• Travel: 130-mm front and 120-mm rear
• 29" wheels
• 67.5 - 68.5° adjustable head angle
• 12 x 148-mm rear spacing
• BB92 press-fit bottom bracket
• Split Pivot Suspension System
• 12.51 kilograms/27.6 pounds
• Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL
• MSRP: $6819 USD/$7699 CAD/€7239 EUR
www.devinci.com / @devinci

Devinci offers six different Django 29er models—four carbon-framed and two aluminum-framed bikes. This top-tier X01 Eagle version was released first, which is why we snagged it. Equipped with a "latest and greatest" sorta kit, it sells for $6,819 USD. Before you start seeing red because of that price tag, take note: complete carbon Django 29ers start at $3,809 (the SRAM NX-equipped version) and the base-level, aluminum Django 29 NX retails for $3,099. Devinci also offers carbon ($2,479) and aluminum ($1,769) frame-only options.


Devinci Django 29 Review
The internal cable routing on the Django 29's carbon frame is particularly clean and includes these tidy ports. Always nice to see on a bike at this price. The only significant length of externally-routed line is the rear brake hose, which runs from the down tube to rear caliper.
Devinci Django 29 Review
Bit of a tight squeeze here. While I don't personally see the need to go larger than the 34-tooth ring shown here, if you are some kind of raging Quad-zilla, hill-hammering beast who feels compelled to rock a 36 or 38-tooth chainring, you may find yourself stymied.


Frame Details

Devinci has always made a point of touting its Made-in-Canada aluminum frames. The carbon Django, like just about every other composite, full-suspension bike under the sun, is made overseas, in Asia. Unlike most other carbon frames, however, the Django carbon frames are backed with a lifetime warranty, as opposed to the more common three and five-year, carbon-frame warranties. It's a vote of confidence.


Devinci Django 29 Review
Rotating the linkage bolt on the Django 29, lets you tweak the bike's geometry. An optional, extra-tall, lower headset cup slackens things even further.
Devinci Django Review Photos by Vernon Felton
Devinci says the Django 29 will accept a 2.4-inch Maxxis Minion DHF out back. Here's a 2.25-inch Ardent. I tossed in a Minion DHR II 2.3 for the bulk of the test. There's room.

The Django 29 is equipped with a BB92 press-fit bottom bracket. In a subtle nod to the Django's capabilities, you'll find ISCG-05 tabs on that BB shell, which means running a minimalist, taco-style bash guard or chainguide is fair game. You might argue that a trail bike like this doesn't demand such accoutrements. I'd beg to differ--particularly in the Django's case. It's always nice, however, to be given the flexibility to go your own way with a frame.

What this bike doesn't have is a front derailleur mount. This is a dedicated 1x frame, so if you want to run multiple chainrings, you're out of luck here. I don't think front derailleurs are necessary any more, given not only the advent of SRAM Eagle (admittedly, still cost prohibitive for many of us), but also a variety of less-pricey, extended-range, single-ring options. I know a lot of readers disagree with me on that point. To each their own. Either way, consider yourself warned about the Django's "one-by-only" dating status. Oh, and finally, it's a Boost 148 party out back on this bike.

Devinci Django 29 Review by Vernon Felton
The seatstays and front triangle are made of carbon. The Django 29's chainstays, however, are aluminum.


Suspension Design

Devinci wrangles 120 millimeters (4.7 inches) of rear suspension out of Dave Weagle’s Split Pivot design—a suspension design Devinci has been equipping their bikes with for about five years now. In a nutshell, Split Pivot features a rear-axle, concentric pivot that (in conjunction with the rocker and other frame members) is supposed to allow for unrestricted rear suspension, even when you are on the brakes. Smoother suspension equals better traction equals better control. There are a raft of other touted benefits, including great pedaling efficiency, excellent small-bump compliance and so forth. Again, the same things that basically every design aims to achieve.
Devinci Django 29 Review

As with Weagle’s better-known DW-Link design, Split Pivot is licensed for use on a variety of brands' bikes and is tuned to achieve different ride qualities each time around. Rear suspension duties on this top-shelf Django are handled by a Fox Float Factory Series shock.


Geometry

The Django features adjustable geometry. Rotating the linkage bolt that ties the seatstay and rocker together lets you either steepen (Hi) or slacken (Lo) the geometry. In Hi mode, you’re looking at a 68.5-degree head angle. In Lo, it’s 68 degrees. You can slacken it further to 67.5 by swapping out the stock lower headset cup for an extra tall (about 10 millimeters) cup. Naturally, as you slacken the head angle you are also altering the bike's seat angle, bottom bracket height and (to a lesser extent) its reach, chainstay length and wheelbase. The geo chart (below) dives into the nerdiness of it all.

As for where the Django falls—geometry and personality-wise—in the bike world, I’d classify it as swimming in the same general end of the gene pool as Santa Cruz’s latest Tallboy, Ibis’ Ripley LS and, most closely of all, Pivot’s Mach 429 Trail. If the name dropping means nothing to you, all of these are bikes that would have been safely called “aggressive” trail bikes just a couple years ago. These days the meat of the bell curve is moving their direction, so I guess we can just go back to calling them trail bikes again…



Devinci Django 29 Geo



Specifications
Specifications
Release Date 2017
Price $6819
Travel 130 front 120 rear
Rear Shock FOX FLOAT FACTORY SERIES, 7.25X1.75
Fork FOX FLOAT 34 FACTORY 29 BOOST 110 130MM
Headset FSA ORBIT 1.5 ZERO STACK
Cassette SRAM X01 EAGLE 12S
Crankarms SRAM X01 EAGLE 34T BOOST 148
Bottom Bracket SRAM BB92
Rear Derailleur SRAM X01 EAGLE 12S
Chain SRAM X01 EAGLE 12S
Shifter Pods SRAM X01 EAGLE 12S
Handlebar RACE FACE SIXC 20MM RISE 35MM 800MM
Stem RACE FACE TURBINE 35MM
Grips DEVINCI
Brakes SRAM LEVEL TLM
Wheelset RACEFACE TURRBINE R30 29
Tires MAXXIS HIGH ROLLER II 2.3 (f) ARDENT 2.25 (r)
Seat SDG FLY MTN
Seatpost ROCK SHOX REVERB STEALTH 125MM 31.6MM
Devinci Django 29 Review by Vernon Felton






Set-Up

I ran the Fox Factory fork and rear shock at 25 percent sag, which is my go-to on trail bikes. At times (admittedly this sometimes being due to sloth as much as curiosity) I opted to increase sag to 30 percent in the rear shock and, given the bike's progressive rear suspension traits, you can get away with that, though I wound up returning to 25 percent as optimal. The rear suspension felt more predictable at 25 percent. I also like to climb with the suspension run wide open whenever possible, and at 30 percent sag I was flipping the compression damper on the rear shock. Not because the bike was bobbing excessively, but because I like to sit higher in the bike's travel when I climb. I never felt the need to add volume spacers--there's enough ramp up in the stock configuration.


Devinci Django

Climbing

Rocket. Friggin. Ship. This bike rips on climbs. Can I just stop there? No? Okay, then. The fact that this blinged-out version of the Django 29 only weighs 12.5 kilos (27.6 pounds) certainly helps it on the ascents, but it actually climbs as if it was even lighter than that. Pedaling efficiency is very, very good even when the shock is run wide open, yet the rear wheel tracks smoothly over rooty and chunky sections of climbs. The traction is outstanding. Even on days when you feel like crap, you wind up standing out of the saddle on this thing and getting all stupidly heroic. Naturally, the Django 29 isn't going to imbue you with any superhuman climbing powers, but until your lungs give out, it has a way of tricking you into thinking it has.


Django

Descending

Devinci has always offered a wide range of bikes, but the company has made its most public impact as a more gravity-oriented outfit. Even when the company is churning out lightweight trail bikes like this one, there's no mistaking where their passion lies: It's in the descents. To that end, the Django is a hoot on the downhills. The bike has a lively, poppy feel to it. As I hinted at earlier, there's plenty of progression tuned into the rear suspension. How much of that is kinematics and how much of that is shock tune is unclear to me, but I can say that the bike gives you an always-ready platform to boost a little air and harsh bottoming was a very rare thing. You still wind up using all of the bike's travel--It's not a ridiculously steep ramp up--but the Django is also not offering up as supple a feeling suspension as some more relaxed riders might like. This is a bike that performs best when ridden hard and fast. Again, it's something that harkens back to the company's general vibe.

That said, the Django is not quite as forgiving of passive piloting as some other models in its class. You do need to pay attention to your line choice. Swapping back and forth between the Django and the Evil Following (a bike I own) gave me daily reminders that this is a very capable trail bike, but it's also one that requires both aggression and diligence at the controls to wring the most out of its potential. On days when I wasn't feeling alpha male on the descents, the Django frequently reminded me that I needed to sack up and get on with it.

On paper, the relatively long wheelbase (for a trail bike) suggests this thing might be a handful in tight singletrack. It isn't. I am completely at a loss as to why that's true, but the bike has an agility that belies its geometry chart.

I consistently ran the Django 29 in its Lo setting and initially considered swapping out the stock lower headset cup for the taller one. Knocking a half degree of the head angle would help. The one thing, however, that I was already not in love with about the Django was its generous stack height. The Django's head tube is already fairly long. At 115 millimeters on a size Large, for comparison's sake, it's 15 millimeters longer than that of a Large Tallboy and 13 millimeters taller than that of a Large Ripley LS. To compensate, I eventually resorted to slamming the stem and running an unsightly stack of headset spacers on top. My goal was to try and get my hands in a less T-Rex-esque position. Adding another 10 millimeters to the situation (the height of that tall lower headset cup) would take things in the exact wrong direction. This, however, is my only real gripe with the bike.


Devinci Django Review Photos by Vernon Felton
SRAM's Level brakes are aimed at the more weight-conscious XC and trail bike crowd--its appearance on the Django makes sense, but I'd have preferred the stronger, four-piston Guide RSC with its convenient reach and contact-point adjusters.
Devinci Django Review Photos by Vernon Felton
A top-shelf bike gets top-shelf suspension spec. I had absolutely zero nits to pick with either the excellent Fox Float 34 Factory fork or the Float Factory Series rear shock.

Component Check

• SRAM X01 Eagle Drivetrain: The same precision as the original X01 single-ring group, but with a lot more gear range. I've long been one of the people who felt that if I was struggling with a 42-tooth granny gear, the problem was mine, rather than the drivetrains. That's actually probably still true (Beer, you are my lover....and enemy). However, spending a good bit of time with Eagle made me realize that, screw it, sometimes a 50-tooth is a very good thing. Besides, you can always increase your chainring size to some ultra-manly dimension if the thought of super-low gearing rankles you. If that sounds like you, a 34-tooth chainring is about as big as you're likely to run on the Django 29. There's not a ton of space between the stock 34-tooth Eagle chainring and the drive-side chainstay.

• SDG Fly MTN Saddle: The ass killer. This saddle hurt me. Many times. On the off chance that it could just be the particular shape of my particular shape, I swapped the bike with friends during rides. Total consensus: the SDG is not a friendly perch. For the record, none of the people rubbing their asses post-ride were of the husky, plus-size shape. I don't make a habit of checking my buddies' backsides, but I think everyone involved is fairly fit. Now this is just getting weird.... Anyway, the saddle is well-built, but the shape is an affront to my taint. You may like it more than I did.

• Race Face SIXC bars/Turbine 35 stem: When you pay this much for a bike, you expect some cachet from the cockpit bits. Devinci delivered here with the Race Face SIXC carbon bars and Turbine 35 stem. The 800-mm bar width and 50-mm stem mesh well with the bike's geometry and reason for living.


Devinci Django


Pinkbike's Take:
bigquotesThe original Django 27.5 was a quick-footed, little whip. The Django 29 brings the benefits of big wheels--the improved roll over and ability to maintain momentum in chunky terrain--but maintains the fun. If you're looking for the slackest, most DH-oriented trail bike on the planet, there are better choices. That's not a dig against the Django 29, however. This is a bike that rides best when ridden hard, but also strikes a more even balance between descending capability and climbing prowess. - Vernon Felton



Visit this gallery for more images from this review


About the Reviewer
Stats: Age: 44 • Height: 5'11” • Inseam: 32" • Weight: 175lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
In 1988 Vernon started riding mountain bikes—mainly to avoid the people throwing cans of Budweiser at him during his road rides. At some point, roughly when Ronald Reagan was president and Hüsker Dü was still a band, he began loving mountain bikes on their own terms. Vernon Felton spends most of his time riding bikes, thinking about bikes, thinking about riding bikes and then riding some more around Bellingham, Washington. If it has a greasy chain and two wheels on it, he’s cool with it. Except for recumbents. Well, okay, maybe those too. Nah, forget it. No recumbents.




Author Info:
vernonfelton avatar

Member since Apr 11, 2014
202 articles

178 Comments
  • 115 9
 With a name like that, it should be chainless.

*EDIT* So apparently this joke is as old as the bike itself. Never mind me.
  • 1 1
 Damn it! you beat me to it...
  • 48 3
 Nice bike. Nice review. Perfect morning poop reading material. Thank you Vernon! Personally instead of that 10mm spacer I'd just run a 140mm fork up front instead to make bike even slacker. I'm on my second 29er now and all of em I have put bigger front forks on. First one was 10mm longer and this time around I have gone 20mm longer. Personally I feel a big change in how well the 29er trail bikes feel on the descents when they get a little extra travel out front.
  • 14 1
 Agreed, big forks to take the abuse and a shorter rear end to keep things agile and sweet on the climb back up strikes the perfect balance in my mind for an all round bike. More bikes should be build and intended to be like that, seem to be slowly getting there tho, it used to be equal front and back but more common to be 10mm longer at the front now, hopefully 20 and 30mm bigger forks becomes more common.
  • 6 0
 Agreed, I run my Hightower with a 150mm fork and 29" wheels, and it's super confidence inspiring to have the slightly longer travel up front.
  • 3 0
 www.instagram.com/p/BJl9xcygvJ7/?taken-by=mikemackinnon1968

I was in Bellingham with a buddy and we ran into Matt Slaven , he was showing a shop the new Django,s and had both his bike,s there , 1 29" with a 150mm 36 and a 27.5" with a 150mm 36 up front .

I wonder if one can swap in a longer stroke shock like people have been doing on the SC High Towers and couple other bikes and gain 10mm more rear travel .

EDIT note , I just noticed the image states a 140mm 36 , That,s a typo on my part ,they where both 150mm and felt well balanced on the quick spin I did on the bike .
  • 5 0
 Definitely. I swapped out the 130mm Fox 32 on my Rocky Instinct with a 140mm Pike and it's a totally different beast now. You lose a little bit of agility on the climbs, but it more than makes up for it in every other way.
  • 4 1
 @maglor: Works for my Scout (125mm) with a Fox 36 at 160mm.
  • 3 0
 @RichPune: I have chatted with a couple riders with the same set-up , they like it a lot
  • 3 0
 I run my Evil Following at 150mm, and it is a beast with that extra travel. The rear can handle what the front end delivers. Altered geometry feels great. Climbing long, steep climbs do feel little tall because of the slacked out STA, but I have no issue with short and medium punch hills, making me stand up more. Swapping to 120mm front does make the bike handle faster, but most of the time I run 150mm. I know others who run 140mm exclusively
  • 4 0
 @RichPune: Tried that , ended up with 150 Pikes and a coil, seems that a few people run 170/180 on their Patrols
  • 4 0
 @Blawrence: Same here.. on my 2013 Stumpjumper 29er, replaced the stock 130mm Fox 32 with a 140mm Pike. I almost couldn't believe the difference that it made, so much better in every aspect!
  • 3 0
 @mtnfriend: killer ride bro
  • 1 0
 Running a 140mm pike on my Smuggler and it's a really nice balance.
  • 2 0
 I discovered that the OEM 36 on my Remedy 29 can be respaced from 140mm to 160mm. Rocks even harder now.
  • 37 1
 how about some video reviews of bikes and see them in action?... appreciate the write up, all good, but would love to see the bike and the rider hit some stuff.

maybe actually see it climb like a XC bike and decend like a DH...
  • 4 1
 Amen to that
  • 2 0
 Yes. Video reviews would be sick. A lot of times, it's confusing to understand all the adjustable geo, tuning, slack, etc on paper. But if PB would do video reviews, it would bring a lot more understanding to how the bikes ride and stuff like that.
  • 7 0
 And slow-mo riding over chunky terrain!
  • 5 1
 Downhill and dj bike reviews would be nice too, unless pb is trying to kill them off with popular opinion or pointless polls
  • 2 0
 And to add to that, how about an mtbiker version of stig. Showing us about a certain bike being pedaled hard on climbs and ridden hard on descents.
  • 2 0
 If I recall correctly, Brad Walton used to put great edits together until he got disappeared after the enve fiasco.
  • 2 0
 @ibishreddin: That'd be the mountain bike equivalent of the Baywatch babes running in slo-mo! haha Bike porn
  • 2 0
 @Ohlalaa: Yeah. from what I remember Enve was very displeased with the review and I don't think Brad got to do anything else for PB ever since except posting stuff from his personal account like we all do.

Not too far off from what happened with the ambatt situation either so I don't think I'm into tinfoil hat theory here.
  • 1 0
 @PLC07: funny how ambatt keeps getting mentioned in the threads i participate... also, too bad about that walton thing, sure would like to know what went down in the background. Not taking sides here, but curious.
  • 30 0
 Thread your bottom bracket yo...
  • 28 7
 "Unlike most other carbon frames, however, the Django carbon frames are backed with a lifetime warranty"

Can we stop pretending that "lifetime" means what marketers try to make us think it means? At least if a company puts a specific number of years on their frame warranty, I know what the coverage is. "Lifetime warranty" has just too much wiggle room for me to think it's anything but smoke and mirrors. There's only one warranty in the business with balls, and that is (unbelievably), Motobecane, who warranty their titanium frames for 100 years. Not joking. A century of warranty coverage.

This is not a hack specifically at Devinci. I'm impressed by the low cost of the carbon frame relative to other bike makers and that looks like a nice bike. Wish it had a different name.
  • 12 0
 I know what you mean, perhaps lifetime isn't the best wording but in fairness to Devinci seems to be a "don't worry we will back you up" way rather than giving themselves wiggle room. I have a Troy that i damaged at the mega when i big sharp boulder took a chunk out of my frame and while its not warranty they offered to give me a new front triangle at cost (i assume cost as it was a pretty good price) so in my experience they were good on the customer service front.
  • 13 1
 Its a shame that a good company offering lifetime warranty draws this sort of response.....suspicion. It's not like they're ELLSWORTH, in which case I would have agreed with the principal of your argument. It just seems unfair to make this suggestion when they've been a decent company to deal with in the past Smile
  • 11 1
 I disagree about lifetime warranty being vague. It's pretty clear, without smoke and mirrors, that as long as you retain ownership of the bike, it is under warranty until you die. Which, I'm sure most people don't retain bikes that long but, it's a pretty good warranty. Even the bikes that have 100 years of warranty, the only way they can prove 100 years of warranty to be better than lifetime, is if it's transferable. If not, then it ends the same time lifetime does. Even though 100 years does establish a day that the warranty ends, no one will be able to outlive their warranty. Regardless though, I think it's funny they warranty it for 100 years. It's more of a conversation piece to help sell the bike.
  • 20 2
 You're seriously making an argument over saying 100 years vs. lifetime?

I think it's ridiculous, 100 years is too short- I want my frames warrantied for 200 years.
  • 11 3
 @scotty1212: "that as long as you retain ownership of the bike, it is under warranty until you die"

Please, Google around a little if that it what you think! "Lifetime" means product lifetime, and it's an arbitrary decision the company makes at the time of your warranty claim.
  • 7 2
 @TheOriginalTwoTone: "You're seriously making an argument over saying 100 years vs. lifetime?"

Yes I am. "Lifetime" is not your lifetime. It's product lifetime, which is arbitrary. Only Motobecane (this still blows my mind) actually has a true lifetime warranty, assuming you don't get a bike at birth and live past 100.
  • 6 2
 5 years is the max warranty in the MTB business. Doesn't matter if it's a "5 year warranty" or a "lifetime warranty", it's 5 years. Remember these warranties cover "defects in parts and manufacture"...once you hit the 5 year mark, if you haven't found defects you aren't going to.

The real question is how companies treat problems. There's the company who's attitude is "if it broke when it shouldn't, we've got your back" and then there's the company that disappears the moment you hand them your money. Unfortunately you can't find that information on any company website or in any manuals.
  • 3 0
 I think someone should just put 1000 year warranty on their items that were once lifetime warranty just to please you. Because seemingly big numbers are the key.
  • 9 0
 I've warrantied plenty of 10-20 year old bikes through the shop for people. Mostly aluminum frames that develop cracks on the welds or the headtube. Most companies just ask for an original proof of purchase receipt and a picture of the damage.
  • 7 0
 Devinci took good care of me when a baby head took out my AL Dixon. Though it wasn't covered under the lifetime warranty, their crash replacement policy provided me a new frame at cost. Thanks again Devinci!
  • 4 0
 @akvbike: original receipt after 10 years...that might be tough to find
  • 2 0
 @warehouse: I agree! I'm always surprised when a rider brings in a 10 year old receipt with faded ink along with their busted bike.

With that being said, a lot of shops these days keep a sales history on file, and they will be happy to provide another copy if the original is lost.
  • 7 1
 Example of lifetime:

BMW's manual says:
BMW diesel's particle filter service interval: lifetime.

If the filter fail, it means that it has reached the end of its life.
Need to be replaced...

Ha!
  • 5 0
 Definitely seen Trek warranty a 10+ year old road frame to the original owner. Guy had a Lemond or similar era bike, it cracked finally (from fatigue) and they sent him a new Domane.
  • 6 1
 @TEMPLE: Well, I'm a bicycle technician and sell Marin bikes. There hasn't been a warranty claim that's been turned down from the bike being too old at my shop, ever. There have been frame replacements on bikes that were clearly misused and they still replaced the frame. They would rather send the new frame and be the company standing behind their products than saving money on sending out a frame. It's not likely they would get repeat business if they denied frame warranty.

Most companies word it that way so if someone takes a 20 year old bike that wasn't meant for jumps, to a bike park, and it snaps and they try to claim warranty, they can say it has fatigued to the point where it won't hold up to the abuse that it was subjected to(and not meant for). I understand this is only one example but I'm sure you get the idea. They don't want everyone taking advantage of it and snapping frames all the time to get new ones.

At the end of the day, whichever bike brand you buy, most of them would rather eat the cost of the frame and potentially make you a lifetime customer than nickel and dime someone on a frame replacement. I used to sell Specialized and they we're fantastic for warranties. I saw some bikes from the 90's be warrantied and they had no problem. The only issue some companies may have is if it's a discontinued model and they don't have a suitable replacement. Which then they usually offer a wicked deal on a new bike.

Regardless, you're being a little melodramatic over something fairly minuscule.
  • 4 0
 @scotty1212: Exactly. A good company will stand behind their product whether they offer a lifetime warranty or not. The problem is determining which company is which, and having a good shop nearby that sells that brand.
  • 5 1
 @TEMPLE:

Motobecane USA Warranty
This warranty is void in its entirety by any physical/cosmetic alteration of the frame, paint, decals, components or any signs of bending/denting thereof. Bent or dented components, frame or fork would indicate abuse beyond the design of the bicycle.

Get a dent in the frame- no warranty, take decals off- no warranty.

Yup sounds like left a ton of loops holes in it- but keep holding it up as some model of a great warranty.
  • 2 6
flag TEMPLE (Feb 13, 2017 at 13:34) (Below Threshold)
 @scotty1212: "Regardless, you're being a little melodramatic over something fairly minuscule."

That's rude. You should read this: www.pinkbike.com/news/lets-not-be-a-holes-opinion-2017.html
  • 4 1
 @TheOriginalTwoTone: Well, since we are on the subject of Devinci, how about we see what voids their warranty? I won't post all the clauses, since some are obvious and fair reasons to void a warranty (i.e., you drove into your garage with the bike still on your car roof). So, some of the more interesting ways you can void your warranty with Devinci are:
1. Excessive use. Yup! Ride your bike too much and you void your warranty.
2. You use a different seat than the one it came with. Too bad if your butt doesn't fit the stock saddle, I guess?
3. If you use frame protector to protect your frame and it damages the paint: no warranty. Even though you were protecting the frame in the first place?
I won't keep going, but you can look here www.devinci.com/registration/index3.html

My point is, all the companies have statements like Motobecane in their warranties, but only Motobecane will dare to say their warranty is good for 100 years. I don't ride any Motobecane bikes, by the way, but I am impressed nonetheless.
  • 6 2
 @TEMPLE: It's not rude at all. I didn't intend for it to be rude. You decided to read it that way. If I attacked you, calling you names, then that would be rude.

It's simply saying you're exaggerating this topic and it's something, in this industry, that isn't a big deal. Your opinion differs from mine and I felt that you defending your opinion was melodramatic. If you choose to play the sensitive card, so be it.

Insinuating that i'm an a*shole, is rude. However, I'm not in this to start an argument. I have experience in the bike business and felt that it would be useful to others to see that not all bike brands try to trick you with words, with how you were implying they were.

I'm sure there are companies out there that will stick to their guns and refuse warranty. So in a sense, I'm agreeing with you, but adding my own two cents along the way.
  • 3 7
flag TEMPLE (Feb 13, 2017 at 15:02) (Below Threshold)
 @scotty1212: Calling someone "melodramatic" is calling them names. Just like if I called you "condescending", for example. And I just picked "condescending" randomly, of course. In any case, "melodramatic" is an ad hominem logical fallacy and making negative personal inferences about someone is a well-known tactic to minimize the strength/credibility of that person's argument. So, I have to point it out.

Ball busting aside, I do appreciate your comments and I am pleased that you give enough of a crap about the topic to go back and forth on it. But, I disagree with you that warranties, and how they are represented, are not a big deal. I don't have to go very far in my circle of riding friends to find someone with a story about less-than-stellar service (that includes me, as it happens, and I have had both great and terrible warranty experiences). As I pointed out in my first post, I have no problem with DeVinci per se. Rather, I am objecting to the language of the warranty marketing, and that fact that mention of the lifetime warranty even appeared in Vernon's review of the the bike. That is, a lifetime warranty is something real or it isn't, and I'm trying to make a bigger point about truth in advertising.
  • 8 2
 @TEMPLE:
Maybe Pinkbike can create a safe posting area for you.
  • 2 0
 lifetime warranty it means the "frame life with original owner" .
Most of us sell the bike 2 or 3 years later...deathtime
  • 1 1
 Motobecane is a crap bikes direct brand, no thanks.
  • 3 0
 @ulissesportela: believe it or not, most major bike brands that advertise "lifetime" actually mean as long as you have the bike. Some of them have a blurb that says that nothing lasts forever and the bike naturally wears over time and that excessive use isn't covered. Usually a bike only excessively wears when it's being neglected. (Ie cable rub. It can be prevented by placing 3m sticky tape in spots where cables would rub).

I did some research after speaking with @TEMPLE and only one of the brands that states lifetime warranty said the life time of the bike. I believe it was YT Industries.

Actually, most of the online only bicycle brands had less than 5 years on all their bikes. Most of the major bike brands had actual lifetime warranty. Some of the brands only gave you lifetime warranty if you registered the bike within 90 days on their website.

@TEMPLE : Fair enough, I probably didn't have to add the last part that I did. I'm sorry for that. I've heard a lot of warranty horror stories as well. I find that most of them are because of the shop and not the brand. At least where I am, most shops give off a "I'm better than you" vibe and aren't very personable.

Sometimes the shop isn't well versed in dealing with warranties and that's unacceptable. I actually find warranties to be fun and don't avoid doing them.
  • 2 0
 @TEMPLE: I work at a devinci dealer, i've seen first hand what they will warranty. They'll take care of you unless its absurd and obvious misuse. Use a different seat? they're never going to ask that, and if you stick with the JRA response and let them sort the warranty you'll be fine.
  • 3 0
 @warehouse: take a picture of your receipt.
  • 16 2
 My eyes quickly saw • BB92 press-fit bottom bracket, and that saved me 10 minutes of reading...... Thanks for putting that at the top PB.
  • 6 0
 Agree. Will not buy another PF BB after this process.
  • 3 0
 It's still good reading though.
  • 1 0
 I have a Devinci Troy with the same BB92 and i was skeptical as i'd never had a PF BB and was worried it would creek from all the stories, nearly put me off because i hate creaky bikes (who doesn't) but in reality i haven't had a single issue or noise, its been perfect which almost surprises me after the way everyone talks about PF, i think its just the minority who have had issues make alot of noise about it.

Just to note i use the shimano BB92 that has plastic casing creating a more forgiving fit with the frame, i believe this helps and is maybe why I've had no issues.
  • 1 0
 @maglor: IIRC there was a lot of issues with PF BBs initially but shimano came up with a solution eventually (some sort of teflon sleeve I think?) Not sure if other manufacturers followed suit and if it is a thing from the past or if the problem is still prevalent.
  • 1 0
 @PLC07: Yer that sounds like the shimano BB i have, from my experience it seems to be a thing of the past now.

I do think threaded is a bit nicer though (nice to not need a press to get them in straight) but i understand why frame manufacturers choose PF especially on carbon bikes, makes manufacture simpler (keeping cost down) and allows for a wider and stiffer BB area giving more design options.
  • 1 0
 @maglor: a problem with the bike industry is that they don't seem to test their products much before releasing them so the early adopters are often caught with lemons and that gives a bad name to the said product.
  • 13 0
 What is up with companies specing Level brakes on trailbikes? Saving like ten grams at the cost of significantly reduced stopping power... No thanks.
  • 11 0
 @vernonfelton - nice review. Good to know that it's swimming in the same section of the gene pool as the Tallboy, Ripley, and Mach 429. Here, however, is where you could take this review from good to great - tell us what makes this bike different from those. Give us insight into how each of those bikes flatters particular riding styles or rider physiques. Take for example your review of the suspension - it's good to know that you felt it was plenty progressive without volume spacers - but you're 175#. I'm 230 - so when I'm looking for a bike, while it's interesting to me to know that you found this one progressive (and safe from harsh bottom outs) even without volume spacers, I would have loved to have you try a volume spacer or two to see how big a difference it made. Or to have a heavier rider try it on some benchmark spots and then tell us how that compares to other bikes in its class.

Because in the end, there are a ton of good bikes out there, but they all have their niches. Example - I'm 6'1", but have short legs and a long torso. My XL Process 111, despite having added travel in the front, won't wander on the uphills for me, because my build puts me further forward and there's enough weight on the front wheel to keep things steady. A friend of mine is 6'1", but for him it's all in the legs, and he can't climb for shit on my bike while seated - the front end is all over the place.

There are now, what, a couple dozen 29ers with between 110 and 135 mm of rear travel. Over half of those are available in stores right here in Bellingham. But demoing them all would take a fair amount of time and money (since you only get the demo money back for a bike you actually buy). That's where reviews come in. And you guys are on the right track - there's a lot more useful stuff in these reviews than there used to be. You guys are calling BS where appropriate, and you highlight the stuff that truly sets bikes apart. But there's another step or two you can take here that would make for really useful advice.

TL-DR - nice job, now go a bit further.
  • 4 0
 Only Vernon has the balls to Say it :"That said, the Django is not quite as forgiving of passive piloting as some other models in its class"
  • 2 0
 @freerabbit: Yep - that's good stuff. He's making a distinction that will make it easier for people to tell whether this is a better bike for them than some others they might have considered. But here's the thing - I've ridden a number of highly reviewed bikes as demos, and found some of them to be awesome for me, and others to be completely inappropriate for my build because their geometry forced me into a stance that wasn't remotely sustainable. I could tell what the reviewers where talking about when praising those bikes - but it was a clear issue of 'this bike is not for me' about one hour into riding them.

So let's say you're looking for a 29er trailbike that's a bit more playful rather than super stable/forgiving. Great - this review gives you the idea that the Django might fit that bill. But you still don't know whether that will work for you unless you happen to fit 5'11" with a 32" inseam and weighing in at 175#. There are some comments about the tall stack up front - so that's something you can use to figure out a thing or two - but to really know whether you should even consider this bike, a little more info would be helpful.

Yes, you could deduce most of that from geometry charts if you are a super experienced rider who's done a fair amount of thinking about these sorts of things. But those aren't the people that these reviews are written for, as they have a very good idea of exactly what they want/need already. It's the rest of us, who might have some notions, but are really not sure. And even then - geometry tells you only so much. Example - Vernon states that the Django rides differently than he (someone who's spent a fair bit of effort sorting out what geometry means for how a bike rices) would have expected. That's great - but why not go into 'this bike will work great for people of such and such build, but will probably cause issues for people with such and such different build/size/weight' and really push the envelope on how useful these reviews can be?
  • 2 0
 Good points. I'm around the same height and weight as you, and I'm constantly finding bikes and components that just aren't made for big dudes. Any brakes other than Saint, forget it. Just got a Float X shock. Was pretty psyched til I had to air it up to 320 psi just to get 30% sag. Been trying to find a good wheelset for months...
  • 1 0
 @skelldify: hmm... maybe that's inherent to piggyback air shocks? Same on the Monarch Plus I switched to in the fall. At ~220 locked and loaded I need ~300psi to get 30% sag on a Stumpjumper.
  • 9 0
 Interesting note on the handling agility "that belies its geometry chart."
Makes me wonder if the the latest trends in geo have made you/us change our technique enough so that a "long" bike no longer feels cumbersome.
  • 11 5
 Also who's the dimwit that decided adding an optional extra-tall lower headset cup is the best way to slacken the front even more? The suspension companies put thousands of hours into making sure that the axle to crown is as small as possible, every year they gleefully announce their new fork has a 1.3mm shorter A2C. Then you just add 10mm just because? If you want a taller front end, why not just add a centimeter of travel?
  • 4 7
 @maxlombardy: A centimeter of travel costs ALOT more than a headset cup.
  • 6 4
 @TheRaven: lots of forks are adjustable. So for a Fox for example you remove a clip on the airspring shaft. Total cost $0.
  • 4 2
 @maxlombardy: Yes, but you would have to BUY that adjustable fork as 95% of bikes come with a fork that's already at max travel. It's very rare that you get a bike and find that you can easily bump up travel.

@atrokz: That's awesome...yes that's exactly what I was referring to when I said "ALOT". You need one more Alot in order to buy a centimeter of travel.
  • 4 3
 @TheRaven: The 120mm Pike that came on my bike cost me all of $35 to convert to 140mm...
  • 3 2
 @g-42: Because you did the work yourself. I know exactly what you did and $35 is the exact cost of the one part you needed. Now how much would that cost at a shop?

Also i'd like to point out that a lower headset cup is like $8-$15.
  • 7 3
 @TheRaven: Nope - the shop did it, I only paid for the part. That's the beauty of a good shop - I demo'd the bike, the guys and gals at the shop told me all about what they'd done to theirs and why they liked the extra front travel, and told me they could do that for me as part of the build up (since they pulled my bike from the warehouse, it wasn't fully built yet). They recommended, however, that I ride it as is first to see if I really wanted it, and that they'd do the swap for me for free along with the first lowers service. And they did - but they also showed me, at that time, how to swap it back myself (if I ever wanted to tune it for mellower terrain, say for a trip or something), and spent some time with me to show me how to mess with spacers, and how to dial in the sag I wanted (since the markings are off when you put the longer air shaft in). That's why I love living in a town with a bunch of excellent bike shops (we've got almost as many of them as we have craft breweries - come visit sometime, it's a fun place to ride and explore).
  • 4 4
 @g-42: OK OK, how much would that cost at the average shop for the average rider? No matter how you look at it, whether you have a fork where all you have to do is replace the air shaft, or you have to get a new fork, it's significantly more expensive to increase travel than to change a headset cup.
  • 4 3
 @TheRaven: If you get your lowers serviced, I'd argue that just about any shop will throw in the air shaft swap. If you service your lowers yourself, you'll be able to do the job yourself with about five minutes of you tube research. Meanwhile, the headset cup would require uninstalling and reinstalling your headset, no? If so - that's probably at about the same level of difficulty, and will probably take about the same amount of shop time.

Yes, the headset cup is cheaper - and if you're stuck with a fork that doesn't allow a travel adjustment in the same sort of easy fashion as the Pike (my wife's Sektor, for example, won't let you do that), then yes, that's probably a pretty nifty way of giving yourself a slightly slacker bike, get your BB and pedals up a little higher, and gain more confidence on the descents. But if you're in the lucky position to already have a fork that can accommodate it, the cost/hassle difference isn't that big.

As for average shop, average rider - I'm very much an average rider. I seek out good service, so I would agree that this is not an average shop (and the competitive landscape in my little slice of MTB heaven sure helps). To me, this is the sort of stuff that the direct sales guys have to figure out - sure, if you are in a one LBS town and they're not great for service, you're probably just as well off buying your bike direct. But there is real value to be provided to average riders with above average service. Perhaps that's the future - independent shops that don't even bother selling bikes, but are all about the service. We have a young couple here in town who have a box truck they've built out as a shop. They park it where riders will run into them (right at the trailheads during the day, next to the major breweries during the evening), they'll bend over backwards to fit in quick repairs, and they try to figure out how to make riders happy by not just fixing the thing they know about, but figuring out how they could add some value to their ride with a few simple tweaks or setup changes. For the average rider, that sort of thing is gold, and well worth the shop charge.
  • 4 2
 @g-42: "Yes, the headset cup is cheaper - and if you're stuck with a fork that doesn't allow a travel adjustment in the same sort of easy fashion as the Pike (my wife's Sektor, for example, won't let you do that), then yes, that's probably a pretty nifty way of giving yourself a slightly slacker bike, get your BB and pedals up a little higher, and gain more confidence on the descents."

And that's all I was saying. So we agree.

One thing to remember - you are not "average", you are a lucky one. I have been riding for 18 years and I had never experienced what you consider to be completely normal, every day life until I went to visit my brother in Bend, OR this past summer. There are 28 bike shops in his little town of 81000 people, and pretty much every one of them is excellent. My little town of 87000 has 4 "bike shops", and only two of them can do anything more than assemble a $300 road bike and sell it to you. I just recently had to travel 40 mins to get a set of carbon wheels tensioned...and they managed to round off seven nipples in the process. That's one of the "good" shops. The others have never even touched a carbon wheelset. Anyway, this is what the vast majority of the world considers "average".
  • 3 2
 @TheRaven: The majority of forks are easily adjustable like the 34s this bikes comes with can be run at up to 150 or 160mm and pikes are one of the most common forks and only requires an air shaft change, yes it costs more than a headset cup but could you not argue that 10mm of extra travel is well worth that small expense, the headset may be cheaper bits it's not really the same end.
  • 4 3
 @maglor: No. The majority of forks are not adjustable actually. There are ALOT more forks than just 34s and Pikes. Lyrik, Yari, Domain, Revelation, Reba, Sid, Sektor, XC30, Argyle, Recon, 320, 350, Diamond, Mattoc, Minute, Magnum, Marvel, Circus, Match...and that's about half of what's out there. Furthermore, less than half of those even have the ability to be adjusted and like two of them are "easy".

Again, a headset cup is alot easier and cheaper than a fork travel change. That's it. That's all i'm sayin.
  • 3 2
 @TheRaven: I was agreeing that a headset is easier and cheaper but my point was it can't really be compared like for like with extending the travel as yes the geometry change is the same result but the extra travel is a bonus and therefore worth that cost i think.

Also with the forks yes you're right there's alot of forks that can't be adjusted but in this all rounder sector Pikes dominate, most stock bikes seem to come with pikes or 34s, who's going to use domains or sids on a django, so yes unfortunately some people wont be able to easily adjust the travel but there's probably more who can so its a good option.
  • 3 2
 @maglor: We are not disagreeing...you haven't countered my point...you are making a different one, and I agree with it.

You have to keep in mind my original point - a headset cup is alot cheaper than a travel change. That's ALL I said. I didn't say it was better, I didn't say it was easier, I didn't say I would do it. Somehow this blew up into an argument over how many forks can have their travel easily changed. It doesn't matter. Unless you have a travel adjustable fork (like Dual position or TALAS), you are not going to change your a2c for less money than a headset cup.
  • 2 0
 @TheRaven: you're wrong. The exact fork on this bike can be changed FOR FREE. Let it go.
  • 2 0
 @TheRaven: and if your argument is that you have to pay a shop, then you probably would need them to knock out your old headset and press in a new one anyways so it's a wash.
  • 2 0
 @maxlombardy: Incorrect. You would need to purchase the correct air shaft kit to go up to 140mm. Cost $39. FSA EC49/40 lower cup cost - $10. Most shops will swap out the lower cup for free, but just for the sake of conversation, lets say they charge their base labor fee for both services and it's a wash - end result is that the travel change costs 3.9x more than the lower cup change.

Can we move on from this now?
  • 9 1
 modern Devinci bikes: beautiful and sexy, but in a kind of brutal way. like that chick at the gym, you know the one. she's really strong, does a lot of dynamic moves and deadlifts. she's got all the curves, pretty too, and you'd really like to spend quality private time with her but your a bit scared of her.
  • 2 0
 @vernonfelton Running the stem slammed is there any chance of it hitting the top tube? I appreciate you pointing this out. I'm ordering a frame and will likely opt for flat bars for my build.

On another note I'm glad Devinci went with a taller head tube rather then having a flexy front with low stack. I demo'd a Yeti 5.5C and the front end felt like the front end was going to tear off on g-outs.
  • 2 0
 Well said- there's inherent advantages in building around a taller head tube so long as you take the frame's clearance in to account... tall head tube is a good thing on a well designed bike.
  • 1 0
 Got mine built up with a 140 36. With 10mm rise sixc bars I am running 35mm in spacers
  • 2 0
 It amazes me that the front mech is still mentioned. What amazes me more is that people still run multi front rings. All bike manufacturers like Devinci are should now be running single ring only and 3 or 2 front rings are a no longer needed. This will also give bike manufacturers far more scope with the designs. Triple and double rings should be left in the mountain bike retro days along with elastomers and flexi stems.
  • 5 0
 Lifetime for Devinci is 25 years... pretty solid I'd say!
  • 4 0
 Like Logan's Run!
  • 2 1
 Don't get me wrong, I love reading these reviews, but is it too much to ask for reviews of bikes that are affordable by the avg rider. I don't know many people who can blow 8K CAD on a new bike. I'd love to see some reviews of the builds that are more in the realm of reality.
  • 4 0
 You didn't read the review? He says they took this as these were the first out of the factory so they would have the review up sooner. It's not hard to think what a heavier wheelset or 42 tooth cassette bring to the party.
  • 2 0
 Build doesn't really effect how the bike rides. Assume, with a cheaper build its going to be a little clunkier, the suspension not quite as responsive and supple, and the shifting not quite as crisp. if you want a review of how a low end drivetrain, suspension, wheels or brakes performs, they have those available too.
  • 5 0
 It's got BOOST spacing boys! The future is here!
  • 1 0
 Neat review, and nice to have some focus on the things I believe differentiate bikes at this price point. It's no surprise that a Dave Weagle designed suspension system feels nimble and "poppy" while climbing like a mountain goat, not misbehaving under heavy braking over rough stuff, and has the cohones to still cope with the aggressive downs.....it's what he does, and it's why you'll only find it on high end bikes. As the review says, the DW Link performs equally as well. Because it's a licensed product any company wanting to use it has to pay, and that's where some of that extra price comes in. I thought it fair to mention this, as so many comments, and even in the review itself ("Before you start seeing red because of that price tag") feel a need to justify their price relative to the market. It may seem high relative to other bikes of this type, but a lifetime warranty isn't cheap, and unless you want Canyon/YT levels of after service if something goes wrong, probably worth stumping up the extra cash for.
  • 4 0
 Curious if Mr. Felton could post a few words specifically in comparison of this rig to the new Tallboy? Thanks.
  • 2 0
 I'll second that as VF seems to really like the Tallboy3. What do you say @vernonfelton? You basically setup a comparison with the mention of the TB, Ripley LS and 429Trail...
  • 1 0
 Honest review! Hate the name but I'll probably buy this or a Marshall 29 before the end of the year. I agree that carbon Devinci's creak more than some other bikes I own. My Hendrix with the aluminum frame is super quiet however.
  • 3 2
 "I don't think front derailleurs are necessary any more..." me neither. I'm running a 2x setup right now with no derailleur. Narrow Wide 32t oval paired with a 22t for extended climbs. Need to switch gears? That's right, I move the chain with my hands. Im not kidding...I only need the 22t on rare occasions before a LONG climb so why add the weight of a derailleur? Just to make things better for all you new school riders....I'm rocking a 11-40t 9-SPEED cassette by Sunrace out back. Oh yeah.
  • 1 2
 Lmfao u tool
  • 6 3
 "SDG Fly MTN Saddle: The ass killer. This saddle hurt me. Many times"

Cause @clapforcanadaa likes rough butt stuff.....
  • 1 0
 I am kind of embarrassed to say this but I don't mind that saddle... I bet Clap will fix that saddle right up!
  • 3 0
 Never thought I'd read something like this from a mod
  • 5 0
 Only the best MOD ever!
  • 2 0
 Haha, I don't mind a little rough stuff @comacruz!

Different strokes for different folks when it comes to saddles! Fly MTN isn't my personal go to, but the Circuit MTN is my jam.
  • 1 0
 I bet it rides really well. Geometry is very similar to my '16 Fuel EX 9, travel included, We spend a lot of time climbing here to earn our turns going down, so a bike that climbs well is important.
  • 1 1
 Did anyone else realize that pink bike and DaVinci both or one messed up Tire sizing the minion dhf comes in a 2.5 not a 2.4 how can we expect to know what type of clearance we have when alternative facts are entered into bike media. I'm not a journalist but at least I know how to read numbers dirrrrr.t. good fact checking.
  • 2 2
 I have rented a few Devincis in the past and while they were not my bikes and I don't know how they were cared for, they have been the squeakiest bikes I have ever ridden. And while this is my personal experience and I am sure they are many happy Devinci customers I just cant get myself to even consider one after those extremely frustrating rides squeaking up and down hills. Any one else have this experience? Was this just quiescence that I have had 3 really bad squeakers?
  • 2 0
 It could just be (bad) luck. I've ridden a few (local distributor) and they've all been squeak free. More than likely down to the servicing if yours came from one place? I've also ridden other bikes that always make a racket, mainly cable routing. This happened three times on a PB fan boy brand....
  • 1 0
 Press fit BB. Not even once.
  • 2 0
 I have nothing but praise for my AL Dixon. Squeak free season after season.
  • 1 0
 My Dixon had an awful creak that came from the upper shock mount bolt. I eventually figured out that the torquing it 5nm more than spec fixed it.
  • 4 0
 My Troy is dead silent. I have a DT rear hub and the only thing I hear is the tires on the ground! Really nice Smile
  • 3 0
 Interesting my Spartan doesn't make a peep, love that bike!
  • 2 0
 The squeaking comes from the shock bolt/bushings, replacing with needle bearing fixes that.
  • 2 0
 ive had 3 carbon devincis, if you keep the pivots clean, they're quiet
  • 1 0
 Good review I would have loved to hear more of a
Comparison to the mentioned bikes in the class. Particularly the pivot which he alluded to being the most similar. Better worse how?
  • 1 0
 I been working on 29ers long travel bikes for a long time and i believe it's the future of mountain bikes. www.instagram.com/p/pmmbY9hOvq898T4ouVCk3n5Pbz9u5_kC5ZpZw0 this is my first prototype 29er L.T. bike
  • 5 2
 Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention!
  • 2 0
 "...an affront to my taint." Now those are words I never thought I would read in a review.
  • 1 0
 You want me to what your taint? :O
  • 3 0
 @vernonfelton Any chance of a comparison between Django29 and Marshall29?
  • 2 0
 I rode the Marshall in both 29 and 27+ mode. Check this article out: www.pinkbike.com/u/vernonfelton/blog/devinci-marshall-carbon-first-ride.html
  • 3 0
 @vernonfelton: Thx, I've read that article. Both articles are great, but these bikes are so similar that I'm left questioning 'why do these both exist?' and 'what is each bikes' purpose?' Is Django the line picker and Marshall for plowing? How was the Django on DoubleDown? Which model would you buy if it were your money, which would you take racing, and which would you rather ride? Does one inspire more creative metaphors?
  • 3 1
 Insert generic comment relative to session followed by downvotes
  • 2 1
 Looks like a session
  • 2 1
 @pikebait2013: Have you just got off a session? #LiveFortheSesh
  • 1 0
 @lee-vps-savage: no, I wish tho
  • 5 7
 This made me laugh: "The fact that this blinged-out version of the Django 29 ONLY weighs 12.5 kilos (27.6 pounds)".

If that figure is correct (Pinkbike NEVER shows a claimed weight on a photo and the 27.6 is probably a happy 28 and change) this is what $7,000 buys you today: a porky bike.

It is not a DeVinci problem, thanks to "bigger is better" every single component on a bike got heavier in the last 10 years. Including 1x that now weighs within grams of a dual, and costs 3 times as much, thanks to the silly 50 cog and long cage derailleur ...
  • 6 0
 28 lbs is light for a fs 29" w/real tires...MM, dhf, etc Eagle cassettes are not light. Go with 11spd.
  • 5 0
 Same as the automotive industry. Technology advances, more and more exotic lightweight materials make their way into our machines, yet our machines keep getting heavier because we demand more and more STUFF. Multiple-zone AC, heated/cooled/massaging italian leather seats, an full-featured computer for an entertainment system, or more travel, wider rims, wider bars, fully-adjustable twin-tube shocks, armored sidewall tubeless tires...all the same.
  • 6 0
 And what about all the 1x systems that weigh hundreds of grams less than a dual setup that cost hardly anything to buy as well?

Or are you just ignoring them to take a swipe at eagle for some reason? As otherwise your argument isn't particularly valid.
  • 2 1
 @mgolder: Do the easy math. The Eagle is within 100 grams of a dual. Between the 50 cog and the long cage derailleur it gained close to 150 grams in respect to the 1042 and blew away one of the reasons to go 1x (btw: I am on 1x)
  • 2 0
 @duzzi: well id surmise that weight takes a back seat to ez maintenance, lack of chain drops/suck, quietness.
  • 3 0
 The shop I work in has a demo XO1 Django 29, and it is indeed in the 27 pound range (ours is medium and I think it was 27.4). Bikes are definitely not getting heavier with the exception of a few models. Even if they are maintaining a weight around 28 pounds, the parts have become soo much stronger than they used to. Look at downhill bikes for instance. 10 years ago, they were around 45-50 pounds. We have an XL V10 sitting on the shop floor that weighs 32.8 pounds without pedals and has room to lose more weight.
  • 2 0
 @leon-forfar: Conversely, my XTR-equipped 1x11 2014 Enduro Expert (Carbon frame) weighs almost exactly 30lbs. My XTR-equipped 3x9 2004 Enduro (alloy frame) weighed 25.5lbs. My XTR, 1x11, carbon rimmed, carbon framed SJ Evo weighs 26.4lbs. My brother's 2005 base-model alloy-framed Stumpy weighed just under 24lbs. There may be exceptions but on the whole, full-suspenion MTB bikes have gotten heavier.
  • 3 0
 @TheRaven: I guess the trail bikes have gotten a little heavier, but I bet the newer versions are MUCH more capable bikes than the ones that weighed a bit less 10 years ago.
  • 1 0
 @leon-forfar: No doubt they are more capable. That's a big part of where the weight comes from.
  • 3 1
 I have a medium Django 29 carbon bike, XO1 1x11, DT XM1501 wheelset, NextSL crankset and handlebar, Fox 34 and the bike weighs exactly 12.5kg including XT trail pedals
  • 3 2
 @jrocksdh: For real. The switch to 1x is the morally correct choice. Cleaner, simpler, beautiful. It's just plain wasteful and hideous to have an extra damn shifter and mech. Anyone who switched for weight reasons doesn't get it. Man has found a better way to live.... embrace it. The death of the front derailleur will usher in an era of world peace and prosperity.
  • 2 0
 @leon-forfar: Indeed. And this isn't an xc bike. If someone wanted to lose weight and go with a lighter weight wheelset and tires, they could. This thing is built to be ridden hard. Damn good weight if you ask me.
  • 2 0
 @TheRaven:

Raven, are you nuts? (I also had an '04 Enduro)

How can you compare against the newer versions that don't even resemble the old. More travel, more capable, generally larger wheels and burlier tires, wider bars. Apples to apples, if they were specced the same it would come down to the frame.

Also, that's impressive you got your old Enduro down to 25.5. That frame was burly AF.

My 1st and 2nd FS bikes weighed about 32.5 and 31.5 in 1999 and 2003 respectively, and had 4-5 inches of travel. My current FS bike weighed about 31 and change when I bought her, has more travel than those early rigs, and is infinitely better at both climbing and descending, not to mention with larger wheels and proper AM rubber and 4 piston brakes with larger rotors.
  • 2 1
 @WasatchEnduro: The morally correct choice for those who like to push their bikes when the hill gets gnarly !
  • 2 0
 @preston67:

But pushing is Enduro-approved, get with the times.

But seriously, match a 46 rear (like my new xt cassette) with like a 30 up front (I'm going with 32 tho) and you're golden, right? The range is there! Convert ye retro grouches, convert!
  • 1 0
 @WasatchEnduro: That was my point...read what I posted, it's in there. Despite more exotic materials, bikes are getting heavier due to STUFF...just like in cars. We demand more (more suspension, wider/stronger wheels, tougher tires, bigger cassettes...etc) from our bikes and thus they have gotten heavier despite advances in materials and higher prices.
  • 2 3
 @leon-forfar: It is arguable. There has been a constant push to make everything bigger and larger in the last 10 years. It is just a consequence of marketing: it is easy to do (engineering wise) and it is easy to fool people to believe that bigger is stronger and better.

The reality is that the ONLY improvement to bike handling is due to a change in a few degrees of head angle (call it 68.5, the HA of my Mojo C, to 66.8, the HA of my HD3) and shorter stems and wider bars. Everything else is just smoke: bikes 10 years ago where as capable as they are today, but lighter, first and foremost because of the 26 wheels, then a number of components that got heavier and heavier ... including 1x that used to save a good chunk in respect to 2x, and now it is 150 grams at most ...
  • 1 0
 Great review! Got one on the new Orbea Occam TR 29 carbon in the works yet?
  • 3 0
 the d is silent
  • 1 0
 @vernonfelton, Why did you have to bring sloth into it? I may or may not be offended. Wink
  • 1 0
 My kind of ride, maybe it will replace my beloved Camber :-)
  • 1 1
 Well written and informative. One of the few reviews that I read every word .
  • 2 1
 Devinci must be edging closer towards a spartan29?
  • 5 0
 in the works, expect two wheelsize options next year, one 27.5 for the fast guys, a 29er for everyone else.
  • 1 2
 Could this take an angleset headset? I've been looking at a short travel 29er to replace my enduro 29er, so it needs to pedal amazing. I would just like a slacker front end.
  • 1 0
 The Marshall 29 has slightly less travel but its slacker.
  • 1 0
 Ehh on the colour scheme.
  • 3 0
 FYI, it's also available in a blue/yellow color scheme that you can see if you hit the link to their site at the top of the review. Sorry I failed to mention that. I'm sorta a monochromatic guy, so the black-white thing worked for me, but thanks for bringing it up. Cheers.
  • 1 0
 Nice bike, the price even sounds moderate
  • 1 0
 ya i don't know, 29'ers are for hardtails if anything
  • 1 0
 Excellent review, Vernon.
  • 1 0
 To replace my Evil Following, is it good?
  • 1 0
 Sounds like an awesome little rocket! Would be fun for my home trails here
  • 4 4
 What?! I cant run a 36 tooth. not worth my $6819. #notmydjango
  • 1 0
 bah, ignore the caption there looks to be plenty of room
  • 1 2
 "no room for front derailer" I think we can stop bringing that up already. We have been in the (1x) age for a while now.
  • 1 0
 I still need that information - but I guess we could at least switch to only making it clear when they DO have an FD mount.
  • 1 0
 The d is silent asshole!
  • 1 0
 The Chango
  • 1 2
 No more Merlot! No more 29ers! Sign the 27.5 petition NOW!
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