First Ride: Devinci's New Django Carbon 29

Also in the mix of builds is a GX LTD spec - this bike comes with SRAM G2 brakes with 200mm rotors and a burlier parts build for $5,899 USD (6,099 EU) and is the model of the bike we've been on for a few rides now.


Frame Details

Full Carbon Frame: The carbon-framed Django uses a carbon front end, rear end, and linkage. The new frame is 300g lighter (medium) than the previous Django.

Frame Protection: For frame protection, there's a soft compound guard on the chainstay protector to keep chain quieter. There's also a large guard on the down tube.

Cable Routing: Cable routing is internal in both frame and chainstays. When deciding on the routing configuration, Devinci's designers identified places where there could be frame rub or wear and avoided it - for instance, where the cable moves under the pivot, there's a lot less cable movement than if it was farther outboard.



Tire clearance: The Django can accommodate up to a 2.6" tire.

Bearings: Bearings were also updated to a double row of smaller bearings. As Devinci were evolving their split pivot design, they wanted to make everything slimmer looking - the double row Enduro bearings give a better static load rating than a larger single bearing, another point of less maintenance.




Geometry

The head tube angle in the Django's "low" setting is 66.5-degrees, a degree slacker than the previous model. The "high" setting bumps it up by .5-degree to 67-degrees. The seat angle has been steepened by nearly three degrees, and on the size medium comes in at 77.5-degrees. The steeper angle helps with a better ride position and better dropper post clearance.

Reach grows a bit on all sizes, with the medium coming in at 450mm, and increase of six millimeters. The XS frame can fit riders starting at 4'8", with 29" wheels. The XS and S can clear a 125mm post, the medium a 150, large 175 and XL a 200mm post. This is measured with a "worst case scenario" in mind - some dropper posts can be longer depending on their design but Devinci are being conservative with their measuring.

The Django, like all of Devinci's bikes is designed around a size medium. The chain stay length varies with sizing on the larger bikes to keep the feel of the bike similar to riders across the board. The XS, S, and M bikes have 435mm chain stays. The L is 5mm longer at 440 and the XL is 445mm.






Suspension Design

The new Django keeps with the 120mm of travel that the previous version had. The leverage ratio on the Django is progressive enough that it's possible for riders to run a coil shock if they so choose. The bike is optimized around a 140mm fork, but riders are fine choosing to run a 10mm longer fork if they want to without running into any warranty issues.




I had the opportunity to spend a couple days on the Django in Bromont, Canada, with the Devinci crew, and I've also gotten out on a few rides at home in Western North Carolina. The riding in both locales was rocky, root-infested, and wet.

In the coming months, expect to see a full review once I've had a chance to experiment around with more suspension settings, swap out a part here or there, and get the bike fully dialed in.



Climbing

The bike I have been riding is the GX LTD build of the Django. It's a little more geared towards the rougher, higher speed kind of riding, with a burlier brake and tire spec. It also comes with 800mm wide Race Face bars and a 50mm long 35mm clamp stem.

I'm a fan of steep seat angles, but it took me a couple of rides to get used to the Django's pedaling position. After some saddle adjusting (backward instead of forwards) I was able to find a comfortable position, one that didn't put my knees too far forward over the spindle.

The Split-Pivot suspension does a good job of managing the suspension when you're climbing while still providing plenty of traction to keep the rear wheel digging into the ground. On longer more sustained climbs, I found myself leaving the shock in the middle setting.

The bike is easy to negotiate in tight uphill corners, and it manages roots and other obstacles well. Its solid feeling nature made it easy to muscle it up and over or onto logs and other trailside attractions without losing pace. That solid and stout feeling comes partly from the bike's 30-pound weight. It's not the lightest option in this category, but Devinci weren't trying to make a super light XC machine - the goal was to make a versatile short travel trail ripper.



Descending

When gravity takes over, the Django is a drop your heels and let it eat trail bike. While it's only sporting 120mm of travel paired to a 140mm fork, it's more than enough for rough trail riding and light to medium duty bike park ventures.

The build of the bike plays heavily in making it feel appropriate in places other 120mm bikes would not, something riders who have ridden other bikes from Devinci will find familiar.

Taking the proper time to set up the shock is crucial to the ride quality of the Django, and a few psi above or below, or a volume spacer too little, can drastically change how the bike feels. Once I had spent a couple days dialing things in, the bike felt excellent on a variety of trails and in various conditions. Everything from high speed, rough downhills to tighter and more slow-speed technical trails felt as if they were fair game on the Django.




Overall, the new Django takes what Devinci had with the last one, modernizes it, and makes it better. It hits the upper limit on where I think some angles, such as the seat tube, need to go but it doesn't go beyond.

The Django has thus far been a capable all-around trail bike, but I'm going to keep putting in the miles in order to really figure out its strengths and weaknesses, and how it stacks up to other competitors in this travel bracket.

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We're including Devinci's Django video with the first look as it's pure riding and having a good time.

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Reviews and Tech First Rides Trail Bikes Devinci Devinci Django