Devinci

Troy Carbon 27.5 Mountain Bike Frame

There are a lot of good full suspension bikes on the market these days. It really is a great time to be a mountain biker with so many solid options to choose from. We should be calling ourselves lucky, but with so many different brands, suspension designs, wheel sizes, and travel options it can be tricky to decide what your next bike should be. One thing we know for sure is that all-mountain bikes in the 140 - 160mm travel travel range are some of the most capable bikes out there, making quick work of even the most technical terrain—all while staying comfortable enough to pedal all day without too much fuss. The Devinci Troy Carbon 27.5 Mountain Bike Frame embodies this role perfectly with an entirely new carbon frame for the 2019 model year along with revised geometry that makes it even more stable when the trail points downward and gravity takes over. But what really sets the Troy apart is its Split Pivot suspension platform designed by suspension guru Dave Weagle, a platform that remains active even when you're braking through rough terrain—a common trail scenario that causes other designs to inherently firm up and lose sensitivity.

The new carbon Troy frame improves stiffness and responsiveness while saving about 1.5lb over its aluminum counterpart. DeVinci ups the stiffness even more by moving to Super Boost 12 x 157mm rear spacing. While the transition to a new hub standard might cause a bit of uproar, the truth is that 157mm rear spacing has been around on downhill bikes for quite some time. Super Boost simply widens the hub flanges to improve the spoke bracing angle, resulting in a stiffer rear wheel that's better able to resist torsional forces caused by cornering, braking, or charging through technical terrain. In addition to these stiffness benefits, Super Boost allows DeVinci to keep the chainstays super short while still clearing a 27.5 x 2.8in tire and up to a 38t front chainring—pretty impressive numbers that give you a wide range of tire and gearing options. DeVinci also made the switch to a threaded bottom bracket, simplifying maintenance while eliminating the creaks often associated with press fit BB's.

Delving a bit more into the Split Pivot suspension, the basic system consists of a main pivot and a concentric rear axle pivot separated by the chainstay (hence the name Split Pivot), as well as the brake link (seatstay) that floats between the concentric rear axle pivot and the rocker link that controls the shock. The floating brake link isolates braking forces from acceleration and suspension forces, resulting in uncompromising traction when you're charging across rough terrain—even while braking or pedaling. As we mentioned above, many suspension designs have a tendency to firm up a bit under braking, reducing suspension sensitivity through choppy terrain and thus losing some traction. DeVinci's Split Pivot remains fully active, soaking up chunky terrain and squared-edged hits effortlessly while retaining a supportive mid-stroke for pedaling, climbing, and popping off lips and rollers. When you near the end of the travel, a smooth bottom out progression prevents harsh landings. Suspension performance is further improved by the move to a Trunnion-mounted metric shock that pivots on bearings rather than bushings, reducing friction for a more supple suspension action.

The new Troy also sees geometry tweaks to give it some extra stability at higher speeds or while navigating gravity-focused trails. This comes in the form of a slacker head angle and longer reach, inspiring some extra confidence to stay off the brakes and let it rip. The stubby 16.8in chainstays balance the bike's downhill prowess with playful trail manners and nimble handling, keeping things fun on tamer trails while giving the bike the ability to pick lines and navigate corners with precision. Super Boost is the reason the Troy's chainstays can be so short with such massive tire and chainring clearance, so we'll give credit where credit is due. Despite these geometry changes the Troy retains the ability to adjust its geometry via a flip-chip, which has been conveniently relocated to the lower shock mount for easier access. The flip-chip alternates between the default "low" position and a "high" position that raises the bottom bracket and steepens the head angle, improve pedaling performance on big days with lots of climbing.

DeVinci employs their mountain bike specific DMC-G carbon lay-up for the Troy. Using EPS molding, DeVinci creates a monocoque carbon frame with flawless consistency throughout the carbon layers, eliminating resin-pooling and inconsistencies that can negatively affect the strength of the frame. DeVinci puts a lot of emphasis on frame strength and rigidity, and while some might argue that their frames are overbuilt, we appreciate the bombproof and stiff construction that inspires absolute confidence when you're smashing through technical terrain—even if it means a little extra weight. It also allows DeVinci to offer a lifetime frame warranty to the original owner. The frame has internal cable routing for clean lines throughout, and comes with molded frame guards for the downtube and chainstay to protect your investment from impacts while silencing chain slap. The frame also has a two-position bottle cage mount, widening the range of mounting options to allow room for larger water bottles while ensuring there's enough clearance for standard bottles should you decide to throw on a coil shock.