First Look, First Ride: 2017 Devinci Django 29

Earlier this year, Devinci launched the Django 27.5, touting it as "the perfect all-arounder" aimed at those who like to have fun and ride aggressively, but may not have demanding enough terrain for a 160mm bike at their fingertips. We got the chance to ride the Django 27.5 in the Arizona desert, and we'd have to agree, the bike is a blast to ride over rolling terrain where there's short climbs with quick descents. Building off that platform, Devinci took us to their home province, Quebec, to sample their brand new Django 29. It features an improved build kit with wider bars, a shorter stem, and wider rims. Let's check out the new wagon-wheeler and see if the Django 29 maintains that same lively playfulness as its 27.5 counterpart.

Sludge puddles, boulder-laden trail, root gardens, body swallowing berms—the trails of Vallee Bras du Nord, Quebec lies somewhere between a backcountry epic, Jurassic Park, and a bike park. It’s unique and demanding mountain biking territory in its most raw form. Yes, one could opt for a bike with more squish in these dense forests, say a Troy or Spartan, but is that even necessary? The new, big-wheeled Django 29 represents a formidable force in the “trail bike” category. Less travel and bigger wheels on terrain this tough? You bet. Don’t believe us? Sit back and let the riding of Mark Wallace in the VBN trail network influence your opinion, or at least cast some unchained riding over your eyes. - Devinci Cycles

Devinci Django 29 Highlights

120mm Rear // 130mm Front Travel
29-inch Wheels
Split Pivot Suspension
Frame Materials - Carbon frame: DMC-G Carbon with EPS molding // Alloy frame: Optimum G04 Aluminum tubing
Short 434mm Chainstays
Internal Cable Routing
Asymmetrical Construction
Low Standover Height
Tapered Head Tube
2.35-inch Maximum Tire Clearance
Boost 148mm // 110mm Spacing
Dedicated 1x Frame
Same Geometry Between Alloy and Carbon Frames
Weight: Carbon - 6.75-pounds (3.06kg) // Aluminum - 8.07-pounds (3.66kg)
Headset Spacer / Geometry "Chip" Compatible(Retails for $20 USD)
Frameset MSRP: Alloy - $1,769 // Carbon - $2,479
Complete MSRP: Available in four builds ranging from $3,099 to $6,819

Geometry

Initial Impressions

Devinci let us take a spin on their top-of-the-line X01 12-speed build, featuring SRAM’s Eagle drivetrain, a FOX Float 34 Factory 130mm fork, FOX Float Factory shock, Race Face Turbine R30 wheels, and a Race Face 35mm cockpit. We were very happy to see Devinci is listening to what many riders want and spec’d the Django with a 50mm stem and 800mm wide bars. Sure, not everyone needs a 800mm wide bar, but that’s what hacksaws are for, right? Devinci told us to expect to see this trend be applied throughout their 2017 line, as well as a trend towards wider rims. And, while the Django is available in four different build kits in both carbon and alloy, ranging from $6,819 (USD) down to $3,099 with frame set options for $2,479 (carbon) and $1,769 (alloy), all builds still utilize 148/110mm wide Boost spacing.

On The Trail

Riding the Django 29er in its stock low configuration (68-degree head angle and 336mm bottom bracket height), we felt the bike climbed very well, much like the 27.5 version, but with the added benefit of better rollover when it came to roots and rocks. Climbing short, rough and punchy climbs the added traction of a 29-inch wheel was also very apparent, with the rear end almost never breaking loose. In rough, flatter sections of trails littered with speed-robbing roots and chatter, we were thankful to be rolling on bigger wheels as they just tend to hold their speed a bit better than 27.5.

We also found ourselves grinning ear to ear as we descended on the new Django 29er, as the bike seemed to tackle pretty much every section, whether it be techy rocks or fast and flowy bike park type sections. Even without utilizing Devinci’s new headset spacer geometry tweaking "chip" (more on this below), we found the bike would easily handle the high speed and twisty downs here in St-Raymond, just outside of Quebec City. In fact, it did so very well for a 120mm bike. So where exactly does the Django 29 stand? While it isn't a full-on aggressive 29er, the short stays and relatively slack head angle give the Django 29 a playful nature that loves to pump off trail features and hop this and that, while still being capable of charging hard when you're on it.

Now what is this geometry tweaking chip all about? Devinci showed us their newest way of altering the geometry on almost all of their bikes, excluding the Wilson and the Spartan due to their non-alloy head tube. They’ve made a simple headset spacer that can be installed between the head tube and the fork’s crown, effectively raising the front end by 10mm. Despite the somewhat confusing way of calling it a "chip," this results in a 1/2-degree head tube angle change, as well as raising the bottom bracket by 3mm. Why did Devinci make this? Simply to widen the user base of each of their bikes, allowing riders with different demands in regards to geometry to utilize the same frame.

The frame itself still features Devinci's standard FRG Adjustable geometry at the rocker link / seat stay pivot. With the addition of the headset spacer three head angles are possible in 1/2-degree increments. For the Django, that spells out a head angle between 67.5 and 68.5-degrees, depending on how you set the bike up.

Part of Devinci's geometry tweaking system.

Devinci gave us the opportunity to ride the Django 29 with the headset spacer installed, and the result was as we expected. While climbing, we noticed the front end pushed ever so slightly compared to the Django without the chip in some tight uphill switchbacks. While we were still able to clean every switchback, it just took a tiny bit more effort to keep the front end where you want it. And, despite the chip slacking out the bike, we never noticed the front end lift or wander at all on the steeper punches.

So where does the headset spacer offer the biggest advantage? Pretty much when things point down, and if that’s your preference as a rider we’d recommend throwing that spacer on (or opting for a slightly longer travel fork). We found the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far, making the bike just a bit more capable during the descents. This was especially true in the few steeper and technical sections we got to ride, where that slightly slacker head angle gave us just a bit more confidence.