2021 Devinci Troy Carbon XT LTD Bike

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Enduro World Series smasher, Greg Callaghan has a FOX 38 fork and DPS rear shock on his Devinci Troy. Keegan Wright runs a DHX2 coil shock on his, while stock configurations of the Troy see anything from a 150mm RockShox Pike to a 160mm travel FOX 36 up front. So, what is this 140mm travel 29er all about then? We've been hammering on the 2021 Devinci Troy XT LTD for over four months and have our final verdict filed.

Devinci Troy Highlights

• Full carbon frame
• 29-inch wheels
• 140mm (5.5-inches) of rear wheel travel // 160mm (6.3-inches) fork travel (Tested)
• Split-Pivot suspension design
• Tapered headtube
• Internal cable routing
• Flip-chip adjusts head angle by 0.5-degrees and bottom bracket by 7mm
  
• Integrated rubber frame protection
• LTD Model (tested) adds 10mm fork travel and Maxxis DoubleDown, MaxxGrip tires
• Size-specific chainstay lengths
• Threaded BSA 68/73mm bottom bracket with 2-bolt ISCG mounts
• 157mm Super Boost rear spacing with 12mm through axle
• Measured weight (size Medium, no pedals): 32.91 pounds (14.92kg)
• MSRP $6,199 USD (tested)

Our carbon Troy uses internally routed cables that exit the frame and are routed the rest of the way via a small guide on the lower shock mount. This keeps the routing tidy and tucked away. Entry and exit of the cables is clean, with a black plastic insert around the entry, presumably to minimize wear in that area. A possibly polarizing standard for some is the Super Boost 157 rear axle found on the Troy. We never had issue with the wide rear end, though other riders may beg to differ. Like so many carbon frames now, the Troy has plenty of molded rubber protection on the chainstays and downtube/bottom bracket area.

Devinci Troy Geometry

Riders can adjust the Troy's geometry with the flip chip located on the lower shock mount. Head angle is tweaked by .5-degrees (along with seat angle) and bottom bracket height by 7mm. For the entire Troy line, other than our LTD test bike, those numbers are 65/65.5-degrees and seat angle moves will vary for each size. Our 160mm fork slackens the head angle by .5-degrees, causes a slight (3mm) raise in BB height, and has a small effect on the seat angle. A welcome sight for 2021 is that the Troy incorporates three different chainstay lengths for various sizes. Small and medium frames share a 435/433mm stay, large is 440/438mm, and the x-large sits at 445/443mm.

Setup

Our particular test bike carries the LTD moniker which means it runs a 160mm travel fork and Maxxis DoubleDown MaxxGrip tires front and rear. By comparison, the rest of the Troy line features 150mm travel forks and EXO+ MaxxTerra tires.

For the first six weeks of testing, we ran our Troy as it came to us, with the heavier duty tires. As the higher elevation and more demanding terrain relented to snow, we decided to swap over to lighter, less-sticky EXO+ tires as found on the remainder of the Troy line. Doing so changed the demeanor of the Troy significantly, and shed over a pound off of our test bike. More on that later.

Having an additional 10mm of fork travel meant that our test bike was a touch more slack in the head angle (approximately 64.5-degrees) with a slightly raised bottom bracket and relaxed seat tube. Our Troy saw terrain ranging from freeride-steep to cross-country ribbons. In all the applications, the low setting of our flip chip got the job done. Because our LTD already had a raised bottom bracket, running the chip in the high position was deemed unnecessary.

Suspension setup was fairly textbook. We followed the FOX recommended pressure in our 36 Performance Elite and 30% sag in the X2 per Devinci's recommendation. Tire pressures went anywhere from 21-psi in the winter temps to 27-psi for laps at the jump park.

On The Trail

We took possession of our Troy LTD in September 2020, the night before it was launched. The timing may have been a little tight, but we weren't too fussed since we already knew this was a bike we wanted for a long-term review. Devinci targets this bike at a somewhat overlooked category - all-mountain. A bit more hearty than a trail bike but not a full-on enduro machine. It may all be semantics, but the term all-mountain needs a revival. Devinci did well to dub the Troy as such and there are a host of other bikes that should probably escape the ever-widening "trail" category.

During our first weeks of testing, the Troy definitely had more of a bruiser nature to it. Punching into trail obstacles was more its style and low-angle or rolling terrain had us using more energy to keep the bike propelled. We put the Troy into some very heavy, loose terrain and found a bike that was unflinching and ready to shoot the chutes. Riders living in areas with access to steadily steep terrain will find a friend with the Troy LTD.

We mainly want to address the tire variations because 80% of the Troy line come with EXO+ tires. Rotating mass is one thing and is easily quantifiable, so pulling a pound off the wheels is easy to present in a test. Tire compound and sidewall stiffness are somewhat objective but translate differently to various riders and regions. For us, on this bike, we found the EXO+ casing and MaxxTerra compound to provide a broader trail appeal than the robust nature of the stock tires. We do believe, however, that riders living in areas with steep, wet terrain will certainly appreciate the DoubleDown MaxxGrip rubber spec'd on the LTD.

Climbing

Getting up the mountain on the Troy is easy money so long as the climb switch on the FOX X2 is engaged. With the active Split-Pivot suspension system, that blue lever is a must on long, less-technical climbs. With the shock locked out, riders can tackle the climb however they see fit, the Troy will comply with whatever is asked of it.

Putting the Troy against some steep, technical ledges reveal a bike that tractors up most anything without complaint. Finding the Troy's breaking point on climbing was a matter of heading up the sort of terrain that even has e-bikes looping out. Whether we put in a quick burst of power or kept our legs spinning, the Devinci just seemed to keep on climbing and climbing.

Descending

Pointing the Troy downhill is a treat. There's just enough progression in the rear end to make the Troy a playful companion, but that large FOX X2 can on the back keeps the rear end from being too squirrely. In truth, we often took the Troy as a "bigger" bike, consistently thinking we were on something closer to 160mm. We have to think some of this is thanks to the taller, 160mm FOX 36, muscle-bound frame, and 35mm wide rims. The combination, in concert, make for a very composed descender that still boosts lips.

Despite the peanut butter or jelly paint choices, the Troy isn't here for your friendly lunch loop.

Even at top speed, the Troy is incredibly comfortable. We found the bike to really start to shine as trails opened up and we put our faith in it to deliver. We were particularly impressed when encountering steeper, fall-away rock gardens. Maintaining speed was a breeze with the Troy's rather unflappable demeanor. This is a bike that was intended for steeper, fast trails that want to dish out punishment.

Name the corner and the Troy will be there, just make sure you tell it who's boss. Much like its general descending manners, the Troy responds best when pushing the envelope. Regardless of whether we were tossing it back and forth in tight turns or high-speed sweepers, we did have a gas laying the Troy sideways.

If there was a particular weakness to the Troy's descending, it is not what we would call a "fast" bike. The Troy will eat up trail but is not one to pump and build momentum off small rolls. Downhills need a bit more angle to keep the Troy moving quickly, which is fine. Remember, we are talking all-mountain, not trail. Despite the peanut butter or jelly paint choices, the Troy isn't here for your friendly lunch loop.

Build Kit

Our Troy XT 12s LTD is the top-level offering from Devinci, coming in at $6,199. A full-carbon frame, full Shimano XT build kit (no sneaky SLX or Deore corners cut here), Race Face ARC 35 wheels on Vault hubs and FOX Performance Elite Suspension all spell out a no-frills build. Where some brands may push for a high-end build in the five-figure range, Devinci seems to have taken a different approach. The price of our build is about what it should be when considering what other brands are putting out there. For the budget conscious, the Troy line starts off at just $2,799 for the alloy, Deore 12-speed model.

Wheel Performance

In swapping tires, we were a bit disheartened by our rim tape. Upon initial removal of the front tire (without the use of tools) the rim tap was so bunched and out of sorts that we had to re-tape the rim. Our rear rim tape faired only slightly better, and we just got by without having to re-tape it as well. As for performance on the trail, we have zero complaints here about the rims or the high-engaging Vault hubs.

35mm inner width rims are not very common as OE spec. We know the crew from Chicoutimi like a wide rim for all their steep stashes of trail and are pretty certain these hoops help create the sturdy feeling of our Troy.

Brake Performance

We must have received a bum set of XT brakes on our test bike. From day one, they seemed to lack the trademark bite we've come to expect from Shimano. They weren't objectively bad, but were not up to the standards we expect of Shimano brakes. As is true of all brakes that use mineral oil, performance was subpar in cold temps.

Drivetrain Performance

Our bike arrived in an environment that was bone-dry and served up endless dust. From there it was 34-degrees and sideways rain, caked on decomposed granite, snow and slop. Not once did our XT drivetrain wince.

Dropper Post

The Troy features the SDG Tellis 150mm post. The lever feel was smooth but not distinct like a PNW or Shimano lever. Our post was not super quick to return like a OneUp or Reverb, but perhaps we're spoiled. Overall, the SDG system worked without fail and showed no signs of wear or slop.

Long-Term Durability

Our test bike has a couple of battle scars in the carbon. The bike was ridden prior to us getting it, so this particular Troy has seen a lot of action. The flat purple paint is holding strong and shows no signs of premature wear or anything we would characterize as subpar quality.

We did pull the pivots and rocker link just after getting the bike, to clean and inspect everything. We pulled them again at the end of our test to see how the Troy held up. All of the bearings are still rolling smoothly and do not show any signs of corrosion. Not too surprisingly, there was a lot of debris in the linkage. We did not note any damage or excessive wear to any of the parts. Riders putting their bikes through wet, winter conditions should be doing these inspections and cleanings anyway.

What's The Bottom Line?

The Troy is a proven platform, one that EWS racers Greg Callaghan and Keegan Wright reach for consistently and have built up in a myriad of ways. What the pros ride is not gospel but in the case of Devinci's all-mountain weapon, it is a strong indicator. We loved throwing the Troy into the most aggressive terrain we could find and were possibly even more bowled over by its insane climbing prowess. Strong, hard-charging riders will take great pleasure in pushing the Troy to the limit.

Visitwww.devinci.comfor more details.

Vital MTB Rating

• Climbing:4.5 stars - Excellent
• Descending:4 stars - Outstanding
• Fun Factor:4 stars - Excellent
• Overall Impression:4 stars - Excellent

About the Tester

Brad Howell- Age: 41 // Years Riding: 26 // Height: 5'9" (1.75m) // Weight: 165-pounds (74.8kg)

Brad started mountain biking when a 2.25-inch tire was large, and despite having threads, bottom brackets sucked. Riding in the woods with friends eventually lead way to racing, trying to send it at the local gravel pits, and working in bike shops as a wrench to fix those bikes. Fortunate enough to have dug at six Rampages and become friends with some of the sport’s biggest talents, Brad has a broad perspective of what bikes can do and what it means to be a good rider. The past few years Brad worked in the bike industry and got to see the man behind the curtain. These days, though, he just likes riding his bike in the woods with friends.

Spotted last week beneath EWS racer, Greg Callahan, and teased on the Devinici site, the new Troy has been officially launched. Devinci touts the revised 29er as a quiver killer, a bike capable of tackling all types of terrain for every type of rider. Our test bike was delayed in customs and showed up only hours ago, so we can't speak as to whether the new Troy lives up to the claims. Vital is happy to have one in the house and a we look forward to giving this bike a proper rundown.

A host of revisions and refinements, much like we saw in last year's Django update, make the new Troy more capable in rowdy terrain while not seeming to take things too far into the enduro realm. When lining the Troy up next to the 2020 model, all of the usual suspects are there. The new Troy has a longer reach, slacker head angle, steeper seat angle, and longer chainstays across all sizes. Beyond basic number changes, the 2021 Troy features a number of refinements including increased tire clearance and a narrower rear end, though it keeps the Super Boost spacing. Absent from the 2021 line is a 27.5-inch wheeled option, the new Troy is 29er only.

Geometry

With the flip chip located on the lower shock mount, riders can adjust the head angle by .5-degrees (65/65.5), this also slackens the seat angle by .5-degrees, which varies for each size. For 2021 the Troy incorporates three different chainstay lengths for various sizes. Small and medium frames share a 435/433mm stay, large is 440/438mm, and the x-large sits at 445/443mm.

While there is only one wheel size, there is still the option of carbon or aluminum frames in a variety of trims. The particular build that showed up for Vital is the Carbon XT 12s LTD. The LTD moniker delivers an extra 10mm of travel to the FOX 36 Performance Elite fork and bumps the Maxxis Minions to MaxxGrip Double Down casing where the rest of the Troy line has MaxTerra EXO+.

2021 Devinci Troy Line

Want to see all five models of the new Troy side-by-side? Here you go, courtesy of our Product Guide. For a look at the complete Troy line in various color options, head to Devinci.com