DEVINCI TROY SX
Race-winning Canadian trailbike
The Devinci Troy has quite a history for a bike that’s only three years old. The Troy was released to the public in 2013, but it didn’t make its debut in typical fashion. Devinci’s global racing team rider Steve Smith had a Troy in his possession at the Fox Air Downhill race in Crankworx, Whistler. He and his prototype bike garnered quite the buzz when he crossed the finish line in first place. The crowd was shocked and couldn’t wait to find out more about his bike. This was a trailbike that won a downhill race. If that doesn’t speak volumes about the capabilities of the Troy, then we don’t know what will. We simply couldn’t resist bringing this latest generation Troy into our test fleet.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
The Troy started off as a race-winning bike, but in our minds, the Troy is designed as a fun trailbike as much as it is a race bike. Riders who love to rip the trails with lots of style and confidence will gravitate towards the Troy. Its aggressive Canadian styling and efficient suspension are designed to give its rider the ability to master all parts of the mountain.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
The Devinci Troy SX is constructed from DMC-G carbon, which uses carbon laid up around foam instead of a bladder to ensure consistency. This process’ success rate allows Devinci to stand behind its frames with a lifetime warranty. The 2016 Troy received a Boost 148-millimeter rear axle and a slightly longer top tube from last year’s model. The rear travel sits at a modest 140 millimeters, while the front has a plush 150 millimeters. The rear end also has an adjustable chip that can be flipped, resulting in a steep or slack geometry so that the Troy can adapt to your riding style and terrain. Last but not least is Devinci’s all-new, fifth-generation Split Pivot platform designed by Dave Weagle, which is custom-tuned for the Troy’s unique personality.
New for 2016: The Troy received a longer top tube over last year’s model, allowing riders to shorten up the stem and retain a comfortable reach.
WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
The RockShox suspension and dropper post immediately grabbed our attention, but a closer look at the Troy directed our gaze towards its super-short, 45-millimeter stem. The short stem and wide, 780-millimeter handlebars gave the Troy an aggressive look and feel. We’ve always had a thing for bikes that look fast sitting still—and the Troy is definitely one of those bikes.
The Pike: RockShox’s tried-and-true fork does a great job of handling what any rider throws at it. It’s truly the standard by which an enduro fork should be measured and has yet to disappoint on any of our test bikes.
Drivetrain: SRAM X1 kept things rolling smoothly, and the 30-tooth chainring allowed us to spin up our steepest climbs.
Trail features: When the Devinci Troy puts a trail feature in its sights you better hang on tight. This rig inspires confidence when charging anything from rock jumps to wooden berms. With a little imagination the Troy’s rider can turn any trail into a playground for bikes.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Setting sag: With RockShox suspension, setting the sag was as easy as one, two, three. One: remove the cap on the air chamber. Two: inflate to the recommended air pressure. Three: go shred the trails. Thirty-percent sag in the front and 30–35 percent in the rear was the ticket for our trails. We centered the rebound knobs on the front and rear, as well as the low-speed compression knob, to give us a baseline tune. After a few rides, one or two additional clicks of low speed had us dialed for our favorite trails.
Flip chips: The Troy uses an oblong chip in the rear-suspension linkage resulting in an adjustable high and low geometry.
Moving out: Sitting on the Troy made us feel like we were aboard a much longer-travel bike. The Troy’s wide bars and short stem scream all-mountain rig, but its 140-millimeters of travel in the rear give it an efficient trailbike feel. The Troy has a fairly long top tube, but the shorty stem gave our test riders a comfortable position on the bike. Our test riders felt this bike was an all-around shredder suited to conquer any trail.
Climbing: With Devinci’s Split Pivot suspension, a lockout switch is not necessary. The Troy climbs well with the switch set to wide open. The plushness of the suspension grabs traction well, but also offers great pedaling performance out of the saddle. The Troy’s short chainstays and stem gave the front end a light feel on steep climbs, but our test riders quickly learned to place more weight over the front tire. The Troy was no slouch tackling steep singletrack and fire roads while still carrying up all the right tools to blast right back down.
Rail it: The combination of the Troy’s short rear end, wide handlebars and Maxxis tires gave the bike a great feeling in the corners. The Maxxis High Roller IIs held traction well and had no issues biting into the dirt. The 780-millimeter-wide Chromag handlebars provided tons of leverage, and the short chainstays gave the Troy its agile feel.
Cornering: The Troy could be effortlessly flicked around the trails in a fun and playful manner due to a few of the Troy’s great attributes. First of all, the Troy’s active suspension and Maxxis tires grabbed the ground well, and the 780-millimeter handlebars provided tons of leverage. The Troy’s 67-degree head tube angle provided stability, and the short chainstays allowed us to whip the bike around a variety of tight turns.
Playful: The Troy feels at home shredding gnarly trails and jumping off whatever it can find. It’s no slouch on a climb, and it’s definitely not afraid to descend fast. Devinci’s 2016 Troy is a trailbike with a wild side, earning the right to be described with just one word: playful.
Descending: The plush feel of the Split Pivot suspension and RockShox Pike gave our test riders tons of confidence moving down the trails. The Troy can plow through rough sections or jump clear over them. Swapping the chips in the rear end to the high position gave the Troy a steeper head angle and higher bottom bracket, resulting in a traditional trailbike feel; however, we enjoyed the aggressive all-mountain geometry the low setting offered. With either setting, the Troy is truly built to handle the gnarliest trails you can find. Point the Troy in the direction you want to go and it will get you there fast.
Braking: SRAM Guide R brakes offer a good amount of power and have easy-to-adjust levers. The Guides did a great job of keeping our speed in check, and the Troy’s suspension handled the braking forces well. Our Maxxis High Roller IIs helped maintain traction and had no issues digging into the dirt. When our test riders were aboard the Troy, slowing down was nothing to worry about.
TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?
The Devinci Troy SX is the second from the top model. We think it offers the best bang for your buck. Weight weenies may find themselves wanting carbon bars or a carbon crank, but the SX build kit is more than enough to meet the needs of trail and all-mountain riders. We noticed traction improvements when going to a tubeless setup, but other than that, the Troy is ready to ride or race right out of the box.
BUYING ADVICE
The Devinci Troy SX is an all-around trailbike built to climb up the mountains and shred back down. Its nimble characteristics make it a fun bike to ride every day or to race enduros on the weekends. The Troy’s geometry can be adjusted to suit a rider’s preferences, and its build kit is more than enough to satisfy almost any rider’s needs. The frame comes with a lifetime warranty, and the suspension is highly capable on a mix of terrain. If a trailbike with a bit of a wild side is in your future, then the Devinci Troy should be on your short list.
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