Devinci Troy Carbon SL - Review

Devinci Cycles places its 27.5-wheel, carbon-framed Troy SL squarely in the trailbike class, although its promotional video and performance descriptions shout that this responsive, short-coupled package is capable of putting on a convincing show in the all-mountain category as well. Our test bike, the Troy Carbon SL is one of four models at different price points that share the same chassis – a 140-millimeter-travel Split Pivot rear-suspension design with an aluminum swingarm, carbon seatstays and a carbon main-frame. The beautifully constructed chassis is suspended by Fox, with a 140-millimeter-stroke 34 Float CTD Kashima fork and a Float CTD shock. Cockpit and wheels are by Easton and the drivetrain is a two-by-ten SRAM XO ensemble featuring carbon cranks. In keeping with its purpose, the Troy Carbon SL has a contemporary, 67-degree head angle, short (for 27.5-inch wheels), 16.9 inch chainstays (430mm) and a 72.4-degree seat angle. A flip-chip in the suspension rocker can raise the chassis seven millimeters and steepen the geometry by a half degree. The top tube length for the medium-sized test bike is stated on Devinci’s chart as 23.9 inches (607mm), but it measured out at a compact, 22.75 inches (580mm), so be aware of this if you decide that the Troy Carbon SL is for you and buy according to top tube length. Our medium test bike weighed 28 pounds (12.74kg) and sizes available are small, medium, large and X-large, with an MSRP of $6499 USD.


Troy Carbon SL Build



Construction

Devinci’s carbon manufacturer constructs the Troy frame using an up-to-date process where stiff, form-fitting inserts are used in key areas, like the head tube junction, to apply even internal pressure during the molding process. The carbon used is unidirectional, with a 3K woven material as a top layer to give the frame a nice looking natural finish. Cable routing is internal, which keeps the chassis looking uncomplicated. Troy front sections also have a provision for internally routed dropper seatpost controls and down low, ISCG mounts for a future chain guide. The top tube slopes dramatically, giving the chassis a relatively low, 29-inch (66cm) stand-over height



The Troy’s suspension configuration is textbook trailbike, with a vertically mounted shock, driven by a rocker link that pivots on the seat tube. The seatstay and swingarm pivot concentrically via a “Split Pivot” arrangement at the dropout, which, depending upon who writes the company literature, decouples braking from the suspension action and also decouples pedaling torque from affecting the suspension. The more plausible report is that the Split Pivot decouples braking action to a great extent. Pedaling action, however, has more to do with the location of the forward pivot on its simple single-pivot swingarm. The Troy’s forward swingarm pivot sits, about 100 millimeters above the bottom bracket center, which should firm up the suspension under power when pedaling in the small chainring, while remaining neutral when pedaling in the big ring. Asymmetrical chainstays ensure that front derailleurs can be used on the Troy, and there is just enough space is available inside the swingarm and seatstays for 2.4-inch tires.

Judged by its numbers, the Troy’s 67-degree head angle should act like a 26-inch bike with a 66-degree angle, which is slack enough to get down steeps, but not so stupidly so that it will compromise steering while climbing and cornering. With the suspension chip set in the low position, the bottom bracket sits at 13.27 inches (337mm), which amounts to a generous, 0.79-inch (20mm) drop below the wheel axles – a big-wheel benefit that will add stability in corners and rough terrain. With its short, 22.75-inch top tube and compact (for 27.5-inch-wheels), 16.9-inch chainstays, we expected the Troy to be quick handling and maybe a touch over-responsive at higher speeds.




Suspension Report

No suspension rate curves were readily available for the Troy, but mapping the leverage ratios of the bike in profile suggests that the Troy’s rear suspension follows the well proven standard, with a slightly falling leverage rate in the initial 25-percent of its travel, giving way to a gradual rising rate as the suspension nears full compression. Devinci states that the Troy has a low leverage suspension design, which we would estimate to be around 2.5:1 – a number that should make the suspension very responsive to shock tunes and slightly exaggerate the values of its Fox CTD settings.




Up front, the Troy Carbon SL features a Fox 34 Float 140 CTD fork with Kashima-coated stanchions. In the rear, a Float CTD shock with a custom tune handles the bumps. The combination proved well suited to the chassis, with a good balanced feel fore and aft. We would soon learn to take full, advantage of the CTD low-speed compression options to enhance the Troy’s performance on trail.

The afore-mentioned suspension chip that sits at the seatstay end of the suspension’s rocker link does not affect the suspension travel significantly, and on trail, riders could not sense any change in the suspension action with the chip in either position. We left it in the low position for most of testing because that put the chassis in its handling sweet spot.

Component Shout-Outs

While PB riders prefer one-by drivetrains, Devinci’s choice of a SRAM two-by drivetrain for the Troy with a 36 x 22-tooth chainring combination offered a wide range of useable gears when combined with its Shimano 11 x 36, ten-speed cassette. A typical Shimano two-by crankset offers a 24-tooth small chainring, which makes for more difficult climbing in low gear and, in our opinion, defeats the purpose of a two-chainring crankset. Devinci added a bash ring to the SRAM cranks, which probably saved the 36-tooth sprocket on a number of occasions.

We liked the Easton Haven wheels and that Devinci kept the theme going with a carbon Easton bar and aluminum stem. At 720-millimeters, the bar is a bit on the narrow side for heavy trail work, but still in the ballpark. All riders mentioned the bike’s RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post, which turned out to be a must-have on the Troy. Final shout-outs go to the Avid four-piston trail calipers and the choice to run a 180 front and a 160-millimeter rear rotor. The blend of stopping power and control felt well balanced. We must note that Devinci cheaped out on the levers a bit, switching to Elixir 5 assemblies instead of the Elixir 9 items that are noted in their spec sheet.

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With standard suspension settings, 25-percent sag in the shock and fork, and with the low-speed compression and rebound set as minimal as possible, test riders’ initial impressions of the Troy were lower than expected. On the positive side, the Troy sprinted and accelerated as well or better than the dozen or so premium trailbikes that we tested during that same period. Riders complained mostly about the rear suspension’s unwillingness to get moving in the first part of its travel and about the bike’s tendency to ride high in the rear while descending on rough ground. We were also surprised that Devinci would label our test bike as a “medium” with a top tube length of only 22.7 inches. Typically, medium-sized top tubes run short at 23 inches and average around 23.25 inches long (59cm to 60cm). It should be noted that the maker’s geometry chart shows a longer top tube than our actual measurement was, but verifying with Devinci dealers confirmed that our top tube length for the medium size Troy was the actual number. This review may have gone sour if we had not chosen to completely reconfigure the bike’s setup to favor descending – an experiment that transformed the Troy Carbon SL’s performance and handling.



Winning setup: Faced with one of Sedona’s most technically challenging trails, in an effort to make the bike more downhill friendly, we set the Troy’s shock at a bit more than 30-percent sag and increased the spring pressure in the Fox 34 Float fork to achieve 15-percent sag. The effort dropped the rear end of the bike decidedly lower and it softened the bike’s small-bump compliance, as the added negative travel bypassed much of the suspension’s initial falling leverage rate. Slamming the saddle all the way back on the Reverb Stealth’s seatpost clamp made some much needed room in the cockpit to compensate for the short top tube – and the increased weight on the rear suspension further improved the bike’s compliance over rough ground. The Troy’s efficient feel under power was not hugely affected by the changes, but we did find it necessary to use the CTD shock’s “Trail” option when faced with extended climbs or fast-paced, rolling terrain to firm up the feel at the pedals. Surprisingly, our attempts to boost the Troy’s descending ability resulted in improvements in all aspects of its performance.




Technical Performance

Geared to be a technical trailbike, the Troy Carbon SL is outfitted almost perfectly for the role. We may have found a few items to complain about, but none that would require its owner to upgrade a component in order to enjoy the bike.

• Avid Trail brakes: Good – Strong stopping with minimal fade after long-hard descents. Easy to swap left to right for moto-style riders and with wide lever blades that don’t fatigue the hands. Bad – Avid Elixir 5 levers pumped up when the brakes got hot, so the bite point never felt consistent.
• SRAM two-by-ten drivetrain: Good - Great gearing range available from a close-ratio 11 x 36 cassette and 36 x 22-tooth chainring combination. Brilliant choice to add a bash ring by Devinci. Bad – To get the most performance from the short-coupled Troy on a technical trail, you will be using the dropper post a lot. Having three levers on the left handlebar is a nuisance. A one-by transmission would be a more elegant and useful solution for this bike. Left side for fears and right side for gears.
• Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires: Good – It’s hard to buy a lighter weight trail tire that gives such a fast roll with all-around traction. Bad – For the Troy, a better edging tire would provide a lot more cornering grip and add some high-speed stability. Both are areas where the bike needs help.
• RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper: Nothing new to say, just that this is the post with which to measure all others. Devinci spent the extra bucks to put the best dropper on the Troy and it created a better overall riding impression among test riders.


Pinkbike’s Take:

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Reviews and Tech Reviews Trail Bikes Devinci Devinci Troy