Devinci's Wilson 29er Can't Be Bought (For Now Anyway...)

Mar 8, 2018
by Cycles Devinci  
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PRESS RELEASE: Cycles Devinci

For 2018, riders of the Unior/Devinci Factory Racing Team will tackle the world’s toughest courses on the newest rendition of our podium-proven Wilson. This bike was developed specifically for UDFR riders to race on the World Cup circuit and will not be part of the Devinci product lineup for 2018. USA-based UDFR rider Dakotah Norton is currently preparing for his first Pro GRT race of the season this coming weekend at Windrock Bike Park, TN, and this is the race bike he’s been practising on for the past few months.

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Dakotah uses Sram X01DH cranks with 165mm crankarms and a 34T Sram X-Sync chainring paired with a Sram PG-795 10-24T Cassette.
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He has worked closely with Rock Shox technicians over the last few weeks to dial in his optimal suspension set-up.

The Wilson 29er uses the metric shock standard and Dakotah is on the Rock Shox Super Deluxe WC with a 450lb-spring with a thrust bearing.

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Dakotah uses a 35mm rise cut down to 800mm, and uses an external reach extension headset.
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Code RSC brakes from Sram on stopping duties, with lever positioned a little bit lower than neutral.

Many riders want the bars as low as possible on a 29er DH bike, but Dakotah goes the opposite way and uses the "high rise" version of the Race Face SixC bars. This setup gives him a more upright position that relieves hand pressure and results in better brake modulation. The bars are in a slightly forward position with Lizard Skins Charger lock-on grips to finish off the build.

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Maxxis Minion DHR2 with 28 psi in the back, and a DHF with 25 psi up front. They are mounted to Race Face's gravity-oriented Atlas wheels.

Dakotah's Wilson 29 Technical Specifications

Frame Devinci Wilson aluminum 29 Size L
Suspension Rock Shox DH 29 Fork | Super Deluxe WC, 450lb coil
Wheels Race Face Atlas 29
Rear Tire Maxxis Minion DHR2, 29x2.4wt 3C TR, DH Casing
Front Tire Maxxis Minion DHF, 29x2.5wt 3C TR, DH Casing
Brakes Sram Code RSC
Rotors Sram Centerline 200mm
Shifter/derailleur Sram X01DH, 7 speed
Cassette Sram PG-795, X-Dome 10-24T
Cranks Sram X01DH, 165mm
Chainring Sram X-Sync 34T
Chainguide E.Thirteen LG1r Carbon
Chain Sram PC-XX1
Seat Post SDG I-Beam
Saddle SDG I-Fly
Handlebar Race Face SixC 35, 35mm rise, 800mm width
Stem Race Face Atlas 35 Direct Mount
Pedals HT Components X2
Grips Lizard Skins, Lock-On Charger

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bigquotesThis bike is unreal. With modern tracks getting rougher and faster, I think this bike has the capability of putting me up there on the podium. It has the confidence to accelerate over chatter that would normally make me tighten up, but turns just as well as any 27.5 downhill bike I've tried. My initial impression of a downhill bike with 29’’ wheels was that you needed to ride wider lines, but now I can ride the same corners in the same way with more grip. The suspension progressive through big jumps and harsh compressions, while being plush enough off the top to not deflect over wet roots and rocks.Dakotah Norton

Website: uniordevinci.com
Instagram: @cyclesdevinci



MENTIONS: @devinci



Author Info:
cyclesdevinci avatar

Member since Dec 25, 2000
86 articles

146 Comments
  • 220 17
 “Modern tracks getting rougher” - seriously? I feel like the general consensus is the opposite.
  • 16 8
 Agreed.
Compare Fort William from 2000 to Fort William 2017 for example. So much more sustainable now (smoother and faster). To be honest though you get a similar buzz from both tracks but less injuries and mechanicals from the groomed trail.
They are getting faster as they have smoothed out the tracks, removed the rough section and fortified the corners to ensure there are is the minimum number of holes in them.
They have now even reduced the field size so that the tracks are even smoother come race day.
  • 33 4
 I suppose in many ways because they are faster they are rougher, physically, on the rider. e.g. MSA is rougher than Champery, especially at WC race speeds (though mortals can ride MSA while most would struggle to get down Champery)
  • 146 4
 I feel like when you watch the best racers in the world they make it look so easy it looks flat and smooth. At an uplift day recently I watched a national champ fly through a section in 5 seconds that most of us were struggling to get down at all (and we're not shit). Section was muddy with big wheel-size steps in it and it was all covered in wet slippery roots. He just skimmed straight over like it was nothing. It's a similar story at Red Bull Hardline. My friends who were there said they couldn't even imagine riding that track it was so gnarly - meanwhile on the video coverage or the gopros it doesn't look THAT bad really. It's hugely deceiving. It's very easy to shout from a sofa with a beer in your hand that the tracks aren't gnarly as they used to be - but when was the last time you rode a DH world cup track?
  • 24 15
 and your experience is what at the WC level ??
  • 15 1
 Possible he is talking about roughness at the higher speeds. They remove some boulders that made everyone pick their way through before, but the holes and roots are still there and you are expected to fly through 10mph faster now. When most pros talk about the sacrifice of technical difficulty to higher speeds on today's tracks, they generally don't like it because of the higher consequences that the speed brings on the tracks.
  • 15 7
 @tom666: Agreed, most of the people complaining about the tracks being too easy couldn't even ride a WC track from start to finish, let alone at the speed the pros do it. You forget that the people you watch racing are the top 1% in the world, their skill level is exponentially higher than the average rider. Just because they make it look easy doesn't mean that it is.
  • 1 0
 @Racer951: sounds like you where in Champery, it´s one of my favourites, every first ride in the season it gives me cold sweat.
  • 12 0
 @SonofBovril: Of course the pros are making it look easy and many of us would have difficulty on a WC track. But that doesn't mean people are wrong for wanting WC tracks to be more difficult. Its just an opinion about what is fun to watch. Personally, I would like to see slower but more technical tracks.
  • 3 36
flag headshot FL (Mar 8, 2018 at 6:53) (Below Threshold)
 Pointless bike.
  • 3 22
flag spaceofades FL (Mar 8, 2018 at 7:01) (Below Threshold)
 I was going to say...
  • 8 2
 @SonofBovril: I feel like the main complaint is not that the tracks are too easy but that the raw technical tracks are going away. The World Cup tracks don’t look easy to me but they are getting pretty boring from a spectators perspective and from a riders perspective.
  • 3 1
 That was a head scratcher.
  • 8 0
 By "tracks" he actually means Windrock.
  • 1 0
 I hadn't read the comments yet and came down to write this exact sentiment.
  • 5 4
 Yes, the general concensus from people who never ride the tracks think they are smoother, that does not mean it is true. This guy rides WC tracks, I think he knows what he is talking about.
  • 4 1
 @headshot: pointless comment!
  • 9 0
 In Germany Flow Trails (the hardpack, root-, rock- and rutless Type with mellow rollers) is being the shizzle lately. Bikes are getting better and better, trails are going the exact opposite direction...horrible.
  • 1 0
 MSA???
  • 4 0
 @Racer951: MSA can be ridden by Mortals when was the last time you rode MSA???
  • 1 0
 @Bird-Man: 2008 when they would actually open the track up before the WC race. Back then it was tech single track most of the way down. The Gondola jump section was so blown out we had to skip two corners because there was nothing left of them. The Dalles were a tad more tame because there was a bit more dirt (mud when I went) to work with. I need a Delorean...
  • 4 0
 @m47h13u: I rode and raced the track when it was part of the Qcup and the year of the nationals. I have ridden it every year since 2008.....and it gets harder, bigger, faster, and more gnarly every year...this track is no joke the speeds needed to clear the features are well above comfort level. This is a monster and it bites hard!!
  • 1 0
 @Bird-Man: well yea, not at the same pace but ridden, yes.

I have ridden a few WC DH tracks and the really techy ones have sections I couldn't even ride, I just stood there looking at he section like 'wtf' - faster more open tracks are more rideable, even if most do ride them at snails pace in comparison and miss out some of the bigger features.
  • 2 0
 yeah .. lenzerheide and leogang are JOKES !!!!!!!!! lol lol lol lol lol lol
  • 1 0
 he has been crazy mpeting at wc level for a year or two and gas had a top 20 finish or two I believe
  • 1 0
 @tom666: Rode Windham this year and that course really put it into perspective.
  • 1 0
 @tom666: national camp for the last 2 years lives up here. The tracks down south tend to be quite tame compared to what we have up here. I have only raced Wales a couple of times and the tracks are torally different to what we have. It's all relative.
Speed is your friend when it comes to riding the roots etc.
  • 1 1
 Completely pointless
  • 1 0
 @thejake: the race organiser want ppl who look at the race on tv to come ride them. If they are too difficult, nobody would come ride the tracks, and they would make less money. But i agree that the technical races are more exciting to watch. The most exciting races are val di sole and andorra for me.
  • 1 0
 @Muckal: IMBA guideline are causing the same thing in Australia, everything has to have 'flow', off camber, tight and technical sections are being completely phased out.
  • 2 0
 must remember he's mostly testing products at Windrock Bike park in oliver springs host of this weekends pro GRT and if anyones ridden these lines are arguably the roughest and best in the Southeast, or even eastcoast US. Maybe US.
  • 2 0
 @smuggly: said to here that. This development just plain sucks.
  • 1 0
 @medardlefevre: To be fair, I just got the 2019 wilson 29er, Ive ridden many dh tracks, windrock is the closest thing to a wc track as youll find in a bike park. Its raw, unrefined, and gnarly as ever. I feel like its much harder to turn the big wheels but Im not a wc racer so idk if my input is valid here.
  • 49 3
 But there's no room for a bottle cage
  • 8 2
 So fast you won't be able to grab it
  • 34 3
 @qreative-bicycle: That's what she said...
  • 4 1
 Lol good meme 10/10
  • 27 1
 Hiding in plain site...first shot of a production 2019 Boxxer 29” (aka non-blackbox version)?
  • 3 0
 Looking like it! He was running one this past weekend with red lowers silver crowns and what appeared to be possibly thicker stanchions so it will be interesting how much the production version differs
  • 14 3
 "external reach extension headset"

I don't understand.
When you are making a prototype you have clear paper and possibility to design whatever you want. And then you make a bike that is too short from the day one!
  • 4 0
 So you can have riders of different heights use the same bike maybe or test different geometry? All for a £60 headset rather than a new carbon mould?
From all the way back to forwards 15mm is quite a bit.
  • 3 0
 AFAIK Devinci has done XL frames in the past and the guy is on a Large, so to me that clearly suggests there is either no XL available (either just for now or in general), or he was just in between sizes. Either way it has nothing to do with correct sizing, because the frame isnt tailored to one specific rider.

The only way i see Devinci messing up here is if they keep sticking to their ridiculously small sizing they had in the past, but that´s not something we can determine from a team rider choosing to use a reach adjust headset.
As this isn´t a production bike yet and there´s surely a limited number of frames available i´m pretty sure they had to go by their best estimate on what would fit their rider since there was no real testing platform before. Maybe it just turned out 7mm too short for him, that certainly is within the realm of "just personal preference".
  • 11 1
 Whats the play here on announcing bikes you can't buy? Is that just so Divinci can test the market demand before committing to production?
  • 3 0
 they also said “...for now...” so its kinda like ok....cool i guess? which one is it?
  • 3 0
 If you’re in the market for a 29” dh bike and see this you’ll probably go elsewhere.
  • 20 3
 I actually like when someone points out to me that I am a peasant. Gives life a perspective.
  • 10 0
 Car companies show off prototypes to the world all the time. What's wrong with them seeing what we think?
  • 1 0
 I’m going to get some shit for comparing to road biking but road bike world tour teams can only use a prototype product for a limited time (1 year?) before it its public ally available. The idea being if another team really wants it a product should be available for purchase. Might not be a bad rule for DH
  • 3 0
 @jj12jj: thats because it is a rule in dh too lol
  • 3 1
 This was a fail. They should have stayed quiet then there’d be a lot more buzz about this bike from this weekend’s race.

“Dakotah titillating us from Tennessee on a hush hush Devinci 29er!!!”

Then release this a week later.
  • 7 1
 @WasatchEnduro:
Actually, i do like what they did. Makes me sympathize a lot more with Devinci than most other bike companys who obviously leak their own spy shots just to hype things up.
Keeping it real and straight forward without any bullshitting around prototype testing and generating unnecessary hype with marketing buzzwords.
I particularly despise the big players for that because they show stuff to journalists months before release and have them not release the info until later. Then we get hit by Boost, Trunion mounts and the like right before the season starts and when all purchases are made. All the while we get fed crappy mobile pics (seriously, why do all those spys use potato cams?!) to keep the hype machine going.

While i agree with you that the normal marketing approach would be to do as you said, i feel that in a small market like mtb (and even more so downhill) there´s a lot of room for "honest" marketing. MTB riders tend to be rather loyal to companys they feel are worth supporting and devinci has always been about that "core" identity.
  • 1 0
 @mhoshal: Didn't realise that was the case, I guess most of the prototype stuff I see is just tweaks to internals of forks?

What about the new norco aurum? hasn't Blenkinsop been riding that for a while or am I mis-remembering?
  • 1 0
 @jj12jj: norco will probably do the same thing intense did to bypass it by releasing a limited edition of like 15 frames or something like that. I believe he started riding the new norco a couple races into the season if Im not mistaken so we should see something by the summer.
  • 1 0
 @mhoshal: Thanks! I always wondered why Intense did that
  • 5 0
 i will sure be on a hunt for a 29er big bike for DH/FR/park/whatever once it is time for my Status to retire, so come on Devinci, sharing is caring. The more offers on the market, the tighter the competition = better offers for us regular joes
  • 24 20
 The only problem is that they make you a passenger. It’s so hard to get tiniest notions of style in the air with these things (I am speaking of Long travel 29ers with dh tyres) that you just stop trying. But off course bulldozing is fun too, nothing tastes like conquering a real rough rock garden on the first run in the morning Big Grin
  • 24 1
 @WAKIdesigns: I suck in the style department anyway, so bulldozing on big wheels will do
  • 15 1
 @WAKIdesigns: Ive never had style anyhow, and point and smash brings me joy.
  • 8 1
 @beast-from-the-east: I see nothing wrong with that. But I have this idea that I'd like to be able to style it a bit. I got negpropped for virtually saying 29ers are not as playful and not as playful to ride... what is going on?
  • 4 16
flag Sokolowski (Mar 8, 2018 at 7:50) (Below Threshold)
 @WAKIdesigns: You are sooo wrong. Of course it's possible to ride a 29" stylish. Just because you can't you don't need to make the conclusion that it's impossible.
  • 9 0
 @Sokolowski: tell me where I said it's impossible. I'm out Jesus...
  • 4 3
 @WAKIdesigns: just get stronger and manipulate that bitch.. Kirt Voreis kills it on 29 in every stylistic possible way!
  • 3 4
 @WAKIdesigns: cuz it's simply not true.. The new geo 29s are very playful.. If your tall enough that is.. Again look no further than what Kirt Voreis is doing on his Niner!
  • 3 1
 @WAKIdesigns: have you seen what people are doing on 95kg mx bikes these days? I'm pretty sure if they can tweak those things then you can move dh 29er tyres a bit. Come on buddy!
  • 2 0
 @bohns1: You're trying to mess up his weekend? You said "playful" Wink .

@WAKIdesigns : Never tried a bulldozer. Are they fun? I thought they were on caterpillars. Sounds good, should do away with all the wheelsize nonsense. Heard people elsewhere say 26" is for kids because a 14yo is on one. Tell someone 27.5" is for kids. After all they're more eager to adopt the latest technology and standards than us stubborn old riders.

@jaame: Correct me if I'm wrong, but my perception is that MX riders also use their throttle, brakes (or throttle and then suddenly let the clutch snap while in the air) to tweak their motion in the air. Not just to play with their rotation when doing flips, but also for whips (using the gyroscopic precession of their relatively heavy and fast spinning wheels).
  • 1 0
 @vinay: is that so? I never knew that! Amazing!
  • 2 0
 @jaame: Didn't mean to amaze you. Just inform you so that you can put your statement in perspective. Their heavy wheels help them control their bike in ways that aren't always possible on a bicycle. Yes you can slam the brakes and you can use precession to your advantage, but not nearly as much as they can on their mx bikes. So with that out of the way, I don't see how your comparison supports your statement. It is like saying if someone can ride 80km/h on a 95kg mx bike on level dirt, you should surely be able to do that on a 12kg XC bike.
  • 1 1
 @vinay: No, it's not really like that. Thanks for informing me all the same.
  • 12 3
 Talk to me when there is a 29er Spartan or Troy
  • 6 1
 i would love to try a 29er troy the bike is so amazing as it is,
  • 4 1
 Yes and a Spartan 29
  • 2 1
 @TPLRacing: Same story with Commencal, everyone is asking for an enduro/trail 29er, and they throw at us these full blown dh sleds (not that these aren't rad, tho)
  • 2 0
 And now there is
  • 1 0
 @johncobbmail: they did one a few years back , and did you just see the 29" Spartan they posted yesterday ??
  • 1 0
 @cheetamike: no missed that will have to have a look
  • 10 1
 imagine if the Chainsaw rode this beast
  • 2 2
 I want to believe the chainsaw still rides a 26er in thug mansion
  • 5 0
 Windrock is really steep right? ...That big old tire is gonna get to have a close encounter with some nice dh pants, hopefully the testes stay safe.
  • 8 6
 I remember when in around 2008-9 Intense made the 29" DH bike, and it was a complete laughing stock. Everyone was against it and hated it, nowadays cool bro i'll buy! The industry needed to proceed with the 27.5 to make 29" a success... but in my eye and many of the older generation i know is just sad to see this happening and people forgetting past things. I hate modern DH bikes, and even hate the fact you can not even buy 26" DH stuff anymore as the industry killed the original MTB size wich was good for several decades.... make the 27.5-29-31" nonsense for those fools caught up in the hype but let decent older riders still buy and get new tech on the normal size for god sake, damn i miss the golden days of DH... (2001-2009).
  • 4 2
 Just buy a rocky mountain maiden and you'll have yourself the best 26/27.5 bike on the market.
  • 2 0
 Damn i miss the golden days of bay watch but hey Kaia Gerber's not bad...
  • 2 1
 How bout a 26 inch version ?
BTW I thought the suspension ate up the rough stuff and the wheels are there for traction.
Wagon wheels for very tall riders on a smooth track yes.
Gnar :26 inch wheels respond faster. Lighter weight , stronger........
  • 2 3
 the bigger the wheels the easier they roll over obstacles

that's why tanks have tracks (they kinda work like a really big wheel)
  • 1 0
 @Asmodai: Tanks have tracks because they are super heavy, so they need to spread the load (and in result - decrease the pressure) over much bigger surface. Wheeled vehicle, with such weight, would simply sink into the ground.
  • 1 0
 @troyo: I have a tank. Giant Faith with Shivers.
Weighs about 22 kilos.
Wink
  • 1 0
 @troyo: yes but tracks also act as huge wheel
  • 1 0
 Why are wagon wheels for smooth tracks?
  • 6 2
 Not a 29er kinda guy, but that bike sure looks sexy
  • 2 1
 Im with ya on that, 29ers are not for me. But thats is one good looking dh rig.
  • 6 1
 Yes, its starting to look like the old 26 Wilson again, the best looking dh bike ever
  • 2 0
 @hamncheez: you're not wrong.
  • 1 0
 looks awesome, ready to rip any trail, most 29ers try to shorten chainstays too much, getting too close the rear wheel to the seat tube, then they are out of proportion, compressed, freaks which weve got used to
  • 4 2
 Windrock is gonna be a gong show of mud Sunday. We're gonna be getting all kinds of goofy. Do they make muds for those donkey carts?
  • 1 2
 This is just to get some buzz before the season starts. If they had this ready last year, it would have been "accidentaly left uncovered" in the Whistler lift line, but since no parks are open, they just sent out a release. Same thing.

Carbon one is the one that will be for sale.
  • 4 1
 Na man, they have been out in the open, at Windrock though. The place where people smash rocks and send it to the moon. No time for photos of bikes.
  • 3 1
 any danger of photos where you can actually see the detail mentioned in the caption?
  • 2 1
 Those photos are so bad... are those marketing photos, or spy shots?
a little dimmer and i'd start to think they're trying to hide something.
  • 6 4
 Bikes don't put you on the podium. The rider is the critical path. Race hard and put yourself on the podium.
  • 2 1
 @juicebanger: Shhh don't let the rich boys and people with more credit than brains hear you say that. Wink
  • 2 0
 @m1dg3t: oh right because buying a bike that actually fits your size and is fun for you somehow makes you a rich boy

i wonder how some people here breath with their head so far up in the ass
  • 2 0
 nice, hope they finally made the reach a wee bit longer so the xl doesn't feel like a small
  • 3 1
 Blah Blah Blah.... what's with the photos? Could they be more underexposed? Devinci needs a new photographer or editor.
  • 1 0
 This.
  • 5 6
 I predict Gwin will win the first round by 10 seconds, with a flat tire, no chain, no brakes on 27.5 putting an end to this wheels size marketing non sense...Say what you will about the bigger wheels but is as now being proven time and time again that they dont provide any significant advantage.26" was fine, we swallowed the push for 27.5 now f*ck off bike industry, time you come up with REAL innovation instead of wasting every one's time and money... and the neg props begins in 3.2.1 GO
  • 3 0
 I have to agree, to date I still haven't seen a single shred of evidence that actual pro level racers are faster on 29 - maybe not slower, but no DH or EWS racer on a decent 29er has dominated the way they claim the bikes should.
  • 1 0
 Beautiful! I've been waiting years for an alloy 29er DH ride. Canadian made is even better. Lets get this rolling for the public...
  • 5 3
 Dang that is pure Canadian sex
  • 13 1
 Only if it’s followed with apologies.
  • 2 5
 @jmd2drsrbtrrthn4: we're not as nice as you'd think
  • 3 5
 Shame all of the previous ones creak like mad, add the extra leverage from a longer rear centre and it’ll be a wobbly noisy bag of spiss after 2 muddy rides. Looks nice though.
  • 2 0
 @cunning-linguist: mine is three years old. 4 Whistler trips and endless bike park laps here in Colorado. Best DH bike I've ever owned...zero creaks.
  • 1 0
 @bman33: not saying they’re not good, I had a Wilson back in the day and it was ace. But the new ones, even when brand new I’ve not seen or heard one that doesn’t sound like the hull of a freight ship in a storm.
  • 1 0
 @cunning-linguist: not sure why. I have a few people I know with them . No issues. Mine is a 2015 alloy frame
  • 1 0
 Great to see Devinci back in the game. Bike looks amazing. Can't to see how it performance. I want one!
  • 1 0
 Finaly someone with brake levers angled towards ground and bars slightly forward... I got it cos i am 2m
  • 3 3
 Don't bikes have to be available for purchase to be UCI compliant for racing?
  • 3 0
 I remember that from the flying scotsman movie, but Steve Smith had a custom built Dh bike for South Africa worlds so I don't believe that's a rule for mtb anyway
  • 4 0
 @toad321: I think it has to be a prototype that will be launched in the future, if i recall correctly, Steve's bike was a spartan with custom dual crown forks.
  • 2 0
 proper wanking material
  • 1 0
 What is a thrust bearing?
  • 36 1
 when your mom leans over the wall
  • 5 3
 @viatch: sauvage...
  • 2 1
 www.sicklines.com/gallery/data/962/sunday_project_shock_update5.jpg

Allows the coil to spin on itself while compressed. Making the suspension more sensible.
  • 2 0
 @basmajor: thanks @viatch: Sick burn bro
  • 2 0
 @basmajor: I prefer my suspension irrational. Keeps things interesting.
  • 2 0
 @LaXcarp: just kidding man, couldn't resist.
  • 1 0
 @tkrug: ha! I thought the same! Cracked me up! The joys of predictive text!
  • 1 0
 Keep those levers way down, outta the way. Reminder to not use them.
  • 2 1
 Bullshit!....I'm buying it. Now give it to me...now
  • 3 2
 And gwin will win the 2018 overall again on 27.5 bruh
  • 7 1
 Gwin will win on a wheelbarrow.
  • 3 2
 I’m just on here to up-vote waki
  • 1 0
 I wounder what Stevie would have said about 29" downhill bikes?
  • 1 0
 wonder if Stevie would have liked this bike!
  • 1 0
 I`m not buying this shit anyways
  • 1 1
 Looks like a Niner rear end on there?
  • 1 0
 Thirst trap.
  • 2 2
 29er down hill bikes really rocks %
  • 1 2
 Cannot wait for more 29ers from Devinci!
  • 3 4
 That is drop dead georgious Drool
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