Built for shredding and reliability at an affordable price, the new Devinci Chainsaw is a big-hitting brute designed to please those who thrive on full-gas riding – just like the late, great Steve Smith.
Inspired by Steve's nickname, the Chainsaw is designed and built in Canada. It's a high-pivot bike with an idler, made from aluminium with aggressive geometry and smart spec choices. It's also customisable to suit different trail-ripping needs.
It can be set up as a mullet bike or complete 29er, and used with air or coil shocks. Depending on shock stroke, it dishes out 170mm or 180mm of rear-wheel travel. There are four sizes to choose from, from small to extra-large.
The Chainsaw will be available in three build kits and a frameset option. Prices range from $3,899 / $4,799 CAD for the Chainsaw SX 12S to $4,999 / $5,999 CAD for the Chainsaw GX DH. The frameset comes in at $2,599 / $3,399 CAD.
Through Chainsaw sales, Devinci will give annual donations to the Steve Smith Legacy Foundation. This Foundation was set up to inspire and help the next generation of Canadian gravity athletes.
The SSLF aims to increase opportunities for young Canadian riders to take part in downhill mountain biking at all levels, mentor elite riders through the Foundation's network of top racers and provide support through grant-funded initiatives and brand partnerships.
Steve Smith was one of the most popular and exciting downhillers on the World Cup circuit, but sadly passed away following a brain injury sustained in 2016, while riding his enduro motorbike.
Built for misadventure
Designed to encapsulate Smith's enthusiasm, Devinci hasn't held back with the Chainsaw when it comes to delivering a bike that should widen your smile the steeper and rowdier the trail gets.
Using the brand's Split-Pivot suspension design with a high-pivot and idler, Devinci has produced a rearward axle path to offer impressive traction and bump absorption from its 170mm rear-wheel travel.
Devinci also claims the kinematics should make it an efficient-pedalling bike to get you back to the top of the hill. If the 170mm of travel isn't enough for you, you can eke out 10mm more by running a 225x75mm shock instead of the 225x70mm unit that comes as standard.
The idler pulley sits offset from the main pivot, helping Devinci tweak the suspension platform. It spins on a low-friction bearing to help minimise drag. In addition, it features a removable thermoplastic cover to keep it protected.
The aluminium frame uses 6061-T6 tubing intended to provide a good strength-to-weight ratio. Devinci says the frame is welded in Canada and comes with a lifetime warranty.
The lower shock mount features a flip chip that is said to keep the bike's geometry identical when switching between a 29in and 27.5in rear wheel.
Other frame features include a 34.9mm seat tube diameter for more robust, less flexible dropper posts. In addition, there's internal cable routing through the top tube and chainstays for a sleek look. The gear cable also passes through the idler for direct routing.
There's a threaded bottom bracket for easy maintenance, space for a 500ml water bottle on all frame sizes in the front triangle and clearance for a 29x2.5in rear tyre.
The Chainsaw benefits from a SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger and Enduro double-lip sealed bearing to help keep grime out. The cables enter through the head tube, not the headset.
Need for speed
The geometry of the Chainsaw is bang in the downhill bikes category, with aggressive numbers intended to make it comfortable hitting the rowdiest park lines.
Depending on the bike's spec, there are two geometry charts; one for a 170mm single-crown fork and another for a 190mm dual-crown fork.
For the 170mm single-crown fork models, the GX 12S and SX 12S, the bike has a slack 62.9-degree head tube angle. The effective seat tube angle changes across the four sizes, but remains steep at 79.9 degrees, 79.4 degrees, 78.9 degrees and 78.4 degrees for the small to extra-large bikes, respectively.
The reach numbers should give riders plenty of room on the bike. They start at 449mm on the size S and climb to 469mm, 494mm and 519mm for the M, L and XL bikes.
These figures combine to give moderate effective top tube numbers, so riders should feel relaxed when seated pedalling. The dimensions are 558mm, 586mm, 619mm and 651mm for the four bikes in ascending size order.
Devinci has also kept the seat tubes short, with 405mm, 435mm, 450mm and 470mm lengths. As a result, riders can choose one of two bike sizes depending on whether they want something more agile or more stable.
The chainstay lengths grow with each frame size, to help maintain rider weight distribution. They start at a snappy 425mm on the size small and increase by 5mm for each bike size, to 430mm, 435mm and 440mm.
The bottom bracket sits at a claimed 342mm, which is reasonably low and should aid fore-aft stability. Stack heights appear sensible for a bike designed to be comfortable on black runs. These start at 614mm on the size S and increase to 623mm, 632mm and 641mm for the M, L and XL frames, respectively.
The main changes to the geometry on the Chainsaw GX DH are that the head tube angle slackens by 0.8 degrees and the reach numbers shorten by 8mm.
| Devinci Chainsaw GX/SX 12S | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Small | Medium | Large | Extra-large |
| Reach (mm) | 449 | 469 | 494 | 519 |
| Head angle (degrees) | 62.9 | 62.9 | 62.9 | 62.9 |
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 79.9 | 79.4 | 78.9 | 78.4 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 405 | 435 | 450 | 470 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 425 | 430 | 435 | 440 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,228 | 1,257 | 1,292 | 1,327 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 342 | 342 | 342 | 342 |
| Stack (mm) | 614 | 623 | 632 | 641 |
| Top tube (mm) | 558 | 586 | 619 | 651 |
| Standover (mm) | 717 | 717 | 717 | 717 |
| Devinci Chainsaw GX DH | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Small | Medium | Large | Extra-large |
| Reach (mm) | 441 | 461 | 486 | 511 |
| Head angle (degrees) | 62.1 | 62.1 | 62.1 | 62.1 |
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 80.2 | 79.6 | 79.1 | 78.6 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 405 | 435 | 450 | 470 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 425 | 430 | 435 | 440 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,234 | 1,263 | 1,298 | 1,333 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 341 | 341 | 341 | 341 |
| Stack (mm) | 621 | 630 | 639 | 648 |
| Top tube (mm) | 559 | 587 | 620 | 653 |
| Standover (mm) | 726 | 726 | 726 | 726 |
Bikes for the people
What you won't find with the Chainsaw is a five-figure carbon super-bike with all the latest electronic tech. Instead, Devinci set out to make the Chainsaw as affordable as possible, with the intention of encouraging younger riders and those new to the sport to get to their local bike park and shred.
There are three models in the range. Two use SRAM Eagle 12-speed gearing with 29in wheels and 170mm travel front and rear. The third model is a more downhill-focused bike with mixed-sized wheels and a 190mm dual-crown fork.
Devinci Chainsaw SX 12
- Frame: Aluminium Optimum G04, 170mm travel
- Shock: RockShox SuperDeluxe Select R
- Fork: RockShox Domain R, 170mm travel
- Drivetrain: SRAM SX Eagle
- Brakes: SRAM Code R, 200mm rotors
- Wheelset: V2 Comp rims, Novatec hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ 29x2.5in WT (front) and Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxGrip DoubleDown 29x2.4in WT (rear) tyre
- Price: $3,899 / $4,799 CAD
Devinci Chainsaw GX 12S
- Frame: Aluminium Optimum G04, 170mm travel
- Shock: RockShox SuperDeluxe Select R
- Fork: RockShox Zeb Rush RC, 170mm travel
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
- Brakes: SRAM G2 RE, 200mm rotors
- Wheelset: RaceFace AR30 rims, Factor hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ 29x2.5in WT (front) and Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxGrip DoubleDown 29x2.4in WT (rear) tyre
- Price: $4,699 / $5,499 CAD
Devinci Chainsaw GX DH
- Frame: Aluminium Optimum G04, 170mm travel
- Shock: RockShox SuperDeluxe Coil Select+
- Fork: RockShox Boxxer Select Charger RC, 190mm travel
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX DH 7-speed
- Brakes: SRAM Code R, 200mm rotors
- Wheelset: RaceFace ARC30 HeavyDuty rims, Novatec hubs, Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip DH casing 29x2.5in WT (front) and Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C DoubleDown 27.5x2.4in WT (rear) tyre
- Price: $4,699 / $5,499 CAD
Devinci Chainsaw initial ride impressions
I've had a chance to ride the Chainsaw GX 12S a couple of times and these are my initial thoughts. Expect a full review soon, when I've had more time to get familiar with the bike.
There's no shying away from the fact that the Chainsaw is a rocket ship down the hills. It carries speed over rough ground impressively well and smoothes out the bumps with the utmost control. Charge straight into a rock garden and this bike will have your back.
The idler gives a calmness to the pedals that provides a stable and confidence-inspiring platform to attack the trails from.
You'll need that platform, too, because the slack head tube angle demands an aggressive style to get the most from it and not understeer in the turns.
The snappy chainstays help add a lively character to a planted bike. Still, the stability the Chainsaw offers is undeniable, and you need to ride over the front to get the weight balance right in the corners.
The rearward axle path helps balance the weight distribution between the wheels once you sit into the travel. However, when you commit to the front wheel, the bike appears more eager to turn. On the straights, stand a little taller and let the big dog eat.
Understandably, that capability on the descents comes at a cost on the climbs. It's not a fast or easy bike up hills, but it will get you there comfortably if you're not in a rush.
There was definitely additional drag from the idler for the first couple of rides. However, if you're lapping the bike park, this is a hell of a machine.
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