Any seasoned mountain biker understands the feeling of building a bike from scratch. Hand picking every component and making a thing of beauty, painstakingly choosing each component towards the moment when you can swing your leg over the top tube for a first ride. Here at Freehub, we had the chance to build a 'dream bike' that would test some of the hottest components on the market while creating a complex machine bred for happiness and flow. With the help of some amazing bike companies, we created the Devinci Wilson dream downhill build.
The Bike
The frame is the core building block for any bike, and Devinci has completely redesigned theirs in the 2012 Wilson. Add a solid rider and you have a rocketship that corners unlike any other bike we've ridden. The Dave Weagle Split Pivot suspension design and revised frame geometry make for a bike that handles steep, gnarly descents while providing a low center of gravity in corners. The engineers at Devinci have also developed a 'flip chip' for the rear axle that creates a HI and LO setting for ultimate adjustability and rider preference. This ‘flip chip’ raises the bottom bracket from 355 to 365 mm and adjusts the head tube angle from 64 to 64.7 degrees. Additionally, the Wilson utilizes one of the longest eye-to-eye shocks on the market at 10.5", which translates to a progressive feel throughout the 216mm (8.5") of travel. Our custom Wilson Team came with a Torayca T700 and M30 SC crosshatched Carbon Fiber seatstay, which added to the already stiff rear end, while only shaving minimal weight. The slack and low geometry, stiff rear end, and custom premium build package make our 2012 Wilson "Dream" Team a lightweight, durable race machine.
*To see full Bicycle Specifications visit: www.devinci.com
The Build
Wow... where to start? While most people don't spend thousands upon thousands of dollars building up a frame, there are a lucky few who do. With the “Dream Team” we decided to go with a lightweight race build to see where we could get the 11.84 LB frameset. We outfitted the Wilson with the latest and greatest: Rock Shox Boxxer World Cup, Crank Brothers Opium 3 Wheels, XO Carbon Cranks and drivetrain with SRAM Red 11-25 cassette, Crank Brothers 50/50 pedals, Easton Havoc 35mm Bars & stem, Avid Code brakes, Crank Brothers Cobalt Seatpost & Iodine Saddle, and Specialized Butcher tires. This came together in a beautiful red and white marvel of modern engineering, which ended up riding light and playful at 37.16 LBS.
