There can only be one

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
368566


368567




Frame - Deviate Highlander Black Edition, 140 link.
Rear shock - Fox X2 2021 Factory
Front shock/fork - Manitou Mezzer Pro 160
Handlebars - SQlab 30X
Stem - Spank 40mm
Headset - Cane Creek
Grips - Ergon GA2
Saddle - WTB MaxCreak
Seatpost - BikeYoke 213
Brake system - Hope E4
Rotors - Shimano 200 front, 180 rear
Cranks - Shimano XT M8000
Chain - Box Components 11 speed
Pedals - XTR
Front derailleur - lol
Rear derailleur - XT
Rear shifter - XTR
Cassette - XT
Front hub - DT 350
Rear hub - DT 350 with 54 ratchet
Front rim - Wheelworks Flite
Rear rim - Wheelworks Flite
Front Tyre - Maxxis DHR
Rear Tyre - Maxxis Minion SS
Weight - Don't know



THE WHY

This project came about for two reasons, that ultimately turned out to be very much intertwined.

First, I’d been thinking of getting an n+1 long travel bike for a couple of years. Watching shredits on Pinkbike and the EWS guys smashing into the gnar often makes you think that if only you had an endurobro rig then surely it wouldn’t be long before you’re doing the same. Maybe. I was really taken by the Craftworks ENR; the rearward axle path of high pivot bikes sounded pretty intriguing on paper. I liked the fact that Craftworks are a local company, and their builds are solid value. Unfortunately they don’t offer an XL, and even the L looked pretty compact by modern standards. Then I started following the development of the Kavenz VHP16 in their youtube series: a German made, semi-custom high pivot alloy monster. The guys seem pretty switched on and transparent about the highs and lows of the development process, and it’s kind of nice to buy into a bit of a story beyond the marketing firewall of the big players.

Second, I’d been on an Ibis Ripley LS for four and a half years or so, bought based on glowing reviews but without a test ride. LS stands for long and slack, but in reality it isn’t either of those things. I love the bike, the DW-link is super-efficient at climbing, and the 120mm travel while not exactly plush, does still have a nice bottomless character to it when descending. Unfortunately it was just too small for me. The reach on the XL is only 448. On more XC style terrain this was never an issue, but on blue or black trails once the speed picked up I always felt too far back or too close to an OTB. My riding ‘style’, and that’s probably a generous descriptor, is more plough than pop. I’m not a super agile or skillful rider so a longer bike seemed to make sense.


THE HOW

The pre-order for the Kavenz was about to open, and with a bunch of custom geo options available I didn’t really want to make the wrong decisions. I think in the back of my mind I also had reservations about a bike that was designed around big, steep trails in Europe. So I enlisted my co-conspirator @beeb as advisor; similar height, taste in trails and a whole lot more across bike geometry than me. A few PMs later the reality of a slack, heavy bike becoming more of a wall ornament than regular ride moved discussion to other options. He also made the good point that a second bike with far more reach would make swapping between it and the Ripley a bit jarring.

Discussion turned to just replacing the Ripley with something better sized and/or more capable; I thought about getting a Ripley v4 or Ripmo, but having been about to pull the trigger on something a little less common, it seemed like a chunk of money to spend on something not too far removed from where I already was. Which is when @beeb pointed out the Highlander, a bike I’d read about when it was released, but had discounted due to the lack of an XL option. Only now, they do offer it in XL. Game on.


WHAT IS IT?

Deviate are based in Scotland, and this is their second release. Their first was the Guide, another high pivot bike, but with a gearbox and solidly in the enduro camp. With the Highlander they’ve decided to try something with broader appeal while sticking to their high-pivot roots. 140mm travel at the back and 150/160mm at the front puts it pretty well in the trail bike category, although you can get a 150mm link which is more progressive and designed to play well with coil shocks. So the bike is pretty versatile.

Geometry numbers are a decent balance of modern but not mental. Head angle at 65.5 means it shouldn’t be too dull on undulating trails. Seat angle is a genuine 76degrees, even for tall peeps, combined with quite a long reach of 510. That reach number looks a world away from the compact Ripley, but considering the slack seat angle of the Ibis the ETT difference is actually not that pronounced. So in theory, my seated position will be familiar enough, but with a whole load of extra room to move on the downs.


THE BUILD

I’ll go into more detail in another post, but one advantage was that all the parts standards from my Ripley build pretty much carried over to the Highlander. Moving so many parts over made the enterprise financially acceptable. Obviously more travel at the front was required, so I went with the fork of the moment, the Mezzer. Other than that, I like Hope brakes, the Bikeyoke posts are a quality item and the Wheelworks/DT Swiss setup has been bombproof over the years with no truing required. Overall weight feels pretty good. It seems a little heavier than the Ripley, but not by as much as I thought it would. It’ll be interesting to see if everything holds up to the bigger ambitions of the Highlander.



FIRST IMPRESSIONS

With a truckload of rain on the horizon I threw the bike together pretty quickly, as you can see by some of the messier elements of the build. I only got out for an hour or so with a camera in a backpack, so for now insights are pretty superficial. The ride was a mix of rocky firetrail and rough and not particularly well-maintained singletrack with small rock gardens and a few tight switchbacks. I was riding pretty cautiously too.

Having moved the drivetrain over from the Ripley, I still have an oval chain ring fitted. Deviate say that these are fine to use, but I’m not so sure it’s ideal. There’s a rhythmic noise from the chainring, which might be partially due to the new chain. I think I’ll swap it out for a regular round one and see what happens. The idler wheel on the frame makes a little bit of noise which is mainly noticeable in the bigger cogs. It’s actually a reasonably pleasant mechanical whirring, so not too bothersome. I have a feeling that it’s chain line related, and I wonder if a bigger cog at the back like a 50 on contemporary 12 speed (currently a 42) and a maybe a round 34 on the front would make a difference.

The suspension will certainly need a bit of work to get dialled. The Mezzer does feel pretty unforgiving at the factory pressures as mentioned by @Oddjob and others, while the X2 felt very plush following Fox’s charts. Getting the front and back to feel like they match will be the first priority.

The extra reach is definitely noticeable around tight switchbacks, but didn’t bother me too much. A longer ride will reveal more, but at first exposure I think the overall fit is really good. So that’s a win, given it’s fifty percent of the reason for the project.

Climbing doesn’t feel quite as snappy as the Ibis, which is fine because climbing, and I think a bigger cog than the 42 will probably be needed for longer days. The front end did get a bit light on really steep sections, but familiarity and moving the saddle forward will no doubt help with this. Might be a little bit weight related also, plus the fact that I’m accustomed to the DW link. I didn’t try the climb switch on the X2, so that’s another consideration.

The strongest and most exciting first impression of the ride was actually on flatter and undulating terrain. The Highlander picks up speed and really maintains momentum with what feels like noticeably less effort than the Ripley. Maybe it’s the rearward axle path, as well as my being more centred in the bike than before. I wasn’t expecting this, and it’s actually pretty exciting because XC-style trails like the ones at Kowen and Sparrow Hill will remain enjoyable on a bike with this much travel.

For the descent I dropped a bit of pressure out of the IRT of the Mezzer which seemed to improve the spikiness, and the bike predictably demolished the trail. With double the travel front and back there’s no real surprise there. I’m sure the suspension design is doing its job here too, but it’ll take a fair bit more riding before I can separate that from the extra travel and X2. I was being pretty cautious because of the camera in the backpack and only having a couple of k’s on a fresh build. Once I’ve nailed the tune on the Mezzer and pointed it down Stromlo on trails I’ve ridden scores of times, I’ll have a better impression of what it’s capable of.

For now, I’m pretty damn stoked with it, and I hope this will be a long and rewarding ownership experience.
 
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Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
THE FRAME

368553


That's the frame. It's purdy.



368554


Internal routing for the dropper. There's an internal sleeve making it easy to get the cable in, although it happens to exit at the perfect angle to head straight on up the top tube without sticking something down the seat tube to help it find its way.


368555


The idler is a thing of beauty. Feels a bit stiff turning it by hand; hoping this'll free up a bit with riding. Didn't notice drag on the trail, I guess a longer ride will reveal more.


368556


2021 X2. This is going to take some understanding...


368557


Frame protection is pretty rudimentary thick rubbery stuff stuck on with some kind of adhesive, but should do the job.



368558


External but hidden cable routing channel is a great detail. Cable guides are spaced as bottle cage mounts so can double as accessory points. Clever.

368559


Every 'burner's favourite, the threaded BB.

368560


Rear derailleur routing. Comes with little rubber stoppers, but some of the paint detail not quite up with the likes of Santa Cruz.
 
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droenn

Fat Man's XC President
wow - thats a beast. The RB mod gig seems to be looking after you! :p

So did it come with the kilt? And a Malcom Tucker personality?
 

goobags

Likes Dirt
Offft looks the goods. Never ridden a high pivot but I want to. I have a sneaking suspicion high pivot bikes are going to be on trend very soon, particularly 140mm 29ers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
How many links in the chain? Lucky you are a slight chap, that 90 degree chainwheel wrap would worry me otherwise.
 

k3n!f

leaking out the other end
Whoa. Stunning off road bicycle.







Although, those cables look like my lock down hair style.
 
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