| REVIEW: 2007 Devinci Frantik 2 |
Words by Mark Steinebach, photos by Lisa Steinebach It has been a couple of years now that Mark Weir, freak-of-nature and mondo do-everything mountain biker began riding Super-D races and regular downhill races aboard something other than a downhill-specific rig. It would be presumptuous to credit Mr. Weir with moving mountain bike manufacturing momentum away from the really big rig, but I think riders like him had something to do with it. Enter the Devinci Frantik. Not quite downhill and not quite all-mountain, Devinci Bicycles has moved to fill a niche that has been occupied by other bikes for a while, most notably the Specialized SX Trail, the Santa Cruz Nomad (Weir's ride), and the Giant Reign X series to name a few. The Devinci Frantik 2 is the company's mid-point offering of a relatively new category of mountain bike: the slopestyle / bike park freeride rig. While the designator for this bike is relatively new, the niche it is trying to fill is not. Freeride bikes began morphing from their tubby big brothers, the DH machine, a few years ago. |
 The Devinci Frantik 2, complete with Daredevil parts, waiting for its first ride |
The change was spawned by the need to move more freely around the mountain while not foregoing the fun offered by jumps, drops and fast, feature-filled trails. The DH rig was simply too porky, too raked out and couldn't be equipped with a front derailleur. Cross country bikes, and their modern-day successors, the trail or all mountain bike, were too light and upright but they had the right idea. The Frantik takes the best of all these worlds and combines it into one bike, and while Devinci isn't the first or only company to do this, the Quebeckers put their own spin on things.
The Numbers
Out of the box, the Frantik 2 came adorned with a dazzling, high-sparkle, blue finish. The Frantik definitely has the look of a smaller rig thanks to the elegant Optimum X-2 aluminum tubing used in the frame construction, particularly when mated with a single crown fork and a saddle that has a distinct cross country-esque look to it. Looks are deceiving, however. Lift it with caution as the bike weighed in at 41.6lbs. (That figure hasn't been published anywhere. More on the weight below.)
Wading through geometry numbers for mountain bike frames is not the kind of reading you want to engage in when you are trying to survive a grave-yard shift. For even the half-hearted, though, the Frantik’s geometry specifications will grab your attention.
The Frantik 2 that I was provided with was a medium (17") frame. The head tube angle is a bold and rakish 65.1°, which will compete easily with any downhill rig out there (the Santa Cruz V-10 is around 67° and the Norco DH is just under 65°). This slack head tube angle is exaggerated by the use of a single crown fork that stands taller than its dual crown cousins. The seat tube angle is a relatively pedal-friendly and positively cross-country-esque 73.6° (my Santa Cruz Superlight's seat tube angle is 73.5°). The combination of these head tube and seat tube angles can lead to a long wheelbase and it does so with this bike, resulting in a very downhill-worthy 47".
The Frantik wheelbase looks long, and it is - even compared to some DH bikes.
Very few bike manufacturers have been able to solve the head tube angle/seat tube angle dilemma. Giant has managed to get the wheelbase issue under control with its Reign X bikes, and Devinci has kept this in check to some degree by keeping the chainstay length a little shorter but the wheelbase is still more downhill-worthy than even some true downhill steeds. While these numbers help the Frantik ride like a big rig, the stability that comes with this kind of length gives the bike a heavier feel while in the air and in tight quarters on very techy trails.
Stability is great while you are maching laps of Crabapple Hits and Dirt Merchant at Whistler Bike Park but can be a pain when you are in the tight confines of Joyride or Clownshoes or many of the trails we ride on Fromme. Stability is nice but manoeuvrability takes precedence and requires a shorter wheelbase. The longer wheelbase can make the bike feel sluggish when laying down the power from very slow speeds, and gives such a bike a heavier, more lumbering and less manoeuvrable feel.
The OnePointFive head tube beefs up the already-solid feel of the front end, while the 150mm rear end with through-axle and the beefy suspension linkage ensured that I was not going to leave this rig in pieces after one outing.
Components
The Frantik 2 was outfitted with a Marzocchi 66 RV and Fox DHX 3.0 coil shock serving up 180mm and 165mm of plush travel, front and back. The 66 should have proven easy to set up, given that it only has two available adjustments: positive air chamber compression and a rebound setting at the bottom of the right leg. The low pressure settings required for the 66RV posed some difficulty as this bike did not come with a shock pump (as many bikes in this price range do these days) and most shock pumps will not register pressures below 5 psi. According to Marzocchi’s manual, the range of pressures for my weight ranged between 0 and 15 psi. At 10 psi, the fork was essentially locked out and rendered fully rigid. At 0 psi, the fork was far too soft and sagged heavily into the travel.
Through trial and error (I counted the number of strokes of my pump, test rode and made adjustments accordingly) I was able to hone in on a pressure that seemed to be a reasonable compromise. The DHX was much easier to set up and Fox’s online manuals are very helpful and easy to follow.
Braking duties were ably handled by Avid’s Juicy 5 stoppers with 203mm rotors. The Juicy line of brakes continues to inspire me. Even this OEM set of the more budget minded stoppers was remarkable. They bedded in very quickly and could easily provide enough power to stop with one finger braking. Modulation was excellent, typical of all Juicys I have ridden.
The SRAM trigger shifters and Avid Juicys are elegantly designed to fit together. The bike came with the triggers mounted outboard of the Juicy levers just as they were designed. This resulted in the need to have the brake lever mounted very close to the grip (to allow the rider to still reach the triggers without adjusting hand position). This renders it impossible to effectively one-finger the brakes.
Nice parts, but the fit can be a bit tight depending on the setup
While this is okay for those who aren’t comfortable with one-finger riding, the power of the Juicys will easily allow for this and the levers are of a length that encourages the rider to adopt this practice. Moving the brake levers inboard of the triggers changes nothing about how the rider will interact with the triggers and it allows for the rider to brake effectively and comfortably with one finger. If you need to grab a handful of brake for some reason, you can still manage it with this setup.
A full SRAM drivetrain (X-9 rear derailleur, X-7 front, chain, cassette and X-7 trigger shifters) along with an e.13 guided Race Face Evolve X-type crank and 36/24 dual rings kept the Frantik rolling along smoothly. Maxxis Highroller 2.5s mounted on Mavic EX325 rims kept the Frantik connected to terra firma.
Devinci chooses to outfit many of its mountain bikes with the house-brand Daredevil components. Saddle, bars, stem, hubs, seatpost and pedals come brazenly adorned with bold Daredevil graphics. Appearance is definitely a personal preference issue so componentry should always be about function first and aesthetics second. When you are spending a sizable load on a bike, however, you can bet that aesthetics are going to be more important than they ought to be.
The Daredevil graphic was certainly not what I wanted to see on a bike of this calibre. The components spec really gives the overall package a bit of a budget look that you would fully expect of price-point machines. I would have liked to see any of the well-known aftermarket and OEM manufacturer goods mounted up. There are plenty of choices available including FSA, Race Face, Easton and on, and on. The choices are not limited.
My purist side could not beat down too harshly on the Daredevil products simply based upon appearance, and they all performed as they should over the course of the test. I could not account for the weight of these components as there are none published but I suspect that they added to the overall weight of the bike. I cannot help but imagine how complete and cohesive this Canadian-made bike frame would have been decked out with a top shelf parts spec from another Canadian company like Race Face - the Evolve cranks, rings and bottom bracket were already in place.
The Ride
Though I am not much for the slopestyle-type of riding, I put the Frantik through her paces. While I will never be seen busting large with the table 3s in the Boneyard, I can throw down enough to push a bike to its limit.
Devinci’s claim is that the Frantik is designed to excel on North Shore style technical terrain and steeps, the bike park and on local hills where a fair amount of pedalling is a factor to get you to the top. The ideal rider is one who wants the ability to rip on descents and flick the bike when airborne. The presence of the front derailleur suggests that it should be able to be humped up to the top of your descent and Devinci concurs that it can be pedalled anywhere: up, down and sideways. Once you have made it to anywhere under your own steam, the Frantik is supposed to carry your carcass with speed and flow down trails filled with airs and smooth transitions allowing tricks to be busted on the way. So, does the Frantik deliver?
The downhill rig geometry numbers governing the front half of the frame and the stretched-out wheelbase really do help this bike to eat up trail. As soon as I turned downward and let off of the stoppers, the rip was really very reminiscent of a DH rig and the stability at speed was confidence inspiring. Once the Frantik sags into its travel a bit, the relatively low bottom bracket height really makes it rail corners. Typical of any bike that squats down like this, you have to be conscious of where your pedals are or you are going to peel pins from your poor hapless flats. The ground-eating wheelbase smoothes terrain like a steamroller and makes this bike feel like it has more room for movement in the suspension than it actually does.
Dr. Mark railing the corners on the Frantik, enjoying the long and low-slung ride
So many DH rigs have such an abundance of travel that the rider must really work to get the thing in the air. Not so for the Frantik. What you preload into the suspension, you will be given back as big air. This allowed the Frantik to be lofted higher and further with less speed and effort than a long travel bike despite the Frantik’s heft.
While aloft, the so-called flickability is a bit of question-mark, because my pool of tricks is undeniably small and shallow even in the deep end. The Frantik has an uncanny big bike feel when in the air, which is likely due to its rather remarkable length coupled with its inordinately rotund weight for a bike in this category. It asks you to work for your trick, much as a DH rig would. While not at all impossible, it cannot compare to a bike with a shorter wheelbase and less heft. The term flickability conjures images of what goes down at your local dirt jumps. While not fair to compare the Frantik to a 20" bike, the amount of effort required to move a 41.6 lb. bike in the air is not insignificant.
The shorter travel makes its presence known when you venture into the arena of the big stomping drop. The Frantik can take what is dished out without falling to pieces, but if you want to throw down off something high, the shorter travel ensures that you are going to feel it. While the Marzocchi 66 does reasonable work smoothing out the trail, its lack of suitable progressiveness or adjustability in this regard allowed it to smoke through its full travel, leaving me with a distinct bottom-out clank ringing in my ears when it was asked to do duty on 6 to 8' drops.
The Frantik should be capable of drops like this, but they seemed to stretch the fork to its limits
Pumping up the fork’s PSI corrected this but rendered it unresponsive to small bumps and stutter. Some of this can be addressed by changing the oil level in the fork, but that will require a trip to the local bike shop for most of us. Having some ability to adjust compression and end-stroke progressiveness externally is pretty critical for ensuring that a bike can perform properly in aggressive terrain. Despite the performance shortcomings, the 20mm axle and excellent stiffness in the front end ensured that the bike went where it was directed. No noodly flex here.
The DHX 3.0 has less adjustable latitude than its big brother, the DHX 5.0. In spite of that, performance was very good and had me relying heavily on it and the superb Horst Link four-bar rear suspension to suck up the impact that the 66 RV could not cope with up front. Although the DHX 3.0 works exceptionally well, an air shock like the DHX 5.0 Air would not detract at all from suspension performance and would allow for some weight reduction.
An x-up in the making, even though the Frantik was a hard bike to flick in the air
Unfortunately, the Frantik wears out its welcome very quickly when you want to get to your favourite trail without the benefit of a carbon-belching shuttle. Theoretically, climbing on the Frantik shouldn't be a problem. The 11-32 cassette matched with a 24 tooth small chainring and 170mm crank arms works for shorter and medium sized riders [taller and heavier riders will definitely be wishing for a 11-34 / 22T drivetrain with 175mm cranks - Ed.]. The seat tube angle puts the rider comfortably on top of the pedal spindles, while the uninterrupted seat tube allows for a long seat post that can be hiked up to a cross-country position. The four-bar suspension was there to smooth the terrain without a hint of pedal feedback and nearly no nasty suspension bob.
Despite all of these theoretical performance advantages, however, the Frantik left me seeing visions of Heaven after hammering the thing up my local climbs. Granted, no climb up Vedder Mountain is going to be a minor undertaking, but I did not start doing this yesterday. I have had opportunity to ride many different bikes on these climbs and can say unequivocally that the Frantik posed similar challenges to riding up on a DH rig.
Yes, the peddling position was more conducive to efficiency but the rake and height of the front end and the sheer weight that had to be moved uphill had me digging deep into my reserves for an extra measure of tenacity. A 22 tooth small ring would be a welcome alternative to the 24 tooth ring. You will not be blazing the climbs, so reducing the effort required would be embraced by most riders.
Once riding on more level ground where some of the less desirable qualities of a tall and raked out front end are diminished, I could appreciate how the Horst Link suspension and the pedal-friendly seating position really helps to move this bike with purpose through the forest. Even here, though, I would not want to endeavour peddling all day long. The weight inspires the rider to get off and spend a little quality time sessioning stuff. The longer I rode this bike the more I got used to its heft, but I trouble a bit over the need for the rider to have to get used to this. Could the Frantik have done all of the tasks envisioned while weighing less? I think so.
Let’s put the Frantik into some perspective. The closest comparison can be drawn between this rig and Specialized SX Trail. They are both bikes that are after a very similar market. They sport very similar frame geometry, though the SX Trail is not quite as raked. They have nearly identical suspension designs and there are even models with similar part specifications. Could there be an additional point of similarity between the bluebird colour of the Frantik 2 frame and that of Bearclaw’s SX Trail that he campaigned for a couple of years?
The main difference between these two rigs is that the SX Trail manages to keep its heft in check. With a similar build, this rig comes in at somewhere between 35 and 37 lbs. The Giant Reign X is another example of a bike with similar aspirations. Again, the weight savings over the Frantik is substantial. A 5-7 lb. weight loss would change the Frantik from a short-travel DH bike to the flickable, flow-worthy, climber/descender, do-everything, go-everywhere mount that I perceived Devinci was aiming for.
Getting the Frantik in the air wasn't a problem
When questioned about the parts spec, Devinci stated that they did not want any “comeback” due to failure, so they built the Frantik to be burly with durable parts. Devinci backs this foresight with respect to durability with a stellar lifetime warranty. The Frantik held up well and took all the abuse I dished. Even the paint held up well under the rigors of a fair number of shuttles that are notoriously tough of bike finishes. The sparkly bluebird paint continues to dazzle even after my beatdown. The drivetrain continues to deliver crisp and effective shifts even at the end of this test, despite not being adjusted a single time and having seen the full spectrum of weather and crashes.
The Verdict
Is it reasonable to want to have your cake and eat it, too? Of course (after all, who wants to simply have cake without getting to scarf it down). The aggressive, all-in-one bike is beginning to make a name for itself and intends that the rider should be able to enjoy everything that modern aggressive all-mountain / freeride / bike park / slopestyle riding might entail. The SX Trail and the new Giant Reign X series are successful examples of this. What only a few short years ago might have seemed like marrying crackers and gum, a bike that can be ridden everywhere and do everything well has put that misconception to bed.
Manufacturers continue to struggle with the concept of light and durable or light and strong. Unfortunately, the Frantik has missed part of the equation. You get the cake, but you can't eat it because it's too heavy. The challenge to Devinci will be to take the Frantik and peel away 4-5 pounds of that cake. If they can do that, this bike will not only be formidable in its intended role, it will have the potential to displace some of it rivals in this arena. Until then, it will remain a beautiful, robust, short travel, limited-use downhill bike full of unrealized potential.
The Frantik 2 is not available in the U.S. due to Specialized's patent on the Horst Link suspension design. In Canada, $3,399 will have you on board one of these.
- Mark Steinebach
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