05/16/2008

Devinci may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of Canadian bike makers, but this Quebec-based company has been quietly building up a name and a reputation for itself for the last decade. We tested a Wilson DH bike last year, and thought it would be cool to hop on board an Ollie freeride bike this year.

The Ollie is your standard big hit bike, with some subtle but very important distinctions. First and foremost, the Optimum X frame is built by Devinci in its Quebec factory. It incorporates a OnePointFive headtube for extra weld surface, and uses needle bearings on the pivots instead of cartridge bearings. There's also a grease port on the main BB pivot.

The rear dropout is a huge one-piece unit that bolts directly onto the seatstay portion of the rear triangle and through the chainstay, thanks to the classic Horst Link suspension design. The 10mm thick dropout doesn't require the use of a derailleur hanger - if you manage to bend or break the dropout, you've got bigger things to worry about than how your rear derailleur shifts. Switching from a 26" wheel to a 24" is as simple as changing bolt holes on the dropout.

The Devinci Ollie - the colour is officially called Copper Orange, but it's really a metallic red.

Parts spec on the bike consists of top-notch freeride bits and pieces: a Marzocchi 888 RC2 fork with 200mm of travel and a Fox DHX4.0 rear shock hande damping duties, while most of the drivetrain is made up of Shimano Saint parts. Shifters, brakes (with actual Saint levers), front and rear derailleur with thru-axle, are all Saint, and the chain and cassette are Shimano as well. Mated up with the Race Face Diabolus cranks and bottom bracket is an e.13 DRS chainguide. You'll be spinning on Michelin DH Comp 32 26x2.8" & DH Comp 24.1 26x2.5" rubber, and Mavic EX325 rims.

In addition to making its own frames, Devinci also makes components under the Daredevil brand and the Ollie is liberally sprinkled with them. You get Daredevil bar, stem, saddle, seatpost, quick release, flat pedals, 20mm front hub, and thru-axle rear hub on your Ollie. The Ollie comes in small, medium, and large sizes as a complete bike or frameset only. Weight for a large bike is 46.6lbs.

Pricing for the Ollie is CAD$4,699 and €4,495. Unfortunately for our counterparts in the U.S. of A, Devinci is not offering its full-suspension bikes south of the 49th parallel this year. If you want an Ollie, you're just going to have to come visit us here in Canada. Don't worry, though - we won't tell anyone.

I went out to Devinci recently for a factory tour and saw some pretty cool stuff when I was out in the QC. Stay tuned for a full report, which will be up on the site shortly.

661 Pro Pressure Suit
Words and photo by Corey Anderson

For some of us, time spent going downhill is as good as it gets. Riding bikes fast is a rush, and it takes skill and guts. There are times when no amount of skill can prevent the inevitable - you are going to go down, without your bike. Sometimes, it feels like it happens every ride, other times we feel guilty because we've gone month or two without a big get-off, but in the back of our minds, we know it's coming.

The folks at SixSixOne are in the business of making gear to make those moments as comfortable as they are going to get. They also recognize that the events their armour is built for don't happen every ride, and it's as important to be comfortable as it is to be protected. New for 2006 is the Pro Pressure Suit, a slim fitting, ergonomic armour jacket that doesn't make you look and feel like a line-backer every time you throw a leg over the saddle. They have taken some of the more bulky areas of their previous jackets and put them on a diet, and focussed on putting quality armour in the key areas on your body that hit the ground the most. The end result is a stealth-looking jacket that fits under your jersey with room to spare.

Open weave fabric keeps the air flow high and body heat low. Vented, injection molded plastic covers the key contact points, and the articulated spine protection has been extended enough to provide protection for your tail bone. The kidney belt features a new multi-strap system that allows a wide range of adjustment to fine tune the fit, and keep the jacket from riding up on you. Keep checking back, as we'll be doing an in-depth review on this jacket and reporting on how it performs over the long term. The Pro Pressure suit is available from your local Norco dealer. MSRP is CDN $449 and US $300.

The Pro Pressure Suit. Bring it on.

661 Kyle Strait Knee Guard
Words and photo by Corey Anderson

There is something about a ride where you don't need to gear up as though you were prepared to roll down the hill, without the bike, that just feels great. I'm not sure if it's the wind ripping across your shins, or the ice cold roost off the front tire in a puddle hitting your leg, or the brush of a branch letting you know you just nailed your favourite corner. It's a feeling you can't get when your entire lower leg is wrapped up. Bike armour is getting more sophisticated. Protection is becoming available in more targetted formats that are more comfortable and ergonomic than some of the other options. The SixSixOne Kyle Strait Knee Guard is a fine example of just that.

These keep the knees in one piece

Developed with the help of Mr. Kyle Strait himself, these pads focus on big protection in a smaller package. Unlike most leg pads, these cover your leg a few inches above your knee, keeping them from slipping away from doing their job when you eat dirt. The amount of coverage for the knee that these offer goes beyond what traditional leg pads have to offer. The knee is protected by a padded, injection molded plastic shell that conforms to your leg, and the sides of your knee are protected by thick padding wrapped in a breathable material. Two thick elastic hook-and-loop straps hold these firmly in place, regardless of the conditions.

The Kyle Strait Knee Guard is a compact and comfortable option for knee protection that you can wear under pants or with shorts and not feel like a Storm Trooper headed to battle. You can relish in that free feeling that riding without leg pads offers, without having to worry about blowing your knees up the next time you have to eject. Your lower legs are exposed, so don't expect to come out completely unscathed when it hits the fan, but rest assured the most important part of your leg will be kept in one piece.

The Kyle Strait Knee Guard is available through your local Norco dealer. MSRP is CDN $84.99, and US $50.