[R]eviewed // Deviate Claymore

Now it’s no secret the test team at [R]evolution headquarters get our hands on some excellent kit for review, we really like to share with our fans at home our insights and riding experience so you can make some informed decisions when you’re considering the purchase of a new whip.

Words // Scotty Prendergast. Photos // Matt Staggs

Most of the times we work with some very big brands in the industry but from time to time we get our hands on something a little unique, and a little different from the mainstream which is super cool! We have been working with the legends from Super Sports Australia for a long time now, and if you don’t know they are the Aussie distributer for a ton of great products, so when we got the gossip that Super Sports were going to be the Australian distributor for Deviate Cycles which are a very unique bike brand born and bred in the Scottish Highlands, it’s fair to say we were very curious but also very excited to see what this boutique bike brand had to offer.

Recently the cool cats from Super Sports sent us a brand spanking new Deviate Claymore for a long-anticipated bike review. Deviate cycles are a relatively new company in the scope of the industry but they have forged their foundations, as they have been making some waves in the industry for delivering some very, somewhat unique, styles of bikes that are extremely well-made. So, check it out people, this is their all-new Claymore being their long travel enduro bike. Trust us when we say that this bike in the flesh looks absolutely stunning to say the least, but I guess all you shredders really want to know a few ins and outs on what makes the new Claymore tick. Well legends, grab yourselves a beer or a coffee and settle in whilst we give you all the facts and figures on the new Claymore from Deviate cycles.

This bike certainly sounds pretty interesting from what you’ve said so far, and we know how much MTB fans are of bikes that are unique, so can you give us a little more insights on what sets this brand apart from the rest?

Sure, I suppose we should hit you guys with a little tech talk before we get into the riding performance. This bike is an all-carbon fibre frame and swingarm and the bike we tested is a full 29’er yet there is an MX wheel option also available. We rode a size large (192cm tall – 88kg test rider) although this frame is also available in a medium or an X-Large (3 sizes). For an enduro style bike, it has all the basic features you want, which includes, an accessory mount for your tools, tubes, chain links, tyre levers etc, and there is plenty of room for a bottle. The cable routing is semi external within the front triangle for easier maintenance and it has internal cable routing throughout the rear triangle.

The bike we tested runs 170mm of fork travel up front, yet it can also take a 180mm fork and the rear end pumps out 165mm in travel. As you can see by these numbers alone, they weren’t mucking around with the Claymore, this bike is all about heavy hits and gravity orientated good times!  They also stand behind their product offering a lifetime warranty on their lineup of bikes.  This bike is also available in complete builds and frame only options for those people who want a real customised whip.

Another cool little feature we should mention is the bolt-on carbon fibre downtube guard that is going to protect your downtube from any hard hits/impacts on the trail.

It looks like Deviate have really thought about the build on this bike, the obvious stand out is the high pivot design, can you give us all the features on what makes this high pivot tick?

Well let’s dig a little deeper and start with the unique shock linkage which rotates behind the bottom bracket shell.  This linkage is designed in a fashion that not only looks neat but also doesn’t protrude under compression. This eliminates the potential for impacts as the link won’t compress lower than your chain ring, chain device or bash guard. In other terms the linkage not only works well but you can hit the techy chunder with the confidence of knowing you have plenty of ground clearance. As mentioned, the rear swing arm comes optional to suit either a 29 inch or a 27.5-inch rear wheel and it will take up to a 2.6 wide tyre. Aforementioned. another cool feature we like is the external cable routing which runs under the front top tube. At a glance, this bike looks like it is completely internally routed which looks amazing, but it makes the bike a lot easier to work on and maintain. The way the cables are held under the top tube still eliminates any noise and this bike remains very quiet on the trails which is a very nice touch.

What’s the Deviate’s geo package like?

Some key numbers we should touch on are the 64.3-degree head angle and the 78-degree seat tube angle. As you can see this bike has really been designed to pedal efficiently for a bigger travel whip, yet they have been restrained from a really slack head tube and gone with a conservative happy medium between stability and playfulness. It kind of makes perfect sense for a big bike not to be too slack in the front end which ensures this bike’s ability to turn on a dime. As indicated above this whip is available in frame options only for those who want a customised whip. However, it will also be available in some pre-built options depending on what you prefer in components and suspension platform.

I guess we should discuss the obvious stand out with this bike being the high pivot. This design eliminates train growth and pedal kick back which creates a very supple, progressive suspension platform. That along with the rear wood axle path that gets out of the way of square edges quicker and generates more momentum on the descents and creates a more balanced and stable feeling bike at high speed. This balanced feel is no doubt also attributed to the smooth nature of the suspension kinematics along with the shock position by having the weight low near the bottom bracket, this weight distribution makes the bike feel light and easy to manoeuvre over a variety of terrain yet still stable on those heavier faster sections of trail.

Let’s dive in and talk about how all the theory translates into how the bike rips around out on the trail?

Well, I guess we should start with how this big whip pedals and climbs. After riding a lot of sleds in the bigger travel enduro category, having a bike that is very efficient is key to ride quality. When considering the Claymore as far as pedalling efficiency and climbing goes we would consider this bike as one of the absolute best in this category of bikes. Sure, you’re not going to take this bike to any cross-country races but that’s not what its designed for.  We have spent some big hours climbing this bike and ‘hucking’ around some of our bigger enduro loops, but just how well this bike climbed was a real stand out. A lot of high pivot bikes have a bit of a reputation for being a bit more of a slug on the climbs and are also known for having a little bit too much drag on the drive chain. We didn’t find the Claymore a slug at all, as a matter of fact it climbed more akin to a shorter travel trail bike, and we didn’t really notice any additional drag due to the quality of the idler wheel, so those small concerns were quickly alleviated because it was a non-issue. The seat position made this bike very easy to shift your weight to the front wheel, so it didn’t wander on the climbs, and the steeper seat position made the bike feel very comfortable to pedal for extended periods in the saddle.

To make it simple this bike is excellent to ride and climb all day long.

All you punk rockers at home are no doubt wondering how this bike handled the big stuff, the fun stuff and did we like the Claymore when ridden in anger?

Now, we won’t keep you waiting too long but to be honest this is exactly the type of bike the test team enjoy riding. We get a ton of fantastic whips to ride day to day but the bigger travel enduro bikes really suit our style, so it’s not hard to like this bike. The biggest question we ask ourselves when we get a bigger travel bike like this is, would we buy one if racing enduro was our jam, or would we put this bike more into the freeride category? Well, we think it has both bases covered. Would we take this bike racing? 100% yes! Would we take this bike to Whistler bike park? 100% yes! This bike was so good to pedal for a big whip which is why we would happily race this sucker at any enduro event BUT this whip loved the chunder so much we also wouldn’t hesitate at taking this bike on some shuttle days or weekends away at the bike park.

I know we’ve said this before but when we get a bike like this, we really like to put it through the ringer. And I know the legends from Super Sports won’t mind us saying this, but we have given this bike and absolute flogging. From big enduro days, endless downhill runs, hips, skids, wheelies, rock gardens, booters and corners for days! We have 100% belted this bike just to see how it stacks up and to say the least we’re impressed, very impressed actually! This bike’s ability to hold its line over heavy fast lines was remarkable, this bike is still pretty damn light for what it is but was a very solid and stable bike at speed. 

The way that rear end tracked the ground and generated traction to the rubber below was a standout for us.

To wrap this all up can we get your final thoughts on this Scotish beast?

Sure, bike setups are very personal, but we found this bike to be very planted yet still very light and easy to tear through turns and technical sections. So, to make it brief, when it comes to bikes like this the Claymore literally has all bases covered for the riders who want to race but also want to shred on the weekends. When we get a test bike, we always ask ourselves, would we buy one of these and to answer that, it’s an absolute no brainer. We would 100% add the new Deviate Claymore to the quiver of bikes in the shed without question. So, what are you waiting for punks?! If you want a bike that’s a bit of a head turner, something that’s super stylish yet functional and something you’re going to have a hell of a lot of fun riding, may we suggest moving the Deviate Claymore to the top of your bucket list.

KEY INFO

Frame: Full Carbon Construction with high pivot linkage design

Size options: M, L, XL.

Travel: 180/170mm front, 165mm rear.

Wheelsize: 29’er or Mullet (29” as tested)

Spec: Custom spec. Multiple build kits offered though.

Frame weight: 3.2kg

Price: Frame kit with either Ohlins TTX22 M2 coil shock or RockShox Vivid Ultimate Air $6799. Complete builds from $11999.00

Browse: www.supersports.net.au