Every year, Epic Bike Store employees have the opportunity to ride a demo bike, so they have a fleet of bikes to test for customers to better advise them on their next bike purchase. Having a different bike each year also allows us, the employees, to deepen our knowledge of the products sold in the store and to tangibly compare the differences between each bike, in which situation one bike is better suited than another, etc.

This year, I'm riding two bikes that complement each other perfectly: a Revel Rascal V1 (my bike from last year) and a Deviate Claymore. Here, I'll be discussing the latter. For a full rundown of how the Rascal feels, I invite you to check out the article my colleague Jess wrote last fall ( https://epicbikestore.com/blogs/articles/revel-rascal ).

Introduction

The Deviate Claymore is a big enduro bike designed with racing as its primary focus. In 2022, PinkBike had a Claymore on test in their Enduro Field Test series ( https://www.pinkbike.com/news/field-test-deviate-claymore-high-pivot-heaven.html ) and all three testers concluded that the Claymore would be their bike of choice for an enduro race. With 170mm (or 180mm) of suspension travel up front and 165mm in the rear, the Claymore is indeed well-equipped to tackle the most arduous, rocky, and steep trails on the race circuit. In addition to all this travel, the Claymore, like other Deviate bikes, has a single high pivot suspension platform. That's why it has an extra chain pulley, to allow the wheel to steer backwards on impact without breaking the chain. If you want to learn more about high pivots and why they're the future, click here: https://www.deviatecycles.com/high-pivot-mtb-1 .

The “Build”

The option to buy a complete bike is a very recent thing for Deviate; at the time we placed our Deviate order, only the frames were available. So I had carte blanche to build my Claymore, with parts that maximize the bike's performance, but also durability and, most importantly, aesthetics! My Claymore is mounted on Fox Factory suspension (38 and X2), Hayes Dominion A4 brakes (a post about them is coming) on ​​203mm TRP rotors, a Sram XO1 drivetrain, Raceface Turbine wheels, Continental tires (Argotal front, Xynotal rear) in Supersoft DH casing, a Title Reform 800mm carbon handlebar as well as the 35mm stem and saddle, a Raceface Turbine 165mm crankset, a 200mm PNW seatpost as well as PNW Loam grips (my favorite,
https://epicbikestore.com/blogs/articles/les-poignee-loam-de-pnw-bon-ou-pas ). With each part being meticulously chosen, my expectations for the bike were high. I must say that I was not disappointed. I added a progressivity token in the fork (a total of 3) to balance the front suspension with the rear suspension, which was already very progressive.

The Ascent

The Deviate Claymore is a high-pivot enduro bike with 165mm of rear travel. The person buying this bike isn't the type of person looking for a bike with a pedaling platform that offers cross-country bike support, and it was with this information in mind that I judged the Claymore's climbing capabilities. Fresh off my Revel Rascal, a bike designed for twisty trails and long days of singletrack riding (if you clicked on the link above, you already know this), I noticed a difference in pedaling and had to adjust my approach to climbing slightly. The Deviate Claymore climbs quite well, especially for an enduro bike, but you have to be patient and relaxed in your pedaling. If you try to stand up and push as many watts as Jasper Philipsen during a sprint at the Tour de France, the bike will crash and all that energy will be wasted. But when you engage an easy gear, cruise along, and enjoy the scenery, the climb is quickly over.

The riding position encourages this second technique, as you sit upright thanks to the effective 78-degree seat angle, in a position that maximizes comfort rather than absolute performance. Because of the long chainstays and good front-to-rear length ratio, you feel right in the middle of the bike, allowing the front wheel to stay on the ground on steep climbs while maintaining good rear wheel traction. In the
On more technical trails, the suspension platform provides incredible traction and helps the wheel clear obstacles. The rear wheel bounces less, allowing you to maintain your line and speed on very technical climbs.

In the world of mountain biking, it's all about compromise. That's why bike companies target each bike to a specific customer base, prioritizing certain features over others. Deviate's target market, as mentioned earlier, is people who strive for maximum performance in an enduro racing context. These small uphill sacrifices are insignificant for those looking for the best possible downhill experience. In my opinion, the Deviate Claymore offers nothing less than the ultimate downhill experience.

The descent

There is a lot to be said for the Claymore's downhill performance; thanks to their
With a high-pivot suspension system, Deviate bikes behave drastically differently than bikes with more traditional suspension platforms. On the Claymore, the bike's size exacerbates these characteristics and makes them more obvious than on the Highlander. Since the axle travel is entirely rearward, the wheel literally pushes out of the way when it hits an obstacle, helping it roll over without losing too much speed. Additionally, it moves rearward, which lengthens the wheelbase (more on that soon).

First of all, with its long chainstays, the geometry of the bike is focused on high-speed stability. However, in order to give the bike a fairly responsive character, the fork angle remains quite conservative (compared to modern bikes) at 64.3 degrees, which helps keep the front wheel closer, and thus keep more traction and responsiveness coming from it. Another very important aspect of this bike's geometry is the front center to rear center ratio.

With the development of modern mountain bike geometry, bikes have become much longer with increased reach and a progressive opening movement of the fork angle. For sizes S and M, this forward lengthening is almost entirely positive, thus providing more stability and confidence in rough terrain, while maintaining good handling. However, some size L bikes when climbing have seen the neutral position of the rider migrate towards the rear of the bike, in some cases the pedaling position is almost over the rear axle. This bias towards the rear wheel is due to an error (in my opinion) on the part of the manufacturers who keep a single size for the rear triangle from S to XL. This causes a loss of front traction, when the rider has a lot of weight in the pedals and must absorb impacts that arrive quickly.

At Deviate, the bikes are long (1268mm wheelbase, 490mm reach and 441mm chainstays in size L). In addition, the suspension platform makes the bike extend by 22mm when using full travel, making it even longer in the rear, at 463mm chainstays. Also, while their rear triangle remains the same size throughout their range, it only extends from M to XL, so the size of the rear triangle is optimized for these sizes. This is also why I chose the size L; I am 189cm, right between L and XL, but the front-to-rear ratio of the L seemed more appealing to me. For some, the bike can be long in tight corners, but for me, I appreciate this lengthening which recenters my body weight on the bike, allowing me to maintain maximum traction on the front wheel. The character of the Claymore is therefore similar to that of a downhill bike, but more maneuverable; the dream for going fast.

The Claymore's suspension platform offers plenty of support and is very
Progressive. Adapting perfectly to both air and spring suspension, the initial stroke is very supple, but you quickly find support to handle more powerful impacts. Despite the high-pivot suspension platform, the bike pumps quite well and maintains a rather playful character when you want to take off from a root or a rock. However, as the rear end extends, lifting the front wheel requires more energy. The character of the bike leans more towards the "composed" pole than the "nervous" pole. But it strikes a happy medium perfectly suited to what I'm looking for.

As I mentioned before, the Claymore is a racehorse, a thoroughbred. It's a bike that just asks for permission to go fast. On technical trails, it swallows bumps without flinching and always asks for more. The rider just has to point the bike in the direction he wants to go and it will hold its line. I tried to find the limit of this bike, to go as fast as possible, I never reached it. The only time I bottomed out the suspension was when I underestimated the momentum needed to make the jump at the end of the World Cup at MSA: my ankles are still suffering from it.

This brings me to the Claymore's jumping (and landing) capabilities. I had read before my first ride with the bike that it was very stable on landing, especially on drops with a flat landing. This is absolutely true, as the bike lengthens (I repeat myself) it becomes more stable and allows the rider to prepare for the next obstacle, without bouncing it. However, I was afraid about the jumping capabilities: a long, high pivot bike, I expected a cow bike, which does not want to take off from the ground. I was wrong, it is a bike that offers impressive support during takeoffs, even on very steep takeoffs (the last jump of the Habanero at SDM for example). In addition, since the landings are (almost) always very comfortable, you quickly gain confidence and, all of a sudden, you are in the air in a 30-foot double. While it's not a dirt jump bike, the Claymore is at home in the air.

Conclusion

To conclude, you guessed it, I had a magical experience riding the Deviate Claymore for a summer. For me, there is absolutely nothing I would change about this bike, which is a rare case (my colleagues say I always complain, I say I am critical). If you are looking for a fast bike that inspires confidence, pedals very comfortably and will finally allow you to
Whether you're looking for a big track, drop, or jump that scares you, the Deviate Claymore is THE bike for you. Plus, the bike I rode this summer (affectionately named Nessie in honor of the cycling's Scottish origins) is for sale at a ridiculously low price right now! Drop us a line or come see us in store to try it out.