DEVINCI DJANGO | $5,900

TRAVEL NUMBERS ARE JUST SOCIETAL CONSTRUCTS, AND THE DJANGO IS WOKE ENOUGH TO SEE THROUGH IT.

- Travis Engel

The category of ‘mid-travel 29er’ doesn’t mean what it used to mean. They used to be timid, noodly, longer-legged versions of their brands’ XC models, designed to be ridden on the low and the flow. But now, instead of being meant for a different kind of terrain than their squishier siblings, it’s as if they’re meant for different kinds of riders. Riders who want a more up-close-and-personal relationship with the trail. Even if that trail is a total asshole.

This can be done through geometry, suspension or spec, and the Django takes a little from each. First, the 120-millimeter rear end feels like it waits until later in the stroke to implement Devinci’s signature progressivity. Most of the travel gives itself up freely, but the ample bottom-out control gave the illusion of there being an extra 10 millimeters on the back end. That’s paired with a 140-millimeter fork where most brands would have gone 130. And every build comes with rims that measure around 35-millimeters wide, most paired to 2.4/2.5 WT Maxxis Minion tires with room for 2.6 front and rear. Then, our LTD model tops off that category-defying spec with 800-millimeter bars and 200-millimeter rotors.