DEVINCI MARSHALL 29 DEORE 12s REVIEW

A $2,599 COMPLETE BIKE

Review by Cole Gregg

In today’s mountain bike market, there are countless options for the hardcore crowd. But when it comes to entry level builds for trail riders on a budget, there are still few options available that are built to take a beating. Devinci aims to change that with their 130mm Marshall 29, providing a well thought out build and capable geometry for riders new to mountain biking or shredders on a tighter budget.

THE LAB
Devinci set out to build an affordable and well riding bike where many have tried and failed. The Marshall 29 features an Optimum G04 Aluminum frame that is handcrafted in Canada, with a Split Pivot suspension design sporting 130mm of travel in the rear. Devinci paid special attention to ensuring the frame provides a good base to upgrade on, equipping it with a 148x12mm boost rear axle, Enduro bearings at the suspension pivots, PU frame protection in critical areas and even a lifetime warranty.

The Marshall 29 is offered in sizes XS to XL with two build options, starting at $2,299 for the SX build and coming in at $2,599 for our Deore level build. Riders on sizes XS and Small get a pair of 27.5” wheels, while the M – XL models come with 29” wheels. There are even 20mm jumps in reach between each size, with our size large test bike sporting a reach of 480mm, spot on for a size large designed for both climbing and descending. Speaking of climbing, the Marshall features a 76.9-degree seat tube angle to encourage plenty of weight over the front wheels on punchy climbs. When it comes to going back downhill the 66.5-degree headtube angle should strike a balance of slack enough to keep things in control at speed, but steep enough to make the bike easy to maneuver for lesser skilled riders. With 435mm chainstays on the 29er equipped bikes (430mm on 27.5”) and a 1227mm wheelbase, tight switchbacks should be tackled with confidence.

Our Devinci Marshall 29 Deore 12S build comes loaded with Shimano drivetrain and brake components, RockShox suspension and a spattering of Devinci’s in house V2 componentry. Shimano’s Deore M6100 12 speed derailleur and shifter have proven to be stellar performers for us in the past, offering a 10-51t gear spread that should handle just about everything. When it comes to slowing things down this build features a 4 piston Shimano M4100/MT420 calipers/levers paired with 180mm rotors front and rear. The suspension is taken care of by a 140mm RockShox 35 Silver TK Solo Air fork paired to a RockShox Deluxe Select R Debonair rear shock. There are limited damper adjustments on these air-sprung units, letting beginner riders focus on riding instead of fussing over the setup. The fork features an adjustable air spring paired to a Turnkey damper, offering rebound adjustment and a lockout on/off with a “blow-off” valve that allows the fork to compress under a heavy unexpected hit when locked out. The rear shock makes do with just an adjustable air spring and rebound settings, relying solely on Devinci’s in-house compression tune on the rear shock to tame the trail.

When it comes to applying climbing power and cornering traction Devinci’s house V2 brand is highlighted here with V2 Comp rims paired up with a Formula catalogue-spec Hubs. The product guys knocked it out of the park with tire choice: out back is a 2.4” wide Maxxis Minion DHRII, paired to a front DHF in 2.5” width, with both featuring the Dual Compound Exo TR rubber and casing. Finishing off the build is a V2 35mm diameter cockpit with 50mm stem and 780mm wide bar with 15mm rise, and a Trans-X dropper in size-specific lengths from 100mm on the XS through to 200mm on the XL. The overall build weighs in at a claimed 34.92lbs for a size Medium, putting it high up on the scale but with an assumed durability to handle the rigors of a beginner rider getting stuck in.