While we were doing the photoshoot for the Deviate Guide at Chestnut Park, it attracted the attention of a few mountain bikers.
If you take a close look at this bike, you will notice that it has a distinctive feature from other mountain bikes in the market:
There is only 1 cassette at the back with no rear derailleur, and the tensioner is located at the front and higher from the ground, giving the drivetrain a rather unique appearance. This is because this frame is installed with a gearbox system.
This is a “Fit and Forget box” that comes with a 5 year-warranty. And you only need to change your oil once every year. It makes complete sense to use this bike.
What’s so special about a gearbox?
A gearbox system is much easier to maintain and service, as there is no rear mech hanging at the back of your bike waiting to be ripped off in the trails.
You can also change gear without putting a pedal stroke in. Even if you find yourself in a wrong gear at the bottom of the hill, a quick flick of the wrist, you’re suddenly in the right gears and you can pedal off.
Furthermore, having the gearbox in the middle of the bike also means that the weight of the bike is now shifted to the centre. The unsprung weight is reduced, resulting in a better traction to the ground and a faster response to the rear wheel.
A gearbox system has no suspension “lock-down”. which means that your suspension is fully active even when you are pressing on the brakes.
“The bike takes care of the impacts behind you, allowing you to concentrate on picking your line”
Click here to read a comprehensive comparison of the Gearbox vs Traditional Drivetrain Systems
Perfect for Trail and Enduro courses
The frame builder is a Trail biker himself. The Deviate Guide is specifically designed for Trail and Enduro courses. So don’t expect this bike to be as fast as a Cross-Country bike.
160mm of rear wheel travel gives this bike a fine balance between a Cross-Country (typically 120-140mm of travel) and an Downhill bike (180-200mm travel).
“The Deviate Guide is a versatile bike. When climbing up, it acts like a trail bike, and when going downhill, it acts like a downhill bike, providing you with a stable suspension. The wheel is also always in contact with the ground, giving you with optimal ride comfort.” -Robert Daniel Anglo, 2nd place in Men’s Masters category at the 2018 OCBC Cycle National Downhill Championships
Designed to climb efficiently
Even though you cannot climb as fast as a lighter bike, you can still climb comfortably and easily because of the wide range of gears you can select from.
In comparison to the SRAM-Eagle which only has a gearing range of 500% (gear ratio 10-50), a gearbox system can accommodate a gearing range of 600% (gear ratio 10-58). Being able to switch to a lower gear also means that this system can accommodate both newbies to advanced mountain bikers.
Highlights of The Deviate Guide:
- Full high modulus carbon fibre construction
- 27.5″ (650b) wheel size
- 160mm of rear wheel travel
- Frame Weight: Frame (M): 2782g | 12 Speed C-line Gearbox: 2100g
- Supplied with highly tunable Cane Creek DBAir CS or DBAir Inline shock
- Metric shock (210*55mm)
- Pinion gearbox drivetrain (12 speed C-Line with Magnesium casing)
- Integrated (and replaceable) chain tensioning system
- Integrated (and replaceable) bash guard
- Full internal cable routing
- 31.6mm seatpost with internal cable routing
- Enduro double row, angular contact, max fill bearings on all pivots
- Twin lip wiper seals for all suspension pivots
- Bonded rubber protection from rock strikes and chain slap
- 2.7” Tyre clearance
Cost
Full bike: £5,699 (approx. S$10,200)
Frameset (frame, shock and gearbox drivetrain): £3,399 (approx. S$6000)
For more information about The Deviate Guide, please visit BYX.
Address: 403 River Valley Rd, Singapore 248301
Opening times: Weekdays 11am – 7.15pm, Sat 10am-7.15pm, Closed on Sundays.
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