Devinci SpartanvsTroy
Dropping into a North Shore rock garden, the Spartan HP feels like landing on a thick jelly ball, absorbing square-edged hits with a detached calm. Switch to the Troy and the trail wakes up, turning every root into a launch pad and every berm into a G-force trap. It is the choice between absolute, glued-to-the-ground traction and versatile, mountain-wide agility.
Overview
Devinci has split their aggressive mountain line into two clear camps. The Spartan is a purebred enduro racer that has fully embraced the high-pivot trend, complete with an idler pulley and a SuperBoost rear end to handle the lateral stresses of EWS-level racing. It is a heavy, purposeful tool for plowing through the ugliest terrain you can find, where weight is a secondary concern to stability. In contrast, the fifth-generation Troy steps back from high-pivot complexity, returning to a 148mm Boost rear end and a more traditional Split Pivot layout. It offers 150mm of travel that feels deeper than the numbers suggest, but it keeps a level of pep that the Spartan sacrifices at the altar of raw speed. While the Spartan is built for winch-and-plummet fire road climbs, the Troy includes features like internal Shed storage and more technical climbing manners, aiming to be a do-it-all workhorse regardless of the trail map.
Ride and handling
The Spartan is a monster on aggressive downhill tracks. Its high-pivot design creates a rearward axle path that allows it to devour square-edged hits, making it feel like it's glued to the ground when things get frantic. However, that stability comes with a tax on flatter terrain where it can feel sluggish and requires a heavy hand to generate speed through pumping. Commitment pays off on the Spartan; pick an intimidating line and it offers uncanny bursts of speed as the suspension cycles and the wheelbase extends. The Troy handles with a sense of zen that belies its 150mm travel. It’s fluttery under the feet yet stays composed when the speedometer climbs. Where the Spartan plows, the Troy arcs. The Troy’s mixed-wheel setup makes it incredibly easy to snap through corners, whereas the Spartan’s 29-inch wheels and growing wheelbase emphasize straight-line composure. On chattery roots, the Troy’s RockShox suspension with ButterCups takes the edge off more effectively than the Spartan’s Fox 38 Performance setup. Climbing characteristics separate them further. The Troy is a surprisingly effective climber, with a taut feeling out of the saddle and enough anti-squat to keep it from wallowing. The Spartan is more of a tractor; it offers exceptional technical grip on loose rocks, but the 36-pound weight and idler drag make long fire road grinds a test of patience. You sit deep in the Spartan, while you feel perched more neutrally atop the Troy.
Specifications
Across the builds, Devinci doesn't skimp on rubber. Every Spartan comes with DoubleDown casing, MaxxGrip Maxxis tires, signaling its intent as a race-ready rig. The Troy builds follow suit with DoubleDown tires on the GX AXS model, though the lighter Eagle 90 build drops to EXO+ to save some weight. It’s a bold choice to spec such heavy, sticky tires on a 150mm bike, but it gives the Troy a level of confidence on wet roots that many competitors miss. The Spartan is built around the 157mm SuperBoost standard, which provides a stiff rear end but limits wheel replacement options. The newer Troy makes a sensible pivot back to 148mm Boost spacing, simplifying life for riders with existing wheelsets. Component choices on the top-tier Troy builds are particularly impressive, featuring the RockShox Vivid Ultimate shock with Hydraulic Bottom-Out. This makes the Troy feel bottomless on big drops, whereas Spartan riders might find themselves tinkering more with Fox Float X2 volume spacers to find that same balance of sensitivity and end-stroke support.
| Spartan | Troy | |
|---|---|---|
| FRAMESET | ||
| Frame | Devinci Spartan Carbon DMC-G frame, 160mm travel | Carbon OSC, 150mm travel |
| Fork | RockShox ZEB Rush RC DebonAir, 170mm, 44mm offset | RockShox Lyrik Select+ | Charger 3.1 | RC2 | DebonAir | 160mm | 44mm offset |
| Rear shock | Fox Float X2 Performance Elite (Trunnion), 205x65, 0.3 volume spacer | RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ | 185x55 |
| GROUPSET | ||
| Shift levers | SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed | SRAM Eagle 90 shifter | 12-speed |
| Front derailleur | — | — |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed | SRAM Eagle 90 rear derailleur | 12-speed |
| Cassette | SRAM XG-1275, 12-speed, 10-52T, XD | SRAM XS-1275 | T-TYPE | 12-speed | 10-52T |
| Chain | SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed | SRAM GX | T-Type | 12-speed |
| Crankset | SRAM GX Eagle, DUB, 32T, SuperBoost 157 | SRAM Eagle 90 | DUB | 12-speed | 32T | 165mm |
| Bottom bracket | SRAM DUB, BSA, 73mm | SRAM DUB 73mm threaded |
| Front brake | SRAM G2 RE, 4-piston hydraulic disc | SRAM Code Bronze |
| Rear brake | SRAM G2 RE, 4-piston hydraulic disc | SRAM Code Bronze |
| WHEELSET | ||
| Front wheel | Race Face AR30 29, 30mm internal, tubeless ready; Factor XD601SB/A, 6-bolt, 15x110mm thru-axle; Sapim Stainless 14G with Nylok | Race Face AR30 29 | 30mm internal | tubeless ready; DT Swiss 370 Classic | 15x110 Boost | 6-bolt | 32H; Sapim stainless 14G w/ Nylok |
| Rear wheel | Race Face AR30 29, 30mm internal, tubeless ready; Factor XDH62SB/A, 6-bolt, 12x157mm thru-axle, XD driver; Sapim Stainless 14G with Nylok | Race Face AR30 27.5 | 30mm internal | tubeless ready; DT Swiss 370 Classic | 12x148 Boost; Sapim stainless 14G w/ Nylok |
| Front tire | Maxxis Assegai, 29x2.5 WT, 3C, DoubleDown, Tubeless Ready, MaxxGrip | Maxxis Assegai | 29x2.5 WT | 3C | EXO+ | TR | MaxxTerra |
| Rear tire | Maxxis Minion DHR II, 29x2.4 WT, 3C, DoubleDown, Tubeless Ready, MaxxGrip | Maxxis Minion DHR II | 27.5x2.5 | 3C | EXO+ | TR | MaxxTerra |
| COCKPIT | ||
| Stem | V2 Pro stem, 35mm clamp, 40mm length, 0° | V2 Pro | 35mm clamp | 40mm length | 0° |
| Handlebars | Race Face Aeffect R 35, 35mm clamp, 20mm rise, 780mm width | Race Face Turbine R35 | 35mm clamp | 40mm rise | 800mm width |
| Saddle | SDG Bel-Air 3.0 | SDG Bel-Air 3.0 |
| Seatpost | SDG Tellis dropper post, 34.9mm | SDG Tellis | 31.6mm |
| Grips/Tape | Devinci Performance lock-on | Devinci lock-on grips |
Geometry and fit comparison
Both bikes share a similar slack-but-not-extreme philosophy. The Spartan sits at a 64.5-degree head tube angle, which provides plenty of self-assurance in the steeps without making the front end feel like it's a mile away. The Troy actually goes slacker at 64 degrees in its stock MX setting. On paper, that makes the Troy look more aggressive, but the Spartan’s wheelbase grows significantly deeper into its travel, meaning it becomes longer and more stable than the Troy when it matters most. Seat tube angles are a weak point for both designs. The Spartan claims 76.5 degrees, but in practice, it can feel slacker at sag, putting taller riders in a backseat position on steep climbs. The Troy is slightly better at 77.8 degrees on the carbon medium, but on larger sizes, it settles into a 76.4-degree angle that forces you to slide the saddle forward to keep the front wheel down. If you have long legs, the Spartan’s 420-495mm seat tube lengths might restrict your ability to run the longest dropper posts, whereas the Troy’s updated frame allows for 200mm+ droppers on most sizes. Reach values are nearly identical, with the Large Spartan at 485mm and the Large Troy at 480mm. However, the Troy's shorter 442mm chainstays (on Large/XL) keep the bike feeling snappy and easy to manual. The Spartan uses size-specific stays that start at 425mm on Mediums, but remember that the rearward axle path means these feel much longer than the numbers suggest once you're actually riding.
| FIT GEO | Spartan | Troy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stack | 639 | 631 | -8 |
| Reach | 485 | 480 | -5 |
| Top tube | 639 | 631 | -8 |
| Headtube length | 115 | 115 | 0 |
| Standover height | 740 | 708 | -32 |
| Seat tube length | 460 | 450 | -10 |
| HANDLING | Spartan | Troy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headtube angle | 64.5 | 64 | -0.5 |
| Seat tube angle | 76.5 | 76.8 | +0.3 |
| BB height | 344 | 343 | -1 |
| BB drop | — | — | — |
| Trail | — | — | — |
| Offset | — | — | — |
| Front center | — | — | — |
| Wheelbase | 1261 | 1260 | -1 |
| Chainstay length | 430 | 440 | +10 |
Who each one is for
Devinci Spartan
The Spartan is for the rider whose local trails look like the final stages of a Whistler enduro. If you spend your weekends timing yourself on chunky, technical descents and don't care if the climb takes an extra five minutes, this is your bike. It’s a sturdy tool for someone who wants to point the front wheel down a rock garden and trust that the suspension will sort out the mess.
Devinci Troy
The Troy is for the rider who treats the entire mountain as a playground. You need a bike that feels light enough to chase buddies on two-hour technical climbs but has the suspension poise to handle an afternoon in the bike park. It’s for the rider who values cornering agility and pop over the ability to ignore the trail's texture entirely.
