Like ‘em or hate ‘em, big wheels are becoming more popular on DH bikes. If the clock says they’re faster, the World Cup teams are going to go for it, and Devinci has jumped on board for 2019. The new 29” Wilson for consumers was just introduced at Crankworx Whistler, along with a few other bikes.
The new Wilson has undergone several significant updates including a longer front and rear end, flip-chip adjustable geometry, race-friendly features to make maintenance quick and easy, and one thing that might surprise some- aluminum frames (with carbon seat stays) only!
If you’re familiar with the existing Wilsons, you might wonder why this new bike is not carbon; Indeed, Devinci has stuck with a 6066 T-6 aluminum front end with carbon seat stays and aluminum chainstays for 2019. The main reason for this is that Devinci makes their aluminum bikes in-house, so forgoing the carbon front triangles means they can make production changes quickly as trends (or team rider’s preferences) change.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the bike’s Split Pivot suspension platform. The Wilsons offer 204mm of rear travel, paired with 200m Rockshox Boxxer forks up front.
This bike was built for racing, rather than playing around in the bike parks. Accordingly it boasts several race-ready features like a slack 62° head angle (in ‘Lo’ position), external cable routing for easy maintenance, and a threaded BB shell to avoid creaking issues.
The Wilson’s head tube is 1.5” so riders can run anglesets or reach adjust headsets for further customization. Devinci initially put the big head tube on for testing their prototypes, but decided to keep this feature on the production frames so racers can dial in their setups, or easily alter settings for different courses.
For geometry adjustments, a flip-chip on the new Wilson is now located at the top of the shock for easier access. Flipping the chip into ‘Hi’ mode steepens the head angle by half a degree and raises the BB by 7mm. As for measurements the new bike is longer on both ends than the previous Wilson, which is not surprising given the larger wheels. Check out the full geo chart below.
The Wilson’s maximum rear tire clearance is stated at 2.5”, and out back you’ll find post-mounts for 200mm rear rotors. The frames also come with a carbon bash guard on the down tube, plus rubber chain-slap protectors on the chain and seat stays.
The new Wilsons will be available as complete bikes with two build specs, and as a frameset. The top spec is the X01 DH, and the lower-tier model is the GX DH. If you know SRAM’s lineup, this gives you a good idea of the component level on each, but check out the below chart for full specs. The X01 DH model sells for $6,449 USD, and the GX DH retails at $4,199.
The frameset includes an FSA Orbit headset, Rockshox Super Deluxe Coil RC WC rear shock and a seat clamp, for the price of $2279.
Devinci was willing to hang the bike on a scale for me, so pictured below is a complete size medium weighing in at 38.02 lbs.
The Wilson frames carry a lifetime warranty. Color options include Gloss Black or Red/Orange.
