Deviate Cycles press send on the Highlander 150 for rowdier, harder descending

Deviate Cycles, makers of high-pivot full suspension mountain bikes, have today announced the arrival of the Highlander 150. New, but not all-new, the Highlander 150 arises from a new linkage that converts the original 140mm trail bike to a bigger travel, slacker all-mountain beast. 

Deviate Highlander 150

The new Deviate Highlander 150 runs, you guessed it, 150mm of rear wheel travel. As we saw on the brand’s debut bike, the Guide, that travel is mediated by a high-pivot point suspension design with a chain idler. Though available as a complete frameset off the shelf, this is not an entirely new frame.

In fact, it has the exact same front and rear triangles as the original Deviate Highlander. So, owners of that 140mm trail bike to can now upgrade their frame travel to 150mm with the purchase of the new linkage.

When the Highlander was released last year, Deviate claimed it as the World’s most capable do-it-all trail bike. It had a 65.5° head angle paired with a 76° seat angle, and a 450mm reach in medium. So, how does a 10mm boost in travel alter the bike’s geometry?

Sticking with 29″ wheels and a 160mm fork, the Highlander 150 is slightly slacker with a 65° head angle and a 75° seat tube angle. The geometry is now firmly oriented toward descending. Reach is shortened by a significant 15mm in size medium, bringing it down to 435mm. The large stretches to 467mm with the XL gets a reach of 491mm.

Effective chainstay length grows by 2mm bringing it to 443mm, consistent across the frame sizes. This, coupled with a boost rear end leaves sufficient clearance for 2.8″ tires. The BB remains at a height of 341mm.

Suspension Tech

In addition to the changes in geometry, the new linkage also alters the suspension leverage curve, anti-squat and anti-rise values. The Highlander 150 linkage is more progressive than that of the original, making the bike more amenable to use with coil and high-volume air shocks. 

Featuring that same 100% rearward axle path permitted by the high pivot, the leverage curve starts at a ratio of almost 3.0, dropping to around 2.05 at the very end of the stroke.

That’s in contrast to the less progressive curve of the 140mm travel Highlander that started out with a ratio of 2.65, dropping to around 2.05 at the end of the travel. 

The anti-squat (32:16) and anti-rise properties of the suspension are altered fairly significantly by the additional travel, though numbers for both remain above 100% throughout the entire stroke.

Highlander 150 Frame Details

As the Highlander 150 shares the the same frame as the 140 trail bike, it gets all the same super nice details we’ve come to expect from Deviate. That includes double row, angular contact max fill bearings throughout, and grease ports on all pivots and the idler for ease of maintenance. In keeping with that easy maintenance vibe, routing for all cables except the dropper post is external.

A threaded bottom bracket, bonded frame protection at the downtube, accessory mounting points and water bottle bosses inside the front triangle complete the package. The bike requires a longer than usual 126 link chain, due to its routing over the 18T idler, but these are commonly available so you don’t have to worry about joining two chains together.

Pricing & Availability

The Deviate Highlander 150 is now available to pre-order in M, L & XL sizes. It is offered as a frame only with a choice of air and coil shocks. Pricing starts at $3200 USD/£2699 GBP and comes with a lifetime warranty and crash/damage replacement policy. Shipping is free worldwide.

For those of you already proud owners of a Highlander, the 150 linkage is available for £300.

DeviateCycles.com