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Bike advice Demo 8 vs Devinci Wilson

2011canucks

Chimp
May 29, 2011
8
0
What's the verdict? Looking at these two. 80% of my riding will be on "the shore" Vancouver. 20% Whistler. Thanks gang!
 

JCL

Monkey
Aug 31, 2008
696
0
If it was 80% Whistler I'd say the Demo but for the Shore I'd say the Wilson. The low BB on the Demo might be a little annoying.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,919
borcester rhymes
can't lose with those options.

the wilson haz moar dwz so it's faster.

sam hill rides a demo so it's the fastest.

but seriously...which can you get cheaper? which is lighter? which will last longer? Wilson's are made in canada, that's cool, Demos come in neon and have six chainstays, so that's cool.
 

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
Wilsons come with lifetime warranty, so that's cool.
Demos come with rainbow stripes, so that's not that bad either.

Wilson BB height:13,9 inch / 355mm low setting
Wilson head angle: 64° low setting
Demo BB height: 13,5 inch / 343mm low setting
Demo head angle: 64° low setting
 

Speedwa

Chimp
Jul 24, 2008
25
0
PNW
The way the chainstay sits below the concentric bottom bracket on the Wilson results in a bottom bracket height much lower in sag than the 13.9" would suggest.
 

EVIL JN

Monkey
Jul 24, 2009
491
24
Wouldnt bb height when sagged depend on frame travel and suspension setup only not what linkage the frame has.
 

rigidhack

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2004
1,206
1
In a Van(couver) down by the river
Given that you will be riding the Shore 80% of the time, you might end up finding both bikes to be too much. I find that I ride my 6x6 bike most, even on Cypress. That having been said, I suspect the Wilson might be a bit better suited because of the higher BB. You can also adjust the geo on it fairly easily (64 or 63 on the HA). The slack setting seems like it would be major overkill for the Shore, given that most of it is more technical than fast and slower steering is not an advantage at all. My DH bike can run 64/63 as well, and the slacker setting was killing me, even on trails like Neds. 64 is good though. My Shore bike runs a 66 degree HA which I find to be perfect.

Unless you are racing, I'd take a closer look at a smaller travel bike (6"-7") with either a Totem or a Fox 180. You'd be surprised at how well a smaller bike can perform at Whistler. The new SXT is worth a look.
 

wizardB

Chimp
Mar 17, 2005
27
0
Grab a Canadian made bike and support Canadian innovation best bet is a 6X6 bike anything larger really is over kill for the shore bud....or better yet learn to ride a long throw Hardtail.
 

roel_koel

Monkey
Mar 26, 2003
278
1
London,England
I've never ridden the 2011 Demo 8 but owned a number of Big Hits and have extensively ridden different versions of Demo 9 / 8 and 7

I also spent uplift time on a demonstration Wilson SP and that thing was completely awesome in terms of confidence

rode the Wilson SP in terrible weather in Wales, UK - muddy wet uplift day, Wilson fitted with Specialized Storm DH tires, no problems ripping up a technical, wet, slippery, rooty, rocky DH uplift track

track was accessible following uplift by riding along 1.5 mile of undulating fireroad, never experienced such a stable DH riding platform as the Wilson SP - no pedal bob or bouncing / squashing under power which was always an issue with Specialized FSR designs

liked the Wilson SP so much, I bought a Dixon SP (145mm all-mtn) which blew my mind as its slack (66.5HA), low and goes like rocket under power

but supreme confidence on gnarly steep terrain, and I can ride standing up, with the saddle dropped and no bouncing / squatting which is not something I could say about my previous FSR all-mountain bikes!
 

2011canucks

Chimp
May 29, 2011
8
0
Wow great insight! Leaning towards the Wilson but afraid 10.5 inches is too much in the rear lol
Defiantly going with at least 8 though and andouble crown.
 

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
I think the Wilson is a really amazing package.
It comes with a lifetime warranty, is made in Canada and I think they look really cool.
On the technical side they seem to be spot on. They got the split pivot system (I know that it works for braking, 'cause I ride a Session) handled by a custom tuned 10.5" shock. They got a constantly progressing leverage ratio and the main pivot point of the suspension is relatively high.
Also the geo numbers are spot on for a racebike.
If you really wanna go the downhill sled way, you should buy an angleset with it. If you ride really technical terrain, it can be good to steepen your bike up a bit.

I didn't ride one yet, but this bike is definitely on my short list of future bikes.
Just love that frame :cupidarrow:
 

ekimox

Monkey
Jun 17, 2009
102
0
One thing to consider is the size of the Wilson. If you ride larges the large Wilson fits really small unfortunately especially compared to the Demo. I was a little disappointed when I went to check one out at a local shop and the large bike felt tiny. Keep in mind though that I'm 6'2" and like bikes with a roomy cockpit.
 

WBC

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
578
1
PNW
Yeah, they are short bikes. I'm a shy 5'10" and the large fits perfect. Quite a bit shorter than my large 2010 makulu (which is also a small large). My buddy is a legal Leprechaun and the medium looks only a touch longer than his previous Izimu (which is tiny).
 

Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,208
581
Durham, NC
I wouldn't say the Wilson runs small. At the same time I wouldn't say they run large. A medium Wilson is pretty much the same size as a medium Sunday and rides/fits about the same.
 

Speedwa

Chimp
Jul 24, 2008
25
0
PNW
The large Wilson feels about the same as a medium Sunday in reach. The wheel base is a little longer. I would try the Wilson in the 64 degree setting before using an angle set. The bike feels a little different in sag than the #'s would suggest.
 

ekimox

Monkey
Jun 17, 2009
102
0
The large Wilson fits small no matter which way you look at it. I can't speak to any of the other sizes as I only ride larges. Size aside, it doesn't really matter what size it is as long as it fits.

I've heard rumblings that they will come out with an XL next year to address the short top tube of the large.
 

ekimox

Monkey
Jun 17, 2009
102
0
The geo on the website is the size they went with not the one on the PDF. Trust me, the sit test tells the story. Even with a 50mm stem the bike fits really small. They debated early on going with the larger sizing and ended up going with the smaller sizing. Had they gone with the 24.4" top tube I'd be on one this year. The TT on the large is only 23.4" which is very small for a race bike.
 
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Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
There's a lot of different places to ride on the shore. Why you'd want a hardtail I have no idea though. I ride my Dh bike all the time and shuttle seymour and cypress with people who ride DH bikes. In fact, unless you are going up, you barely see anyone on anything but. Where the heck are you guys riding??
 

2011canucks

Chimp
May 29, 2011
8
0
Thanks crew...leaning towards the Wilson. I anticipate some geo tweaks for both frames next year...thinking of holding off and see what shakes down.