[- seb]

Firstly I'd like to apologise for taking so long, damn chain didn't turn up, then I had to go to a shop to buy a gear cable, they only had 5mm, had to wait for 4mm to be sent to me, yada yada, you know the score!

So, here she is, my race bike for 2009. I've yet to ride it, hopefully I'll like it. First race is this weekend, will try to throw a leg over it on Friday!


Spec:
2009 Devinci Wilson frame (medium)
Fox DHX 5.0 (9.5"x3")
2006 Boxxer Team

ZTR Flow rims
American Classic hubs
DT supercomp spokes
Alloy nips
Maxxis dual-ply 2.35" high-rollers (UST ones kept on tearing on me)
Far too much stans sealant

Formula The One 200/180mm brakes.

XTR shifter
Dura-ace 7900SS mech
6-speed trimmed down Dura-ace cassette (11-19)
34t ring (have a 36 too, trying 34 to see if I miss the bigger ring)
KMC X9 SL chain
Saint cranks
Superstar mag-lite pedals (280g with the ti axles I fitted the other day)

Thomson Masterpiece post
Selle Italia SLR saddle

Hope zero-stack reducer headset
EA70 bars
ODI ruffians
Hope stem
DMC moto-trainer stopwatch doofah thingy

New parts to me for this build (as opposed to nabbed off of my DHi) are: Frame/shock/headset/mech/cranks/chaindevice/chainring/saddle/pedal axles.


Weight: 35.27lb (compulsary scale shot at bottom). Will be sub-35lb when I do the following:


Upgrades coming:
Point One DM stem: -22g
Correct ti spring: +/- 20g
Less sealant: -110g
Extralite Ultraclamp seatpost clamp: -35g
E13 LG1+: -100g
2010 Boxxer Team: -100g

So saving a further 330-370g, bringing me down to 34.4 - 34.5lb. That'll do for now, happy enough. Don't feel the need for air shocks/forks or carbon posts/bars, them's for cheats!


Gratuitous pics: (taken in a bit of a rush, sorry for the over-exposure, and the blob of grease around the pedal axle, and the untrimmed zip-tie on my fork. Tut tut, sloppy I know!)

Note where I tried to colour in a scuff with a marker pen. Why does no-one make BLACK marker pens, dammit!

Damn, forgot the cable end wotsit. That'll throw my scale weight out!!

Utterly pointless photo, I just love ti springs and their texture though! This spring is a 425x2.5". My shock is a 3" stroke... there's easily enough space between the coils to accommodate 3" though, it just means it'll fatigue sooner. Is only on until I source a 3" item, probably won't even ride it with this as it's a bit too hard for me on this frame. Couldn't take photos with a STEEL spring though could I, what kind of pikey do you take me for!?

I bought these silly jockey wheels on ebay about a year ago for £15 or so. When they arrived they looked so fragile I was too embarrassed to fit them... well I've bitten the bullet now, we'll see if they last even one day of riding! Only save a measly 9g compared to the standard dura-ace items, but everyone loves a bit of (non-structural ) carbon fibre, surely?

Somehow putting a blown-up reading of the scale in this pic seems very pretentious, especially as the weight is nothing special these days. Annoyed me that you couldn't read it once I'd resized the pic though, so "meh"!

 

[John P.]

Great looking bike, man. Love that color combination.

 

[- seb]

Yeah me too John (obviously) - I think it'll look even better with white 2010 Boxxer Teams on it (though I think their white crowns is too much, may have to get those refinished in black!)

 

[Craig Quik]

Nice bike - what kinda chain is that?

 

[Gridds]

Nice one Seb, looks quality. I'll have to have a quick spin when I next see you..

 

[- seb]

Nice bike - what kinda chain is that?

KMC X9SL. Not cheap, but highly recommended. Lightest chain you can get (that I know of, ignoring $300+ titanium chains) and it doesn't seem to wear nearly as quickly as other chains. Indeed, after several months of riding/racing I checked the old one on my DHi, and over 12 links could see NO stretch at all, a SRAM would be knackered in that time for me! I would have put that one on this bike but I needed a few more links on this and don't like to re-join chain segments.

 

[jvnixon]

try a paint pen if its buggin you that much

 

[cracked]

Sweet ride!! Nice build!!


question: and forgive the noobness: How did you modify that cassette to work with 6 gears instead of the 9?

 

[- seb]

I just removed 3 of the cogs (like many high-end cassettes, all of the cogs on dura-ace are separate, or in pairs).

Then used some spacers I had from something else that had the right ID to space it out. Cogs are still on 9-speed spacing, so shifter/mech still works as normal. Then just use one of the limit screws to stop the mech from shifting over the top of the block. Shimano limit screws aren't long enough though, so at the moment I need to be careful (they're long enough if you go 7-speed, but not 6-speed). I have a bolt on its way to me in the post that will hopefully rectify it.

Running a cut-down cassette has made my legs SO much stronger. If my friends start riding up when we're pushing up, I jump on, and I'm forced to turn that little cog, I have no option other than to get left behind. I'd wager that my legs have twice the power that they did a year ago before I did this mod. Indeed at races I find people (much faster than I am overall) commenting on how quick I am out of the start gate

 

[HighMinion]

Looks awesome!

Welcome to the Wilson family.

 

[ronan]

nice build man, everything flows really well

how do you like the superstar pedals? and how much did they cost with the ti spindle

edit: just found the website, 59.99 for the pedal and 59.99 for the ti axle, that makes no sense

 

[nowlan]

Thats a really nice bike man.
Is the adjustable dropouts a new option on the Wilson? I didnt notice it on my friends last season.

 

[al-irl]

looks sweet. Nice build have a good season

 

[BmxConvert]

Nice bike!

That is the EXACT wheelset I am going to build for my bike. It comes out to be like 1400g for the pair.

 

[monkeyfcuker]

That's looking sweet Seb! You racing at Rothbury this weekend?

 

[- seb]

Cheers for all the kind words guys!

nice build man, everything flows really well

how do you like the superstar pedals? and how much did they cost with the ti spindle

edit: just found the website, 59.99 for the pedal and 59.99 for the ti axle, that makes no sense

Aye, ti has got expensive, the DMR axles I used to run cost a lot more now than they used to too! I like the superstars, nice and thin, feel good under my feet, and are silly light (342g, 280g with the ti axles). No time on the ti axles yet, will see if they last or not. Pedals have had 6 months abuse so far and still feel smooth & not bent. Only missing one pin so far, but it did rip out completely so I'll need to drill & tap a new hole if I want to regain it.

That's looking sweet Seb! You racing at Rothbury this weekend?

Nope, much as I'd love to, it clashes with the Midlands, which all my friends are doing, so that wins.

Nice bike!

That is the EXACT wheelset I am going to build for my bike. It comes out to be like 1400g for the pair.

Bit optimistic on the wheel weights unfortunately! 1739g (860 front, 879 rear). That's for 20mm and 150x12mm.

 

[Sonic Reducer]

how long do you think that dura ace derailleur will last?

 

[- seb]

Well it's predecessors have never faulted me, only getting replaced when they bring out a new lighter one! Not a single problem, can't recommend them highly enough.

 

[Sonic Reducer]

might want to run a little foam or rubber pad for it on the frame.

 

[Gary]

Indeed at races I find people (much faster than I am overall) commenting on how quick I am out of the start gate

Saw your start at inners winter race and I'd have to say it was pretty impressive!
If I start too quick I always crash later on .oster_oops:!

pm'ing you about something else.

 

[- seb]

might want to run a little foam or rubber pad for it on the frame.

Aye, it will tap, I'll zip-tie a bit of innertube/velcro there at the weekend, not had a chance yet.

 

[- seb]

Saw your start at inners winter race and I'd have to say it was pretty impressive!

Didn't know you were there Gary, you should have come and said hi, not seen you for years! Were you equally impressed when I came 13th out of 14? Not my best day on a bike, lol! Was quite a downslope of the start there though, and not much time to pedal before the corners started, surely everyone else was just as quick!?

 

[Gary]

Didn't know you were there Gary, you should have come and said hi, not seen you for years! Were you equally impressed when I came 13th out of 14? Not my best day on a bike, lol!

take it you crashed then? - ironically, I didn't say "Hi" cause you were just about to set off and I didn't want to put you off :biggrin: never actually saw the full results!

Was quite a downslope of the start there though, and not much time to pedal before the corners started, surely everyone else was just as quick!?

nah, not really, other than a couple of other experts didn't really see many bothering to put as much effort into their start, but I def noticed the acceleration you seemed to have from the start to the first chicaney bit.

 

[lamp]

Are you running saints over SLX because the frame spacing (83mm bb?)

the superstars are pretty tasty looking
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=129

and what do you mean about the untrimmed cable tie? looks pretty trimmed to me :]

 

[- seb]

Yeah, I didn't bother researching SLX once I found out they don't do an 83mm BB. I know you can supposedly get XTs to fit 83mm, so the same is possibly true of XTR & SLX. I had XTR M970s on my DHi and bent them (arms no longer quite 180° opposed to each other) so thought I'd stop playing silly buggers and put a decent crank on, especially since I'm starting to learn how to put some power down, bit of extra stiffness can't be a bad thing. Was a 245g hit over my XTRs though, which was a bit painful, but still, this bike has worked out 0.5lb (soon to be 1lb+) lighter than my DHi, so I'm happy to add a bit of weight here and there where I think I'll feel the benefit!

Gary; you going to be at any of the scottish NPS/Nat champs races this year?

 

[Demomonkey]

That is a great build and no doubt excellent value for money compared to the Fury you were considering. That is the second Wilson I've seen that has caught my eye from a looks and build perspective. Nice angles on it. I remember reading a DIRT review a couple of years ago and they said it was a very capable bike, some where in-between a plow and a hopper - no doubt it'll be perfect for the British DH tracks.

And that weight is something special for a DH bike.

 

[- seb]

Hmm, I'll have to trawl though my dirts and find that, any idea of an issue number of year/month?

Hopefully the Devinci will suit me, if not then I'll just ride it until the Fury comes out. The looks of the Fury don't do it for me anymore though, I hope they come out with some better designs when they finally release it!

 

[ZoRo]

Nice bike! Really like it. Devinci stepped their game up as of late.

New gen Dura Ace rear D = SERIOUS BLING! Hope it doesn't encounter an evil V shaped rock too soon

Is Devinci selling as frame only? If yes, what kind of price range??

 

[CBJ]

Bike looks really good and like it will be a lot of fun to ride - congratulation.

 

[miuan]

Lovely ride! Let me post mine.
A tad more economic build, but I just can't justify all those expenses considering other bikes and hobbies that I need to feed...

Yes the cranks are old school isis G-lites and yes I bought a spare pair just in case (a bargain at 40 GBP)
A bigger image can be found at http://i40.tinypic.com/bi4380.jpg

Cheers, Viktor

 

[BmxConvert]

Bit optimistic on the wheel weights unfortunately! 1739g (860 front, 879 rear). That's for 20mm and 150x12mm.

Whoops, I knew that. I ran the wheels through the DT Swiss calculator and it came up at 17** grams.
At this point I'm going to grab up a 240S front hub and save a bit more weight. I just built 2 240S wheels today for customers and they seem pretty sound.
Once again, I really like the ride! It would be nice to grab one of those up here in the US.

-Kevin

 

[- seb]

Nice bike Viktor, much as I love the white/green of mine, I'm a bit jealous of yours as most of my riding kit is red & black!!

 

[John P.]

Seb-

Couple of questions.

1. Is that a grease port above the main pivot there? I haven't noticed it on other pictures I've seen of that frame.
2. Is the bike basically a single pivot with a linkage-actuated shock, or is that an additional pivot in the chainstay by the 'DH/FR' adjustment? (Sorry for the elementary question here)

 

[- seb]

Yeah, it's a horst link, not a single-pivot. I wouldn't have bought it if it was an SP.

There are indeed grease ports on both main pivots (swingarm one and the lower rocker one). Not visible on the catalogue pics of the frame, they must have edited them out because they ruined the lines or something. Trying to think what the last thing I had with a grease port on it was, my Manitou xvert carbons I think, though I can't picture it at the moment. Not very fashionable these days are they, why don't more frames have them? I suppose a lot of frames are sealed cartridge bearings so it doesn't make sense, but for roller bearings it's a good idea, no?

Also I think it's pretty cool that the whole dropout/horst link bit is replacable. In theory I could get one custom fabbed to give me different geo, certainly one with a slightly shorter chainstay has already occured to me (438mm, 425 on my old DHi, hopefully I'll cope with the increase). Would only be able to take about 8mm off before mud clearance on the seatstay yoke would become a concern though

 

[John P.]

Weird. This one doesn't appear to have the grease port. I agree it's a good idea though:

Thanks for the info!

 

[- seb]

Different headtube graphics too. Maybe they added them later in production as an afterthought.

 

[William42]

My roommates always tease me for not having dura ace on my bike! its people like you that give them these ideas! I cant afford dura ace! grrrr...

Seriously though, absolutely rad, very impressive weights, especially full coil. Have you considered a boxxer WC? I'm sure you have, I'd be interested to hear why you're not already running it. I can't tell the difference between a well serviced team and a well serviced WC (provided they have the same damping settings). Any particular reason no WC?

 

[- seb]

I hear that a well-maintained WC works pretty well... on the other hand though, a Team works well even if you've not opened it up in a year! That plus if a Team fails, worst case scenario is that you'll pogo your way down the mountain. If a WC fails, you'll possibly be riding fully-slammed fully-rigid for the rest of the day/holiday! PLUS the WC is more expensive.

All of that aside though, I'm still tempted, for sure. Another 1/2lb to save... but then it's quite nice having the low weight without resorting to air...

 

[William42]

yah, but service is pretty quick/easy if you're mechanically inclined. First time took me an hour, second time a half hour. Now the majority of my time is spent pulling the fork off the bike. Service is a breeze.

I've also never seen/heard of a solo air spring failing, but I suppose it might be possible if you like, blow every seal in there and have a loose top cap? or something? After seeing how it works, its not one of my big worries, plus I've never seen it happen to somebody or heard of it happening

Anyway, that bike is pretty savage

 

[- seb]

Well, it's certainly a consideration. Obviously I wouldn't want to buy the 32mm ones now, but maybe I'll toy with the idea more when the 2010s are out, especially since I hear the WCs are shipping before the Teams...