Show me your Deviate Highlanders....and thoughts

ive been high pivot wondering for a while and would like to give one a go

Over Leeds way much?

tomhoward
Full Member
ive been high pivot wondering for a while and would like to give one a go

Over Leeds way much?

harrogate way now and again tom - would love swing a leg over one other than that i dont know of anyone else with one nearby to try

There's minimal extra noise (my chain guide is noisier), and a modicum of drag over a regular bike. Again, my chain guide probably adds more drag. You get used to it though, and after a while it's only really noticeable when jumping between different bikes.

Other than that, it's a very quiet bike with no rattles. I've not changed my bearings once in the year and half I've been riding it, and there's no play anywhere so it's lasting very well.

Full disclaimer, I work for Deviate (I took all the photos of the Claymore for the launch) so I might be a little biased, but I'm also in the very fortunate position of having plenty of test bikes come through my garage for Singletrack. I'm yet to test one that rides as well as the Highlander.

If you're ever near the south Lakes, my large is available for a test ride.

If the HB916 I have on order takes much longer the Highlander or Claymore are possibilities.

justinbieber
Full Member
There’s minimal extra noise (my chain guide is noisier), and a modicum of drag over a regular bike. Again, my chain guide probably adds more drag. You get used to it though, and after a while it’s only really noticeable when jumping between different bikes.

Other than that, it’s a very quiet bike with no rattles. I’ve not changed my bearings once in the year and half I’ve been riding it, and there’s no play anywhere so it’s lasting very well.

Full disclaimer, I work for Deviate (I took all the photos of the Claymore for the launch) so I might be a little biased, but I’m also in the very fortunate position of having plenty of test bikes come through my garage for Singletrack. I’m yet to test one that rides as well as the Highlander.

If you’re ever near the south Lakes, my large is available for a test ride.

ahh james i believe- we actually have a mutual lad or two (of fanylion) that i know and one i ride with a fair bit! be interesting to try if ive not already got one the next time your down the peak district, lee has told me before your damn fast on a bike, and obviously get to ride a tonne of different ones so mighty good news coming from you!

glad to hear its a quiet bike! thats very important to me ha, also i believe its got a tube in tube for the dropper cable, which is genius given how much of a faff the easiest of things should be on my current one!

believe its got a tube in tube for the dropper cable, which is genius given how much of a faff the easiest of things should be on my current one!

No, genius would be putting the ****ing cables on the outside of the tubes 🙂

/ wonders how many more years of this internal cable routing shite we have to put up with before manufacturers revert to where we were 20 years ago

@thegeneralist - nah, I'll take internal dropper routing any day of the week. Makes so much more sense, especially now we've got 200mm plus posts.

dropper routing

Reading fail 🙄

Oops

I totally agree with you that internal routing is a pain in the ass. But seeing as this thread is about the Highlander and the only internal cable is the dropper (other than a short length of the gear cable through the swingarm), I thought that must be what you meant. No reading fail here.

You didn't fail, I did.

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I've had my Highlander since September 2020, and I've really grown to like the bike although it wasn't an instant love affair.

I wanted a coil shock so the build came with a Rockshox super deluxe in a standard Medium/Medium tune and it took me a fair bit of time to figure out that it wasn't riding how it should, choppy and harsh frankly. It went off the J-tech for a shock tune for £70 and it absolutely transformed the bike. I think i've said it on a few similar threads but these Highlanders and other high pivot bikes really need a proper tuned shock to perform.

They are quiet bikes when tanking through the rough stuff, bearing life has been really good as i've ridden it through all Scottish conditions and i've just done its first bearing and seal upgrade a few weeks ago...the rear suspension feels absolutely ridiculous now.

So some negatives perhaps, HP bikes aren't lively or spritely bikes so perhaps if you want to hop & pop off things not the best.. but no more so that my mates Privateers etc especially the way I've built mine with coil F/R more stick to the ground, like shit to a shoe...you could probably build it lighter. As I mentioned above they are fussy about set up, and when you get the rear end set up properly it can out perform the fork if you dont have that dialled(I've got a Helm coil and i'm quite happy).

So I've been happy with my purchase and i'm not changing bike anytime soon, Deviate have always been good to deal with.

Great info thanks for that, looks mega with the pink forks

But more importantly good to hear it’s lasting well and your still enjoying it

I will try and get a ride on one, if not a deviate a friend Has a forbidden I can probably swing a leg over to just see how the high Pivot feels as I’m sure it will have a similar feel

If the HB916 I have on order takes much longer the Highlander or Claymore are possibilities.

Claymore almost identical geo to HB916 and same price for frame only. Both amazing looking bikes and for me the geometry is absolutely spot on. Looked at Claymore very seriously but British went Hope in the end as closer to home, not sure where Deviate are made?

Worth mentioning that if you buy from JMJ designs in Cornwall, he’ll do you a deal on a full custom paint job, something he’s very good at…

https://flic.kr/p/2nrHzxx
https://flic.kr/p/2nrFaQK

stunning Tom - what a build - any ideas what that weighs?

i dunno if id need the claymore - but by all accounts the geo looks like it would pedal well all day

Had mine a year now. Really great bike and I have no desire to scale up to the Claymore.

This is the 150mm frame with a 170mm fork. I have the stock tune on my rear shock and it works just fine.

Climbs well, descends very well and is just the right balance of nimble/plough.

Just under 32lbs. Paint job saved fair bit of weight, tyres ploughed it right back on. Strong enough to survive 2 crashes where my bones haven’t…

More info here

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Highlander 150mm. Had it just over a year and just shy of 1200 miles. Changed to an EXT Storia coil made a huge difference. I could never quite get the Air Can set up how I would like it.

I like it a lot. I would say that climbing isn't it's strong point however, but thats probably more to do with the fat lad who's pedalling it.

Also Ben and the guys are top fellas to deal with. If you ever had a problem they would sort you out in a flash.

wow stunning looking machines @robz & @lowey look like you put them through the paces up in lakes

good to hear no long term problems with them either - seems a very sturdy well made frame

both nice colours but id go for the black i think - keep it relatively stealth

would love a custom paint job like Toms but maybe something like that further down the line perhaps

now....who wants a alloy sentinel with a EXT coil 🙂

@lowey - interesting you say yours doesn't climb well. I've found climbing to be one of the best things about it. There's so much traction available - if you can keep the pedals turning, it seems to find grip where others don't and keeps winching up the most ridiculously steep climbs