How has Deviate’s latest offering, the Highlander II, stacked up against the competition after six weeks of real world riding?
Pete casts his verdict on Deviate’s 145mm high pivot do-it-all machine, the Highlander II.
Key features:
- Öhlins RXF36 m.2 160mm fork
- Öhlins TTX2 Air shock
- Shimano XT 12-speed drive
- Shimano XT 4-piston brakes
- Industry Nine Enduro S wheels
- OneUp V2 dropper
- £7,818.20 RRP
- DeviateCycles.com
Geometry
The Highlander II seen here is a Medium.
Reach on the Medium is 460mm combined with a seat tube of 410mm. Head angle is 65 degrees with a seat tube angle of 77 degrees. Chainstays are 441mm across the sizes, with a wheelbase on the Medium of 1221mm.
Deviate’s bike builder has a seemingly endless array of offerings for the discerning bike enthusiast. This bike, however came with Öhlins air units in the form of an RFX36 m.2 out front and a TTX22 out the back. Drive train and brakes handled the ever-reliable XT setup, the brakes being 4-pot units. Wheels are Industry Nine Enduro S shod with Vittoria rubber. Cockpit and dropper are the ever-reliable OneUp Components offerings.
Last time I checked in, the Highlander was making light work of the filthiest climbs, the local ‘Randy climb’ being a good marker for a bike’s ability to winch up the filth both in terms of pedalling efficiency and it’s ability to deal with those features that would otherwise ruin your momentum. The Highlander proved exceptional at this, especially in terms of the back wheel gliding out of the way of square edges.
On smoother climbs, the Highlander might be the quickest, but if you’re climbing anything where it’s not all about pure efficiency, the bike is a class act. That combined with its low weight means you get more for every pedal stroke too. When things get extra steep, there’s certainly heavier bikes I’ve had across my shoulders.
Opening downs on the yellow piece encouraged going a little too hot, as the rear end would chew up the hits, spitting them out with an air of ambivalence. Corners hit hard would see the bike grow allowing you to charge hard and the bike become more stable as a result. This would lead to the trail coming at me faster than I could compute sometimes.
That forward momentum was only stymied by two things. The Vittoria Mazza front tyre has some very tall, stiff tread blocks that, when they finally budge, do so suddenly. This can be off putting when things get super fast or dicey. The Trail casing likely isn’t sufficient for a bike of this calibre, either. I would simply go with the tired and tested Maxxis Minion DHR II in EXO+ flavour on the bike builder.
The other thing is the slightly firm nature of the Ohlins dampers. If you’re a big, hard-charging rider then these will be high on your list, but even run fully open, they don’t quite give the supple opning portion of the travel like you’d get on, say Fox or Rockshox. That said, even the coil Ohlins, the TTX22M2 is a treat, so if you’re set on Swedish damping, that would be my pick.
Personally, I would either go with the TTX22M2 shock and a Lyrik or 36, or swap the TTX22M2 out for probably my favourite shock right now, the Fox X2 air. The Rockshox Super Deluxe is also a solid unit, and the Fox dampers combined with the Maxxis rubber comes in only a hair more than the spec seen here. If you opt for a Lyrik/Super Deluxe combo with the Maxxis rubber and the spec otherwise identical, you clip the best part of £300 off the price.
Beyond that, the bike has been mint. Those Shimano XT 4-pots have heaps of power from the first turn to the last, offering plenty of modulation too. The 12 speed XT drivetrain has been flawless too. OneUp’s dropper is the post to beat as far as I’m concerned and even they 35mm carbon bars, in 800 or 750mm widths aren’t anywhere near as harsh on the hands as a lot of other 35mm setups out there.
What do we think?
Deviate’s Highlander II is a hard-charging, light weight, do-it-all machine that goes toe to toe with the big brands in terms of performance. Whilst it certainly isn’t cheap, it does give one hell of a ride.
We love:
- Hard-charging confidence
- Big hit swallowing linkage
- Low weight
- Cleans the filthiest climbs
Could do better:
- Ohlins dampers are a little firm
- Vittoria tyres aren’t the most confidence-inspiring
