Devinci Leo SL R
Although the SL is aimed at the GranFondo market, the bike's geometry positions it to easily handle road racing duties.
Components Shimano Ultegra/105
Wheels Easton EA50
Sizes XS, S, M, L, XL
MSRP $3,599
GranFondos are the marathons of cycling – they’re the big season goal of many newer cyclists, they’re long and they take some training. They’re also the next big thing in cycling and are attracting massive crowds to scenic locations.
Not surprisingly, bike companies are catering to the relatively new trend in North American cycling by designing bikes that are focused on the long-distance events. Canadian brand Devinci, headquartered in Chicoutimi, Quebec, doesn’t sugarcoat this, and has specifically targeted one of its lines at the GranFondo audience.
Devinci launched its Leo carbon road bike line in 2007 and has been making refinements to it ever since. The 2011 lineup includes four stock trim levels ranging in price from the $3,320Â SL K up to the $8,999 SL GDPL, a limited edition featherweight bike with SRAM Red components and Zipp 404 wheels. There’s also a full custom Leo program, where riders can individually select all aspects of the bike from paint colour to seatpost brand.
The SL R we tested is one of the stock models and comes well-equipped with Shimano’s Ultegra drivetrain, although 105-level brakes, front derailleur, cassette and chain are used. The cockpit is largely made up of Devinci’s V2 components including a carbon stem and seatpost and alloy handlebar
The frame, which is shared across the full Leo SL lineup, is manufactured using a high-resistance carbon monocoque design. It has internal cable routing, a tapered headtube and a stout bottom bracket area for added stiffness where it’s needed. The seat stays have defined S-bends in them, which help with the bike’s comfortable ride. Although the SL is aimed at the GranFondo market, the bike’s geometry positions it to easily handle road racing duties. The matching fork is Devinci’s top-end and lightweight Super Leggera model, which is a monocoque carbon fork with an aerodynamic shape and carbon dropouts. The tapered steerer tube makes for a solid front end with no flex while the frame’s design offers a good combination of efficiency while still absorbing road noise – a nice feature for newer riders taking on long distances.
Though the bike is a good value, our only complaint with the bike is in some of the component selections. It would have been nice to see something a bit higher from the Easton wheel lineup than the EA50s used for a bike of this price point and we were a bit disappointed that Devinci didn’t spec the full Ultegra drivetrain – instead going with the lower-priced 105 brakes and front derailleur. However, the SL R still represents a good value and is well-positioned as a bike designed for the GranFondo crowd.
If you want something with a better build, you can look at the $6,710 SL X, with a complete Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain and wheelset. For a more entry-level option, there’s the SL K, which is about $400 cheaper than the SL R we tested and has a Shimano 105 group and the EA50 wheels.
