The Devil’s Trail is made for sporty touring and named after many homonymous Californian mountain bike trails. Nomen est omen: ”The Devil’s Trail is a touring hardtail that likes it a little rough.” The 69° seat angle adds calmness which never gets lost even in rough terrain, also thanks to the ”relatively sensitive Rock Shox Recon suspension fork.”

According to the editors of MountainBIKE the Devil’s Trail’s fork was the only one in the test to be really off-road capable. Also it was the only one to be equipped with a thru-axle – with advantages in lateral stiffness.

Frame and Fork are essential, especially if you plan to upgrade the bike later. The 3x10 drivetrain is standard in this category and the bike was the second lightest in test.

The hardtail excelled with nimble climbing capabilities over rocks and roots, the rider sits in a quite sporty position and therefore ”can nicely push the pedals from above”. The longer rear triangle also makes sure that the front wheel stays connected to the ground. In general the Devil’s Trail was a solid touring hardtail with a little room for improvement concerning brake power and tire width.

Conclusion: ”Stevens presents a solid touring hardtail that especially excels downhill – thanks to a stable geometry and the best fork of all tested bikes.”

The STEVENS Devil’s Trail is available in sizes 16, 18, 20in with 27.5” wheels (Velvet Black) and with 29” wheels also in 18 and 20in plus in 22in (also in Olive Green) for 1,199 Euros at certified STEVENS dealers.