Deviate

OUR MISSION

A strong partnership formed between complementary strengths: deep engineering curiosity on one side, and commercial drive and organisational focus on the other.

Years spent riding and guiding across some of the most demanding mountain terrain exposed a recurring problem — bikes that simply weren’t built for the realities of sustained hard use. Repeated breakages within guiding fleets and among customers made it clear that something better was needed.

During this period, early exposure to high-pivot gearbox-driven mountain bike designs pointed toward a different direction for suspension performance. The concept, still far from perfected, suggested a path toward greater durability, consistency, and control — ideas that would later shape the technical foundations of Deviate’s earliest development.

In parallel, the operational and commercial groundwork for a new bike company was taking shape. As these strands aligned, the conditions were set for the creation of Deviate: a brand built on challenging accepted thinking and engineering bikes capable of real-world punishment.

OUR HISTORY

Multiple drivetrain concepts were explored — gearbox, derailleur, even shaft drive — alongside fundamental questions around materials and construction. Aluminium was considered, but at the small production volumes of those early days, tooling costs were comparable to carbon moulding.

Carbon therefore became the natural starting point, setting the foundation for the first generation of Deviate frames.

And, finally. After a decade of riding across the UK, the Alps, and New Zealand, Deviate unveiled its first production bike: the Guide.

Distinct from mainstream designs, the Guide explored alternative drivetrain thinking — removing the derailleur through the use of a gearbox and centralising mass to reduce unsprung weight at the rear wheel. A carefully developed linkage kept weight positioned low within the frame, while a high-pivot suspension layout, paired with an idler, delivered a uniquely controlled and capable ride feel.

The result was a bike that stood apart not through appearance alone, but through a clear commitment to durability, composure, and real-world performance.

After the Guide, Deviate began to realise that this setup was too ‘different’ for most riders. The gearbox concept was new, the high-pivot suspension system too. With this, Chris began working on a non-gearbox, high-pivot bike range, namely The Highlander and The Claymore. Shortly after the Claymore launch is was clear that the shift toward more ‘conventional’ bikes paid off. The Claymore was voted Pinkbikes enduro bike of choice in their 2022 enduro test session and not long after, was nominated for the Mountain Bike Of The Year award.

With the foundations established, attention turned to what the next chapter for Deviate could look like. The ambition was clear: create a trail bike that built on the reputation of the Guide while expanding its versatility — long-travel in capability, yet balanced enough for everyday riding. Listening closely to a growing community of riders, the direction began to take shape.

The result was the Highlander.

Echoing the Guide in philosophy, the Highlander retained carbon construction and a refined high-pivot suspension layout with an idler, tuned specifically for trail performance. Most notably, it marked a shift away from the gearbox concept, following extensive back-to-back testing that showed a traditional rear derailleur better suited the fast, agile character the bike was designed to deliver.

The outcome was a trail bike defined by speed, composure, and unmistakable intent — and one that quickly became a cornerstone of the Deviate line-up.