History of Devinci Bikes
The Past
Aluminum was the seed that set a two-wheeled revolution in motion, when Devinci Bikes landed in Chicoutimi, Quebec, more than 25 years ago. From road to race to carbon and dual-suspension line-ups, today Devinci stands as a global frame-manufacturing leader, home to cutting-edge R&D facilities and a top engineering squad committed to the ultimate ride.
Its story starts in 1987, when Devinci began life as Da Vinci (as in Leonardo), a company envisioned by two local engineering students. Soon after, road biking entrepreneur, Felix Gauthier, entered the mix. By 1990 he had purchased half the company, swapped vowels, and Devinci proper was born.
From the outset it wasn’t always smooth roads for this fledgling Canadian-born brand. Perfecting the heat-treatment processes was a game of trial and error. Money was tight, distribution channels were slim, and when a costly new oven threatened to break the bank, Gauthier and his team combined ingenuity and talent to build one themselves. With a growing set of tools and skills in place, Devinci went to work cooking more bikes. By 1993, distribution had expanded, Gauthier had taken sole ownership of the business, and Devinci moved from its modest 800-square-foot home to one four times the size.
Brainpower was corralled; designers and skilled technicians were sourced; R&D was ratcheted up, reinforcing a commitment to quality and performance. From Canadian market exclusivity, Devinci branched worldwide, expanding its road repertoire to include an array of women-specific rides, hybrids, XC standouts, ergonomic cruisers, and a World Cup winning dual-suspension mountain bike lineup—featuring Dave Weagle’s patented Split Pivot technology.
Today Devinci’s creative engine revs under one roof. Raw materials, including [aluminum] and [carbon], arrive at one end and complete bikes are rolled out the other. Every process from design and fabrication to machining, heat–treating, fatigue-testing, and final assembly all take place in-house. This includes a state-of-the-art on–bike testing system, which measures every stress and strain in real life situations. Changes to a particular design can be prototyped, tested, tweaked, and re–tested in days rather than weeks.
This detailed ethos equates to value and efficiency, as well as industry-leading quality control and R&D efforts poured into every bike launched at Devinci HQ.
The Future
Having “Made in Canada” stamped on a frame is driving factor at Devinci. Felix Gauthier has amassed 25 years of passion and belief in the brand and the people who work alongside it, catapulting Devinci to the main-stage of the bicycling world. With a tight–knit, talented team behind it, look for more explosive results in the years to come.
“Every day presents new challenges,” Gauthier says. “You can’t take anything for granted and always need to be ready for the unexpected. Our commitment toward quality control and constant innovation is never-ending.”