2021 Cult Devotion Review


Back like it never left, the 2021 Cult Devotion is a strong mid-level bike. Aimed at helping mid-level riders hammer out new tricks. The Devotion has a tall 21″ toptube, full chromoly, and pegs. Available in 3 color options, this bike is perfect for mid-level riders who want to learn bars, grinds, 360’s and more.

Check out the new 2022 Cult Devotion here!Opens in a new tab.

Skip right to the good stuff where I give the bike a Dougsterbob Score based on 20 different aspects that determine how good the bike is overall.

Review Video

Overview

The Cult Devotion sit at the top of the Cult range. This BMX is put together with a range of aftermarket parts. The 21″ top tube frame, bars & forks are all made using 100% chromoly tubing. Put together with solid parts kit: sealed 9t cassette rear hub, sealed front hub sealed headset, chromoly cranks with sealed mid BB, 2.4″ Cult X Vans tires, Cult Heaven’s Gate Begin grips, Salvation V5 Forged stem, and much more.

from: Source

Highlights

  • ✅ – Full Chromoly
  • ✅ – Under $500
  • ✅ – Double Wall Rims
  • ✅ – Pegs
  • ✅ – Fully Sealed Bearings
  • ✅ – 3 pc. Cranks
  • ⛔️ – Freecoaster – What is a freecoaster?Opens in a new tab.
  • ✅ – Brakes
  • ⛔️ – Gyro tabs
  • ✅ – 4 pc bars

Specs

Price: $539.99 on DanscompOpens in a new tab.

Colors

Specs

Frame: 21” TT 100% CROMO Frame
Forks: 100% CROMO Fork
Bars: 9″ CROMO 4-piece Bars
Grips: CULT x VANS Grips
Stem: CULT Forged Salvation V3 Top Load Stem
Headset: Integrated Headset
Pedals: CULT Nylon Pedals
Cranks: CROMO 3 pc 175mm
Bottom Bracket: Sealed Mid Bottom Bracket
Chain: CULT 510 Chain
Front Hub: Sealed Front Female Hub
Rear Hub: Sealed 9T Cassette Hub
Rim: Cult Match Double Wall Rims Front & Rear
Sprocket: 25T Alloy Member Sprocket
Seat: CULT Pivotal Seat
Tires: CULT Dehart 2.40 SLICK Tires
Weight: 26.8 With Pegs

Frame Geometry

A: Top Tube Length:  21″ – Learn what size is right for you here.Opens in a new tab.

Check the size guide to see if its right for you..

Getting a top tube that is taller than suggested will make the bike feel more controlled and less responsive

Getting a top tube size that is smaller than normal will make the bike feel a lot more snappy and responsive.

B: Chain Stay Length: 13.65″ – Learn About Chain Stays HereOpens in a new tab.

This is a long chainstay.

A short chain stay makes the bike feel twitchy. Spins will be easy, but airing and jumping might feel hard to control.

A long chain stay will make the bike feel really controlled. Spins will feel sluggish, but manuals and air tricks will feel nice because it will be more stable.

C: Head Tube Angle: 75° – Learn About Head Tube Angles HereOpens in a new tab.

Steep head tube angles make the bike “snappy” meaning more responsive to fast turns. 

A less steep head tube gives you more control.

D: Seat Tube Angle: 71°

E: Bottom Bracket Height: 11.8″

F: Stand over height: 9″

This is a tall standover. 

A tall standover makes your seat higher up and will allow you to pinch it easier when learning barspins.

Bar Geometry – Learn more hereOpens in a new tab.

The GREY Devotion has 4 pc. Bars the other colors have 2pc bars.

G: Rise: 9″

Riding a tall rise, will give you more leverage on the bike. Making it easier to pull back and lift the front wheel up.

H: Width: 30″

This is a wide width. 

Narrow bars make barspins easier.

Wide bars give you more control and stability when steering.

I: Backsweep: N/A

What does backsweep do?

As far as I know, there is a sweet spot for backsweep. Too much will make the bike feel weird, and too little will make the bike unstable. It seems like the sweet spot is around 11º to 12º. If you need something a little more aggressive and straight feeling, go for 10º, but only do this if 11º is uncomfortable.

J: Upsweep: N/A

What does upsweep do?

There is a lot of discussion about 1º upsweep vs. 4º upsweep. Some people are running experiments and testing if the greater upsweep will make drops feel better. It seems like a lot of street riders run 4º to 5º upsweep. This helps for wrist pain and lessens the impact of big drops.

Dougsterbob Score

Now everything above the line is pretty basic info. I break down the specs, geometry and some highlights. But that doesn’t really help you find the right bike. So I created the Dougsterbob Score.

What is it?

The Dougsterbob Score is taken from Doug Demaro’s “Doug Score” (He already had the name so I had to get creative with mine haha) Anyway, this assigns a score to the bike based on 20 different aspects. This way you will know exactly what this bike is good for and how it holds up.

Read how I score the bikes hereOpens in a new tab.

2021 Cult Devotion Rankings

CategoryPointsPercent of total
Dougsterbob Score111/20055%
Street Score17/4042.5%
Park Score7/3023%
Dirt Score11/3037%
Quality Score28/4070%
Style Score27/3090%

Dougsterbob Score

Dougsterbob Score: 111/200

The Cult Devotion scored really high. 111/200 is a hard score to get, but it is well deserved. Not many bikes come with the high-quality aspects that the Devotion has. While it is best in street, it can also be ridden on dirt, and park.

Is the Cult Devotion a good bike?

I love the Cult Devotion. It has the incredible quality for a fairly decent price. One thing to keep in mind is that the geometry is pretty big. Making it a really good choice for taller riders.

Street Score

Street Score: 17/40

The Devotion Scored 17/40 in the street section. Which is almost 50%. The only bikes that do better are pro-level street bikes. I look at how strong a bike is and if it can withstand drops and gaps. Because of the chromoly and double wall rims, I determined that the Devotion will do good on gaps and drops.

Another big factor is the pegs. The Cult Devotion comes with two pegs but 0 hub guards. This is silly to me that they don’t just include some hub guards but oh well. Just pick up some hub guards at your local shop or make sure you order some with the bike because they do make a difference.

Is the Cult Devotion good for riding street?

Cult’s Devotion is a good bike for street riding. The only thing to make it better is if it would have came with 4 pegs and 4 hub guards. Luckily the geometry is great for controlled street riding, and the tires grip good on the streets.

Park Score

Park Score: 7/30

This is a low score in the park section. One reason is that the Devotion does not have holes for gyros. I know a lot of new street riders will want to throw gyros on the bike and to do it on this bike is near impossible.

Can you ride the Cult Devotion at skate parks?

While you can get away with doing some park riding on the Devotion, you’d be best sticking to the streets. Now you are able to upgrade this bike to do better in the park. Check out how hereOpens in a new tab.

Dirt Score

Dirt Score: 11/30

To be fair, most bikes score ok on the dirt section, and that is because they have almost perfect gearing for dirt. 25/9 is good for dirt riding because it balances acceleration with top speed. But a lot of dirt riders like 30/10 or 28/9 gearing which can be found on the Fit TRL bikes.

The 13.65 chainstay makes the Devotion a good choice for dirt riders because of the stability it provides. However, I doubt the cult x vans tires on the dirt.

Is the Cult Devotion for dirt jumping?

For a beginner, the Devotion will be good for learning the fundamentals of Dirt Jumps. But this is not a good choice for an experienced dirt rider.

Quality Score

Quality Score: 28/40

The Devotion ranked very well in the Quality Section. A 28/40 is 70%. Meaning that this is a really high-quality bike that can hold up to some beefy riding.

The full chromoly frame gave it 7/10, and the only way to get a 10/10 is by having an aftermarket frame, like those found on the EnvyOpens in a new tab. or the SoundwaveOpens in a new tab.. A perfect quality score is really hard to get.

Is the Cult Devotion good quality?

Because of the high-quality score, the Devotion is a mid to high-level bike. For the price, it doesn’t get much better than this.


Style Score

Style Score: 27/30

The devotion is a very simple bike. Available in 3 bland colors. However, simple is good. I like it and the way everything looks is visually appealing. Having 3 color options is nice since you can pick your favorite one.

This is a very nice looking bike and everything on the Devotion is fully customizable.

Value

Value: 10/10

Alright, so to wrap this up.. I gave the Devotion a 10/10. It is an amazing value. Here is why. For just a little over $500 you are getting a full chromoly bike with double wall rims, and pegs. You really can’t find this kind of quality at this low of a price anywhere.

Should you get it?

If we are just talking about quality and price. Yes, you should definitely buy the Devotion. But do me a favor and go hereOpens in a new tab. to make sure the 21″ toptube is a good choice for you. The Cult Devotion is best for taller riders.

Common Questions

What is the Price?

The 2021 Cult Devotion cost’s $549. Like I mentioned above, this is a really good price for the value that is included.

How Much Does it Weigh?

The 2021 Cult Devotion weighs 26.8lbs. Keep in mind that this is the weight with pegs. Without pegs it will be a little lighter.

Where to buy it?

You can buy the Devotion from my store hereOpens in a new tab.. (obviously i’m going to plug my new shop 🤫) But if for some reason it is out of stock, or you hate me and want to buy somewhere else, it is available below.

2021 Cult Devotion on DanscompOpens in a new tab.

Buy if you are learning:

  • Manual
  • 180
  • bunny hop
  • 360
  • tire tap
  • foot jam
  • grind tricks
  • tailwhip
  • barspins

Don’t buy if you are learning:

  • Good for any trick

Conclusion

The 2021 Devotion is a mid to high-level bike. Perfect for a rider who has been riding for a while. This person should have some tricks down already and should be working on harder tricks. The Devotion has the quality to help you progress to a high-level of riding. I hope you find one that’s not sold out.

Douglas Laird

My parents bought me my first BMX bike in 2011 and it changed my life. This bike has taken me all over the world and introduced me to cool places and cooler people. My goal is to help get 1,000,000 people into BMX so they can experience the joy and freedom that comes from a progression based sport.

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