AmericAn BeAuties - Pivot Cycles

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Oct 7, 2013 ... The Bike Buyer's Bible. No.154 November 2013 top 20 must-have products. AmericAn. BeAuties. Five hot frames born in the usA. BIKE TEST.
The Bike Buyer’s Bible

No.154 November 2013

E H T F O

2013 investigated

top 20 must-have products november 2013 PRINTED IN THE UK £4.50

Do dropper posts actually make you slower? bike test

American Beauties Five hot frames born in the USA

PLUS The Malvern Hills pocket ride guide, how to update your geometry & lots more

“We found ourselves pulling the brakes later each time we sessioned the drops and rocks”

unwrapped Strong and sturdy

Pivot has gone for strength over subtlety with the Mach 6. The thick toptube and chunky maintubes dig into an equally sturdy rear subframe, while forged and machined H-linkages sit into pockets and cutouts on the seat tube. The belly of the bent downtube and the inside edges of the swingarm are cunningly (fetishistically?) protected with ‘leather’ armour.

104 November

£1350-£5000 us FuLL susseRs

pIvot maCh 6 £2500 (frame & shock) Inner strength Pivot uses hard internal formers rather than inflatable bladders during manufacture – getting all the layers evenly compacted is crucial to the strength of carbon.

Spec choice Pivot offers a range of build kits, but the long stem and skinny rear tyre of our sample bike are options to avoid – they fail to make the most of this aggressive frame

at a GlanCe

big is better Dave Weagle has licensed his smooth-floating DW Link to several manufacturers. It definitely works better in bigger chainrings than the smaller ones.

Pivot’s entering the enduro frame game, and the mach 6 is worth the wait

W

hile some companies have taken the lightweight trail approach to their 150mm, 27.5in-wheeled bikes, Pivot has gone for the no-compromise, flat-out fast approach with its new Mach 6.

Practical not pretty

The slightly crowded spliced toptube and dislocated linkage junction of the Mach 6 might not make for the neatest looks, but it creates a seriously stiff chassis. The longer we had it the harder we rode it, and by the end of our test we were smashing through savage braking bumps on near-freefall descents and into blownout berms, but we never felt it flexing or twisting out of line. That same tracking stiffness is obvious when you send it obliquely across ruts – even over the ledges of volcanic rock and baked washboard ruts of this hard American desert. The combination of 650b wheels and the well-controlled Fox Float X damper (see p80 for the review), which presides over 155mm of rear travel, shrinks impacts impressively. We found ourselves pulling the brakes later and later each time we sessioned the drops and rock gardens of our test trails – then heading right back up for more.

Grower not a growler

The fact that our trust and belief in the bike was progressive is significant. Like other DW Link bikes we’ve ridden, the Mach 6 naturally sits high in its travel, and Pivot has given it a relatively high bottom bracket for pedalling clearance. That means despite the ample travel and slack 66-degree head angle it feels more trail bike than a gravity enduro machine at first. You also have to push it that bit harder and lower into turns than a bike that’s nearer the ground already, but that’s something that becomes second nature when you’re riding this bike all the time, rather than swapping between machines like lucky, lucky bike testers… Changing the overlong and lurch-prone 80mm stem for a 60mm and fitting larger tyres would also make the aggressive potential of the bike much more obvious. Not everyone wants their trail bike to feel like a mini downhiller though, even if it is long travel, and at 6.2lb with the Float X this frame will appeal. It could be built to climb and accelerate as well as much shorterlegged bikes – the DW Link pedals very well in the middle and larger chainrings, giving just enough chain tension under power to

travel 155mm hIGhS extremely stiff and surefootedly slack steering, it’s a long-travel but light all-rounder. loWS Tall ride can mask gravity potential; soft pedalling in smaller gears and slightly heavy. buy If… You want trail bike feel with big bike capability when it counts.

feel positive when you’re giving it full gas. Its smooth suspension movement also means consistent traction and roll over even when you’re pushing the pedals hard, making it a great bike for blasting along contouring trails at serious speed. You do need to make use of the Trail setting of the CTD lever to stop obvious pedal bob in the smaller ring, however, but it is at least easy to reach.

Summary

If you’re looking for a low-slung, highly aggressive gravity-focused machine the Mach 6 isn’t right for you. But if you want a pedal-friendly frame for impressively easy trail speed, allied to seriously capable suspension and speed-secure handling, the Mach 6 should definitely be on your superbike shortlist.

“Trail-honed speed with major confidence and stiffness make the Mach 6 a gravity ready all-rounder.” November 105

WMB154.bt_1.indd 105

10/7/13 10:18 AM

how they compare Intense Tracer 275 Pro Ibis Ripley

Santa Cruz Bantam

Pivot Mach 6

price

£2349 (frame & shock)

£2650 (frame & shock)

£1350 (frame & shock)

£2500 (frame & shock)

contact

www.extrauk.co.uk

www.ibiscycles.co.uk

www.santacruzbikes.co.uk

www.upgradebikes.co.uk

verdict

size tested

M

L

M

M

sizes available

S, M, L

S, M, L, XL

S, M, L, XL

XS, S, M, L, XL

weight tested

13.7kg (30.25lb)

12.9kg (28.5lb)

13.4kg (29.6lb)

13.3kg (29.4lb)

frame

Custom semi monocoque alloy

Carbon fibre DW Link

Custom 6066 alloy

Hollow Box carbon, 155mm travel

fork

RockShox Pike RCT3, 27.5in, 160mm

X-Fusion Trace RL2, 140mm

Fox 32 275 CTD TA, 130mm

Fox 34 275 CTD TA, 160mm

Shock

Fox Float Factory CTD TA

X-Fusion Microlite

Fox Float Evolution CTD

Fox Float X Factory CTD TA

max tyre size

650bx2.4in

29x2.35in

650bx2.4in

650bx2.3in

SRAM X01, 32T

eThirteen TRS+, 24/34T

Shimano XT, 42/32/24T

Shimano XT, 38/24T

transmission chainset Shifters

SRAM X01

SRAM X0

Shimano XT

Shimano XT

derailleurs

SRAM X01 (F), SRAM XX1 (R)

SRAM X0

Shimano XT

Shimano XT

chain

SRAM X01

SRAM X0

Shimano XT

Shimano XT

bottom bracket

SRAM X01

SRAM X0

Shimano XT

Shimano XT

cassette

SRAM X01, 10-42T

SRAM XG1080, 11-36T

Shimano XT, 11-36T

Shimano XT, 11-36T

front

Novatec Diablo 275 rim, Novatec 15mm hub

Stan’s ZTR Arch 29er rim, Ibis 15mm hub

WTB Frequency i23 650b rim, 15mm hub

DT Swiss XM27.5 rim, DT Swiss 15mm hub

rear

Novatec Diablo 275 rim, Novatec 142x12mm hub

Stan’s ZTR Arch 29er rim, 142x12mm hub

WTB Frequency i23 650b rim, 142x12mm hub

DT Swiss XM27.5 rim, DT Swiss 142x12mm hub

tyres

Vee Rubber Trail Taker, 650bx2.4in

Specialized Ground Control, 29x2.1in

Maxxis High Roller II, 650bx2.3in

Kenda Nevegal DTC, 650bx2.35 (F), Honey Badger DTC, 650bx2.2in (R)

Avid Elixir 9 Trail, 180/160mm rotors

Formula T1s, 180/160mm rotors

Shimano XT, 180/160mm rotors

Shimano XT, 180/160mm rotors

wheels

finishing kit brakes bar

FSA SL-K carbon, 750mm

Ibis Hi Fi carbon, 740mm

Easton Havoc, alloy, 750mm

Pivot, carbon, 750mm

stem

FSA Afterburner, 60mm

Ibis 3D forged

Truvativ AKA, 70mm

FSA SL-K, 80mm

grips

Intense ODI, lock-on

Ibis, lock-on

Santa Cruz, locked

Pivot, locked

seatpost

RockShox Reverb Stealth

X-Fusion HiLo SL

RockShox Reverb Stealth

KS Lev Integra

saddle

Intense

Ibis

WTB Silverado Team

WTB Silverado Team

headset

Cane Creek 40

Cane Creek 40

Cane Creek 40

Pivot

pedals

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

geometry dimensions Standover 29.9in 23in 71°

24in

at a glance

108 November

68.5°

23in

HIGHS Super-stiff handmade mainframe with aggressive drive feel and outstanding freewheeling impact appetite. LOWS Relatively heavy with very obvious power and impact kickback through the pedals. buy if... You want a US made, surefooted frame that rolls with the biggest punches.

17.5in

13.25in 44.5in

HIGHS Sculptural looks, smoothly flowing, self propelling ride feel, low weight. LOWS Small ring pedalling squish, tall ride feel, high cost. buy if... You want an exclusive fast trail/ cross-country bike that flows as smoothly as it looks.

17.1in

23.6in

66°

71.5° 17in

19in 13.3in 45in

Standover 28.8in 68°

73°

71.5° 18in

17in

Standover 28.9in

Standover 29.5in 67.5°

17.5in 13.1in 44.1in

HIGHS Tough, totally honest, interactive suspension, stiff and low slung cornering confidence. LOWS Heavy for its travel and pedal/ brake reactive suspension won’t suit some. buy if... You’re a hardcore rider who wants a sawn-off shotgun for blasting technical trails to pieces.

16.9in

13.6in 44.9in

HIGHS Extremely stiff and surefootedly slack steering long travel but light enough all-rounder LOWS Tall ride can mask gravity potential, soft pedalling in smaller gears and desperate for a shorter stem. buy if... You want trail bike feel with big bike capability when it counts.

£1350-£5000 US full sussers

3rd Marin Mount Vision C-XM Pro

★★★★★ £5000 www.atb-sales.co.uk, www.marinbikes.co.uk

Santa Cruz bantam £1350 (frame & shock) “Heavy for its category, but still a load of fun”

M S, M, L, XL 11.7kg (25.8lb) CXR 60T carbon fibre, IsoTrac, 140mm Fox 32 Float Factory CTD, 140mm Fox Float X Factory CTD TA 650bx2.4in

SRAM XX1, 34T SRAM XX1 eThirteen XCX single ring guide, XX1 (R) SRAM XX1 SRAM PC XX1

2nd

SRAM XG1199, 10-42T

Formula/Marin carbon 650b rim, Formula 15mm hub Formula/Marin carbon 650b rim, 142x12mm hub Schwalbe Nobby Nic, 650bx2.25in

Avid X0 Trail, 180/160mm rotors

Pivot Mach 6 £2500 (frame & shock)

Easton Haven, carbon, 711mm Easton Haven, 70mm Marin, locked RockShox Reverb Stealth

“By the end of our test time we were smashing it through every braking bump”

Fizik Tundra Kium FSA Orbit ZS n/a

five Things We Learned From This Test

Standover 30.3in 23.5in

67.5°

74° 17.5in

17.1in

13in 44.9in

HIGHS Seriously stiff, smooth and surefooted frame with superbike spec at a great price. LOWS The flex stay suspension can get bouncy under power. buy if... You want a seriously entertaining aggro trail bike with wish list spec for bargain money.

Right hand-only shifting frees up your brain (and the left side of your bars) – plus single rings work better than multiples on every suspension system we’ve tried.

1

Whatever the capability of the bike it’s connected to, a long stemmed or narrow barred cockpit will always make it feel like an uptight cross-country machine.

2

Some bikes want to show you a good time straight away, while others take a while to reveal their potential – be prepared to fettle to get the best from them.

4

5

turn over for the trail test WINNER conclusion...

That said, there are so many good bikes there’s just no need to settle for anything that isn’t absolutely spot-on for the way you like to ride.

We didn’t see a single 26er in the desert – bar some fat bikes and DH bikes – and industry commitment to the 650b diameter looks serious. Lucky they work well…

3

November 109