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