Share The Love

Ferry David from Indonesia loves his Firebird!

Hi Pivot !
 
I just want to share my experience of riding my FireBird…..



with my FireBird……… 145km touring, …… 200 - 1700m above sea level uphill,…….. downhill under a minute……. I went through without a problem!



Firebird……… good job !
 
 
Ferry David
Jakarta – Indonesia

Brian Tong loves his Firebird!

Scott Edwards of Endless Cycles in Castro Valley, CA sent in this pic of his very happy customer Brian Tong during his first ride on his new Firebird.

Ilan Goldstein's Mach 5.7 above Los Angeles

Ilan Goldstein is a man of few words... but good words;

Dear Pivot,

Thanks for a bitchin' Bike.

Ilan Goldstein

Tom Black loves his Mach 5.7

LOVE this letter from new Pivot family member Tom Black;

I am attaching pictures of the new sled. I did the whole blue/white/silver thing. 25.0 pounds. XX build. Thomson. Crossmax ST's w/ 2.4 Nobby Nic's (not exactly the lightest wheelset but strong/sturdy for slamming through the rock gardens). I love this thing! Climbs far better than my Nomad Carbon; not quite the travel going down but smoother. I also have a Blur, Heckler, and three Niner's (including the Jet9RDO). The Pivot is hands down my favorite - just about the perfect ride. Has me thinking about selling some of the others so I can build up a Firebird for the runs to Downieville. :)
 
Just a fantastic job - thanks!
 
-Tom

Demo Love from The Path demo in Tustin CA

Here is what Matthias Jezek had to say about his Firebird demo experience at the recent Path demo in Tustin, CA;  

 

Hi Guys, 

 

Just a quick summary .... 

My bike had the following setup;  black medium frame (BTW too small for me, tested Large and that's the ticket ) 170mm Fox Float, 710 mm handlebar with 60mm stem,  XT 10-speed double ( 24/36 ) with MRP chain guide, New 2012 XT Deore Brakes, DT Swiss wheels with 2.3 Kenda.

 

Regarding the components:  New XT brakes are the Bomb !!!!! Cheaper than anything else but super strong and decent light, forget the XT drive train , SRAM , even XO is better, MRP chain guide is specifically designed for the frame with the floating front derailleur ( E-Type ) and works perfect on both front rings, 710 Handlebar is clearly the right choice, fork and rear shock worked flawless but sensitive to right air pressure (180 front and rear ). Setup on front: ( 3 clicks high speed and 10 clicks low speed compression, 4 clicks rebound ).

With a little bit of a nice talk and my Austrian accent I was able to grab the bike and drive with my own truck to Santiago Oaks and returned it 1 1/2 later ... hehehe

 

Climbing:(Chutes) :  no need for Pro Pedal, dw-Link does all the job, climbing was a easy, no extra effort.  (timed myself up Chutes, faster time than David on his Remedy ), specially the switch backs were easy to tackle, even standing up, bike responded with acceleration !

 

Flat terrain: ( Road Runner trail ):  bike is fast enough, that you would wish for a triple on the front ! 

 

Downhill: (Chutes):  yummy ! Can't beat 170mm !!!!

 

Jumping: (Chutes):  yummy ! Can't beat 170mm !!!!

 

The guy (Josh) from Pivot running the demo events all over the country, showed me his own bike ...  Firebird with Talas 36 180mm, Saint brakes (4-piston) and adjustable seat. He said no problem going up San Juan, after the test ride I believe him !   Bike weight 30-31lbs with solid components, there are builts out there with 28lbs but not serious about downhill/park ride.  Only change from 2011 to 2012, rear 142/12mm axle, he said you will not feel the difference  ( but I say, it is now the standard for 2012 .... LOL ) 

Last but not least: white frame looks the killer ! 

 

Matthias Jezek

Thank YOU Matthias!

Frank Bosma of the Netherlands

Best regards!

I love the bike...... Also like to see people checking it out because they have never seen it before in the Netherlands.

Frank

Andy Lane- Service Manager of Absolute Bikes in Flagstaff puts the Phoenix to the test!

Here's a little video from our friends at Absolute Bikes in Flagstaff, AZ. Service Manager Andy Lane puts his new Phoenix DH bike to the test... looks like they just might lke each other!

Follow THIS LINK to view... 

Thanks a lot for sharing guys!

Gregory Williams' Mach 5.7

Gregory bought his Mach 5.7 from Cyclepath in Portland, OR and sent this pic from the Larison Rock Trail. 



Nicely done Greg!
(And thanks for sharing.)

Maggie Synge of Australia- making her Mach 429 go fast and look awesome!

Maggie Synge from Australia sent in this photo and these words... 




"I came 5th!  It is a tough 5 day, 7 stage race in the Red Center of
Australia.  I love my Pivot and couldn't have done that well without
it!  I have been on the podium at every race since getting it (5th was
podium finish at Alice) and never had been before. My Mach 429 rules!

Thanks for your help,

Maggie"

Maggie- thank YOU! Here's to hoping that podium streak continues unabated!

Nice work Pivot!

I had the opportunity over the weekend to go with the Sports Garage folks to Moab and Fruita. Chris J set me up on a Mach 5.7. I really enjoyed it.  I never put it on a scale, but it has a very light and lively ride to it.  Felt GREAT uphill (and that's saying something as I'm well over 200lbs these days), while being very plush downhill. That was the big surprise for me...how plush it felt. I was expecting it to be too "racer-boy" type rigid, but it really felt like a bigger travel rig on the way down.  Don't even get me started with how it carved up the trails at Road 18 in Fruita.  Ultimate sweetness!  Did I mention how light and fast it felt on the climbs?  A home run for sure.  Needless to say, I'm not getting much work done this morning as I'm thinking about that bike.

Thank you,

Paul

The Snow is Melting

The weather has finally started to turn warm in the Northeast and the snow is finally gone. I've ridden the Pivot in the (deep) snow several times, but was never really able to get a feel for it because of the conditions.

Finally, last week I rode French Creek, which is one of our rockier local trails. The Pivot was amazing. It would take a much longer e-mail to express how much I enjoyed riding it. I feel like it took my skill level up a couple notches, and it really inspired confidence on the downhills too. My friends were all commenting how sweet a ride it is and how well I seemed to be riding it.
 
I can't wait to get it out on some epic rides this summer.
 
Thanks again & good job on building an amazing bike!
 
Best,

Dan

It's Not Marketing-speak!

I know you have a great marketing team and come up with your own content, but here is something I thought about last week, taking in mind your logo and quality of bikes you produce (Keep in mind I am in construction and not marketing).
 
"Pivot Cycles...learn to fly through the mountains. Whether you're gliding through the single track on a long epic cross country run or flying through the trees as you barrel down the DH coarse. On the back of a Pivot, don't be afraid to soar with your wings fully spread, because our bikes are made to withstand the extremes. The quality, engineering and attention to detail will always ensure our bikes will exceed all expectations."
 
Ted

Kiwi Pivot Lover

I am not the best rider, I just happen be riding the best equipment.

I purchased a Pivot Firebird in July 2010 from a small retailer in San Diego. Took it straight to Salida, Colorado. The first ride was the Crest Trail, and the bike climbed like a goat! Had no problems on any of the technical features going up.

And going back down? Wow!! We descended Silver Creek (5000 vertical feet) in no time at all. Super fast and the bike was under control.

Next stop was Keystone mtn bike park. Tossed on some platform pedals and had 2 days of serious downhill. I know the bike isn't made for it, but dang it was it fun. Kept up with the big bikes, took some big hits, felt at home.

It loved Phil's World to. Smoked the hard tail 29'ers. (Why someone would ride without suspension is beyond me)

It loved the technical trails in Sedona. Soak's up the big hits in South Mountain in Phoenix. And has no problem going up as well.

I come from a BMX background. I got into mountain biking 18 months ago. The Firebird replaced my first mtn bike, a Roscoe. (After just 9 months.)

I am not the best rider, I just happen be riding the best equipment. It makes riding the rough stuff easy and fun! And it makes riding the easy stuff fun to!

I love my Firebird, just wish I could be a spokes person for them!

- Greg

Nice Job Pivot!

So my new custom build Pivot Mach 5.7, all XTR, with the new Crank Bros Cobalt series bling has been seen for about a week and a half by my buddies who share the same passion with me.  It's all ready to go, sitting in my garage. We are all incredibly impressed by the way it looks, and the choice, properly colored components to match from grips, to wheels to seat post. Problem is, it's been raining in So Cal since the day my good friends at INCYCLE Rancho Cucamonga finished the build. The bike looks so good I can't fathom the idea of taking it out in the rain & slop. 

I made two rides in between rain days with my soon to be replaced Trek EX 9 - and took some serious razzing from my buddies. 

When the Pivotal day came to finally get my new bike out, the Mach 5.7 that I've been jonesing over for a couple months, I thought how much better can it be? We hit Sycamore Cyn in Riverside and I was seriously blown away by the improvement, how this bike handles, and just how much better a bike can be.  It seemed so light, nimble and responsive in the climb right from our starting point.  It seems so nimble and light that I immediately grew concerned about losing the front end on steep techy climbs, until I hit the first of those.  I actually said out loud "awesome" as I made my first steep climb in a tight narrow area with two-foot deep rain ruts that had to be avoided.  The bike stuck like glue with the front end staying perfectly planted, and never even hinting at lifting.  I love to climb, and I can say this bike is much more efficient than I am used to, and it has only made me a better climber. 

Now the best part, after all the record December rain and serious ruts that were delivered by Mother Nature, I rode our normal route in record time with more confidence than ever.  I found my self realizing that I was still in the saddle on one of the high speed downhill fire roads, when on my previous bike I thought of that area as seriously rough—requiring the attack position. At that point in time it hit me: this bike really handles.  This bike gobbles up the terrain, the rear tire stays planted even while flying through an area with ruts crossing the trail, and I rarely hear the chain slap that I have been used to from my previous bike.  The braking efficiency on my Pivot over a rutted out trail is improved over my previous Trek who touts the superior advantages of their ABP braking system. The Pivot's brakes work because the rear tire stays planted on the trail.

I had more confidence than ever on my first ride out, with the trail being in the worst shape I have ever seen. At the end of our ride, sizing it all up over a cold beer, my buddy who wound up chasing me all day said the confidence in my riding was noticeable from his view throughout the ride. By the end of our ride I realized just how much better a bike can be.  Anyone contemplating a new bike? No need to look any further—Nice job Pivot!

Thanks,

Robert Cleeland

Thanks for an AWESOME bike!

To the crew at Pivot-

Finished building my Mach 4 a couple months ago, and have ridden it many times since...Wow! I expected a great ride after talking to others and reading the reviews, but it far exceeds what I expected!

I've been riding and racing mountain bikes for almost 20 years, but made the switch to full suspension only 2 1/2 years ago. I rode the Ellsworth Truth for the first two years. I experimented with the suspension quite a bit, but it still had too much "bob" during climbing for me. Otherwise, it was a solid bike, but I wanted more.

My next bike was a Specialized S Works Epic, that I have been riding and racing this past season. A great race bike, but its downfall is that it's not exactly plush...which I completely expected and can deal with when racing. That bike was built for one reason...to race.

A few months ago I decided to buy an additional bike, one that would be my main XC/Trailbike. So I started my search for a 4" travel (which is plenty for my style of riding) that would basically be light, stiff, climb well, and soak up the bumps. After a lot of research, talking to others and reading countless reviews, I chose the Mach 4. I could not have made a better choice!

I ordered the frame, and built the bike up over a couple weeks...and hit the trails. After spending some time during the first couple of rides I have the suspension dialed in.  Like I said earlier, Wow!  The bike handles everything outstandingly!  Rips through the singletrack, downhills, bumps (big and small), but most importantly for me, it is an unbelievable climber! I have only had the ProPedal on once, just to see the difference, but ride with it off, even during the climbs. I find it does great climbing in the off position, and find myself looking down at the shock sometimes just to see that it is, in fact, in the off position. Your suspension design is amazing! To me this bike climbs better than a hardtail because the rear suspension moves just enough to keep traction on the rougher parts of a climb. I will be doing some racing on this bike next season, even though that was not the original intention of my purchase.

Also, during my build I called you guys at Pivot a couple times with questions and you guys were always more than willing to help...something I really appreciate!  I feel completely confident that if ever needed, your customer service will be there for me.

Thanks, Pivot, for an AWESOME bike!

Rick Morris

Pivot was the only choice for me

Dear Pivot Team,

On November 16, 2010 your company demonstrated what true customer service is and you have a new advocate for your company. I had recently completed the build of my new Mach 5.7 and took my bike down to California for its inaugural ride. My riding partner and I started riding up a fire road and I noticed that steering my bike was difficult even riding on this smooth surface. We pulled off the trail and inspected the bike, and after pulling my headset off and removing the fork we noticed that the bottom cup of my headset had been sucked up into the head tube of the frame. Needless to say the ride was cut short and my frustration was mounting.

I was fortunate to find a nearby Pivot dealer in Newberry Park and met with their mechanic. I described the problem and it was discovered that the wrong size bottom cup was installed on the bike. I take some blame for this because I purchased the headset separately. So I called your company to ensure I would get the correct bottom cup this time and I spoke with your team members, told them the story and within minutes they assured me that a new FSA headset would be sent to me at no charge. Your team members stated that they wanted to help get me back on my bike asap and be able to spread the Pivot word (which I have been gladly doing).

My experience with your company's customer service did not start on the 16th of this month, it began when I was researching your bikes and getting serious about purchasing the new Mach 5.7. Every time I called to ask technical questions on the bike and build kits I was always greeted by a friendly person answering the phone (not a recording with menu options). Your team was just as friendly at Interbike, so with the quality product you put out and your top notch customer service, Pivot was the only choice for me.

In closing I wanted to say that it is refreshing to come across a company such as yours that encompasses quality products and great customer service. In my line of work as a Fire Captain here in Las Vegas, great customer service is a chance to leave a lasting impression on the public even when operating at emergency scenes. You have certainly incorporated that personal service into your company and I commend you on that.
Sincerely,

Evan Hannah

Mach 4 Travel

Pivot Crew,
Just wanted to let you know that after a solid race season on my Mach 4 we went on a little 4,600 mile road trip. San Diego to the Flume trail, and then to Sun Valley and Adam's Gulch. After "The Gulch" and some sweet singletrack we headed to Bend, OR for four days and many hours of riding. Then off to Oakridge after a day on the McKenzie River Trail. The Mach 4 handled everything that I threw at it. I love my Mach 4! Looking forward to some 12-hour races on the Pivot next year. Thanks for building and awesome bike!

Gordon

Pivot 429 is the best

Rob,
I spoke on the phone a couple of times with you as I was deciding on which bike to buy and again after purchasing the Mach 429.
I wanted to share my excitement with Pivot.

For the longest time, I have been riding a 26 inch wheeled hard tail titanium bike. During the past couple of months I began searching for a full suspension 29R that I could use as a competitive XC bike and also use for an all around trail bike. I spent time on many 29R's and landed on the Pivot 429 as being the best. Compared to all the other's, the Mach 429 has be best combination of quick steering yet stable at high speeds. It climbs solid with no flexing yet soaks up the rough stuff when needed. And, the bike looks great. I have the silver frame which really shows of the quality craftsmanship and the perfect welds. The Mach 429 has made me a much faster rider. I can climb just as quick as I do on my hard tail and am much faster on the flats and down hills. So much, that I have now been requested to move from Sport class to Expert class.

Also, I attached a few pictures of the Pivot at a recent race at Vail Lake California. This is where I took fastest Sport of the day…now moving to Expert.
I will be racing the Mach 429 at a variety of locations mostly Southern California. I will also be racing the 24hour in Tucson in February. I am really enjoying the bike and am glad to spread good word to everyone I meet letting them know what a great bike Pivot is.

Here is the review I put in Mountain Bike Review on the Mach 429
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/29er/pivot-cycles/mach-429/PRD_425161_1548crx.aspx

Ric Van Der Linden

I am Not a Paid Consultant

Dudes,

I purchased my Mach 5.7 about 3 months ago. It was a gift to myself after completing 5 years of alimony. I was replacing an 11 year old Ellsworh Joker.

All my buddies have gulped the Kool-Aid and are on some sort of 29 inch bike. Not me, baby. I realize you make a 29er, but I don't see what all the rage is with those things. "But you'll be able to just roll over everything with a 29er." Yeah. Yeah.
 
I really didn't think that having a bike with this much travel and such improved geometry would make a difference in my climbing.

None of the wagon wheelers I ride with crush me on any climbs. At least none that aren't super fit, in which I probably couldn't beat them if I rode a lift up.

In fact I'm taking most of them on climbs and always on descents.

This bike rails on descents.

Congrats dudes! You have made a phenomenal bike and a very happy customer, one of many, I'm sure.
  
- Robert
  
"Friends don't let friends Facebook or ride Niners."
                  
NOT sent from an iPhone

Mach 4 is No BS

Hello Adam, I thought I would share some feedback on my recent purchase and build of a Mach 4. For comparison purposes I have been riding longer travel trail bikes for the last 6 years or so. I have been an avid Santa Cruz fan (and still am) and have owned the Heckler, Nomad and most recently still own and ride a BLT daily. I wanted a second bike that was lighter, quicker, etc than what I already had. I have hesitated getting a new bike because I did not want the twitchy, nervous style of XC bike I used to ride.

So after a lot of thought and shopping around I left my SC stable and I decided to try your bike sight-unseen. The reviews were positive, the names behind the design were strong and I wanted something different. But I had a feeling this might be the one. Either way I had to try it. Your claims were bold and I almost wanted to be able to write this letter and say your claims are BS. (After 20 years of riding I have heard it all and so I can be cynical like that sometimes. No offense.)

So enough of all this. What do I think? Your claims are not BS. The chain line is great. I love big ring riding and this suits my style with little crossover when riding big-big. The frame linkage is VERY stiff for sure. The small bump compliance has to be felt to be believed.

I think this bike might very well solve the paradox between a super plush ride and excellent pedaling performance and efficiency. These two features in the past seem to have been mutually exclusive. I thought my BLT did a good job of balancing these. And it does. This is just better…by a mile. (I realize this is not an XC to XC comparison but I have ridden other XC bikes while shopping around and none made we want to rush out and buy one) I was worried about how this bike would be downhill. I worried about having a harsh suspension to get good efficiency. I worried about nervous handling. I was worried for nothing. I love the way this bike rides, handles, descends, pedals and climbs. I love everything about it. I am most blown away by how this bike moves forward when laying power down. Even with modest power it seems to almost do it by itself (if only right?)

So my friends are all a little worried now because they could never quite understand how I could ride my big bikes so fast. Now they see me on my sub 25lb bright blue Pivot and they openly wonder about being able to keep up. I say good luck.

I also say good job on your home run. I hope you sell a lot of bikes and make a lot of people happy like me.

Best regards, Doug

PS I am very interested in how your Mach 5 might replace my BLT. Yikes! Did I really say that?

My Search for the Ultimate Mountain Bike

Ten weeks ago, after a great summer of mountain biking in Utah, I set out to find the best mountain bike on the market. I love the burn of a long aggressive climb, followed by the thrill of a long, fast descent. So I was searching for the best cross-country bike made.

I started visiting bike shops all along the Wasatch Front, seeking information about good quality cross-country bikes. I gathered information, product catalogs, and the personal preferences of the guys running many of the bike shops. Next I jumped on the web, looking for more information and product reviews. After reviewing the information and revisiting several bike shops, I started to demo the top bikes I had researched. After riding several bikes, I really refined my search.

A friend of mine let me ride his Cannondale Rush on a few rides. We have a local trail that has four or five miles of great down hill with all kinds of different terrain. While riding the Rush that day I knew I had to have a bike with at least the comfort of the Rush and with the nimble feel that you were in control and hugging that trail at full speed.

In Utah we also have some great trails that rise above 10,000 feet in elevation. After riding several of these trails I knew I needed a light, aggressive climbing bike. The best climbing bike I found was the Cannondale Scalpel 1 with a full carbon frame. After four hours of aggressive climbing on the Scalpel, I knew the feel I was after for climbing. For all of its strengths in climbing, it did not handle rocky terrain or the down hill very well, so the search continued.

The one thing that most of the bikes that I rode lacked was the ability to shoot through trails covered with midsized rocks and other obstacles. The bike that best met this need was the Titus Racer X. It held true on very difficult trails. It also dug in on the uphill climb because of the Clevis-style Horst Link.

Now all I needed was one bike that had the feel and the strengths that I had selected as my base criteria. So back to the bike shops I went. After a few more test rides, hours of talking to riders and shop techs, I narrowed my search to the Titus Racer X Carbon and a new bike on the mountain, the Pivot Mach 4. Several bike shop owners and managers gave great reviews on the Pivot; I started searching for a bike to demo. I soon discovered that all the demo bikes in Utah had been sold as the main season wound down.

I didn’t give up on my search; a friend of mine found a Pivot Mach 4 in Moab and road it. He told me I had to get on one, and see for myself how nice of a ride it was. So Saturday morning, November 1st, at 8:30 a.m. a friend of mine and I met Rob and Jason from Pivot Cycles in Moab, Utah. They walked us through how the Pivot bikes need to be set up, to get the most from the bike. Setting the bike up right, will turn a good ride into a fantastic one. After a few minutes of setting the bike up for me, we were ready to hit Amasa Back trail in Moab. Fortunately for us, Rob with Pivot Cycles joined us on the ride.

As we started up the trail I was amazed at how the Mach 4 ate up the rocks on the trail. If you have been on that trail, you know there is no shortage of rocks. The Mach 4 absorbed the rocks like no other bike I had ever been on. Talk about smooth, it was smoother going up hill than what I had set as my standard for down hill.

What was also amazing was that it was not only smooth climbing up and over the rocks, but the traction was the best I had experienced. As I got on the pedals, the bike shot forward taking all my energy and moving forward instead of loosing energy to the suspension. It didn’t matter if I had the suspension set for climbing or for down hill, the Pivot, Mach 4 didn’t have any pedal squat. Wow, what a climber!

After climbing for a little while, we had to try some down hill. We rode back down a few sections of trail. I could not believe it was only a 4” travel bike. I thought it absorbed the rocks going up, it really absorbed them going down hill. Braking on the down hill was great as well. I didn’t experience any brake jack. The bike was nimble, easy to throw around, yet capable of handling everything the trail had to give me.

I was so pleased with the bike; I had to let my friend ride it. I took the Racer X we had brought to compare the Pivot against, and let him take the Mach 4. Only a minute or two on the Racer X and I wanted the Pivot back. The Titus would power through the terrain, but it was not the plush ride that the Pivot offered. My friend was impressed as he rode up and down a few sections of the trail. He too was sold on the performance of the Pivot Mach 4.

I got the Pivot back and finished the climb on the Amasa Back trail. There were several steep climbs where I stood up on the pedals to again test the Mach 4, with the suspension wide open, and it climbed with all the power I could give it. I was impressed that it absorbs the rocks and bumps better than any cross country bike I had been on, yet never robbed me of the power I needed to climb the aggressive hills.

After a short break at the top to talk and enjoy the beautiful view in Moab, we hit the trail to come back down. The Pivot delivered an impressive down hill ride. It shot through the midsized rocks that bounce most bikes around, and handled the jumps like a five inch travel bike. Pivot has hit a home run with this bike.

After stopping for lunch and reviewing all the benefits of the Mach 4, we talked Rob into letting us take the Mach 4 on one more ride. We wanted to try a different kind of terrain, so we took the bike out on the Slick-Rock trail. Once again the bike delivered a stellar performance. I couldn’t believe how it climbed, it performs better than a hard tail, yet delivers a nimble comfortable ride. I felt like me and the bike were one.

After a full day of riding, I still felt like I could have just kept on riding. I felt great for that much time in the saddle. I was more than impressed with the performance of this bike. I wonder if the employees at Pivot really realize what they have? I can honestly say after months of searching, I have found the best cross country mountain bike on the market. I have found my next mountain bike—The Pivot, Mach 4.

Leon Clark

Business Manager and biking enthusiast

Pivot Love Down Under

I am now a proud owner of a Mach 4. Over the last 5 years I have enjoyed riding a Santa Cruz Blur, but during recent months I have been on the lookout for something that I thought might be an improvement over the Blur. I do enjoy the technology involved in nice mountain bikes and have been waiting for some kind of advancement that would offer me something special. I had considered some of the newer Carbon Fibre suspension bikes, but I am not yet convinced that full carbon and rock gardens are a great match up.

Then a friend mentioned the new Pivots – after a fair bit of internet researching, it was obvious that these new Pivots were employing some newer technology and ideas, so I became very interested. Now after a few rides, I am delighted with the purchase.

It is easy enough to read great technical reviews about the Mach 4 on various web sites, so I won’t bore you with more of the same. But what impresses me is that when I am riding the Mach 4, I look down and notice things like the down tube sitting across to the left instead of in the middle. I notice the main pivot also positioned to the left and the rear end of the pivot further offset. I notice the lack of a front derailleur clamp. I notice the pivot point located in a position that is almost impossible on a normal frame.

Do all these strange differences make it a better bike? Who knows – it seems to. But the reason I am impressed is because I know that the designers obviously dispensed with the usual design constraints and designed this bike from a “clean sheet” and with open minds. What they came up with was a design that puts things where they need to be, and not where its just easy to put them.

I know that I am riding a bike that was “designed” and not just copied or upgraded. Well done Pivot Cycles – thanks for adding to my riding enjoyment.

Mach 4 Is The Best

Having ridden various styles of frame from hardtails to freeride frames, from Trek to Cannondale, I can honestly say the Pivot Mach 4 is the best frame I have ever rideen. The design of the wheel path and the DW Link provide a plush suspension and yet bob free ride. Your efforts in a pedal stroke are delivered entirely to the forward movement of the bike every time. This results in an effecient and yet compliant ride unseen before in the MTB design world. Pivot have overcome so many design floors that are continuously presented. Seemingly simple and yet powerful design features (larger bottom bracket, E-type derailer and stiff rear triangle) that translate into a comfortable, compliant and effecient ride no matter the conditions. The geometry is outstanding; the head angle isn't too aggressive but never lets you feel like you need more control. The cockpit and wheel span are beautifully spaced and in good balance. The geometry allows you to race short course cross country or sit in the saddle and comfortably complete a 24 hr solo. Not quite as light as some of the carbon blah blahs but the superb ride quality and finish are worth their weight in gold.

I purchased this frame at the beginning of the season before Australia had a distributor and had to pay import taxes, exchanges and more. Worth every cent!! And now Australia has a distributor, I recommend Pivot to all who ask about the sexy bike I'm riding.

Well done Pivot!

Thanks Adam and I hope I can send photos of the podium next time.

Nick

Pivot Mach 5 and the Yeti 575

Here it is, if you are interested; my completely biased and skewed review of the Pivot Mach 5 and the Yeti 575. As you know, I am a Chris Cocalis groupie from way back. Chris built my first Titus FCR hardtail in 92 and I'm still riding it. The other six Cocalis era Tituses in our garage also continue to be ridden and loved. The Motolites, however are tired, hence the exploration into their eventual replacement. Believe it or not, the 99 motolite is my first ever FS bike so my knowledge consists of Horst link suspension and what I hear or read in the magazines or online. Chris lives where we live and rides where we ride, mainly South Mountain. He was building long travel trail bikes 10 years ago long before everyone was doing it, because that's what our mountain calls for. Of course I was excited when he teamed up with Dave Weagle to design the Pivot. Pete and many others urged us to also check out the Yeti 575.

Both bikes feel very comfortable. The Yeti did seem a bit tall in comparison, although L's spreadsheet tells us the BB heights are comparable. In spite of the tall feel, I hit my cranks many times on the Yeti test ride; random? or due to pedal bob? One trick of the pivot is that they went with an internal headset that significantly lowers the front end height; kind of cool if you like to run tall forks like we do. The Pivot did feel a tiny bit quick steering and I did feel like I was looking over the front of my wheel on the waterfall. They had a 110 stem and and 32 Talas on there, so I think this will be corrected by my 90mm stem, 150mm fork. The yeti steered kinda slow with a 32 talas and 90mm stem. Might be slower with the marz 55 or Z1 that we will run. I think L calculated a 68 HA on the pivot with our forks and a 67 HA on the yeti.

The Yeti rode kind of like the motolite only better. It climbs great and soaks up all the bumps large and small. It did bob slightly but noticeably. I suppose I could've turned the pro pedal on, but I never remember to do that sort of thing anyway on a ride. On the descent we were a little surprised that it felt a bit harsh. We had heard all about its plushness, but did not experience it. I did get a bit of bucking bronco feel, which improved somewhat when I slowed down the rebound. Still I was underwhelmed by its descending feel. I was using all of the travel, so less air probably not an option. In the air, the yeti performs like the 4 bar; you have to really compress and preload to launch. In the air, we thought the frame felt a little long. Landings were fine.

The Pivot has a totally different ride. It feels the worst on the fire road; it seemed like I felt every small bump. Not quite as harsh as a hardtail, but definetly more harsh than ML or 575. On the trail, this feeling disappears and the bike becomes a climbing machine. I had read about the rearward axle path of the DW link rolling over the square edged bumps and its for real. The yeti and moto have a dead feel over these bumps but the pivot rolls on up. I do a lot of standing to climb and this bike does that great. There is no bobbing whatsoever, pro pedal in off position. Seated climbing good too. We got to the top thinking party over; it climbed so well it will have to suck on the descent. To the contrary, I had more fun coming down Natl on this bike than I think I have ever had, FR bike included. The bike seems to just fly down the trail, but in total control; The bike seemed to disappear from under me on the rough stuff. I literally could not feel the rear suspension working, because I could feel nothing (but the harsher fox AIR fork). Popping it into the air was effortless and it was easy to place it back down where I wanted and continue on. Very flickable. The Pivot felt feather light and the YEti just felt heavy, even though both weighed in at about 27 lbs. The Pivot rides like no other bike I have ever ridden. It feels like cheating. Pivot says the production frames sport a fox shock with softer valving than the proto demo. It should ease up the small bump compliance. I cant wait to ride it with my Z1 on it.

Yep, they are on order ;)

Love Through Speedgoat

Speedgoat,

About 18 months ago you helped me "settle" on a Pivot Mach 429 to replace my cracked 29er. I'm just checking in to say that I'm as in love with this bike as I was the day it arrived.  It's amazing to ride and, among other epic rides, it brough me to the finish line of the Leadville 100 in 2010.

Although I'm returning to trialthlon this season, my Pivot is still a HUGE part of my training program.  I get out on it at least once a week on the dirt, and it continues to transport me back to my 14-year-old self grinning wide as I tear through the woods.   It's the envy of my mountain biking buddies... all of whom have spent as much or more than me. LOL. Even better is that the reviews of the Pivot (as you pointed out to me) are a testament to well the bike rides.
 
So, thanks again. 
 
Very satisfied customer...
 
-Kenny

From Our Desert to Yours

After months of riding nearly every bike in our rental fleet and testing demos at Outerbike, and in Tucson-- it finally started: the count down delivery days for when my Mach 5.7 would arrive.

That pretty Pivot parcel was delivered in the shed at the Poison Spider Bike Shop the day BEFORE my weekend started. Perfect ! When the FedEx delivery arrived, I booked towards the driver with a solid 'hi-five'. I scribbled my name across the electronic device, then  dashed towards the bike box with a big hug. "Hooray, my very own bike is here, Yay!"

The weekend was starting out right; a drenching storm had just passed, and my bike arrived just for spring in Moab! What else is sweeter?  Well . . . check this, the following day prevailed with the flu-- BOO. So I couldn't even RIDE! Talk about-a buzz kill.

All the while my bike was being built, I lay there in my illness for nearly a week, dreaming about a stealth Mach 5.7, and where to brand a glossy blue spider sticker? What trail would do the honor? Who will join me?

Upon a mechanic's final test-ride (thank you Randy!), I endeavored my maiden voyage solo at the top of LPS... Smashing. Did I mention Porcupine is delicious? Hit my travel, passed some guys on the trail (who laughed when my drivetrain drank more water from my h20pack than I did), and loved, loved, LOVED every corner and drop.

The next day, I participated in the local's "Suffer & Send It" on Amasa and had soo much fun! Punchy pedaling, sweet descending, lots of fun! Super perfect for Moab.

Thanks for building a great bike. Since then, I've had this song stuck in my head, I'd like to claim I made it up, but you probably know it too... it goes like this:  " I love my new bike, I love my new bike . . . Yay-!"  :-) Been riding every chance-- with many compliments . . . I THANK YOU ALL.

Also, I'm from Phoenix so it's nice to represent.

Cheers, from our desert to yours.

Gina

Loving It

Hey Chris,

I just wanted to thank you again for your help in getting the Mach 5.7!  I am absolutely LOVING it!  I'm getting more accustomed to riding with a fork that doesn't lower in travel and actually finding out that by changing body position I can climb pretty much everything I was climbing with the 100mm Talas!  BUT, what's even cooler is that I'm cleaning more things than what I had on my Yeti, especially in the tighter technical terrain — both in climbing and descending!
 
You have an amazing bike that not only is a great climbing bike — but is super smooth on the downhill stuff as well!  I honestly think it's more stable and more responsive on the downhill, switchback type of riding I've been doing!  Although I'm still working on getting back into fitness shape, I'm actually excited to get out and ride to see what this bike will do! 
 
Thanks again Chris!  When I can be enthusiastic and excited about a bike I'm riding— the girls will get excited about it as well and want to ride the same bike.  When I can clean stuff and they WANT to clean the same stuff, it encourages them to look more closely at the bike I'm riding.  I'm excited!  :)
 
Cheers!
Nancy