Pivot Mach 429 Trail Review
You’re looking for a new trail bike, you want something playful like a 650b, but with the rolling speed and kilometer munching ability of a 29er. You want carbon, you want pretty, boost hub widths, short playful travel, light weight, oh and did I say pretty! Well Pivot reckon they really have the answer to such a search, in the form of their new Mach 429 Trail, sporting a slacker front, shorter chainstays and an incredible playful character; especially for a 29er. So Jim got his hands on the first and only one of these sent over to the UK for testing, but was he bowled over by Pivot’s claims or was it not a welcome back to the bigger wheels for him?
First of all I want to talk about the most obvious of things with this, the first 29er I have been on in nearly a year and that’s its looks. I have always been a fan of the Pivots, with the 650b Mach 6 being high up there in the sexiest looking bikes table. This new Mach 429 Trail with its full carbon chunky frame in this gorgeous deep blue with subtle streaks of pale blue and black, plus its bold white graphic has stepped up the level again. At no point do I look at this bike and think it’s a goofy 29er, it really looks sublime. The build is not so important to the performance, as this bike will be available in so many builds that it is more applicable as frame performance, as this bike will mostly be sold as ‘frame only’ (We’ve also have a Pivot Mach 429 Trail 1x build in our long-term test program)
On paper this frame really sounds the business, it boasts all things currently desirable from a short travel fun bike, boost 148 rear and 110 front, 67.5 degree head angle, 443mm chainstays and the classic DW linkage. Pivot have designed this model with external cable routing, except for the dropper post (this bike did not come with one fitted) this to me is a step in the right direction, as I tend to find internal cable routing a big pain in the ass nowadays, a trend solving a non-existent problem! They have built this frame with a rather nifty removable front mech mount, so riders have an option of a twin front drive if required. As for this bike’s build, it is full Sram X0, Fox 34, Fox Float Factory series shock, Guide brakes, Raceface cranks and Sunn Ringle STR wheelset fitted with Maxxis Ardent tyres.
The frame features 116mm of travel, an odd number we know, but hey ho, lets not dwell on that! So firstly it was set up for riding and with slightly small sizing I found this large frame and 60mm stem perfect for my reach and long legs, even though I’m relatively average height at 180cm tall. The sag was set with ease on the rear with the brilliant sag adjustment gauge fitted to the shock (why don’t all bikes come with these?) The stem came with 20mm of spacers stacked underneath it, these were swapped over, so the stem was slammed to the frame, giving a much more nimble lower front end to counter the bigger wheels. One thing you may also notice about this bike is its lack of dropper post in this build. UK distributors informed me that this is due to them rather supplying it without, so riders can choose their own out of the many types available on the market. This may give the rider the better choice but it must be noted that it will add to the build price of a full bike.
Out on the trail and it was time to attack some climbs, switch this thing into climb mode and she just seems to go up any hill with ease, but there seemed to be an extra sting in its tail. Climb switch was fine when climbing anything from tarmac to slightly rough singletrack, but when things get rough, loose or both on the assents it has another trick to offer. I found when the back end started loosing traction on the rougher or looser steep stuff, then banging the climb switch back to fully open seemed to give the bike a ridiculous amount of grip, forcing the bigger tyres and suspension action down to grip like I have never known.
On the faster trails where the Mach 429 Trail starts to open up its legs, when coming hauling into the odd tightening corner I noticed the difference between the 29er wheels and that of 650b I am more used to now. But after munching some miles and getting used to the bigger wheels I found myself soon used to the technique of taking the faster corners as wide as poss, and not trying to carve them too tight.
It was time to open this thing up and nail some descents. Now as an enduro racer who has got pretty used to the descending qualities of big hitting 160mm bikes I was ready for disappointment in this department from the off, but this bike’s capabilities were far beyond that of a standard short travel trail bike. 116mm of travel aint much when being fired from rock to rock on some of the steepest of terrain, but this thing really does hold its own in these situations, with that weird number of 116mm seeming much more like the 140mm offered up by the Fox 34’s up-front. Only occasionally on the biggest hit would I be reminder of its lack of travel, here a couple of times the rear got pinged from one side of the track to another by the odd wheel dinging huge rock. In the steep turns lay this bike in with confidence and the grip from the bigger wheels rocking the skinny Ardent tyres was remarkable.
Pedaling efficiency is also a trait claimed by the makers of this bike with the boost hubs supposedly offering a better energy transfer from legs to wheel. Well I have to be honest and say the bike pedaled well, but no extra efficiency was noticed by the boost hubs, only the rear triangle being wider and causing more shoe rub on the back end. If I were to purchase such a bike the first upgrade would be chainstay protectors to eliminate frame rub. Also on the subject of the frame there was one noticeable downside, and that was the rear end flex. Grab the seat in one hand and the rear wheel in the other and the flex is certainly prolific, but I have to say not noticeable when out on the trail. Also the rubber bashguard/downtube protector was already starting to come unstuck from the frame, which was a bit disappointing, as was the feel of the Pivot grips, which I would actually put down to being the worst grips I’ve ever used!
Conclusion
Although this bike came with a couple of flaws, in all I loved the experience of owning it, smashing some Strava segments, nailing trail centers with buddies and it really is a joy to look at. Any minor flaws would easily be sorted out, but I’m sure with the flex in the back end I would have to be keeping an eye on the rear end’s linkages riding a lot in wet shitty conditions. I’d say this bike will really suite a rider who favors adventure rides, big long days in the saddle with massive climbs and fun descents, hauling the trails at high speeds, a bike park rider, occasional racer, a rider who just wants to have fun on a 29er which rides and feels much more like a capable and playful short travel 650b bike.
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Tube | 406.4 mm | 444.5 mm | 482.6 mm | 520.7 mm |
| Top Tube | 580.4 mm | 607.1 mm | 628.7 mm | 650.2 mm |
| Head tube | 101.6 mm | 101.6 mm | 119.4 mm | 149.9 mm |
| Head angle | 67.5 ° | 67.5 ° | 67.5 ° | 67.5 ° |
| Seat tube angle | 72.8 ° | 72.8 ° | 72.8 ° | 72.8 ° |
| Chain Stay Length | 443.2 mm | 443.2 mm | 443.2 mm | 443.2 mm |
| BB height | 335.0 mm | 335.0 mm | 335.0 mm | 335.0 mm |
| Standover Height | 724.9 mm | 736.1 mm | 747.0 mm | 763.0 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1110.0 mm | 1135.1 mm | 1154.9 mm | 1180.1 mm |
| Reach | 383.5 mm | 409.2 mm | 423.2 mm | 435.4 mm |
| Stack | 607.3 mm | 607.8 mm | 624.6 mm | 653.0 mm |
Prices: Frame only (with shock) €2,800.00 This build €4,999.00
Website: www.pivotcycles.com
Also check out our in-depth review of the Pivot Mach 429 Trail XTR 1x
Words: Jim Buchanan Photos: Isac Paddock
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