First Look: Pivot Mach 4 Carbon 27.5 – XC and more
Pivot Cycles is well known for producing really popular high performance carbon mountain bikes like their Mach 6 Carbon all mountain/enduro machine and their Phoenix DH Carbon lightweight DH racer. Here at Bike Press Camp in Park City, Utah Pivot is keeping that tradition alive by announcing their all new Pivot Mach 4 Carbon.
In this video, Chris Cocalis (Founder/CEO/President) of Pivot Cycles goes over the highlights of the Mach 4 Carbon.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtlnacwZIG0
Completely redone from head-to-toe with a bit more travel (from 110 to 115mm) and bigger 27.5″ wheels and tires, the new Mach 4 Carbon blurs the lines between XC race and All Mountain Trail. It is the lightest full suspension frame that Pivot has ever made. Frame weight with shock is 5.1 lbs.
The Pivot Cycles Mach 4 Carbon 27.5 features:
- 115mm dw-link suspension with race and trail tuning
- Full carbon frame featuring Pivot exclusive hollow box internal molding technology
- 27.5” wheels
- XS, S, M, & L sizing, with our X-small featuring the lowest stand-over clearance of any 27.5” suspension bike made
- Full length internal cable routing, and Shimano Di2 compatible with Pivot’s exclusive cable port system
- Dropper post compatible with internal routing
- Enduro Max cartridge bearings
- Custom tuned Fox Float CTD Kashima rear shock
- Frame weight from 5.1lbs (2.3kg)
- Complete bike weights from 22lbs (10kg)
- 2 sets of bottle cage mounts
- Rubberized leather downtube and swingarm protection
Even the small details were given attention and the cable routing on this frame offers all kinds of options, going beyond internally routed dropper post cables. The upper end models have Shimano’s electronic Di2 drivetrain options and there are ports built in for placing the battery in the frame out of sight and harm’s way. Very slick, indeed.
Check out this promo video from Pivot Cycles showing one of their team riders putting the bike through its paces. Chris Cocalis provides the explanation of the bikes development and features.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWWR8jm4Nqw
The Mach 4 Carbon comes in 4 sizes (XS, SM, MD, LG) and in two colors (Carbon/Blue and Anthracite Grey/Green). The Mach 4 is available as a complete bike with 11 build options ranging from the top of the line XTR Di2 2x at $8999 down to the SLX build at $4499. It is also available as a frame kit (frame, Fox F120 FIT CTD Kashima shock, Pivot headset and either Shimano or SRAM bottom bracket) for $3799.
Here is the complete price sheet for all options (including pricing for the new Phoenix DH Carbon).
Our Take
I actually got to spend a little bit of time on the Mach 4 doing two short runs down a trail called Deer Crest here at Deer Valley Resort and the Mach 4 definitely feels like it has more travel. Instead of 115mm, it feels like it has 125mm of travel that is very active and responsive, but efficient at the same time. If you have the suspension set soft (as I did for these downhill oriented trails) and you stand up and hammer up a short, steep climb you can feel a bit of suspension actuation (like pretty much all active suspension designs). But that is what the platform settings on the shock are for. Pivot Cycles set out to build a highly capable bike and they have done so. This bike is the right bike for many people out there, even those who won’t admit that they currently riding on too much travel. It’s not how much travel you have, it’s what you do with it and Pivot has maximized every millimeter of the 115 on this rig. We hope to get a Mach 4 Carbon in for a long-term testing in the near future.
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