Fat Bike, LES Fat, News, Pivot Cycles, Plus - January 14, 2015

News: Pivot Cycles releases the versatile new carbon LES Fat bike

Aaron Chase on the new Pivot LES Fat bike.

Fat bikes have not only arrived, they’ve broken up into different categories already. Expedition, Flotation, XC, Trail, Full Suspension fat bikes are just some of the segments vying for attention. To further complicate matters, there’s 27.5+ and 29+ tire sizes that are joining the party. These are 27.5 and 29er tires that have the same inner diameter but sit on very wide rims and are three inches high. Pivot is entering the fat bike segment by offering a carbon bike with a very unique dropout system to accommodate different wheel and tire sizes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pivot rider and freeride pioneer Aaron Chase puts the LES Fat through the off-season paces at Highland.

One problem with fat bikes is the user doesn’t really know where they’re gonna use it the most. Buyers usually get in to it for snow riding but then they want to use it all year as well with slightly smaller tires that don’t need to float over snowy trails. Putting a 29+ wheel/tire is an option for most frames but the wheel diameter is so big that it raises the bottom bracket of the bike a bit. The Pivot LES Fat bike aims to solve this problem by offering interchangeable dropouts that move the axle back for bigger wheel/tires. At the same time, it will also drop the bottom bracket to compensate for the bigger diameter. This gives it the vesatility to adjust for bigger and smaller wheels. What happens in the front? Pivot has two lower headset cup options to adjust for the bigger and smaller wheelsizes as well.

We’ve yet to see this bike at Mtbr but our mind is racing with possibilities and applications.

Official Press Release: Pivot Cycles LES Fat bike

Ear-to-ear grins come standard with the new Pivot LES Fat – the world’s most versatile big-tire machine.

Swinger II Dropout System

Say goodbye to the single-purpose blues. The LES Fat features our newly patented Swinger II dropout system, enabling you to run almost any available plus or fat bike wheelsize, easily switch between singlespeed and geared drivetrains and choose your chainstay length based on conditions and desired handling characteristics. With the option to run every tire size from 26 X 3.8, 26 X 4.8, 27.5+, 29+ and anything in between, your bike is really a quiver of options that take you into any season and any condition.

Riders also have the option to set chainstay length within the Swinger II system. The shortest possible setting gives you a flickable, playful ride previously unknown in the big tire category – we feature the shortest chainstays for every wheelsize category. Adjusting for maximum wheelbase and tire clearance (the LES Fat accommodates rubber up to 5” in diameter) gives you an incredibly stable ride for heavy loads and messy conditions.

Great Geometry at Any Wheelsize

No matter what wheel/tire combination you choose, great handing characteristics are an imperative. The Swinger II dropout system allows the LES Fat to maintain ideal geometry via an indexed adjustment arc designed into the dropouts – the bigger the wheel and the more clearance you choose, the lower the bottom bracket.

In conjunction with the adjustable rear dropouts, we’ve also accounted for how changing wheelsizes affects the front of the bike. Included with every LES Fat frameset and complete bike are two lower headset cup options – when using a 29+ wheelset or the Rock Shox Bluto suspension fork, choose the Zero Stack option. For 26” wheel options, choose the 18mm cup.

Custom Designed Fork and Bluto Compatibility

The LES Fat frameset includes a Pivot designed carbon, tapered steerer rigid fork that easily accommodates any wheelsize with clearance to spare. This full carbon fork features 150mm dropout spacing – the same spacing as a RockShox Bluto suspension fork. Riders who choose to switch between the supplied rigid fork and a Bluto fork will only need one 150mm compatible wheelset to work with either option.

Ideal Gearing and Ergonomics

Ergonomics and gearing are the key to making a big-tire bike into your daily driver. We at Pivot expect to see the LES Fat in a wide variety of terrain and riding surfaces and in everything from racing events to multi week tours. For the best performance in both high and low cadence conditions, we’ve made sure that the LES Fat is both kind to your knees and that it accommodates a wide variety of 1x, 2x and singlespeed gearing set-ups.

Massive chainstay clearance (up to 5” tires) is made even more useful with a q-factor and chainline much closer to that of bikes designed to cleat only 4” or smaller tires. You will find 197mm rear spacing on the LES Fat paired with a 15mm narrower knee-saving q-factor when built with the Pivot/E-Thirteen co-designed fat bike crankset that ships on every LES Fat complete bike.

2x and 1x gearing compatibility makes the LES Fat an ideal choice in any terrain. The LES Fat complete bike comes with a 1x set up, but the crank spider is 2x compatible. The frame features a low profile e-type mount included with both the frameset and complete bike that works with Shimano’s sideswing front derailleur.
For those that prefer the simplest solution, the Swinger II dropout system also singlespeed compatible – no need to switch dropout hardware.

Pivot Carbon Frame Design

The full carbon frame of the Pivot LES Fat features leading-edge materials and our proprietary hollow-core, internal-molding process. This coveted production technology enables us to create a best-in-class frame with the lighter, stiffer, stronger qualities needed to make a do-anything fat bike. In order to support a wide range of wheelsizes, while tracking and accelerating beyond expectations, the LES Fat features the largest downtube in the category, as well as optimized layup structure, top tube and seatstay/chainstay shaping. This proprietary design gives the LES Fat best in class power transfer and the vertical compliance that makes epic rides comfortable and fun.

Pivot Cable Port System

Additional foul weather advantages are found in the Pivot Cable Port System. Internal routing for any component is easy to install and maintain via large, easy to access ports and interchangeable covers. Riders have the ability to switch between a variety of cable routing options, allowing for the cleanest possible installation. Rest easy knowing that no matter what components or gearing you choose, now or in the future, we have you covered.

Versatile and Functional Details

Additional essential details include beautifully integrated rear rack mounts, internal dropper post routing for extreme terrain and 3 water bottle mounts, making the LES Fat the most capable adventure bike you can get.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Chris Cocalis walks you through the technical features of the LES Fat.

Framesets and Complete Bikes Begin Shipping in Two Weeks

The LES Fat will retail for $2599 USD for the frameset (frame, fork and headset with 18mm and Zero Stack lower headset cups), or for $4699 for a complete bike with X01. See our website for all available photos, complete bike options and product information. Expect frame sets and complete bikes to start shipping in approximately two weeks. See your Pivot dealer to get onboard.

Fits all fat/plus wheelsizes (26 X 3.8, 26 X 4.8, 27.5+ and 29+) via Swinger II dropout system, without geometry compromises
Full carbon frame featuring proprietary hollow core internal molding technology
Optimized layup structure with svelte top tube and stay shaping for long ride and epic adventure comfort while featuring the largest downtube in the category
Full length internal cable routing via Pivot’s exclusive Cable Port System
Optimized narrow Q-factor design
Complete bikes include co-designed lower Q factor E-Thirteen fat bike-specific crankset
132mm wide press fit bottom bracket for light weight, durability and ease of maintenance
2x and 1x and singlespeed compatible
197mm rear spacing and optimized design clears 5″ tires with massive clearance for unpacked snow, mud and sand
Pivot designed carbon fork with 150mm spacing
RockShox Bluto compatible
Ships with both 18mm and Zero Stack headset cups for correct geometry at any wheelsize
Shimano sideswing front derailleur compatible via a low profile e-type mount
Geared and singlespeed compatible
Rear rack mounts
Internal dropper post compatible
3 bottle cage mounts
Highly durable rubberized leather chainstay protection
Sizes S, M, L for riders between 5’6″ and 6’4″
Available as a complete bike or as a frame/fork/headset