Three days on a Pivot Mach 4 Carbon


Last weekend in Arizona I trained 38 high school coaches and worked with 11 shredders like you.

The coach training was held at Pivot Cycles headquarters and … you know … when in Rome … so I rocked the new Pivot Mach 4 Carbon all weekend.


This promo video nicely sums up the Mach 4 Carbon:

2015 Pivot Mach 4C from eXposureTheory on Vimeo.


The Pivot site has a full description, specs, geometry and even FAQs. Here are some highlights of the MACH 4 Carbon 27.5 XTR/XT 1x Pro build I rode:

Carbon frame with 115 mm of dw-link® suspension

FOX FLOAT CTD KASHIMA shock with two sag settings: race and trail

FOX 32 FACTORY CTD 27.5″ 120 KASHIMA fork

68-degree head angle

27.5-inch wheels

2 sets of water bottle mounts!

Complete bikes weights starting at 22 lbs

More info at the Pivot Cycles site >>

My loaner bike, with a KS LEV dropper post, XT pedals and PRO 50mm stem.

Some perspective

Bike reviews generally contain a high density of male bovine excrement. I’ll do my best to leave that out.

This fall, winter and spring my main coaching machine has been a 2014 Specialized Camber Expert Carbon (29er). It has a Shimano PRO cockpit, XT pedals, XT brakes, XT drivetrain, Roval carbon wheels, Command Post seatpost, a Butcher front tire and a Slaughter rear tire. The geometry and travel are stock at 110mm. Mild suspension tuning has made the bike softer early in the travel (for my shoulders) and firmer deep in the travel (for Beautiful Violence). My Camber is a rock solid, dependable and capable trail bike. In the past six months it’s worked very well on pump tracks, dirt jumps, slalom tracks, slopestyle, smooth trails, rocky trails and even DH shuttle trails. I know this bike well. It’s my current baseline.

The Camber takes on a SoCal DH shuttle trail.

Because I am used to the Camber, this review compares the Mach 4C with the Camber.

I rode the Mach 4C in parking lots, pump track, dirt jumps, the Desert Classic trail at South Mountain and the Technical Loop at McDowell Mountain. Overall I’d say the riding was mellow with lots of great corners and a few rough sections. We’re looking at three days with about 20 hours on the bike.

What’s noticeably awesome about the Mach 4 Carbon

Light! This was the low-middle end “MACH 4 Carbon 27.5 XTR/XT 1x Pro” build, and it feels snappy. I’m sure the more expensive models are even lighter, especially with the optional Reynolds Blacklabel carbon wheels.

Stiff! The whole chassis feels solid and relatively wiggle free. Maybe it’s the smaller wheels, but I believe the Mach 4’s frame structure is burlier than my Camber.

Pedaling. The DW Link makes for a taught, quick pedaler — especially on smooth ground. The wallow that I’ve gotten used to after 12+ years on FSR bikes … just isn’t there.

As they say in the video, this bike rides bigger than it is. On most 115mm bikes, you get say 90-100mm of travel on most rides. This bike uses all 115mm all the time. Every chance I got, I plowed the Mach 4C through the worst lines I could find. What happened? I’m not gonna BS you with details that were being handled by the bike and my cerebellum, but full travel was used, without harsh bottoming and with no loss of control. Win.

Yes, I’m saying this bike pedals as if it has less travel and blasts through rocks as if it has more travel. That’s a pretty neat trick.

XTR 11 speed! The shifting, as you might expect, is flawless. The 11-40 cassette with a 30t chainring was geared low enough for the riding I did. If I was in a hurry I’d want a bigger ring. If I was riding longer/steeper I’d want a smaller ring.

XT brakes. Powerful, predictable and reliable. These are my little security blankets. If I have my index fingers on those levers, I know everything’s gonna be all right.

27.5 wheels. This is my first real trail time on the middle wheel size, and … well … the bike feels quick, and it generates more focused pump than my 29ers. If you drive this bike into pockets, it rewards you with nice bursts of speed.

Fun! That’s the bottom line. The bike felt easy to ride in the easy sections, and it felt completely competent everywhere else. From a handling standpoint, I never gave the bike a thought. I got it as close as I could to my optimal setup, focused on executing my skills and basically enjoyed the ride.

Whether rolling or flying over these rocks, the Mach 4C did its thing — and let me do my thing. In moments like this you do NOT want to be thinking about your bike.

What’s noticeably … different … about the Mach 4 Carbon

Nothing on this bike is bad. Actually, everything on this bike is very good. What matters to those of use with preferences is, how does This Bike compare to That Other Bike?

Compared with my Camber:

The seat angle feels slacker. According to the websites, the Mach 4C’s seat angle is 72°, while the Camber’s is almost 75°.

My 45-year-old, much abused knees, hips and low back hurt within about 10 minutes of pedaling. Sliding the saddle all the way forward on the seatpost made pedaling easier, but my body never recovered from the initial insult. Could I get used to this position? Yes: If all my bikes were set up the same way. Please know that I’m very sensitive in this area.

The cockpit feels smaller. I brought my PRO Atherton 50mm stem ’cause 1) it’s sweet, 2) it has a little Gee, Dan and Rachel graphic and 3) I run this on all of my bikes. With a medium frame and my standard stem setup, the bars felt low and close. Which makes sense when you look at these numbers:

The Mach 4C’s reach is .6 inches (15mm) shorter than my Camber’s. The 4C’s stack is .7 inches (17.5mm) lower than my Camber’s. One solution is a longer stem (the stock Pivot stems are longer than my 50). The other is a longer frame.

The shock tune feels softer. When you are plowing though randomness, that’s a very good thing — and I’m confident the Mach 4C was tuned this way on purpose.

When you’re pumping terrain with your Awesome Power, it’s very easy to blow through all of the suspension. With the shock air pressure on the high end and the shock set as firm as it gets, I could easily bottom the bike by snapping downward with my legs.

When the shock is softer than the fork and you pump a corner, the rear end tends to collapse and slacken the bike. This can become a riding style, but I’m used to a more balanced feel. On the last day I set the fork full soft and the shock full firm, and the bike carved like a champ. Just ask my students!

What I still wonder

How does this bike handle true gnar? A run down National Trail would have told that story. Based on the way the Pivot guys ride (Ken Bennett is a trail ninja), I’m guessing it’ll do fine.

How does it handle hyper-technical climbing? On one sustained, choppy climb I felt the little wheels hanging up. I love the pump of the little wheels, but how would I fare riding up a pointy, rocky mess? The supple suspension might offset the smaller wheel.

How does it feel on a long ride? I’m digging the little wheels for focused shredding, but, again, how will I feel after a few thousand tiny bumps?

If I get more time on this bike I’ll let you know.

At the end of each long coaching day, I took the Mach 4C for a fun lap. What a smooth, efficient and fun way to explore. It made me think: “Big wheels for work, little wheels for play.”

If I owned a Mach 4C

I would gratefully and humbly wring the heck out of it. I would also:

Consider moving up from a medium to a large. This would let me run a super-short stem and get the fit I’m used to.

Run the shock on the stiff side and probably get a custom tune to make it firmer when pumping.

Ride wider bars and a shorter stem than stock.

Dropper post for sure! The stock build kits don’t come with droppers.

Ride meatier tires. The stock Ardent Race tires rolled fast and gripped fine, but I appreciate more bite on a trail bike.

Either run a smaller ring for bigger climbs or — ideally — ride with two chainrings.

Run the saddle forward.

These are all personal preference. The Mach 4C pedals like a small bike and shreds like a big bike, and it’s just plain fun. If you have any issues with your pedaling position, definitely try before you buy.

Have fun out there!

Lee


Know more. Have more fun!

Join the leelikesbikes mailing list:






13 replies
  1. JD Dallager says:

    Lee: As always, a great review (and “minimal male bovine excrement”!).

    I’m in the process of getting a new Santa Cruz 5010c, while hanging on to my Camber Comp 29 (2011), so this feedback will be most helpful. I sized up on the frame after demo’ing the bike.

    Looking forward to the difference in wheel size, suspension type and travel, frame stiffness, riding position, handling, etc.

    Many thanks for a great rundown!

    Not sure how you have the energy after 4 straight days of riding/teaching to put that all in writing, but greatly appreciate the wisdom. BRAAAP!

    JD

    Reply
  2. Mark says:

    Hi Lee:

    Like the review.

    I’m currently weighing a pretty major bike purchase. Was pretty much determined to get a new HD3 or Mach 6 to replace my old Stumpjumper. But now I’m starting to wonder if a lighter lower travel bike like the Mach 4 might really be better for my riding.

    I used to race motocross as a kid, so I do allright on the MTB. But in real life I’m 48 and don’t really push the limits to much. Mostly Bay Area riding – some rock gardens and small jumps. Lots of climbing to get to the downhills. An occasional trip to Downieville.

    The Mach 4 might be better for the climbs and might be ok on the downs. But something a bit bigger and burlier might save me from an over the bars wipe in a rock garden.

    What do you think – go big or go light?

    Reply
  3. leelikesbikes says:

    Mark!

    I can’t say without knowing you or your trails. Nothing beats a test ride.

    I *LOVE* my S-Works Enduro 29, but it’s more bike than I need in most situations. Day to day, state to state, new place to new place, the Camber feels like a more versatile tool. I just put the new FOX 34 on the Camber, and I have a feeling that’ll make the bike even better in the gnar.

    If, God forbid, I could only have one bike, it would have less travel with modern trail geometry, like the Camber or the Mach 4C.

    BTW: The best way to prevent an over-ther-bars wipe is skill. The big bike will only help you so much!

    Reply
  4. Mark says:

    Hi Lee,

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Do you think the Enduro is a step above the HD3 for burlieness? It’s a bit longer travel, slacker in 650 & longer travel in 29er flavor.

    The HD3 is a bit steeper head angle & 150mm, I’m kind of thinking of it as a stumpjumper evo level bike.

    The Mach 4 is probably closer to the Camber.

    I did notice your comments on reach with the Mach 4. Even my wife noticed the cramped cockpit, so if I want that way I wound need to think hard on how a burlier fork (like a 130 mm Pike or Fox 34) would further shorten out the reach and slacken the seat angle. I’d probably need to size up if I want to stick with a short stem.

    When you say new Fox 34, are you talking 2016?

    How would you compare the Fox 34 to the Pike to the Fox 36?

    Reply
  5. leelikesbikes says:

    Yes, I think the Enduro is more bike than the Mach 6.

    The 2015 36 is significantly more effective than the Pike, which is also very good. My shoulders are a good judges of violence, and the 36 is way less painful than the Pike.

    I’m riding the 2016 34 this weekend in Moab. Stay tuned.

    Reply
  6. Mark says:

    Hi Lee…

    When you have some time, I’m interested your impressions on the 2016 34 Fox. It might be a good option vs. the Pike for mid travel bikes.

    Reply
  7. leelikesbikes says:

    I’ll post on the 2016 34 as soon as I can. Last week I rode it in Moab on Slickrock and at Klondike Bluffs. Briefly:

    Super smooth and plush!

    Very adjustable when it comes to how plush.

    Much stiffer and confidence inspiring than the stock 32 fork.

    I was getting 110 out of 120mm most of the time. Lots of travel being used, with great control and no sense of wallow.

    When I made a big mistake into a rock face, the fork bottomed in a perfectly controlled way. Bam! And my shoulders held up. Perfect.

    Reply
  8. Mark says:

    Lee – thanks for the review. I demo’d the M4c and thought it was a rad bike, but it just left me wondering how much better it could be with a dropper, proper tires, beefy fork (maybe a pike 130), and a shorter stem. Heck, maybe even an Angleset. Do you know if any of the Pivot guys, or anyone else, is riding one with those type of mods? Just wondering if it can be done without screwing up the geo too much. I’m torn between this bike and the Yeti SB5c.

    Reply
  9. jack says:

    Thanks for the great article. Are you going to do a review on the Pivot Trail? I heard it was better than the Mach 6.

    I have shorter than normal arms and I fit in the upper end of the small size. I want to run a 50 stem but from your review I’m not sure if the reach will be more of a hinderance in being able to climb properly.

    I’m in the middle of reading your mountain bike skill book and do you mention the saddle forward position? I’d like to learn more on optimal setup of the cockpit.

    thanks
    Jack

    Reply
  10. Joe says:

    I have been on a 25 pound (with dropper) Pivot 5.7c for some time now and was looking hard at getting a 29er. I have ridden the Ibis Ripley, 429 (aluminum) and Camber and have yet to ride a 29er that rides as well. I have a very rocky climb in Utah that is my “standard” and none of these bikes have gotten me to the top as quickly as my Pivot. Also, climbing over chunk, they all have insufficient travel, and I think that’s the problem. As I hit a tall square edge, the rear bottoms out before getting over the obstacle, resulting in pretty noticeable “pogo”, even with rebound set specifically for it. At 9000 feet elevation as part of a 3000 foot climb, climbing in the saddle is a huge advantage. Not really an option on the 29ers I’ve ridden. I am still going to try the 429 trail, but I’m giving up on 29 after that. I’ll be demoing some 26.88’s (I mean 27.5’s!) The SB5, new 5010 and Mach 4c, and will share my experiences on them, but so far, I’m thinking I’ll be on my 5.7c (26er) for the foreseeable future.

    Reply
  11. leelikesbikes says:

    Joe, thanks for writing in.

    If you have a sit-and-spin approach to technical climbing, more travel will certainly help. If you enjoy the smaller wheels with more suspension, keep at it!

    But I will respectfully submit that it sounds like you’re climbing out of balance. If you encounter a bump on a climb, and you’re in the saddle, your weight is well behind the middle of the bike. This causes the rear wheel to hit hard. If you have enough suspension, the energy heats the oil in your shock and the bump feels minimized. With less suspension, the bump will seem harsher.

    If you’re interested, try learning to climb with your weight perfectly balanced on your feet. From that neutral position, you can manage bumps with your arms. In my experience as a rider and a teacher, this can be very efficient.

    For help, you can take a class with me or sign up for a remote coaching lesson.

    https://www.leelikesbikes.com/skills-clinics-with-lee

    https://www.leelikesbikes.com/skills-clinics-with-lee/llb-remote-coaching

    Have fun out there,

    Lee

    Also see this video. This skilled rider shows the same efficiency sitting and standing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVxGFOb1KTY

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *