Pivot Cycles have updated their long-running Mach 4, giving it 650b wheels for the 4th generation of this popular trail and cross-country bike. Frame and shock will cost £2,400.
Pivot founder Chris Cocalis says “the Mach 4 has been such a strong part of our history and heritage that we wanted to make sure the 4th generation set a new bar for the cross country and trail category. This is really the bike that started it all for Pivot.”
The new Mach 4 offers 115mm rear wheel travel, something they arrived at after much testing and development. Chris describes the decision for the travel as “being the point where we could maintain both XC pedalling performance while achieving the feeling of a much longer travel bike on gnarlier terrain.”
One of the key changes has been to update the geometry so it not only offers high performance for cross country racing, but also performs well as a lightweight trail bike. The Fox shock, custom tuned by Fox, comes with a dual position sag indicator, with ‘race’ and ‘trail’ sag settings. In the race setting the geometry is close to the previous 100mm generation Mach 4, but a flatter suspension curve and more relaxed geometry in trail mode which they claim it gives the bike a “higher level of trail ability and balance.”
The frame can be paired with either 100mm or 120mm forks. With the latter, the geometry looks like this: a 622mm effective top tube, 68.20 degree head angle and 72 seat, 428mm chainstays, 332mm bottom bracket, 594mm stack and 439mm reach. Just four sizes are offered from XS to L.
The Mach 4 still features at its heart the Dave Weagle designed DW-Link which comprises two short linkages controlling the wheel path combat squat. Our experience of it in the Mach 429 when we tested it was that is provides very taut suspension that makes it a great pedalling bike without having to rely on the compression settings of the shock too excessively.
With Shimano rolling out XTR Di2 electronic shifting, Pivot have ensured the Mach 4 is fully compatible with the new groupset. There are the necessary ports to allow for internal routing and an internal battery mount in the down tube. The frame is still compatible with mechanical groupsets, and allows full-length housing. There’s internal routing for a dropper post too.
The carbon frame construction keeps the weight down, with a claimed frame weight of 5.1lbs (2.3kg). With a decent selection of parts a 22-23lb build shouldn’t be impossible. There are rubber impact protectors attached to the down tube and swingarm to ward off rock strikes.
On paper it looks like a smart update for the Mach 4 and one that brings it into line with a few other interesting looking short travel trail bikes. We’re starting to see much more trail capability from bikes traditionally, on account of their travel, pegged as purely cross country race bikes, but the changes Pivot have made recognise that many people are using them for simply trail riding, but don’t necessary want, or need, longer travel ‘enduro’ bikes for simply blasting around the local woods on a Sunday afternoon. We can’t wait to get a ride on it.
Check out the Mach 4 in this video:
The Mach 4 vital stats:
• 115mm dw-link suspension with race and trail tuning
• Full carbon frame featuring Pivot exclusive hollow box internal moulding 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
