Product Description
Brand |
Pivot |
Category |
MOUNTAIN |
Seller |
Backcountry |
In the beginning, there were fully rigid XC bikes--essentially 'cross frames with bigger tire clearance. Then came moto-inspired gravity sleds with dual-crown forks that dropped in like demons but pedaled like deflated balloons. Now, we're in something of a golden age, with bikes like the Pivot Trail 429, which doesn't pedal like a road bike or descend like a DH sled, but it does both well enough that we've yet to find its limits this side of a full-on gravity run. Though it has X01 in the title, this build is kitted out with a curated blend of X01, GX1, with Guide RE brakes. The result is a climb-happy one-by drivetrain that gifts riders with the granny gear of the gods, ensuring you'll have one last card to play while slugging up climbs in order to earn your laps. All of that means that, though it technically defines the middle space, the upsides are more of a happy large than a happy medium. Perhaps the most natural place to start when diving into the new Trail is with its completely reshaped frame that gives the bike its progressive geometry. Unlike the smooth swooping top and down tubes we saw on the Mach 429 Trail, the Trail 429 is a bit more direct, with a more angular approach that brings the bike into the cutting edge with clean lines, a slacker head tube to instill confidence and composure on steep lines packed with chunky granite, and a steep seat tube that keeps you dialed in the cockpit when you push your way up punchy switchbacks laced with root lattices. On top of this new geometry, the Trail also sees a feature we've been longing for over the past generations: internal cable routing. This makes for a cleaner setup with cables that are neatly tucked away, and its done without upping the price from its externally-routed forefather. We've had a sneaking suspicion that Pivot's Super Boost spacing wasn't just for the Switchblade, and the new Trail confirms it with a stretched out rear hub that boasts a whopping 157mm width. This wide hub means a few t...
read more
